The invention relates to a pack with a hinge lid for articles, in particular for a cigarette group, having an inner part or an inner pack and an outer part or outer pack which at least partially encloses the inner part or inner pack and in which the inner pack can be displaced, the outer pack and inner pack being connected to one another via an actuating means for pivoting the hinge lid by relative displacement between the outer pack and inner pack.
Such a pack is known from DE 12 85 948. The pack comprises two sub-packs, namely a sleeve-like outer pack and a slide-like inner pack. A hinge lid is arranged on the inner pack and connected to the outer pack via an actuating tab. When the inner pack is displaced within the outer pack, the actuating tab transmits tensile force to the lid, as a result of which the latter is pivoted into an open position. The actuating tab is arranged in the region of a rear wall of the lid and is connected to a top end wall of the same. This known hinge-lid pack with an automatic opening mechanism for the hinge lid is complex in construction and laborious to handle. It is also the case that the external appearance of the pack is unsatisfactory.
The object of the invention is to propose a pack which has a hinge lid actuable via a pack part and which ensures straightforward industrial manufacturing, is easy to handle by the user and has an advantageous external appearance.
In order to achieve this object, the pack according to the invention is characterized in that the actuating means, in particular an actuating tab, by means of transmitting pressure, moves the hinge lid into an open position.
Accordingly, in the case of the pack according to the invention, the inner pack is connected to the outer pack via a pressure-exerting tab. The hinge lid, upon actuation, namely displacement of the inner pack, is moved into the open position as a result of pressure acting on the inside of the hinge lid.
Also important is the fact that, in the case of the pack according to the invention, the hinge lid is fitted on the outer pack. The pressure-exerting tab, as actuating means for the hinge lid, is connected, on the one hand, to the inner pack and, on the other hand, to the inside of the hinge lid, in particular to a lid rear wall. Accordingly, the actuating means is arranged exclusively within the pack and is not visible from the outside. Furthermore, fitting the lid on the outer pack is advantageous for the external appearance.
The actuating tab is formed in a particular manner for the purpose of transmitting the compressive force, that is to say it comprises two pressure-exerting legs which are connected to one another via (linear) articulations and are connected on the one hand to the inner pack and on the other hand, via a connecting component, to the hinge lid. The tab in its entirety forms part of the blank of the inner pack.
According to a special development, the pack has two mutually opposite hinge lids which can be moved in particular jointly and (approximately) simultaneously into an open position by the inner pack, with the result that the cigarette group is free on two mutually opposite sides.
Further special features relate to the design of the blanks, measures for ensuring correct opening and closing movement of the hinge lid and measures to facilitate handling.
Exemplary embodiments of the pack according to the invention and of the blanks will be explained in more detail hereinbelow with reference to the drawings, in which:
The exemplary embodiments which are illustrated in the drawings relate to the packaging of cigarettes 10 in a particular formation as a cigarette group 11. The packs are also suitable for other pack contents in the form of individual items.
The pack is in the form of a hinge-lid box or hinge-lid pack. It comprises two blanks, from which can be produced, on the one hand, an inner pack 12 (
In the case of the exemplary embodiment according to
Side flaps, namely outer flaps 18, are arranged on both sides of the inner front wall 14. Correspondingly, inner side flaps, namely inner flaps 19, are fitted on both sides of the inner rear wall 16. Level with the inner base wall 15, base corner flaps 20 are arranged on the side flaps or inner flaps 19. When the inner pack 12 is in the finished state, the corner flaps 20 are preferably connected to the inner base wall 15 by adhesive bonding.
The folded inner blank according to
The inner front wall 14 is configured in a particular manner with the outer flaps 18. Cutouts 24 are formed in an end region. These cutouts are essentially rectangular with rounded corner regions and are open in the direction of the free periphery of the blank. The two cutouts 24 extend in the region of the inner front wall 14 and in each case in adjacent regions of the outer flaps 18. These therefore form end strips 25 as parts of the outer flaps 18, albeit with a lesser width and/or height than the latter. The side walls of the inner pack 12, which are formed by the flaps 18, 19, are thus provided, in an end region, with a cutout which continues in the front side, namely in the region of the inner front wall 14. It is thus easy to grip the cigarettes 10. The inner flaps 19 have a curved edge 26 at the end, and this forms a cutout. When the inner pack 12 is in the finished state, the correspondingly formed end flaps 21 enter into this cutout (
The inner blank is preferably provided, in the center in relation to the inner front wall 14, with a tongue-like protrusion which is bounded by the cutouts 24. This protrusion is an actuating means, namely a pushing-action tab 27 of particular importance.
The outer pack 13 comprises the outer blank according to
In order to form narrow, elongate side walls of the outer pack 13, inner side flaps 33 are fitted on the outer rear wall 28 and outer side flaps 34 are fitted on the outer front wall 30. Corner flaps 35 are located in extension of the inner side flaps 33 and, when the outer pack 13 is in the finished state, these corner flaps butt against the base wall 29 and are connected thereto preferably by adhesive bonding. The side walls are formed by the overlapping side flaps 33 and 34, which are likewise preferably connected to one another.
In order to form the pivotable lid or hinge lid 36 on the outer pack 13, lid side flaps 37 are fitted laterally on the lid front wall 31. Lid corner flaps 38 are located on both sides of the lid end wall 32. With the lid end wall 32 erected, these lid corner flaps butt against the inside of the lid side flaps 37 and are preferably connected to the latter by adhesive bonding. Accordingly, the hinge lid 36 is formed such that lid walls are produced on the front side, end side and on the narrow sides of the pack. The side walls of the hinge lid 36 are formed predominantly in a single layer by the corresponding lid side flaps 37.
The hinge lid 36 and/or the lid front wall 31 is delimited from the rest of the (box part of the) outer pack 13, to be precise from the outer front wall 30, by a transversely directed articulation, namely by a linear articulation 39. In order to facilitate pivoting of the hinge lid 36, this linear articulation is formed so as to provide, on the one hand, a durable connection but also, on the other hand, pivoting capability with low opposing forces. For this purpose, the blank according to
Particular regions or folding flaps of the outer pack 13 are provided with rounded portions. End edges 42 of the inner side flaps 33 are formed with pronounced rounded portions, which can be seen as free edges when the lid is open (
The completed (cigarette) pack comprises the outer pack 13 and the inner pack 12 arranged therein. The procedure is expediently such that, in the first instance, the inner pack 12 together with pack contents is produced and, thereafter, the blank of the outer pack 13 is folded around the inner pack 12. The inner pack 12 can be displaced in the longitudinal direction within the outer pack 13. For this purpose, it is possible for the outer base wall 29 to be done away with altogether or to have a cutout for (manual) access to the inner pack 12 and/or to the inner base wall 15 thereof. Here, a cutout 44 is provided in the outer pack 13, this cutout extending in the region of the base wall 29 and then in the region of the outer front wall 30. The cutout 44 is created when the pack is opened for the first time. For this purpose, a piece of material 45 is defined by weakening lines, namely by perforation lines, in the base wall 29 and the front wall 30 (
Displacement of the inner pack 12 in the direction of the hinge lid 36 opens the latter automatically, to be precise by way of an inner pushing means, the latter being the pushing-action tab 27. This is arranged, and formed, such that the hinge lid 36 is pivoted into an open position (
The transmission of the pushing force to the hinge lid 36 is ensured, in particular, by a special arrangement and configuration of lines of inflection of the pushing-action tab 27. The latter has three parallel, transversely directed linear articulations 46, 47, 48. The abovementioned articulations 46..48 are defined by material weakenings, namely by stamped sections in the material and/or by punch cuts. These define a plurality of portions of the pushing-action tab 27. An end piece 49 is connected to the inside of the hinge lid 36, to be precise to the front wall 31 of the lid, expediently by adhesive bonding. During production, an adhesive may be applied to the associated region of the lid front wall 31 and/or to the end piece 49, this resulting in a connection when the pack is completed (
A longitudinally larger leg 50, which adjoins the end piece 49, transmits the pushing force to the lid 36. In order for the lid 36 to be reliably lifted out of the closed position, the linear articulation 47 is formed to be weaker than the linear articulation 46, for delimiting a shorter peripheral leg 51. Configuring the linear articulations 46 and 47 differently, namely with the weaker articulation line 47, ensures that, upon initiation of the opening movement for the hinge lid 36, the larger leg 50 is erected reliably and transmits the opening force. The different forces of resistance in the region of the linear articulations 46 and 47 are produced by the number of punched portions and/or the length of the residual connections of the material. The linear articulation 46 has more, or longer, residual connections.
A further important factor for the opening operation to proceed is the fact that the pushing-action tab 27 is placed in a certain position relative to the linear articulation 39 of the hinge lid 36. In particular, it is expedient and/or necessary to have, between the linear articulation 39 and the first or adjacent linear articulation 46 of the pushing-action tab 27, a reasonable distance in the direction of the hinge lid 36, as is shown in
Upon closure of the pack (
A development of, and modification to, the hinge-lid pack described is shown in
The configuration with two hinge lids 36, 53 requires the blanks to be formed correspondingly. The outer blank according to
A special configuration is provided according to
The blank for the inner pack 12 of this configuration is formed in a particular way (
The cutouts 63, 64, which are arranged on both sides of the pushing-action tabs and, in this case, correspond to one another, are configured differently to those of the first embodiment. These cutouts bound the rectangular tabs 27, 62. The cutouts 63, 64 are located exclusively in the region of the inner front wall 14 and of an inner rear wall 65, which is formed in a manner corresponding to the inner front wall 14. Outer flaps 66 and inner flaps 67, which are adjacent to the front wall 14, on the one hand, and the rear wall 65, on the other hand, extend over the full width over the entire length of the pack. In the region of the front wall 14 and rear wall 65, the cutouts 63 and 64 are spaced apart in each case from folding edges for bounding the flaps 66, 67, such that material webs 68 are defined in each case in the region of the front wall 14 and rear wall 65. These material webs 68, which in this case narrow in the direction of the free periphery of the blank, improve the fixing action of the cigarettes 10 and/or at the cigarette group 11 in the pack when the hinge lids 36, 53 are open (
The blank for the inner pack 12, in a manner analogous to the exemplary embodiment above, is provided, in the region of the front wall 14 and rear wall 65, with printing 41, to be precise with two printed sections each positioned relative to the respective openings 40 and 56 such that in the two end positions, namely in the closed position and in the open position, printing 41 is visible toward the outside in the region of the opening 40, 56.
The exemplary embodiments correspond, or are formed analogously, in respect of further design features. The blanks for the inner pack 12 and outer pack 13 preferably consist of the same material, in particular of a cardboard which is customary for hinge-lid boxes. Both configurations can be produced on standard packaging machines for hinge-lid boxes, to be precise in successive operating steps.
Further special features of the abovedescribed packs or hinge-lid boxes may be seen in the fact that the pack contents are largely encased, that is to say protected, by the inner pack 12. Even with the lid slightly open, the pack contents are concealed. Furthermore, the construction and arrangement of the pushing-action tabs 27, 62 ensures that, as a result of the portions of the pressure-exerting tabs being inflected successively, the hinge lids 36, 53 are opened in the first instance with a comparatively high level of force and then quickly.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10 2006 028 130.6 | Jun 2006 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP2007/003783 | 4/28/2007 | WO | 00 | 12/15/2008 |