Rigid pack with a hinged lid

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6779658
  • Patent Number
    6,779,658
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, June 12, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, August 24, 2004
    20 years ago
Abstract
A rigid pack (100) with a hinged lid (12) serves both as a carton proportioned to accommodate a plurality of packets (1) of cigarettes (3), and as a single packet (1); in either instance the pack comprises a container (10) surmounted by a lid (12) hinged to one open end (11) of the container and rotatable between positions in which the container (10) is open and closed, respectively. The pack (100) appears prismatic in shape and substantially triangular in section.
Description




TECHNICAL FIELD




The present invention relates to a rigid pack with a hinged lid.




The term “pack” used throughout the following specification can be taken to mean either a carton proportioned to accommodate a plurality of packets of cigarettes, or a single packet containing a group of cigarettes or tobacco products broadly considered.




BACKGROUND ART




In general, rigid packs of the type in question with a hinged lid are of rectangular parallelepiped shape, appearing as a container surmounted by a lid hinged to an open top end of the selfsame container and rotatable thus between positions in which the container is open and closed.




In the case of a carton, more particularly, the relative container is designed to hold a plurality of packets of cigarettes, whereas in the case of a packet the container is designed to hold a group of cigarettes enveloped in an inner wrapper.




Both the container and the lid present a front and a rear face and two flank faces, and respective end faces coinciding with the bottom and the top of the pack.




The pack is furnished with an internal stiffening frame comprising a breast piece and two side pieces hinged to the breast piece, disposed partly inside the container with the breast piece anchored to a front panel that corresponds to the front face of the container, and with the side pieces anchored to two side panels corresponding to the flank faces of the container. The correct and stable retention of the lid when in the closed position is improved by incorporating a pair of tabs created from relative cuts made along the crease lines joining the side pieces and the breast piece, which project beyond the breast piece on either side in such a manner as to interfere internally with the flanks of the lid when closed.




A rigid pack of the type in question is fashioned typically from a flat diecut blank of substantially rectangular outline prepared with transverse crease lines positioned to create a first larger end panel coinciding with the front face of the container, a first smaller intermediate panel coinciding with the bottom, a second larger panel coinciding with the rear face of the container, a second smaller intermediate panel coinciding with the rear face of the lid, also a further smaller intermediate panel coinciding with the top, a third larger panel that coincides with the front face of the lid, and an end panel serving to stiffen the lid.




The blank also presents longitudinal crease lines along which respective pairs of flaps are hinged to the aforementioned panels in such a way that when the blank is folded and the packet erected, these same flaps combine to form the flank faces and the reinforcing folds for the end faces.




The transverse dimensions of the panels affording the front and rear faces both of the container and of the lid tend to predominate over the transverse dimensions of the flaps making up the flank faces, so that the pack presents a flattish parallelepiped geometry.




One of the drawbacks encountered with packets of flat parallelepiped shape typified by a rectangular cross section in which one dimension predominates appreciably over the other, is that the progressive removal of the cigarettes from the packet has the effect of causing those left inside to acquire a notable freedom of movement in the predominating transverse dimension, so that the group tends to break up, the cigarettes knock against one another and a considerable quantity of tobacco filler is lost from the tips.




Another drawback deriving directly from the flat parallelepiped shape of the packet is that the cigarettes remaining in the packet tend naturally to topple sideways, lying skew in relation to the longitudinal axis of the packet and substantially parallel to a diagonal of the front and rear faces, so that the correct position of the group when assembled in full number is lost. This drawback, in combination with the relatively small transverse dimension of the flank faces, makes it especially difficult for the smoker to capture the remaining cigarettes, with the result that the cigarettes can be damaged still further, bending and even breaking completely.




The object of the present invention is to provide a packet unaffected by the drawbacks described above.




A further object of the invention is to provide a carton such as will accommodate packets embodied in accordance with the present invention.




DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION




The stated object is realized according to the present invention in a rigid pack with a hinged lid, comprising a container, also a lid hinged to one open end of the container and rotatable thus between a position in which the container is open and a position in which the container is closed, characterized in that it appears prismatic in shape and substantially triangular in section.











The invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:





FIGS. 1

,


2


,


3


and


4


illustrate four embodiments of a packet according to the present invention, viewed schematically and in perspective;





FIGS. 5

to


10


are plan views of diecut blanks from which to fashion the packets illustrated in

FIGS. 1

to


4


;





FIG. 11

is the plan view of a leaf of wrapping material from which to fashion the inner wrapper of the packets illustrated in

FIGS. 1

to


4


;





FIGS. 12 and 13

illustrate a packet respectively as in

FIGS. 1

,


2


and


3


and as in

FIG. 4

, seen schematically in plan from above and with the lid open;





FIGS. 14

to


17


illustrate the packet of

FIG. 3

schematically and in perspective and with the lid open, in a succession of steps by which the top end folds of the inner wrapper are made;





FIG. 18

is a schematic side elevation showing one of the packets as in

FIGS. 1

to


4


with the lid open, and illustrating a portion of the inner wrapper with the end folds removed to afford access to the contents;





FIG. 19

illustrates a further embodiment of a packet according to the present invention, viewed schematically and in perspective;





FIG. 20

is a plan view of the diecut blank from which to fashion the packets of

FIGS. 1

to


4


and of

FIG. 19

, illustrated schematically and in an alternative embodiment.





FIGS. 21

to


24


illustrate four embodiments of a carton designed to accommodate the packets shown in

FIGS. 1

to


4


.











With reference to

FIGS. 1

to


4


and to

FIG. 19

of the drawings,


100


denotes a rigid pack, in its entirety, and more particularly


1


denotes a rigid packet with a hinged lid, in its entirety, designed to contain a group


2


of cigarettes


3


visible in

FIGS. 11

,


12


,


13


and


18


. The group


2


is enveloped by an inner wrapper


4


made of a relative wrapping material and accommodated inside the packet


1


, as shown to advantage in FIG.


14


.




The single packet


1


comprises an outer wrapper


36


appearing as a prismatic solid of substantially triangular cross section, and thus presents three substantially rectangular side faces


5


,


6


and


7


, disposed contiguously and extending parallel to a predominating longitudinal axis A of the prism, and two substantially triangular end faces


8


and


9


.




The packet


1


comprises a container


10


with an open top end


11


, as illustrated in

FIGS. 14

,


15


,


16


,


17


and


18


, and a lid


12


hinged to the selfsame container


10


in such a way as to rotate between an open position shown in

FIGS. 12

,


14


,


15


,


16


,


17


and


18


, in which the top end


11


is exposed, and a closed position shown in

FIGS. 1

,


2


,


3


,


4


and


19


in which the top end


11


is concealed.




The container


10


presents a rear wall denoted


13


coinciding with one side face


5


of the triangular prism, and a front wall denoted


14


coinciding with the remaining two side faces


6


and


7


of the prism. The lid


12


likewise, when in the closed position, presents a rear wall


15


coinciding with the one side face


5


of the prism and a front wall


16


that coincides with the two remaining side faces


6


and


7


of the prism.




In practice, the rear wall


13


of the container


10


and the rear wall


15


of the lid


12


together make up the back


17


of the single packet


1


whilst the front wall


14


of the container


10


and the front wall


16


of the lid


12


together make up the front


18


of the packet.




The lid


12


is attached to the container


10


along a hinge line


19


placed transversely to the back


17


of the packet, separating the rear wall


15


of the lid


12


from the rear wall


13


of the container


10


.




The open top end


11


of the container


10


is circumscribed by a top edge


20


disposed obliquely in relation to the axis A of the prism and in such a way as to engage in contact with a corresponding oblique edge


21


afforded by the lid


12


.




Lastly, the rigid packet


1


comprises a stiffening frame


22


projecting in part beyond the edge


20


of the open top end


11


afforded by the container


10


, of which two faces


23


occupy substantially the same planes as the front faces


6


and


7


of the packet


1


and function as the breast piece


24


of the frame


22


in the finished packet.




The frame


22


is anchored to the inside surface of the front wall


14


of the container


10


, in such a way as to provide a retaining element by which the lid


12


is held stably on the container


10


when in the closed position.




In the example of

FIG. 1

, the three faces


5


,


6


and


7


of the rigid packet


1


are joined along sharp corner edges


25


, whereas in the example of

FIG. 2

the three faces


5


,


6


and


7


of the packet


1


are joined along blunted corner edges


26


presenting three faces


27


,


28


and


29


of which a first face


27


is interposed between the two faces


6


and


7


making up the front


18


, a second face


28


is interposed between the faces denoted


5


and


6


and the third face


29


is interposed between the faces denoted


5


and


7


.




In the example of

FIGS. 3 and 12

, the three faces


5


,


6


and


7


of the packet


1


are joined along three similar rounded corner edges


30


,


31


and


32


, whereas in the example of

FIGS. 4 and 13

the three faces


5


,


6


and


7


of the packet


1


are joined along three rounded corner edges


33


,


34


and


35


with dissimilar radii of curvature; more exactly, two of the rounded edges


34


and


35


present an identical radius of curvature, whereas the rounded edge


33


interposed between the two front faces


6


and


7


presents a radius of curvature greater than that of the two remaining rounded corner edges


34


and


35


.




In the example of

FIG. 19

the two faces


6


and


7


making up the front


18


of the packet


1


are joined along a rounded corner edge


31




a


, whilst the back


13


of the packet


1


coinciding with the rear face


5


of the prism is joined to the two front faces


6


and


7


along two blunted corner edges


26




a


defining two faces


28




a


and


29




a


, of which the one face


28




a


is interposed between the faces denoted


5


and


6


and the other face


29




a


interposed between the faces denoted


5


and


7


.




With reference to

FIGS. 5

,


7


and


9


, the outer wrapper


36


of the packet


1


is fashioned from a flat diecut blank


37


of essentially rectangular outline presenting three mutually parallel precreased fold areas


38


positioned to separate two panels


39


which make up the front


18


of the packet


1


, a panel


40


coinciding with the back


17


of the packet


1


, and a further connecting panel


41


that will be breasted ultimately in contact with the inside surface of the back panel


40


.




The blank


37


also presents a transverse Vee cut


42


intersecting the three precreased fold areas


38


, and more exactly composed of two angled legs


43


converging onto the central precreased area


38


, by which the front wall


14


of the container


10


on the one hand is separated from the front wall


16


of the lid


12


on the other. The two ends of the transverse Vee cut


42


are joined to respective crease lines


44


(indicated by phantom lines) extending transversely across the two corresponding panels


40


and


41


and functioning as the hinge


19


of the lid


12


.




The panel


40


coinciding with the back


17


of the packet


1


is associated with a top wing


45


and a bottom wing


46


, each joined to the panel


40


by way of a relative crease line


47


. The two wings


45


and


46


coincide respectively with the top end face


8


or top and with the bottom end face


9


or bottom of the packet


1


.




The two free sides of the bottom wing


46


carry two respective flaps


48


such as can be anchored to the inside surfaces of the panels


39


coinciding with the front wall


14


of the container


10


, so that the bottom wing


46


will constitute the bottom


9


of the packet


1


.




The two free sides of the top wing


45


carry two respective flaps


49


such as can be anchored to the inside surfaces of the panels


39


coinciding with the front wall


16


of the lid


12


, so that the top wing


45


will constitute the top


8


of the packet


1


.




The flaps


49


of the top wing


45


are proportioned peripherally such that when anchored to the inside surfaces of the front wall


16


of the lid


12


, their free edges


50


will overlap neither the precreased fold areas


38


nor the Vee cut


42


.




More exactly, the free edge


50


of each flap


49


comprises three legs


51


,


52


and


53


of which the first two


51


and


52


extend parallel respectively to the central precreased area


38


and to the legs


43


of the Vee cut


42


once the packet


1


is erected.




Referring to the example of

FIG. 5

, in which the blank


37


is folded to produce a packet


1


as shown in

FIG. 1

, the precreased fold areas


38


consist in respective single crease lines


54


which generate sharp corner edges


25


in the finished packet


1


. Accordingly, the vertices of the top flap


45


and the bottom flap


46


appear as acute angles.




Referring to the example of

FIG. 7

, in which the blank


37


is folded to produce a packet


1


as in

FIG. 2

, the precreased fold areas


38


consist each in two mutually parallel crease lines


55


spaced apart at a first selected distance. Accordingly, the vertices of the top and bottom flaps


45


and


46


appear truncated.




Referring to the example of

FIG. 9

, in which the blank


37


is folded to produce a packet


1


as in

FIG. 3

, the precreased fold areas


38


will consist each in a plurality of mutually parallel crease lines


56


, and accordingly, the vertices of the top and bottom flaps


45


and


46


appear rounded.




In the case of the packet


1


shown in

FIG. 4

the relative blank (not illustrated) differs from the blank


37


of

FIG. 9

only in that the transverse dimension of the central precreased area


38


is greater than that of the two lateral areas


38


, so that when the blank is erected to form a packet, the rounded corner edge denoted


33


will present a radius of curvature greater than that of the other two rounded corner edges


34


and


35


, as discernible clearly in

FIGS. 4 and 13

.




In the case of the packet


1


shown in

FIG. 19

, the relative blank (not illustrated) differs from the blank


37


of

FIG. 9

in that it presents a central precreased area


38


of the type designed to produce a rounded corner edge


31




a


, whilst the two remaining lateral precreased areas


38


consist each in a pair of two mutually parallel crease lines


55


set apart at a first selected distance similarly to the blank


37


illustrated in

FIG. 7

, which produce the aforementioned blunted corner edges


26




a.






Referring to

FIGS. 6

,


8


and


10


, the frame


22


is fashioned from a separate flat blank


57


of wrapping material exhibiting a central precreased area


58


and two lateral precreased areas


59


compassing two relative panels


60


that coincide with the breast piece


24


of the frame


22


. In the erected packet


1


, the two panels


60


are fixed to the inside surfaces of the panels


39


constituting the front wall


14


of the container


10


. Also, the two lateral precreased areas


59


serve to create two end panels


61


of the frame


22


that are fixed to the inside surface of the rear wall


13


of the container


10


coinciding with the back


17


of the packet


1


. In particular, the two panels


60


of the blank


57


are compassed by two edges


62


of Vee profile disposed parallel one with another.




Similarly to the blank


37


used in fashioning the packet, the blank


57


used to fashion the frame


22


as in

FIG. 6

, and associated with the blank of

FIG. 5

, exhibits precreased fold areas


58


and


59


consisting in single crease lines


63


, whilst the blank


57


of

FIG. 8

, associated with the blank


37


of

FIG. 7

, exhibits precreased fold areas


58


and


59


consisting in pairs of crease lines


64


.




Finally, the blank


57


of

FIG. 10

, associated with the blank


37


of

FIG. 9

, exhibits precreased areas


58


and


59


consisting each in a plurality of crease lines


65


.




Referring to

FIGS. 14

,


15


and


16


, the packet


1


is furnished with retaining means


66


serving to hold the lid


12


stably in the closed position. In the example of

FIG. 14

, such retaining means


66


appear as a pair of tabs


67


obtained from relative cuts


68


effected along the central precreased fold area


58


of the blank


57


of material constituting the frame


22


, as shown in

FIG. 10

, and positioned to interfere with the inner surface of the lid


12


.




In the example of

FIG. 15

, retaining means


66


appear as a tab


69


hingedly associated with the edge


62


of the frame


22


, placed at the vertex of the Vee, of which the free edge locates in a slot


70


afforded by the inner surface of the lid


12


.




In the case of

FIG. 16

, the retaining means


66


appear as a tab


71


afforded by the frame


22


, hinged to the edge


62


of one relative panel


60


, of which the free edge locates in a slot


72


afforded by the inner surface of the lid


12


.




Referring to

FIG. 11

, the inner wrapper


4


of the packet is fashioned from a leaf


73


of wrapping material (typically metal foil paper) presenting a transverse line of perforation


74


positioned, as discernible in particular from

FIG. 18

, in such a way as to delimit a cap


75


that can be removed by the smoker when breaking open the packet


1


and the relative inner wrapper


4


.




The leaf


73


is wrapped first into


4


tube around the group


2


of cigarettes


3


whereupon the ends, of which only that coinciding with the top end face


76


of the inner wrapper


4


can be seen in

FIGS. 14

,


15


,


16


and


17


, are bent inwards in succession as shown in

FIGS. 14

to


17


, forming end folds


77


,


78


,


79


and


80


that are flattened one over another to close the selfsame top end face


76


.




As discernible in

FIG. 20

, the packet


1


might be erected from a flat diecut blank


81


of wrapping material appearing substantially rectangular in shape and presenting at least five crease lines


82


separating six panels arranged in series.




More exactly, a first end panel


83


coincides with the back


17


of the packet


1


, a second panel


84


and a third panel


85


coincide with the front


18


of the packet


1


, a fourth panel


86


is a connecting panel, and a fifth panel


87


and a sixth panel


88


will be breasted respectively in contact with the inside surfaces of the second and third panels


84


and


85


in such a way that two respective extremities


89


extending transversely to the crease lines


82


will serve as the stiffening frame


22


.




The first panel


83


also presents a transverse crease line


90


coinciding with the hinge


19


and separating the rear wall


13


of the container


10


from the rear wall


15


of the lid


12


.




The second and third panels


84


and


85


present a transverse Vee cut


91


that intersects the three corresponding crease lines


82


and is composed, more exactly, of two angled legs


92


converging onto the central crease line


82


, by which the front wall


14


of the container


10


on the one hand is separated from the front wall


16


of the lid


12


on the other.




The blank


81


also comprises flaps


93


,


94


and


95


, hingedly associated along one edge with the first, second and third panels


83


,


84


and


85


respectively, one at either end, of which at least the flaps


93


joined to the first panel


83


exhibit an essentially regular triangular outline and coincide with the top


8


and bottom


9


of the packet


1


, whereas the flaps


94


and


95


hinged respectively to the second and third panels


84


and


85


exhibit a substantially scalene triangular outline and are disposed in such a way that two adjoining sides denoted


94




a


and


95




a


converge at a predetermined angle.




In the erected packet


1


, the two smaller flaps


94


and


95


will be breasted with the inside face of the larger flap


93


without overlapping, being disposed rather with the two adjoining sides


94




a


and


95




a


substantially butted in contact, and combining thus with the corresponding flaps


93


to establish the top


8


and the bottom


9


of the packet


1


.




It will be observed that the triangular section of the packet


1


might be equilateral, isosceles or right, and that whichever is selected, the two end faces


8


and


9


at the top and bottom of the packet


1


present the same triangular outline.




It will be observed also that in the example of

FIG. 12

, which relates to the packet of

FIG. 3

, the group


2


of cigarettes


3


is four layers deep, whereas in the example of

FIG. 13

, relating to the packet of

FIG. 4

, the rounded corner edge


33


between the two front faces


6


and


7


presents a radius of curvature wider than that of the two remaining rounded corner edges


34


and


35


, admitting a group of cigarettes


3


only three layers deep.




In the example of

FIG. 21

, the pack


100


appears as a carton


101


of which the external geometry is identical to that of the packet


1


illustrated in

FIG. 1

, designed to accommodate two groups


105


and


106


of nine packets


1


, and in particular the packets of

FIG. 1

, stacked one on top of another in alignment with the longitudinal axis B of the carton


101


.




In the example of

FIG. 22

, the pack


100


appears as a carton


102


of which the external geometry is identical to that of the packet


1


illustrated in

FIG. 2

, designed to accommodate two groups


105


and


106


of nine packets


1


, and in particular the packets of

FIG. 2

, stacked one on top of another in alignment with the longitudinal axis B of the carton


102


.




In the example of

FIG. 23

, the pack


100


appears as a carton


103


of which the external geometry is identical to that of the packet


1


illustrated in

FIG. 3

, designed to accommodate two groups


105


and


106


of nine packets


1


, and in particular the packets of

FIG. 3

, stacked one on top of another in alignment with the longitudinal axis B of the carton


103


.




In the example of

FIG. 24

, the pack


100


appears as a carton


104


of which the external geometry is identical to that of the packet


1


illustrated in

FIG. 4

, designed to accommodate two groups


105


and


106


of nine packets


1


, and in particular the packets of

FIG. 4

, stacked one on top of another in alignment with the longitudinal axis B of the carton


104


.




The cartons


101


,


102


,


103


and


104


are fashioned from respective diecut blanks as illustrated in

FIGS. 5

,


7


,


8


,


9


,


10


and


20


, and in the manner already described for the packets


1


illustrated in

FIGS. 1

to


4


.



Claims
  • 1. A rigid cigarette packet with a hinged lid comprising a container, also a lid hinged to one open end of the container and rotatable between a position in which the container is open and a position in which the container is closed; a group of cigarettes disposed in the container and extending along a predominating longitudinal axis, the group of cigarettes having a substantially triangular cross section; said packet extending as a prismatic solid along the predominating longitudinal axis and having a substantially triangular cross section.
  • 2. A packet as in claim 1, wherein the section is of equilateral triangular outline.
  • 3. A packet as in claim 1, wherein the section is of isosceles triangular outline.
  • 4. A packet as in claim 1, wherein the section is of right triangular outline.
  • 5. A packet as in claim 1, presenting at least one blunted corner edge.
  • 6. A packet as in claim 1, presenting at least one rounded corner edge.
  • 7. A packet as in claim 6, presenting at least two rounded corner edges with dissimilar radii of curvature.
  • 8. A packet as in claim 6, presenting at least one rounded corner edge and two blunted corner edges.
  • 9. A packet as in claim 1, comprising at least one outer wrapper fashioned from a flat diecut blank of wrapping material appearing substantially rectangular in shape and presenting: -three precreased fold areas disposed mutually parallel and delimiting two panels coinciding with the front of the packet, one panel coinciding with the back and one connecting panel;a transverse Vee cut intersecting the three precreased fold areas and coinciding with the open top end of the container, by which the front wall of the container on the one hand is separated from the front wall of the lid on the other, two crease lines extending one from each end of the Vee cut, disposed transversely to the precreased areas and functioning as a hinge for the lid; two substantially triangular wings joined along one side to the blank by way of relative crease lines and coinciding respectively with the top and the bottom of the packet.
  • 10. A packet as in claim 9, wherein the wings are furnished with relative sets of flaps extending from the unattached sides of the selfsame wings adjoining the side attached to the blank, the flaps of the one wing combining connectably with two of the panels to fashion the bottom of the erected pack, and the flaps of the other wing combining connectably with the panels constituting the front wall of the lid to fashion the top.
  • 11. A packet as in claim 9, wherein the flaps of the wing coinciding with the top of the packet present a predetermined peripheral outline consisting in a free edge comprising three legs, and are offered to a respective portion of one of the two panels making up the front wall of the lid in such a way as to overlap neither the precreased fold areas nor the Vee cut.
  • 12. A packet as in claim 10, wherein the flaps of the wing coinciding with the bottom of the pack present a predetermined peripheral outline and are offered to a respective portion of one of the panels without overlapping the precreased fold areas.
  • 13. A packet as in claim 9, wherein the precreased fold areas comprise at least one crease line.
  • 14. A packet as in claim 9, wherein the precreased fold areas comprise at least two mutually parallel crease lines set apart one from another by a first predetermined distance.
  • 15. A packet as in claim 9, wherein the precreased fold areas comprise a plurality of mutually parallel crease lines set apart one from another by a second predetermined distance.
  • 16. A packet as in claim 1, comprising a stiffening frame associated with the container and designed to engage the lid when in the closed position, wherein the frame is fashioned from a blank of wrapping material comprising at least one central precreased fold area dividing two panels coinciding with the front of the frame and anchored in part to internal surface of the two panels of the blank coinciding with the front of the packet, in such a way that the frame will project partly from the open top end of the container.
  • 17. A packet as in claim 16, wherein the edge of the frame projecting from the open top end of the container exhibits a Vee profile extending substantially parallel to the open top end of the container defined by the Vee cut of the blank.
  • 18. A packet as in claim 16, wherein the frame comprises two further lateral precreased fold areas disposed parallel with the central precreased fold area, one on either side, and in such a way that the frame can be anchored at least in part to the internal face presented by the panel of the blank coinciding with the back of the pack.
  • 19. A packet as in claim 16, comprising retaining means by which to hold the lid in the closed position, embodied as engagement means operating between the frame and the inner surface of the lid.
  • 20. A packet as in claim 19, wherein engagement means comprise a pair of tabs obtained by making relative cuts along the central precreased fold area of the blank of wrapping material constituting the frame, and positioned to interfere with the inner surface of the lid.
  • 21. A packet as in claim 19, wherein engagement means comprise at least one tab hingedly associated with the edge of one face of the breast piece presented by the frame, of which the free edge locates in a slot afforded by the inner surface of the lid.
  • 22. A packet as in claim 19, wherein engagement means comprise a tab hingedly associated with the edge of the breast piece, presented by the frame at a point coinciding with the central precreased fold area, of which the free edge locates in a slot afforded by the inner surface of the lid.
  • 23. A packet as in claim 1, further comprising an inner wrapper fashioned from a leaf of wrapping material and enveloping a group of cigarettes accommodated inside the packet, presenting a transverse line of perforation serving to delimit a cap that can be removed when breaking open the inner wrapper of the packet.
  • 24. A packet as in claim 1, comprising at least one outer wrapper and a frame associated with the container, by which the lid is engaged when in the closed position, wherein the outer wrapper and the frame are fashioned from a flat diecut blank of wrapping material substantially rectangular in outline, presenting at least five precreased fold areas separating six corresponding panels: a first end panel coinciding with the back of the packet, second and third panels coinciding with the front of the packet, a fourth connecting panel, and fifth and sixth panels positioned to breast respectively in contact with the inside surfaces of the second and third panels in such a way that two respective extremities extending transversely to the precreased areas will function as the frame, of which the first panel presents a transverse crease line coinciding with the hinge of the lid and thus separating the rear wall of the container from the rear wall of the lid, the second and third panels present a transverse Vee cut separating the front wall of the container from the front wall of the lid, and the first, second and third panels are furnished with corresponding flaps hingedly associated along one edge, one at either end, of which at least the flaps joined to one panel exhibit an essentially triangular outline and coincide with the top and the bottom of the packet.
  • 25. A cigarette pack, comprising: a rigid carton with a hinged lid; said pack extending as a prismatic solid along a predominating longitudinal axis; the pack having a substantially triangular cross section, and including a plurality of cigarette packets each having a substantially triangular cross section.
Priority Claims (1)
Number Date Country Kind
BO99A000681 Dec 1999 IT
PCT Information
Filing Document Filing Date Country Kind
PCT/IB00/01796 WO 00
Publishing Document Publishing Date Country Kind
WO01/44077 6/21/2001 WO A
US Referenced Citations (4)
Number Name Date Kind
580080 Borlinghaus Apr 1897 A
D296938 Ameringen Jul 1988 S
5375713 Horvat et al. Dec 1994 A
5873514 Brooks Feb 1999 A