TOBACCO INDUSTRY PRODUCT PACK

Abstract

A tobacco industry product pack having a container including a base having a front panel and a rear panel spaced from each other by side panels, and a lid hingedly attached to the rear panel a wrapped bundle of tobacco industry products, having a portion extending from the base and which is received in the lid when the lid is closed, is received in the container, the wrapped bundle includes a barrier material having a front surface facing the front panel, a rear surface facing the rear panel, a side surface facing each side panel, and an upper end panel that meets the front, rear and side surfaces at upper front edge, upper rear edge and upper short edge folds respectively, where the barrier material is fin-sealed to form a seam along each side surface, and a seam retainer is attached to the base that partially extends over each of the side surfaces of the portion of the wrapped bundle extending from the base to retain each seam against its side surface.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a tobacco industry product pack containing a wrapped bundle of tobacco industry products such as smoking articles and, in particular, cigarettes. The invention also relates to a container to receive a wrapped bundle of tobacco industry products, and to a blank for a hinged-lid container.

BACKGROUND

Tobacco industry product packs containing a wrapped bundle of tobacco industry products are known. The wrapped bundle includes a group or charge of smoking articles enclosed by a flexible barrier material. The barrier material may be sealed to maintain the freshness of the smoking articles and access may be obtained by pulling on a label adhered to the barrier material so that a weakened portion of the barrier material beneath the label is lifted to form an extraction opening through which smoking articles may be removed. The label may include a region of pressure sensitive adhesive to enable it to be re-positioned over the extraction opening once a smoking article has been removed to maintain the freshness of the remaining smoking articles within the wrapped bundle. In some instances, during manufacture the barrier material may be sealed to an extent sufficient to maintain a partial vacuum within the wrapped bundle which is released when the label is pulled for the first time and air is allowed into the bundle through the extraction opening.

Sealing of the barrier material around the group of smoking articles during manufacture may be achieved by folding the barrier material around the group and fin-sealing where the edges of the barrier material meet, thereby forming sealed seams that extend along each side surface of the bundle. The seams can be folded against the side surface from which they protrude when the wrapped bundle is inserted into a container to provide a tobacco industry product pack.

SUMMARY

In accordance with embodiments of the invention, there is provided a tobacco industry product pack comprising a container including a base having a front panel and a rear panel spaced from each other by side panels, and a lid hingedly attached to the rear panel; a wrapped bundle of tobacco industry products having a portion extending from the base which is received in the lid when the lid is closed, said wrapped bundle comprising a barrier material having a front surface facing the front panel, a rear surface facing the rear panel, a side surface facing each side panel, and an upper end panel that meets the front, rear and side surfaces at upper front edge, upper rear edge and upper short edge folds respectively, the barrier material being fin-sealed to form a seam along each side surface, and a seam retainer attached to the base that partially extends over each of the side surfaces of said portion of the wrapped bundle extending from the base to retain each seam against its side surface.

Preferably, the front surface meets each side surface at a long front edge fold and the rear surface meets each side surface at a long rear edge fold. Each seam retainer may comprise an upper edge that extends across the side surface from said long front edge fold, at a position spaced from the upper short edge fold, towards the upper short edge fold and the long rear edge fold.

The upper edge of each seam retainer may be spaced from the upper short edge fold.

Each seam retainer may be shaped to extend closer to the upper short edge fold nearer to the long rear edge fold than to the long front edge fold.

The upper edge of the seam retainer may meet the long rear edge fold at a position spaced from the upper short edge fold.

In some embodiments, the upper edge of each seam retainer extends linearly across the side surface from said long front edge fold to where the upper short edge fold, the long rear edge fold and the upper rear edge folds meet.

Preferably, the barrier material comprises a triangular-shaped flap extending from each upper short edge fold of the wrapped bundle and the seam formed along each side surface of the wrapped bundle extends to an apex of each flap, each seam and flap being folded about the upper short edge fold against the side surface so that a triangular-shaped section of the seam extends from beneath the folded flap.

Each seam retainer may extend over the triangular-shaped section of the seam extending from beneath the flap folded against each side surface, but without extending over the folded flap.

Preferably each seam retainer extends over the whole of the triangular-shaped section of the seam extending from beneath the flap on each side surface.

The seam retainers may be joined together by a connecting panel. The connecting panel may lies between the rear surface of the wrapped bundle and the rear panel of the base.

In one embodiment, the connecting panel extends to the upper rear edge fold of the wrapped bundle. Alternatively, the connecting panel may be spaced from the upper rear edge fold of the wrapped bundle.

The seam retainers may extend beyond the connecting panel towards the upper rear edge fold.

In some embodiments, the connecting panel extends between the front surface of the wrapped bundle and the front panel of the base. The connecting panel may be wholly received between the front surface of the wrapped bundle and the front panel of the base.

Each seam retainer may have a tab that extends beyond each side surface of the wrapped bundle, said tabs extending towards each other between the rear surface of the wrapped bundle and the rear panel of the base.

The seam retainers may be integrally formed with the connecting panel and maybe folded relative to the connecting panel.

Preferably, the connecting panel is attached to the base.

In another embodiment, the seam retainers may be an integral part of the container. In particular, the seam retainers may comprise extension panels depending from each side panel of the base.

Each extension panel may be folded relative to the side panel from which it depends. Each extension panel may be located between said side panel of the base and said side surface of the wrapped bundle.

Preferably, each extension panel comprises a portion that extends beyond an upper edge of the side panel about which it is folded, said portion extending towards the upper side edge fold of the wrapped bundle.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a container to receive a wrapped bundle of tobacco industry products, the container comprising a base having a front panel, a rear panel, side panels that space the front and rear panels from each other, and a lid hingedly attached to the rear panel, the side panels having an upper edge facing the lid; wherein a side extension panel depends from each side panel, each side extension panel being folded relative to the side panel from which it depends to overlap said side panel, each side extension panel having a portion that extends beyond said upper edge of the side panel to cover part of a side surface of a wrapped bundle that protrudes from the base when the wrapped bundle is received in the container.

Each side extension panel may be adhered to its side panel in a region of overlap.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a blank for a hinged-lid container comprising a front panel, a rear panel and side panels having an upper edge, the side panels being foldable during assembly to form a base for a container to receive a wrapped bundle of tobacco industry products protruding therefrom, wherein a side extension panel depends from each side panel, each side extension panel being foldable relative to the side panel from which it depends to overlap said side panel, each side extension panel being shaped to extend beyond said edge of the side panel to cover a portion of a side surface of a wrapped bundle protruding from an assembled base.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a container to receive a wrapped bundle of tobacco industry products comprising a base having a front panel and a rear panel spaced from each other by side panels, and a lid hingedly attached to the rear panel; an insert protruding from the base in a direction towards the lid, said insert comprising side flaps facing each side panel and, a connecting wall extending between and connecting each side flap, wherein the connecting wall is placed against the rear panel of the container.

The connecting wall is preferably attached to the rear wall of the container and the side flaps may extend from the base.

Preferably, the connecting wall extends from the base to the same extent as the side flaps.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

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

FIG. 1 shows a partial perspective view of a wrapped bundle of smoking articles prior to folding of the seams formed as a result of fin-sealing a barrier material about a charge of smoking articles;

FIG. 2 is the wrapped bundle of FIG. 1, after the seams have been folded down against the side surface of the bundle from which they protrude;

FIG. 3 is the wrapped bundle of FIG. 2, after the triangular-shaped flaps extending from the upper side edges of the wrapped bundle are folded down so that they overlie the side edges of the wrapped bundle;

FIG. 4 shows a tobacco industry product pack containing a wrapped bundle as shown in FIG. 3, according to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 shows a tobacco industry product pack including a container and a wrapped bundle as shown in FIG. 3, according to a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 shows the integral seam retainers and the connecting panel prior to folding the seam retainers relative to the connecting panel;

FIG. 7 is the same view as FIG. 6, after the seam retainers have been folded relative to the connecting panel and prior to insertion into the base of a container shown in FIG. 5, with the connecting panel attached to the front panel of the base;

FIG. 8 is the same view as FIG. 7, but in which the seam retainers are provided with foldable tabs extending from their free edges;

FIG. 9 is an alternative embodiment showing one version of the seam retainers and a connecting panel which is for attachment to the rear panel of the base of a container;

FIG. 10 shows another version in which the seam retainers and connecting panel are for attachment to the rear panel of the base of the container;

FIG. 11 shows a container into which the seam retainers and connecting panel of FIG. 10 have been inserted;

FIG. 12 shows the container of FIG. 11, after a wrapped bundle has been inserted;

FIG. 13 shows an unfolded blank of a container for a tobacco industry product pack according to another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 14 shows the blank of FIG. 13 in a partially folded condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, there is shown a wrapped bundle 1 of smoking articles. The wrapped bundle 1 comprises a group or charge of smoking articles which has been wrapped in a layer of flexible barrier material 2 which is folded about the charge and has a front surface 3 and a rear surface 4 which are spaced from each other by parallel side surfaces 5. The barrier material 2 also has an upper end surface 6 that extends across the top of the charge. The front surface 3 meets the upper end surface 6 at an upper front edge fold 7. The rear surface 4 meets the upper end surface 6 at an upper rear edge fold 8 and, each side surface 5 meets the upper end surface 6 at an upper short edge fold 9. Furthermore, each side surface 5 meets the front surface 3 at a long front edge fold 10 and meets the rear surface 4 at a long rear edge fold 11.

The barrier material 2 is wrapped around the charge and fin-sealed to form seams 13 that extend along the length of each of the side surfaces 5 of the wrapped bundle 1. Fin-sealing is a commonly used horizontal wrapping process in which a product is overwrapped in a flexible sheet material, such as film or foil and which creates a “fin” along edges of the wrapped product. The “fin” may be folded down, using heat and pressure, so that it lies substantially flat. The process of fin-sealing is often referred to as “flow wrapping”.

The wrapped bundle 1 according to embodiments of the present invention has the seam 13 extending along each of its side surfaces 5. However, as the side surfaces 5 are identical in every way, reference is made to only one side surface 5 and its respective seam 13 in the description that follows.

FIG. 1 shows the wrapped bundle 1 after the fin-sealing process has been completed but prior to any folding of the resultant seam 13. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the seam 13 effectively protrudes from the wrapped bundle 1 generally at right-angles to its side surface 5. The seam 13 also extends beyond the upper end surface 6 to an apex 14 of a triangular-shaped flap 15 which is formed as a result of the wrapping, folding and sealing of the barrier material 2 around the charge of smoking articles. As the seam 13 also extends beyond a lower end surface (not shown) opposite to the upper end surface 6 of the wrapped bundle 1 in exactly the same way, and the seam 13 is folded in exactly the same way at both ends, the description below refers only to the folding of the seam 13 at the upper end of the wrapped bundle 1.

With reference to FIG. 2, the wrapped bundle 1 is shown after the seam 13 extending from the side surface 5 has been folded down so that it lies against the side surface 5 of the wrapped bundle 1.

Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the triangular-shaped flap 15 extending from the upper side edge fold 9 of the wrapped bundle 1 is folded down so that it overlies the side surface 5 of the wrapped bundle 1. As a result of the folding of the triangular-shaped flap 15, part of the seam 13 is doubled over adjacent to the upper end surface 6. It will be appreciated that only a triangular-shaped portion 16 of the doubled over part of the seam 13 is visible in FIG. 3, the remainder being hidden behind the folded flap 15.

The wrapped bundle 1, with the seam 13 and flap 15, which has been folded as described above, is inserted into a container 17, as shown in FIG. 4, to form a tobacco industry pack. The container 17 comprises a base 18 having a front panel 19 and a rear panel 20 spaced from each other by parallel side panels 21, and a lid 22 hingedly attached to the rear panel 20. A portion of the wrapped bundle 1 protrudes from an open end of the base 18 and is received in the lid 22 when the lid 22 is closed. A container 17 of this type is well-known in the tobacco industry and is commonly referred to as a “hinged-lid” container.

Although the side panel 21 of the base 18 retains the seam 13 of the wrapped bundle 1 against the side surface 5 against which it has been folded prior to insertion into the base 18, the portion of the seam 13, together with the flap 15 and the triangular-shaped portion 16 of the doubled-over part of the seam 13, which remains exposed due to the wrapped bundle 1 extending from the base 18, are not constrained by the base 13. As a result, this part of the seam 13, the flap 15 and the triangular-shaped portion 16 tend to protrude slightly from the wrapped bundle 1 after the lid 22 has been opened. This can result in the lid 22 snagging against the flap 15, or the triangular-shaped portion 16, as it is pivoted into its closed position, thereby preventing or hindering closure of the lid 22.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a tobacco industry pack which addresses this issue and overcomes or substantially prevents snagging of the lid 22 against the wrapped bundle 1 as the lid 22 is closed.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a seam retainer 23 that holds the seam 13 down against the side surface 5 of the wrapped bundle 1, together with the flap 15 and/or the triangular-shaped portion 16, so that the lid 22 does not come into contact with them, or so that the the lid 22 slides over them without being hindered or restricted.

As will become apparent from the description that follows, the seam retainers 23 are configured so that snagging of the lid 22 against the seam retainers 23 is also reduced or prevented. It will be appreciated that a seam retainer 23 extends from both sides of the base 18, although only one seam retainer 23 is referred to in the description that follows.

With reference to the embodiment of FIG. 4, the seam retainer 23 is attached to and extends from the base 18 and forms an extension of the side panel 21 of the base 18. The seam retainer 23 extends partially, but not entirely, over the portion of the side surface 5 of the wrapped bundle 1 that extends from the base 18 and over the seam 13. The seam retainer 23 also extends partially over the flap 15 and the triangular-shaped portion of the seam 16. The seam retainer 23 is formed from a material which is rigid enough to retain or press or hold the seam 13, the flap 15 and the triangular-shaped portion 16, against the side surface 5 to prevent the flap 15 and/or the seam 13 from protruding from the side surface 5 and interfering with closure of the lid 22.

With reference to FIG. 4, it can be seen that the seam retainer 23 extends across the full width of the side surface 5 between the long front and long rear edge folds 10, 11. However, an upper edge 24 of the seam retainer 23 extends upwardly, at an angle away from the long front edge fold 10 from a point on the long front edge fold 10 remote from where the long front edge fold 10 meets the upper short edge fold 9, towards the long rear edge fold 11 and the upper short edge fold 9. As shown in FIG. 4, the upper edge 24 of the seam retainer 23 extends over part of the flap 15 and is rounded off at a region 24a closest to the upper short edge fold 9. This region is closer to the long rear edge fold 11 than to the long front edge fold 10. The upper edge 24 then meets the long rear edge fold 11 at a point on the long rear edge fold 11 that is spaced from the point at which the long rear edge fold 11 meets the the upper short edge fold 9. The point at which the upper edge 24 meets the long rear edge fold 11 may be closer to the upper short edge fold 9 than at the point at which the upper edge 24 meets the long front edge fold 10.

Although the rounded region 24a of the upper edge 24 of the seam retainer 23 remains spaced from the upper short edge fold 9, as shown in FIG. 4, in an alternate embodiment, the seam retainer 23 may at least extend to the upper short edge fold 9 for part of the length of the upper short edge fold 9.

From FIG. 4, it can be seen that the seam retainer 23 extends over part of the flap 15 and the majority of the triangular shaped portion 16 of the seam 13, but that the side surface 5 remains partially exposed in a region adjacent to the upper short edge fold 9. Therefore, the flap 15, and the seam 13, including its triangular shaped portion 16, is held down against the side surface 5 of the wrapped bundle 1 to prevent interference with the lid. Furthermore, because the seam retainer 23 is shaped as described above so that it does not extend over the entire side surface 5 and is, in particular, remote from the upper short edge fold 9, at least adjacent to where the upper short edge fold 9 meets the long front edge fold 10, interference between the seam retainer 23 and the lid 22 is also prevented or reduced, enabling the lid 22 to be closed without hindrance.

A second embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 5. This embodiment is similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, except that the flap 15 remains free and exposed, i.e. the seam retainer 23 extends only over the triangular-shaped portion 16 of the seam 13 that extends from beneath the flap 15, but not over the flap 15 itself. Effectively, the upper end of the seam retainers 23 are chamfered so they extend at an angle relative to the upper short edge fold 9, thereby revealing part of the side surface 5 bounded by the upper short edge fold 9 and, the long front edge fold 10.

As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment the upper edge 24 of the seam 23 is straight and extends upwardly at an angle from a point on the long front edge fold 10, spaced from where the long front edge fold 10 meets the upper short edge fold 9, towards the point at which the long rear edge fold 11 meets the upper short edge fold 9 and the upper rear edge fold 8. The seam retainer 23 extends at an angle so that it is aligned adjacent, and parallel to, an edge 15a of the flap 15.

It will be appreciated that, in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 5, the seam retainer 23 covers the majority of the triangular-shaped portion 16 of the seam 13. However, it will be understood that the seam retainer 23 may also extend over the whole of the triangular-shaped portion 16 of the seam 13.

By arranging the seam retainer 23 so that it covers only the triangular-shaped portion 16 of the seam 13, without extending over the flap 15, the seam retainer 23 and triangular-shaped portion 16 remain flatter and are positioned closer to the side surface 5. This is acceptable, as it has been found that it is the triangular-shaped portion 16, rather than the flap 15, that is predominantly responsible for intefering with the lid 22 during closure. Therefore, retention of only the triangular-shaped portion 16 with the seam retainer 23 has been found to be a good solution and also reduces the tendency for the lid 22 to contact the seam retainer 23 during closure of the lid 22.

In either of the embodiments described above, the seam retainer 23 that extends across one side surface 5 of the wrapped bundle 1 may be attached to the seam retainer 23 that extends across the opposite side surface 5 by a connecting panel 25 which is preferably integrally formed with the seam retainers 13, as shown in FIG. 6. In particular, the seam retainers 13 may be folded relative to the connecting panel 25 so that the seam retainers 13 and connecting panel 25 together form a U-shaped structure, as shown in FIG. 7.

The seam retainers 23 are shaped so that the connecting panel 25 can be positioned against, and attached to, the inside of the front panel 19 of the base 18, i.e. between the front surface 3 of the wrapped bundle 1 and the front panel 19. The connecting panel 25 may be entirely concealed behind the front panel 19, so that it is not visible when the lid 22 is opened. Alternatively, the connecting panel 25 may protrude from the base 18 so as to extend over part of the front surface 4 of the wrapped bundle 1. The part of the connecting panel 25 that protrudes from the base 18 will then be visible when the lid 22 is opened.

The seam retainers 23 have free edges 28 remote from the connecting panel 25. The free edges 28 may be aligned with the long rear edge fold 11. However, in another embodiment, shown in FIG. 8, the free edges 28 of the seam retainers 23 are extended by tabs 29. The tabs 29 are folded so that they extend around the long rear edge fold 11 of the wrapped bundle 1 so that they extend towards each other and each overlie a part of the rear surface 4 of the wrapped bundle 1. The tabs 29 prevent the lid 22 from sliding between the side surface 5 and the seam retainer 23. The tabs 29 also provide additional rigidity to the seam retainer 23. If required, the tabs 29 may be attached to the rear surface 4 of the wrapped bundle 1.

When the connecting panel 25 is attached to the front panel 19 of the base 18, the fin seal 13 and flap 15 may still urge the seam retainers 23 outwardly, thereby causing the lid 22 to foul on them when it is pivoted into a closed position. Therefore, in a preferred embodiment, the connecting panel 25 is attached to the rear panel 20 of the base 18 of the container 17 so that it lies between the rear panel 20 of the base 17 and the rear surface 4 of the wrapped bundle 1, as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10. A connecting panel 25 which is attached to the rear panel 20 is the preferred embodiment when the seam retainers 23 extend over the triangular-shaped portion 16 of the seam 13, without extending over the flaps 15, as previously described above.

In FIG. 9, the seam retainers 23 extend beyond the connecting panel 25, so that the connecting panel 25 is entirely located behind the rear panel 20. However, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the connecting panel 25 extends to the upper end of the seam retainers 23 and so do extend into the lid 22 from the base 17. An upper edge 25a of the connecting panel 25 therefore lies adjacent to, and in alignment with, the upper rear edge fold 8 of the wrapped bundle 1. FIG. 11 shows the seam retainers 23 and connecting panel 25 of FIG. 10 after it has been inserted into a container 18 so that it protrudes from the base 17, and from which it can be seen that the upper edge 25a of the connecting member 25 extends from the base 17 to the same extent as the seam retainers 23.

FIG. 12 shows the same view as FIG. 11, after a wrapped bundle 1 has been inserted into the container 18. The embodiments of FIGS. 10 to 12 may provide additional strength or rigidity to the seam retainers 23, may help to maintain the seam retainers 23 against their respective side surfaces 5 and, may prevent the possibility that the side walls 22a of the lid 22 may slide down between the seam retainers 23 and the side surfaces 5 of the wrapped bundle 1 upon closure of the lid 22. It will be appreciated, that, if the wrapped bundle 1 is provided with a cover flap that extends over a region of the barrier material that is separated from the remainder of the barrier material to form an extraction opening, the upper edge 25a of the connecting panel 25 may act as a ‘stop’ to prevent the cover flap from being pulled back beyond the upper surface of the wrapped bundle 1.

As the seam retainers 23 are tied together across the rear of the wrapped bundle 1 by the connecting panel 25, they are prevented from moving apart at the rear of the bundle 1, which is where the side walls 22a of the lid 22 first begin to overlap the seam retainers 23 as the lid 22 is closed.

In another embodiment, an insert protrudes from the base in a direction towards the lid. The insert may comprise a side flaps facing each side panel and, a connecting panel extending between each side flap and so is similar to the seam retainers 23 and connecting panel 25 described above, except that the side flaps may extend over the whole or part of the side surface of the wrapped bundle 1. The connecting panel 25 extends across and is placed against the rear panel 4 of the container 1 and is preferably attached to the rear panel 4. The side flaps may extend from the base 17 in a direction towards the lid 22. Similarly, the connecting wall 25 may extend from the base 17 to the same or lesser extent as the side flaps.

Another embodiment is described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14, and in which the seam retainers 23 are integrally formed with the the base 18. As can be seen from the unfolded container blank of FIG. 13, the inner side panels 21 extending from the rear panel 4 comprise extension panels 30 that are integrally formed with the inner side panels 21 and separated therefrom by a fold line 31. When the blank is assembled, the extension panels 30 are folded inwardly so that they overlie the the side panel 21 from which they extend, as shown in FIG. 14. As most clearly apparent from FIG. 14, the extension panels 30 each have a portion 33 that extends beyond an upper edge 32 of the side panel 21 and it is this portion 33 that covers the triangular-shaped portion 16 of the seam 13 and retains the triangular-shaped portion 16 of the seam 13 against the side surface 5 of the wrapped bundle 1. The outer side panels 21a, which extend from the front panel 3 overlie the inner side panels 21 and are aligned with the side panels 22a of the lid 22.

Each extension panel 30 may be attached to its corresponding side panel 21 using adhesive. In a preferred embodiment, the portion 33 of the extension panel 30 that protrudes beyond the side panel 21 is shaped so as to cover the whole of the triangular-shaped portion 16.

The barrier material 2 may comprise a single layer. Alternatively, the barrier material 2 may comprise a laminate material of two or more layers, for example three layers. Each layer of the barrier material may comprise a polymer (for example polypropylene), a metal foil, a metallised foil or other flexible material suitable for packaging.

As used herein, the term “tobacco industry product” is to be understood as including smoking articles comprising combustible smoking articles such as cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, tobacco for pipes or for roll-your-own cigarettes, (whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, tobacco substitutes or other smokable material), electronic smoking articles such as e-cigarettes, heating devices that release compounds from substrate materials without burning such as tobacco heating products; and hybrid systems to generate aerosol from a combination of substrate materials, for example hybrid systems containing a liquid or gel or solid substrate.

In one embodiment, the tobacco industry product is a smoking article for combustion selected from the group consisting of a cigarette, a cigarillo and a cigar.

In one embodiment, the tobacco industry product is a non-combustible smoking article.

In one embodiment the tobacco industry product is a heating device which releases compounds by heating, but not burning, a substrate material. The material may be for example tobacco or other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine. In one embodiment the heating device is a tobacco heating device.

In another embodiment the tobacco industry product is a hybrid system to generate aerosol by heating, but not burning, a combination of substrate materials. The substrate materials may comprise for example solid, liquid or gel which may or may not contain nicotine. In one embodiment, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel substrate and a solid substrate. The solid substrate may be for example tobacco or other non-tobacco products, which may or may not contain nicotine. In one embodiment the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel substrate and tobacco.

The tobacco industry product pack, container, and blank described above are described with reference to tobacco industry products, for example cigarettes. However, it will be appreciated that the container, pack and blank may alternatively be used for non-tobacco industry related products. For example, the container, pack and blank may be used for food products, electronics or other consumer goods.

In order to address various issues and advance the art, the entirety of this disclosure shows by way of illustration various embodiments in which the claimed invention(s) may be practiced and provide a superior tobacco industry product pack, a container to receive a wrapped bundle of tobacco industry products and a blank for a hinged-lid container. The advantages and features of the disclosure are of a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. They are presented only to assist in understanding and teach the claimed features. It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects of the disclosure are not to be considered limitations on the disclosure as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilised and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and/or spirit of the disclosure. Various embodiments may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, various combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc. In addition, the disclosure includes other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future.

Claims

1. A tobacco industry product pack comprising: a container including a base having a front panel and a rear panel spaced from each other by side panels, and a lid hingedly attached to the rear panel;a wrapped bundle of tobacco industry products having a portion extending from the base which is received in the lid when the lid is closed, said wrapped bundle comprising a barrier material having a front surface facing the front panel, a rear surface facing the rear panel, a side surface facing each side panel, and an upper end panel that meets the front, rear and side surfaces at upper front edge, upper rear edge and upper short edge folds respectively, the barrier material being fin-sealed to form a seam along each side surface, anda seam retainer attached to the base that partially extends over each of the side surfaces of said portion of the wrapped bundle extending from the base to retain each seam against its side surface.

2. A tobacco industry product pack according to claim 1, wherein the front surface meets each side surface at a long front edge fold and the rear surface meets each side surface at a long rear edge fold, each seam retainer comprising an upper edge that extends across the side surface from said long front edge fold, at a position spaced from the upper short edge fold, towards the upper short edge fold and the long rear edge fold.

3. A tobacco industry product pack according to claim 2, wherein the upper edge of each seam retainer is spaced from the upper short edge fold.

4. A tobacco industry product pack according to claim 2, wherein each seam retainer is shaped to extend closer to the upper short edge fold nearer to the long rear edge fold than to the long front edge fold.

5. A tobacco industry product pack according to claim 4, wherein said upper edge of the seam retainer meets the long rear edge fold at a position spaced from the upper short edge fold.

6. A tobacco industry product pack according to claim 2, wherein the upper edge of each seam retainer extends linearly across the side surface from said long front edge fold to where the upper short edge fold, the long rear edge fold and the upper rear edge folds meet.

7. A tobacco industry product pack according to claim 6, wherein the barrier material comprises a triangular-shaped flap extending from each upper short edge fold of the wrapped bundle and the seam formed along each side surface of the wrapped bundle extends to an apex of each flap, each seam and flap being folded about the upper short edge fold against the side surface so that a triangular-shaped section of the seam extends from beneath the folded flap.

8. A tobacco industry product pack according to claim 7, wherein each seam retainer extends over the triangular-shaped section of the seam extending from beneath the flap folded against each side surface, but without extending over the folded flap.

9. A tobacco industry product pack according to claim 8, wherein each seam retainer extends over the whole of the triangular-shaped section of the seam extending from beneath the flap on each side surface.

10. A tobacco industry product pack according to claim 1, wherein the seam retainers are joined together by a connecting panel.

11. A tobacco industry product pack according to claim 10, wherein the connecting panel lies between the rear surface of the wrapped bundle and the rear panel of the base.

12. A tobacco industry product pack according to claim 11, wherein the connecting panel extends to the upper rear edge fold of the wrapped bundle.

13. A tobacco industry product pack according to claim 11, wherein the connecting panel is spaced from the upper rear edge fold of the wrapped bundle.

14. A tobacco industry product pack according to claim 13, wherein the seam retainers extend beyond the connecting panel towards the upper rear edge fold.

15. A tobacco industry product pack according to claim 10, wherein the connecting panel extends between the front surface of the wrapped bundle and the front panel of the base.

16. A tobacco industry product pack according to claim 15, wherein the connecting panel is wholly received between the front surface of the wrapped bundle and the front panel of the base.

17. A tobacco industry product pack according to claim 15, wherein each seam retainer has a tab that extends beyond each side surface of the wrapped bundle, said tabs extending towards each other between the rear surface of the wrapped bundle and the rear panel of the base.

18. A tobacco industry product pack according to any of claim 10, wherein the seam retainers are integrally formed with the connecting panel.

19. A tobacco industry product pack according to claim 18, wherein the seam retainers are folded relative to the connecting panel.

20. A tobacco industry product pack according to claim 10, wherein the connecting panel is attached to the base.

21. A tobacco industry product pack according to claim 1, wherein the seam retainers are an integral part of the container.

22. A tobacco industry product pack according to claim 21, wherein the seam retainers comprise extension panels depending from each side panel of the base.

23. A tobacco industry product pack according to claim 22, wherein each extension panel is folded relative to the side panel from which it depends, each extension panel being located between said side panel of the base and said side surface of the wrapped bundle.

24. A tobacco industry product pack according to claim 23, wherein each extension panel comprises a portion that extends beyond an upper edge of the side panel about which it is folded, said portion extending towards the upper side edge fold of the wrapped bundle.

25. A container to receive a wrapped bundle of tobacco industry products, the container comprising: a base having a front panel, a rear panel, side panels that space the front and rear panels from each other, and a lid hingedly attached to the rear panel, the side panels having an upper edge facing the lid;wherein a side extension panel depends from each side panel, each side extension panel being folded relative to the side panel from which it depends to overlap said side panel, each side extension panel having a portion that extends beyond said upper edge of the side panel to cover part of a side surface of a wrapped bundle that protrudes from the base when the wrapped bundle is received in the container.

26. A container according to claim 25, wherein each side extension panel is adhered to its side panel in a region of overlap.

27. A blank for a hinged-lid container comprising a front panel, a rear panel and side panels having an upper edge, the side panels being foldable during assembly to form a base for a container to receive a wrapped bundle of tobacco industry products protruding therefrom, wherein a side extension panel depends from each side panel, each side extension panel being foldable relative to the side panel from which it depends to overlap said side panel, each side extension panel being shaped to extend beyond said edge of the side panel to cover a portion of a side surface of a wrapped bundle protruding from an assembled base.

28. A container to receive a wrapped bundle of tobacco industry products comprising: a base having a front panel and a rear panel spaced from each other by side panels, and a lid hingedly attached to the rear panel;an insert protruding from the base in a direction towards the lid, said insert comprising side flaps facing each side panel and, a connecting wall extending between and connecting each side flap, wherein the connecting wall is placed against the rear panel of the container.

29. A container according to claim 28, wherein the connecting wall is attached to the rear wall of the container.

30. A container according to claim 28, wherein the side flaps extend from the base.

31. A container according to claim 30, wherein the connecting wall extends from the base to the same extent as the side flaps.