Claims
- 1. A multiple unit cigarette carton for packaging 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 multiple-unit cigarette carton comprising:
- a first carton having a first pair of first and second opposed walls, each wall at least as wide as a first number of times the width of the long wall of a cigarette pack; and a second pair of third and fourth opposed walls, each wall at least as wide as a second number of times the width of the short wall of a cigarette pack;
- a second carton having a third pair of fifth and sixth opposed walls, each wall at least as wide as a third number of times the width of the long wall of a cigarette pack; and a fourth pair of seventh and eighth opposed walls, each wall being substantially the same width as said third and fourth walls of said first carton; wherein:
- said first and second cartons are positioned with one of said third and fourth walls of said first carton adjacent and coextensive with one of said seventh and eighth walls of said second carton to form said multiple unit carton composed of at least said first and second carton joined along adjacent coextensive walls; said multiple unit carton further comprising:
- at least one substantially flat carrier means having a first side and a second side, and an adhesive borne on at least part of at least one side of said carrier means, said carrier means bearing said adhesive being positioned across at least two adjacent walls of said first and second cartons with said adhesive in operative contact with said at least two adjacent walls to securely yet releasably connect said cartons in position adjacent one another.
- 2. The multiple unit carton of claim 1 wherein:
- one half of said carrier means bears adhesive only on said first side and the remaining half of said carrier means bears adhesive only on said second side;
- said carrier means is positioned between said adjacent coextensive walls of said first and second cartons; and
- said adhesive bearing half of said first side of said carrier means is in operative contact with said first carton and said adhesive bearing half of said second side of said carrier means is in operative contact with said second carton.
- 3. The multiple unit carton of claim 2 wherein said carrier means has a line of weakness along a line dividing said half with adhesive only on said first side from said half with adhesive only on said second side.
- 4. The multiple unit carton of claim 3 wherein said line of weakness is constituted by a line of perforations.
- 5. The multiple unit carton of claim 2 wherein said adhesive is a permanent adhesive.
- 6. The multiple unit carton of claim 2 wherein said adhesive is a releasable adhesive.
- 7. The multiple unit carton of claim 6 wherein said adhesive is a pressure-sensitive adhesive.
- 8. The multiple unit carton of claim 1 wherein said at least one carrier means includes a first carrier means whose first side is directly adhered to said one of said third and fourth walls of said first carton, and a second carrier means whose second side is directly adhered to said one of said seventh and eighth walls of said second carton, and said second side of said first carrier means is releasably connected to said first side of said second carrier means.
- 9. The multiple unit carton of claim 8 wherein:
- said first side of said first carrier means and said second side of said second carrier means bear permanent adhesive for attachment to said first and second cartons, respectively; and
- said second side of said first carrier means and said first side of said second carrier means bear releasable, pressure-sensitive adhesive for attachment of said first and second carrier means to each other.
- 10. The multiple unit carton of claim 9 wherein said releasable adhesive leaves a surface free of tacky residue upon separation of said first and second cartons.
- 11. The multiple unit carton of claim 1 wherein:
- only one of said first and second sides of said carrier means bears adhesive; and
- the side of said carrier means which bears adhesive is positioned across at least two adjacent coplanar walls of said first and second cartons with said adhesive bearing side in operative contact with said adjacent coplanar walls.
- 12. The multiple unit carton of claim 11 wherein said carrier means has a line of weakness positioned above and substantially parallel to the adjacent edges of the adjacent coplanar walls across which said carrier means is positioned.
- 13. The multiple unit carton of claim 12 wherein said line of weakness is constituted by a line of perforations.
- 14. The multiple unit carton of claim 11 wherein said adhesive is a permanent adhesive.
- 15. The multiple unit carton of claim 11 wherein said adhesive is a releasable adhesive.
- 16. The multiple unit carton of claim 15 wherein said adhesive is a pressure-sensitive adhesive.
- 17. The multiple unit carton of claim 11 wherein said carrier means bears indicia coded for the pricing of the multiple unit carton.
- 18. The multiple unit carton of claim 17 wherein said carrier means is positioned such that said indicia are rendered unreadable by automatic scanning equipment when said carrier means is severed to separate said first and second cartons.
- 19. The multiple unit carton of claim 11 wherein said first and second cartons each further include a top wall and a bottom wall.
- 20. The multiple unit carton of claim 19 wherein said carrier means is positioned across said top walls of said first and second cartons.
- 21. The multiple unit carton of claim 19 wherein said carrier means is positioned across said bottom walls of said first and second cartons.
- 22. The multiple unit carton of claim 1 wherein said second number of times the width of the short wall of a cigarette pack is twice the width of the short wall of a cigarette pack.
- 23. The multiple unit carton of claim 22 wherein the sum of said first and third number of times the width of the long wall of a cigarette pack is equal to five.
- 24. The multiple unit carton of claim 1 further including at least one additional carton having a pair of first and second primary walls and a pair of first and second secondary walls, each said secondary wall being substantially the same width as said third and fourth walls of said first carton; wherein:
- said at least one additional carton is positioned with one of said secondary walls adjacent and coextensive with one of said walls of a carton of said multiple unit carton which is at least as wide as a second number of times the width of the short wall of a cigarette pack; and
- said pair of primary walls is parallel to and aligned with said first pair of walls of said first carton and said third pair of walls of said second carton such that said multiple unit carton is dimensioned to contain a fourth number of cigarette packs aligned with said long walls of said cigarette packs parallel to said last-mentioned aligned walls of said cartons of said multiple unit carton; said multiple unit carton further comprising:
- at least one additional substantially flat carrier means having a first side and a second side, and an adhesive borne on at least part of at least one side of said carrier means, said carrier means bearing said adhesive being positioned across at least two adjacent walls of said additional carton and said carton to which said at least one additional carton is joined with said adhesive in operative contact with said at least two adjacent walls to securely yet releasably connect said joined cartons in position adjacent one another.
- 25. The multiple unit carton of claim 24 wherein said second number of times the width of the short wall of a cigarette pack is two times the width of the short wall of a cigarette pack to be contained within said multiple unit carton such that each carton is dimensioned to contain at least one pair of cigarette packs arranged with their short walls parallel to said walls which are at least as wide as a second number of times the width of the short wall of a cigarette pack.
- 26. The multiple unit carton of claim 24 wherein the width of said primary walls of said at least one additional carton is at least as wide as a multiple of the width of the long wall of a cigarette pack.
- 27. The multiple unit carton of claim 24 wherein the number of cartons joined to each other is such that said multiple unit carton is dimensioned to contain five columns of cigarette packs, each column having two cigarette packs per column, wherein:
- said columns are arranged with the short walls of the packs in one column abutting the adjacent short walls of the packs in the adjacent column; and
- each of said cartons of said multiple unit carton contains at least one column of cigarette packs.
- 28. The multiple unit carton of claim 1 wherein:
- said first carton further includes a first extension panel extending from a first edge of said first wall and having a free edge, and a second extension panel extending from a first edge of said second wall juxtaposed to said first extension panel and having a free edge;
- said free edge of said first extension panel lies adjacent said first edge of said second wall when said first extension panel is folded substantially perpendicular to said first wall and toward said second wall;
- said second carton further includes a third extension panel extending from a first edge of said fifth wall and having a free edge, and a fourth extension panel extending from a first edge of said sixth wall juxtaposed to said third extension panel and having a free edge;
- said free edge of said third extension panel lies adjacent said first edge of said sixth wall when said first extension panel is folded substantially perpendicular to said fifth wall and toward said sixth wall; and
- said first and second cartons are positioned adjacent one another such that said first extension panel is adjacent said third extension panel and said second extension panel is adjacent said fourth extension panel.
- 29. The multiple unit carton of claim 28 wherein:
- said free edge of said second extension panel lies between said first and second walls when said second extension panel is folded substantially perpendicular to said second wall and toward said first wall; and
- said free edge of said fourth extension panel lies between said fifth and sixth walls when said fourth extension panel is folded substantially perpendicular to said sixth wall and toward said fifth wall.
- 30. A method for packaging cigarette packs which are to be passed through tax-stamping machinery used in the automated processing of cigarette cartons and later may be separated into groups of cigarette packs, each said cigarette pack having a pair of opposed long walls and a pair of opposed short walls, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a first carton having a first pair of first and second opposed walls each wall at least as wide as a first number of times the width of the long wall of a cigarette pack; and a second pair of third and fourth opposed walls, each wall at least as wide as a second number of times the width of the short wall of a cigarette pack;
- providing a second carton having a third pair of fifth and sixth opposed walls, each wall at least as wide as a third number of times the width of the long wall of a cigarette pack; and a fourth pair of seventh and eighth opposed walls, each wall being substantially the same width as said third and fourth walls of said first carton;
- positioning said first and second cartons adjacent one another with one of said third and fourth walls of said first carton adjacent and coextensive with one of said seventh and eighth walls of said second carton; and
- releasably attaching said first and second cartons together, including the step of positioning at least one substantially flat carrier means having a first side and a second side and an adhesive borne on at least part of at least one side of said carrier means across at least two adjacent walls of said first and second cartons with said adhesive in operative contact with said adjacent walls to securely yet releasably connect said cartons in position adjacent one another in a multiple unit configuration so that said cartons will maintain their relative positions in a subsequent passage through a tax-stamping machine.
- 31. The method of claim 30 further including the steps of:
- passing said multiple unit carton through a tax-stamping machine;
- transporting said multiple unit carton to a place for retail sale; and
- separating said multiple unit carton into separate cartons by a step including severing said at least one carrier means.
- 32. The method of claim 30 further including the step of providing a number of cartons such that the sum of the widths of said first wall of said first carton, said fifth wall of said second carton, and the walls of any additional cartons adjacent said first and fifth walls is equal to five times the width of the long wall of a cigarette pack to be contained within said cartons.
- 33. The method of claim 32 wherein each said carton holds at least one pair of cigarette packs arranged with their side walls parallel the walls along which said cartons are connected to form said multiple unit carton such that said step of providing a number of cartons includes the step of providing sufficient cartons for the dimension of said multiple unit carton to be substantially the same as that of a carton dimensioned to hold two rows of five cigarette packs per row, said packs arranged with their short walls abutting one another in said rows.
- 34. The method of claim 30 wherein said step of positioning at least one carrier means bearing adhesive further includes the step of positioning at least one carrier means bearing adhesive on said first side across adjacent coplanar walls of said first and second cartons with said adhesive-bearing side in operative contact with said adjacent coplanar walls.
- 35. The method of claim 34 further including the steps of:
- providing said at least one carrier means with a line of weakness; and
- positioning said line of weakness substantially parallel to the adjacent edges of said adjacent coplanar walls of said first and second cartons.
- 36. The method of claim 30 wherein one half of said at least one carrier means bears adhesive only on said first side and the other half of said at least one carrier means bears adhesive only on said second side; and said step of positioning at least one carrier means includes the step of positioning said at least one carrier means between adjacent walls of said cartons such that said at least one carrier means is not readily visible when said first and second cartons are joined.
- 37. The method of claim 36 further including the step of providing said carrier means with a line of weakness along a line dividing said half with adhesive only on said first side and said half with adhesive only on said second side.
- 38. The method of claim 3 wherein said step of positioning at least one carrier means includes the steps of:
- directly adhering the first side of a first carrier means to one of said third and fourth walls of said first carton;
- directly adhering the second side of a second carrier means to one of said seventh and eighth walls of said second carton;
- releasably connecting the second side of said first carrier means to the first side of said second carrier means.
- 39. A method for packaging cigarette packs which are to be passed through tax-stamping machinery used in the automated processing of cigarete cartons and later may be separated into groups of cigarette packs, each said cigarette pack having a pair of opposed long walls and a pair of opposed short walls, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a plurality of cigarette cartons each having a first pair of substantially vertical opposed walls and a second pair of substantially vertical opposed walls, wherein each said carton is dimensioned to contain a predetermined number of cigarette packs arranged with the short walls of said packs parallel to said second pair of walls; and
- joining said plurality of cigarette cartons with a carrier means bearing adhesive such that the respective second pairs of walls of each said carton are in parallel spaced apart planes.
- 40. The method of claim 39 further including the step of joining a sufficient number of said cigarette cartons such that the multiple unit carton formed by said joined cartons is of substantially the same dimensions as a carton dimensioned to contain two rows of five cigarette packs per row, said packs arranged in each row with their short walls abutting one another and in parallel spaced apart planes.
- 41. The method of claim 40 further including the steps of:
- passing said multiple unit carton through a tax-stamping machine;
- transporting said multiple unit carton to a place for retail sale; and
- separating said multiple unit carton into separate cartons.
- 42. The method of claim 41 wherein said carrier means has a first side and a second side and bears adhesive on at least half of at least one of said first and second sides, and said step of joining said cartons includes the step of positioning said carrier means across a pair of adjacent walls of said cartons.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of copending, commonly-assigned United States patent application Ser. No. 07/774,529, filed Oct. 8, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,106, which is hereby incorporated by reference to its entirety.
US Referenced Citations (34)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
358560 |
Oct 1931 |
GBX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
774529 |
Oct 1991 |
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