Patent Application
20220194674
The present disclosure relates to a web of wrapping material and a method of manufacturing the same.
Cigarette packs comprise an outer box made from board which has a base and a hinged lid. A wrapped bundle of cigarettes protrudes from the base so that an upper part is accessible when the lid is rotated back into an open position. The upper part comprises an extraction opening in the wrapping material through which cigarettes can be removed. Some re-sealable bundles comprise a re-stick label for covering the extraction opening and can be repeatedly re-adhered over the extraction opening to provide additional protection for the contents of the bundle.
In packing processes, a web of wrapping material is provided on a reel and drawn into a packing machine. An extraction opening is cut into the wrapping material before a label applicator places a re-stick label over the extraction opening. The web is then cut into individual portions before being wrapped around a bundle of cigarettes.
It is possible to provide a re-sealable bundle in which a re-sealable flap is formed in the wrapping material. This is distinct from re-sealable packs comprising a separate re-stick label to provide the re-sealable function. Re-sealable flaps are formed by providing first and second cuts through respective layers of a laminate wrapping material. The first cut extends through an inner layer of the laminate to define the extraction opening, while the second cut is offset outwardly of the first cut and extends through an outer layer of the laminate to define a cover flap that overlies the extraction opening. The inner and outer layers of the laminate are adhered to each other with at least a re-stick adhesive so that the re-sealable label can be separated and resealed in the region defined between the first and second cuts.
According to embodiments of the disclosure, there is provided an elongate web of wrapping material having a longitudinal axis and a series of lines of weakening spaced from each other in a direction along the axis, each line of weakening being configured to form an extraction opening for the removal of smoking articles from a bundle of smoking articles wrapped in a longitudinal section of the wrapping material cut from the web, wherein a portion of each line of weakening extends in a longitudinal direction, and at least a part of said portion extends at an angle to the longitudinal axis.
Each line of weakening may be substantially U-shaped to form two ends spaced from each other in a direction that extends transverse to the longitudinal axis.
Each of the series of lines of weakening may comprise two portions that extend in a longitudinal direction with at least a part of each portion extending at an angle to the longitudinal axis.
Said two portions may be connected by an intermediate portion.
The intermediate portion may extend transverse to the longitudinal axis.
The intermediate portion may be joined to each part that extends at an angle to the longitudinal axis by a radius.
Said entire portion of each line of weakening that extends in a longitudinal direction may extend at an angle to the longitudinal axis.
Said portion of each line of weakening that extends in a longitudinal direction may comprise a plurality of discrete sections that extend at an angle to the longitudinal axis.
At least 40% of said portion of each line of weakening that extends in a longitudinal direction may extend at an angle to the longitudinal axis.
Each line of weakening may describe a continuous curve.
The elongate web of wrapping material may be formed from a laminate material.
Each line of weakening of the series may be formed in at least one layer of said laminate material.
Each line of weakening of the series may comprise a first line of weakening formed in one layer of said laminate material, and a second line of weakening formed in another layer of said laminate material.
The first line of weakening may surround the second line of weakening.
A portion of each of the first lines of weakening may extend in a longitudinal direction, and a portion of each of the second lines of weakening may extend in a longitudinal direction, wherein at least a part of said portion of both the first and second lines of weakening extends at an angle to the longitudinal axis.
The elongate web of wrapping material may be wound into a reel for mounting in a machine for wrapping bundles of tobacco industry products in said longitudinal sections cut from said web of wrapping material.
A section of wrapping material may be cut from the elongate web of wrapping material, said section comprising a line of weakening configured to form an extraction opening for the removal of smoking articles from a bundle of smoking articles wrapped in said section, wherein a portion of the line of weakening extends in a longitudinal direction at an angle to the longitudinal axis.
A bundle of tobacco industry products may be wrapped in the section of wrapping material.
A pack of tobacco industry products may be provided, comprising a container and the bundle of tobacco industry products, received in the container.
Also according to embodiments of the disclosure there is provided, a method of manufacturing an elongate web of wrapping material having a longitudinal axis, including forming a series of lines of weakening spaced from each other in a direction along the axis so that each line of weakness will form an extraction opening for the removal of smoking articles from a bundle of smoking articles wrapped in a longitudinal section of the wrapping material cut from the web, the method including cutting at least a portion of each line of weakening that extends in a longitudinal direction at an angle to the longitudinal axis.
The method may comprise winding the elongate web of wrapping material onto a reel after forming a series of lines of weakening in the web.
Embodiments of the disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
When wrapping bundles of tobacco industry product, wrapping material is provided to a wrapping facility as an elongate web. The web is cut into individual portions and wrapped about the bundle. Lines of weakening are cut into the wrapping material in the wrapping facility. Each lines of weakening defines an extraction opening in the wrapping material for the removal of tobacco industry products from the wrapped bundle.
Re-sealable flaps which are integrally formed in wrapping material can be more complicated to cut. To avoid costly modification of existing wrapping facilities, a separate facility may be provided for cutting re-sealable flaps which are integrally formed in wrapping material. The resulting pre-cut webs of wrapping material are then rolled onto a reel and transported to the wrapping facility, where the web is drawn from the reel and used to wrap a bundle in the normal way. An example wrapped bundle 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure is shown in
The applicant has observed that cutting lines of weakening into the wrapping material causes an increase in thickness of the material immediately around the lines of weakening. Although the difference in thickness of the wrapping material around the cuts is small and undetectable to the user in normal use of the wrapped bundle, when on a reel, this difference in thickness accumulates if the lines of weakening align with each other across the layers of the reel. The difference in thickness builds up through layers of the reel and creases the web of material; these creases are then visible on bundles wrapped in the wrapping material.
The lines of weakening are typically U shaped and arranged in spaced relation along a longitudinal axis of the web of wrapping material. Each U shaped line of weakening delimits a flap in the wrapping material that can be lifted to provide the extraction opening mentioned above. If any parts of the U shaped lines of weakening are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the web, then said parts will align with each other in different layers of the reel and cause creasing as explained above.
In embodiments of the disclosure, this problem is overcome by cutting into a web 2 of wrapping material 3 lines of weakening 4 in which at least a portion of each line of weakening 4 extending in a longitudinal direction of the web 2 is not parallel to a longitudinal axis of the web A-A.
By longitudinal direction of the web, it is meant a direction which extends along the length of the web. By transverse direction of the web, it is meant a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A-A of the web.
Embodiments of the disclosure provide the technical benefit that creasing of the wrapping material 3 as a result of lines of weakening 4 aligning with each other across the layers of the reel is reduced, if not eliminated completely.
As illustrated in
In the exemplary embodiments of
When a user lifts the re-stick label away from the surface of the wrapped bundle, the flap remains adhered to the re-stick label and separates from the remaining wrapping material 3 to provide the extraction opening. The wrapped bundle can be re-sealed by pressing the re-stick label back down over the extraction opening.
The web 2 of wrapping material 3 of the embodiments described in relation to
In the exemplary embodiment of
In another exemplary embodiment, shown in
Because the two portions 8 of the U shaped cut are arranged at an oblique angle with respect to the longitudinal axis, the problem of creasing of the wrapping material on a reel is overcome.
When the webs of wrapping material illustrated in
In another exemplary embodiment, shown in
When the web of wrapping material illustrated in
In exemplary embodiments, the U shaped lines of weakening of
The U shaped lines of weakening 4 of embodiments described herein may be formed in any manner apparent to the skilled person. For example, the lines of weakening 4 may be formed in a kiss cutting operation in which the web 2 of material 3 is repeatedly stamped by kiss cutter as it is conveyed through a cutting station. Alternatively, the lines of weakening 4 may be cut by a laser. The laser may be configured to translate over the surface of the web 2 as it is conveyed through the cutting station.
The laminate material 13 comprises an inner and outer layer 18, 19, shown in
The first cut 14 is provided in the outer layer 19 and the second cut 15 is provided in the inner layer 18. The first cut 14 extends through or substantially through the outer layer 19 of the laminate material 13. The first cut 14 does not extend into the inner layer 18 of the laminate material 13. The second cut 15 extends through or substantially through the inner layer 18 of the laminate material 13. The second cut 15 does not extend into the outer layer 19 of the laminate material 13.
The second cut 15 delimits the flap 17 in the inner layer 18 of the laminate material 13. The first cut 14 delimits the cover flap 16 in the outer layer 19 of the laminate material 13. The second cut 15 is offset and spaced from the first cut 14, such that the second cut 15 is disposed entirely within a boundary defined by the first cut 14. A peripheral region 20 is defined in the space between the first and second cuts 14, 15.
As shown in
The inner and outer layers 18, 19 may be made from any material known in the art. For example, the inner and outer layers 18, 19 may be made from oriented polypropylene. In embodiments additional layers may be added, for example an intermediate layer (not shown) of aluminum foil. In such embodiments the first cut 14 may extend through the intermediate and outer layers, so that the intermediate layer forms part of the cover flap 16. Alternatively, the first cut 14 may extend only through the outer layer 19, while the second cut 15 extends through both the inner and intermediate layers, so that the intermediate layer forms part of the flap 17.
Each of the first and second cuts 14, 15 of the illustrated embodiments describe a continuous curve. However, it shall be appreciated that the first and second cuts 14, 15 may describe any shape that delivers the required technical effect of alleviating creasing in the wrapping material 13. In exemplary embodiments, either of the first cut and second cut 14, 15 may be a shape described with reference to the U shaped lines of weakening 4 of
In an exemplary embodiment, the first and second cuts 14, 15 are formed in the web 2 of laminate material 13 using a laser. The power of the laser is set to cut only the layers of the laminate required of the first and second cuts 14, 15. Following formation of the first and second cuts 14, 15 the web of material 13 is rolled onto a reel and transported to a wrapping station as described above.
A web of wrapping material 3, 13 may be prepared according to any of the embodiments described herein by, in a first step S1, forming a series of extraction openings into the web of wrapping material and, in a second step S2, rolling the web of material comprising the extraction openings to form a reel 11 of the wrapping material 3, 13. These steps are shown schematically in
The reel 11 may then be transported to a wrapping facility for wrapping bundles of tobacco industry products in the normal way. For example, the wrapping material may be fed into a wrapping station where it is cut into individual portions and wrapped about a bundle to form a wrapped bundle, substantially akin to the bundle 1 shown in
A tobacco industry product refers to any item made in, or sold by the tobacco industry, typically including a) cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, tobacco for pipes or for roll-your-own cigarettes, (whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes); b) non-smoking products incorporating tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco substitutes such as snuff, snus, hard tobacco, and heat-not-burn (HnB) products; and c) other nicotine-delivery systems such as inhalers, aerosol generation devices including e-cigarettes, hybrid devices comprising a combination of aerosol generating materials or their consumables, lozenges and gum. This list is not intended to be exclusive, but merely illustrates a range of products which are made and sold in the tobacco industry.
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 for superior methods of preparing wrapping material for tobacco industry products, as well as superior reels of wrapping material. 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 utilized 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.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1905499.8 | Apr 2019 | GB | national |
The present application is a National Phase entry of PCT Application No. PCT/GB2020/050956, filed Apr. 15, 2020 which claims priority from GB Patent Application No. 1905499.8 filed Apr. 18, 2019, each of which is hereby fully incorporated herein by reference.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/GB2020/050956 | 4/15/2020 | WO | 00 |
