Hinge-lid container and blank

Abstract

An elongate laminar blank for forming a hinge-lid container has a box-defining portion and a lid-defining portion connected along a transverse hinge line. The lid-defining portion of the blank comprises: a lid rear wall panel extending from the transverse hinge line; a lid top wall panel connected to the lid rear wall panel along a first transverse fold line; a lid front wall panel connected to the lid top wall panel along a second transverse fold line and having an opposed outer transverse edge; a pair of opposed trapezoidal lid inner side wall panels connected to the lid rear wall panel on either side thereof along a first pair of longitudinal fold lines; and a pair of opposed trapezoidal lid outer side wall panels connected to the lid front wall panel on either side thereof along a second pair of longitudinal fold lines, each trapezoidal lid outer side wall panel having an angled outer edge. The outer transverse edge of the lid front wall panel, the second pair of longitudinal fold lines and respective angled outer edges of the trapezoidal lid outer side wall panels converge at either end of the outer transverse edge and in that the length of the trapezoidal lid outer side wall panels in the longitudinal direction of the blank is greater than the length of the trapezoidal lid inner side wall panels.

Description

The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of part of a prior art laminar blank for forming a hinge-lid cigarette pack;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic front perspective view of the lid portion of a hinge-lid pack formed from the blank shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of part of a laminar blank for forming a hinge-lid container according to a first embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 shows a plan view of part of a laminar blank for forming a hinge-lid container according to a second embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. An elongate laminar blank for forming a hinge-lid container having a box-defining portion and a lid-defining portion connected along a transverse hinge line, the lid-defining portion comprising: a lid rear wall panel extending from the transverse hinge line;a lid top wall panel connected to the lid rear wall panel along a first transverse fold line;a lid front wall panel connected to the lid top wall panel along a second transverse fold line and having an opposed outer transverse edge;a pair of opposed trapezoidal lid inner side wall panels connected to the lid rear wall panel on either side thereof along a first pair of longitudinal fold lines; anda pair of opposed trapezoidal lid outer side wall panels connected to the lid front wall panel on either side thereof along a second pair of longitudinal fold lines, each trapezoidal lid outer side wall panel having an angled outer edge,characterised in that the outer transverse edge of the lid front wall panel, the second pair of longitudinal fold lines and respective angled outer edges of the trapezoidal lid outer side wall panels converge at either end of the outer transverse edge and in that the length of the trapezoidal lid outer side wall panels in the longitudinal direction of the blank is greater than the length of the trapezoidal lid inner side wall panels.

2. An elongate laminar blank according to claim 1 wherein the lid-defining portion further comprises a lid front wall flap connected to the lid front wall panel along a transverse fold line forming the transverse outer edge of the lid front wall panel.

3. An elongate laminar blank according to claim 2 wherein the outer transverse edge of the lid front wall panel, second pair of longitudinal fold lines, respective angled outer edges of the trapezoidal lid outer side wall flap and respective opposed side edges of the lid front wall flap converge at either end of the outer transverse edge.

4. An elongate laminar blank according to claim 3 wherein the opposed side edges of the lid front wall flap are substantially collinear extensions of the second pair of longitudinal fold lines.

5. An elongate laminar blank according to claim 2 wherein the width of the lid front wall flap in the transverse direction of the blank decreases between the transverse fold line forming the outer edge of the lid front wall panel and an opposed transverse edge of the lid front wall flap.

6. An elongate laminar blank according to claim 2 wherein the lid front wall flap is trapezoidal in shape.

7. A hinge-lid container formed from a folded elongate laminar blank according to claim 1.

8. A hinge-lid pack of cigarettes formed by folding an elongate laminar blank according to claim 1 around a bundle of cigarettes.

9. A method of producing an elongate laminar blank according to claim 1 comprising the step of modifying a die cutter by exchanging knives with central cutting edges that, in use, cut out angled outer edges of a pair of opposed trapezoidal lid outer side wall panels forming part of a lid-defining portion of the elongate laminar blank with knives with side cuttings edges.