Flip top box for cigarettes

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6736262
  • Patent Number
    6,736,262
  • Date Filed
    Friday, December 20, 2002
    21 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, May 18, 2004
    20 years ago
Abstract
The hinge-lid box is accompanied by a printing carrier or coupon (38), which is arranged within the hinge-lid box in a position which is favorable from the point of view of production and for handling the hinge-lid box. For this purpose, the coupon (38) has a leg (41) which is directed toward a lid front wall (17) on the inside. Said leg is in form-fitting engagement with a lid inner tab (39), which is likewise arranged on the inside of the lid front wall (17). When the lid (11) is opened, the coupon is partially pulled out of the hinge-lid box or of a box part (10) of the same.
Description




DESCRIPTION




The invention relates to a pack with a lid, in particular a hinge-lid box for cigarettes, comprising a box part and lid connected pivotably thereto, a printing carrier or coupon comprising a separate blank being arranged, by way of a sub-region, namely by way of an anchoring element, in the lid.




There is an increasing need, in the configuration and production of cigarette packs for the addition of printing carriers or coupons as an additional advertising means, as a ticket for taking part in events, etc. The printing carriers or coupons are blanks made of thin material, in particular paper. Their positioning within the pack has to ensure easy access for the user, but also efficient industrial production of the packs.




A cigarette pack of the hinge-lid-box type in which a coupon or printing carrier is anchored in the lid of the hinge-lid box, between the end wall of the latter and inner lid corner tabs, is known.




The object of the invention is to propose packs with a lid, in particular hinge-lid boxes for cigarettes, in which printing carriers or coupons are arranged in a position which is favorable, in particular, for handling.




In order to achieve this object, the pack according to the invention is characterized in that the printing carrier or coupon has, in a region in the lid, a protrusion directed toward a lid front wall and the lid front wall has, on its inside, a mating protrusion which corresponds with the protrusion, and in that by interaction of the protrusion and mating protrusion, when the lid is opened, the printing carrier or coupon can be pulled out of the region of the box part.




An embodiment in which the printing carrier or coupon has a leg which is preferably formed by being folded over, is directed toward the lid front wall and of which the free leg border interacts in a form-fitting manner with a transverse edge of a lid inner tab is particularly advantageous.




Alternatively, the printing carrier/coupon may be connected to the lid front wall by adhesive bonding, preferably in the region of the leg directed toward the lid front wall. By virtue of the restoring forces of the material, the leg, when the pack is produced and/or the coupon is introduced, is forced against the inside of the lid front wall—above the correspondingly dimensioned lid inner tab—and connected to the lid front wall via glue.




A further special feature of the pack or hinge-lid box is that the printing carrier or the coupon is connected, preferably by easily releasable glue, to a flap of an inner wrapper of the cigarettes, said flap being conventional in hinge-lid boxes for cigarettes. The connection is configured such that either, by virtue of the flap being maneuvered, the printing carrier or coupon is pulled out of the pack or, by virtue of the printing carrier/coupon being gripped, the flap is torn off from the inner wrapper.




A pack with a coupon of the above type can be produced mechanically straightforwardly and efficiently, for example in accordance with DE 195 06 844.0.











Further special features of the packs according to the invention are explained hereinbelow with reference to the drawings, in which:





FIG. 1

shows a perspective illustration of a hinge-lid box for cigarettes with a cut-out region,





FIG. 2

shows, on an enlarged scale, a top region of a hinge-lid box in vertical section,





FIG. 3

shows the detail according to

FIG. 2

in a lid-opening phase,





FIG. 4

shows an illustration relating to

FIGS. 2 and 3

with the lid opened further,





FIG. 5

shows an illustration corresponding to

FIGS. 2

to


4


with the lid in the fully open state,





FIG. 6

shows an illustration analogous to

FIG. 2

for another exemplary embodiment of a hinge-lid box,





FIG. 7

shows the hinge-lid box according to

FIG. 6

in the open position,





FIG. 8

shows an illustration analogous to

FIG. 2

for a further exemplary embodiment of a hinge-lid box,





FIG. 9

shows the hinge-lid box according to

FIG. 8

in the open position,





FIG. 10

shows an illustration analogous to

FIG. 2

for a further exemplary embodiment of a hinge-lid box, and





FIG. 11

shows the hinge-lid box according to

FIG. 10

in the open position.











The drawings concern the configuration of cigarette packs of the hinge-lid box type. A hinge-lid box comprises a blank made of thin cardboard for forming a box part


10


and a lid


11


. The box part


10


has a box front wall


12


, a box rear wall


13


, box side walls


14


,


15


and a base wall


16


. Analogously, the lid


11


comprises a lid front wall


17


, lid rear wall


18


, lid side walls


19


,


20


and a top end wall


21


. The box part


10


and lid


11


are connected pivotably to one another by a transversely directed articulation line


22


in the region of the box rear wall


13


and lid rear wall


18


. A collar


23


is arranged within the hinge-lid box. Said collar comprises a collar front wall


24


and collar side tabs


25


,


26


. The collar


23


is anchored, by way of a bottom sub-region, in the box part


10


, namely on the inside of the box front wall


12


and/or of the box side walls


14


,


15


. A top sub-region of the collar


23


projects out of the box part


10


. When the lid


11


is closed, this part of the collar


23


is enclosed by the lid


11


(FIGS.


1


and


2


).




The collar


23


is configured in the conventional manner such that a cutout


27


bounded by an arcuately curved edge is formed in the region of the collar front wall


24


, above the box front wall


12


. Said cutout


27


is bounded laterally by upright ridges


28


,


29


of the collar front wall


24


.




The pack contents comprise a cigarette group which is (fully) enclosed by an inner wrapper


30


. The cigarette group forms a cigarette block


31


with the inner wrapper


30


. The inner wrapper


30


consists of tin foil, paper or film.




The inner wrapper


30


is folded around the cigarette group such that a top wall


32


(adjacent to the end wall


21


) is formed from folding tabs, namely an outer tab


33


and an inner tab


34


. The outer tab


33


merges into an (upright) front wall


35


of the inner wrapper


30


. The top part of the latter forms a flap


36


, that is to say a part of the inner wrapper


30


which can be pulled off or detached. When the cigarette pack is opened for the first time—with the lid


11


open—the flap


36


is pulled off from the inner wrapper


30


, with the result that the cigarettes are exposed in the top front region for removal. The flap


36


may be divided off from the rest of the inner wrapper


30


by a punch line


37


or by a perforation line, or it may also be designed as a separate, independent blank. The hinge-lid box is accompanied by a thin-walled blank which consists of paper, sheet material or the like and has the function of a printing carrier or advertising carrier and is referred to hereinbelow as a coupon


38


. The blank or the coupon


38


is designed as a rectangular blank and is positioned in the front part of the hinge-lid box, namely between the cigarette block


31


, on the one hand, and the hinge-lid box, on the other hand. In the top region, the coupon


38


extends between the cigarette block


31


and collar


23


.




In the box part


10


, the coupon


38


, as is shown in

FIG. 1

, can extend on the inside of the box front wall


12


as far as the base wall


16


. A bottom end region of the coupon


38


may be designed conically here, that is to say with downwardly converging border edges, in order for the introduction of the coupon


38


into the pack to be facilitated. The coupon


38


is supported on the base wall


16


. Alternatively, the coupon may be supported, by way of a bottom transverse border, on a protrusion of the collar


23


or the collar front wall


24


, for example in accordance with DE 195 06 844.0.




A top region of the coupon


38


extends into the lid


11


. The coupon


38


is fixed here. In the exemplary embodiment according to

FIGS. 1

to


5


, the coupon


38


is connected to the lid


11


by form-fitting engagement such that, when the lid is opened, the coupon is pulled some way out of the original position and thus passes into a position which is favorable for removal purposes.




In the preferred exemplary embodiment, the coupon


38


forms, in the top region, a stop which interacts in a form-fitting manner with a mating stop of the lid


11


. Serving as the mating stop is a lid inner tab


39


, which butts against the inside of the lid front wall


17


and is usually connected thereto by adhesive bonding. A transverse edge


40


of the lid inner tab


39


serves as a stop for the coupon


38


.




Said coupon is provided with a leg


41


which is formed by being folded over. For this purpose, the coupon


38


may be provided, along a folding edge


42


, with weakened material sections, for example a perforation line, in order to facilitate the folding-over operation of the leg


41


. A free border edge


43


of the leg


41


forms the stop which interacts with the lid inner tab


39


.




The coupon


38


is positioned within the hinge-lid box such that the folded leg


41


of the coupon


38


extends within the lid


11


and is directed toward the lid front wall


17


. The leg


41


is located above the lid inner tab


39


. The dimensions are coordinated with one another such that, in the starting position, the border edge


43


of the coupon


38


butts against the transverse edge


40


and/or is adjacent to the same. The form-fitting support is ensured by the restoring force of the leg


41


and the resulting reliable abutment against the lid front wall


17


.




Opening of the hinge-lid box (for the first time) proceeds in accordance with the movement steps which can be gathered from

FIGS. 3

,


4


and


5


. On account of the form-fitting connection to the lid front wall


17


, the coupon


38


is pulled out of the box part when the lid


11


is opened. As the lid


11


is opened further, the form-fitting engagement of the coupon


38


with the lid front wall


17


is lost (FIG.


4


). When the lid


11


is fully open, on account of material-induced restoring forces, a top region of the coupon


38


, which projects out of the hinge-lid box, has returned into a (more or less) upright position (FIG.


5


). The coupon


38


can then be easily gripped by the top, free part and pulled out of the hinge-lid box to the full extent.




The lid inner tab


39


and leg


41


of the coupon


38


are coordinated with one another in terms of dimensions in order to ensure mutual engagement. In the present exemplary embodiment, the lid inner tab


39


extends approximately over half the height of the lid front wall


17


. Correspondingly, the leg


41


or the coupon


38


may extend more or less as far as the end wall


21


. It is also possible for the proportions to be changed without the form-fitting engagement being lost. Furthermore, it is also possible for some other form of stop for the coupon


38


to be provided on the inside of the lid front wall


17


, for example by a protrusion, on the inside of the lid inner tab


39


, which is formed by stamping, punching or the like. In this case, the coupon


38


or the leg


41


thereof butts against a material protrusion of this type.




The coupon


38


is positioned in the box part


10


such that the leg


41


is folded over around the top boundary of the collar front wall


24


, namely over the top ends of the ridges


28


,


29


. For fitting the coupon


38


, it is possible to proceed in the manner illustrated in DE 195 06 844.0, the leg


41


being folded over around the ends of the ridges


28


,


29


once the coupon


38


has been introduced.




The configuration and arrangement of the coupon


38


with a leg


41


also allows industrial production of a design according to

FIGS. 6 and 7

, in which the coupon


38


is fastened on the inside of the lid front wall


17


by adhesive bonding, namely by one or more spots of glue


44


. This glue connection is formed in the region of the leg


41


. In terms of production, the restoring force present in the leg


41


is also utilized here. The spot of glue


44


may be provided on the inside of the lid front wall


17


or on the leg


41


. Once the leg


41


has been folded and the hinge-lid box completed, it is ensured that the leg


41


is forced against the lid front wall


17


and the glue connection is thus produced.




During handling of a hinge-lid box designed in this manner, the coupon


38


, when the lid


11


is opened for the first time, is pulled out of the box part


10


(

FIG. 7

) and can then be released or detached from the lid.




A further special feature can be gathered from

FIGS. 8 and 9

. In this exemplary embodiment, the coupon


38


is connected to the cigarette block


31


or the inner wrapper


30


, to be precise by one or more spots of glue


45


. In specific terms, the coupon


38


is connected to the flap


36


of the inner wrapper


30


, that is to say to the pull-off flap. In the exemplary embodiment according to

FIGS. 8 and 9

, the glue connection or the spot of glue


45


is connected in the region of the outer tab


33


of the top wall


32


, that is to say to the folding tab adjoining the flap


36


. By virtue of the coupon


38


being gripped—when the lid


11


is opened—the coupon


38


helps first of all to render the outer tab


33


in the upright position and then to pull the flap


36


out of its original position and/or to pull it off from the inner wrapper


30


(FIG.


9


). The flap


36


is thus removed with the aid of the coupon


38


.




The coupon


38


is positioned in a specific manner here. A transverse leg


46


extends in a plane above the top wall


32


, for connection to the latter. An end tab


47


is folded onto the transverse leg


46


(in the starting position according to

FIG. 4

) and, when the lid


11


is open, said end tab, on account of the material-induced restoring forces, passes into an upright position (FIG.


9


). The end tab


47


extends as far as the inside of the lid front wall


17


and/or butts with a small amount of pressure against the same, with the result that when the lid


11


is opened, the end tab


47


is additionally moved into the upright position.




It is also the case with the exemplary embodiment according to

FIGS. 10 and 11

that the coupon


38


is connected to the inner wrapper


30


. One or more spots of glue


48


are arranged in the region of an upright, front flap wall


49


. The coupon


38


is designed and/or arranged such that the top wall


32


of the inner wrapper


30


is freely accessible. With this design, when the pack is opened for the first time, the flap


36


is removed in the conventional manner, namely with the aid of the outer tab


33


. The coupon


38


is pulled out of the pack with said outer tab and/or with the flap


36


(FIG.


11


). In this design, the flap


36


thus performs a double function.















List of designations


























10




Box part







11




Lid







12




Box front wall







13




Box rear wall







14




Box side wall







15




Box side wall







16




Base wall







17




Lid front wall







18




Lid rear wall







19




Lid side wall







20




Lid side wall







21




End wall







22




Articulation line







23




Collar







24




Collar front wall







25




Collar side tab







26




Collar side tab







27




Cutout







28




Ridge







29




Ridge







30




Inner wrapper







31




Cigarette block







32




Top wall







33




Outer tab







34




Inner tab







35




Front wall







36




Flap







37




Punch line







38




Coupon







39




Lid inner tab







40




Transverse edge







41




Leg







42




Folding edge







43




Border edge







44




Spot of glue







45




Spot of glue







46




Transverse leg







47




End tab







48




Spot of glue







49




Flap wall














Claims
  • 1. A hinge-lid pack for cigarettes, comprising a box pan (10) and a lid (11) connected pivotably thereto, and a printing carrier or coupon comprising a separate blank being arranged within the pack and, when the lid (11) is closed, extending, by way of a sub-region, within the lid (11), characterized in thatthe coupon (38) is connected by adhesive bonding to a detachable flap (36) of an inner wrapper (30) which encloses a cigarette group, the coupon (38) is connected to an outer tab (33) of a front wall (35) of the inner wrapper (30), the outer tab (33) being part of the flap (36), and the coupon (38) has a transverse leg (46), which is directed parallel to the front wall (35) of the inner wrapper (30) and is intended for connecting to the outer tab (33), and an end tab (47), which is formed by being folded over and is intended for the purpose of gripping the coupon (38) when the lid (11) is open.
  • 2. A hinge-lid pack for cigarettes, comprising a box part (10), a lid (11) connected pivotably thereto and a cigarette block (31), formed by a cigarette group wrapped in an inner wrapper (30), as the pack's contents, wherein:a) the inner wrapper (30) has, in a region of the lid (11), a wrapper top wall (32) comprised of folding tabs, of which an outer folding tab (33) is connected to an upright front wall (35) of the inner wrapper (30), b) an upper part of the wrapper front wall (35) and the outer tab (33) define a detachable front flap (36) which is detachable along a punch line (37) in the wrapper front wall (35), c) arranged between the cigarette block (31) and a front wall (12) of the box part (10) is a printing carrier or coupon (38) made from a separate blank, d) the coupon (38) extends into a region of the wrapper flap (36), and e) the coupon (38) is connected by glue only to the flap (36).
  • 3. The pack according to claim 2, wherein the coupon (38) is connected only to a front wall (49) of the flap.
  • 4. The pack according to claim 2, wherein:a) the coupon (38) has an angled transverse leg (46) which extends in a region of the wrapper top wall (32), and b) the coupon transverse leg (46) is connected by the glue to only the outer tab (33) as part of the flap (36).
  • 5. The pack according to claim 4, wherein there is connected to the coupon transverse leg (46), as an extension of the coupon (38), a coupon end tab (47) which abuts the transverse leg (46) by being folded over and which can be gripped when the lid (11) is open.
  • 6. The pack according to claim 2, wherein:a) arranged in the box part (10) is a collar (23) which comprises a collar front wall (24) and collar side tabs (25, 26), b) the collar front wall (24) abuts an inner side of a front wall (12) of the box part (10), and c) the coupon (38) extends in a region of the collar (23) between the collar front wall (24) and the cigarette block (31).
  • 7. The pack according to claim 2, wherein the coupon (38), in an original position thereof, extends to a base wall (16) of the box part (10).
  • 8. The pack according to claim 2, wherein the coupon (38) is connected to the flap (36) or to the outer tab (33) by spots of the glue (45, 48).
Parent Case Info

This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/787,022 filed Mar. 13, 2001 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6 513.651), which is incorporated herein by reference.

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Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry
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