BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a rigid packet with hinged lid containing a group of smoke articles of reduced dimension and to the corresponding blank.

The present invention is advantageously applied to a packet of cigarettes, to which the following description will refer explicitly without thereby narrowing the scope of the invention.

PRIOR ART

Rigid packets for cigarettes with hinged lids are the most commonly found packets for cigarettes on the market because they are simple to make, are easy and practical to use and provide good mechanical protection for the cigarettes contained therein. A packet of cigarettes with a rigid hinged lid comprises a container that is cup-shaped and has an open upper end, and a lid, which is also cup-shaped, hinged on the container along a hinge for rotating, with respect to the container, between an open position and a closed position of the open end. The cup-shaped container is suitable for housing an inner wrapper that encloses a group of smoke articles, in particular cigarettes.

Normally, the outer container has a dimension that is substantially the same as that of the inner wrapper to house the inner wrapper without appreciable clearance. Nevertheless, in some embodiments the outer container is noticeably bigger than the inner wrapper, for example if the inner wrapper has a reduced longitudinal dimension with respect to the longitudinal dimension of the container, because the cigarettes contained therein have a reduced longitudinal dimension.

Patent US4241827A1 describes a rigid packet of cigarettes with hinged lid provided with supporting means, which is integral with the outer container, provides a lower support to the inner wrapper of reduced longitudinal dimension and comprises two pairs of flaps that rest on the bottom wall, are hinged on inner panels of the side walls and are folded with respect to the inner panels towards the inside of the container. The flaps are obtained by suitable cuts of the blank with which the rigid packet is obtained.

The support system disclosed in patent US4241827A1 has the drawback of not offering suitable support to the inner wrapper, which is supported below only at the upper edges of the four flaps that have a very reduced extent.

In this connection it should be remembered that the inner wrapper is normally devoid of glue and encloses a group of cigarettes that are not connected to one another; consequently, when the lower support of the inner wrapper is not suitable, the cigarettes arranged in the centre may even deform locally the inner wrapper sheet downwards in an undesired manner. Further, when the inner wrapper is pressed downwards (for example when the user extracts a cigarette from the inner wrapper), the flaps may collapse because of the buckling load, causing an undesired dent in the inner wrapper. It is further added that in order to make the supporting flaps hinged on inner panels of the side walls and folded with respect to the inner panels towards the inside of the container, it is necessary to introduce significant constructional complications into the packaging machine, in particular into a wrapper wheel suitable for handling the blank with which the rigid packet is obtained. It is in fact necessary to introduce additional handling elements that are suitable for folding and positioning the flaps correctly, the introduction of which is problematic in view of little free space existing in the wrapper wheel itself and for which handling elements it would be necessary to design a new blank wrapper wheel, with a consequent increase in the costs of producing the packaging machine.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is to provide a rigid packet for smoke articles which is free of the drawbacks disclosed above and which, in particular, is simple and cheap to make.

According to the present invention a rigid packet for smoke articles is provided according to what is claimed in the attached claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be disclosed with reference to the attached drawings that illustrate some embodiments thereof by way of non-limiting example, in which:

- figure 1 is a front perspective view of a rigid packet for cigarettes according to the present invention, comprising a container and a hinged lid, in a closed lid position;

- figure 2 is a rear perspective view of the rigid packet for cigarettes of figure 1 in the closed position;

- figure 3 is a perspective view of the rigid packet for cigarettes of figure 1 in an open position, that shows an inner wrapper and an inner frame housed in the container and further shows supporting means of the inner frame that provides a lower support to the inner wrapper;

- figure 4 is a perspective view of the rigid packet for cigarettes of figure 3, in which the inner wrapper is not present for reasons of clarity;

- figure 5 is a perspective view of the inner frame and of the inner wrapper as arranged inside the rigid packet of figures 1 to 4, in which the container and the lid are not present for reasons of clarity and in which the supporting means of the inner frame provides a lower support to the inner wrapper;

- figure 6 is a perspective view of the inner frame of figure 5, in which the inner wrapper is not present for reasons of clarity;

- figure 7 is a frontal view of the inner frame and of the inner wrapper of figure 5;

- figure 8 is a side view of the inner frame and of the inner wrapper of figure 5;

- figure 9 is a plan view of the inner frame and of the inner wrapper of figure 5, from the side of the lower border of the inner frame;

- figure 10 a top plan view of a blank used to make the inner frame of figures 3 to 9;

- figure 1 1 is a frontal view of the inner frame of figure 6;

- figure 12 is a side view of the inner frame of figure 6;

- figure 13 is a plan view of the inner frame of figure 6, from the side of the lower border of the inner frame.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In this description alike elements that are common to the various illustrated embodiments have been indicated by the same numbering.

In figures 1 to 4, with the number 1 overall a rigid packet of cigarettes has been indicated extending along a longitudinal axis A of greater extent. The packet 1 comprises a container 2 of parallelpipedon shape and an inner wrapper 3, illustrated in figure 3, that encloses a group of cigarettes 100, and is housed inside the container 2. The inner wrapper 3 is of parallelpipedon shape and consists of a metallised sheet of wrapper wound around the group of cigarettes. The wrapper 3 has a longitudinal dimension that is lower than the longitudinal dimension of the container 2 and forms a cavity inside the container 2.

The container 2 has an open upper end 4 and is provided with a lid 5, which is cup- shaped and is hinged on the container 2 along a hinge 6 for rotating, with respect to the container 2, between an open position, illustrated in figures 3 and 4, and a closed position, illustrated in figures 1 and 2, of the open upper end 4.

The lid 5, when in the closed position thereof shown in figures 1 and 2, gives the packet 1 a rectangular parallelpipedon shape having an upper wall 7 and a lower wall 8 that are parallel and opposite one another, a front wall 9 and a rear wall 10 that are parallel and opposite one another, and two side walls 1 1 that are parallel and opposite one another. Between the side walls 1 1 and the front wall 9 and rear wall 10 four longitudinal edges 12 are defined, whereas between the upper wall 7 and lower wall 8 and the front wall 9, rear wall 10 and side wall 1 1 eight transverse edges are defined; in particular, between the upper wall 7 and lower wall 8 and the front wall 9 and rear wall 10 four greater transverse edges 13 are defined, whilst between the upper wall 7 and lower wall 8 and the side walls 1 1 four lesser transverse edges 14 are defined.

According to what is illustrated in figures 3 to 13, the packet 1 further comprises an inner frame 15, which is arranged inside the container 2 to protrude partially outside the open upper end 4 and engage a corresponding inner surface of the lid 5 when the lid 5 is arranged in the aforesaid closed position.

The inner frame 15 has a first side wall 16, which rests on a side wall 1 1 of the packet 1 , a front wall 17, which rests on the front wall 9 of the packet 1 , and a second side wall 18 which is opposite the first side wall 16 and rests on the side wall 1 1 of the packet 1. The inner frame 15 has further an upper border 19 facing the open upper end 4 and a lower border 20, which is opposite the upper border 19 and faces the lower wall 8 of the container 2.

The inner frame 15 is folded into a "U" inside the container 2 and further, as shown in figures 3 and 4, is maintained in position inside the container 2 inasmuch as the lower border 20 of the inner frame 15 rests on the lower wall 8 of the container 2.

In addition or alternatively, according to an embodiment that is not illustrated, the inner frame 15 is maintained in position inside the container 2 inasmuch as it is fixed thereto by adhesive material, in particular the front wall 17 of the inner frame 15 is glued to an inner surface of the front wall 9 of the container 2 and the first side wall 16 and the second side wall 18 of the inner frame 15 are glued to inner surfaces of the corresponding side walls 1 1 of the container 2.

The packet further comprises supporting means for providing a lower support to the inner wrapper 3, which comprises a first flap 21 and a second flap 22 folded inside the container 2.

The first flap 21 and the second flap 22 are bounded by the lower border 20 of the inner frame 15 and are separated from the latter respectively by a first incision 23 and a second incision 24.

The first flap 21 has a respective first end which is connected to the inner frame 15 by a first hinge 21a and has further a second end which is connected to the inner frame 15 by a second hinge 21b.

In other words, the first flap 21 is an area of the inner frame 15 bounded above by the first incision 23, below by a portion of the lower border 20 between the first hinge 21 a and the second hinge 21b and laterally by the first hinge 21 a and by the second hinge 21b. The upper border of the first flap 21 corresponds to the first incision 23.

The first flap 21 further comprises a third hinge 21 c, which is arranged between the first hinge 21 a and the second hinge 21b and defines in the first flap 21 a first portion 2 I d, arranged between the first hinge 21 a and the third hinge 21c, and a second portion 21 e, arranged between the third hinge 21 c and the second hinge 21b.

Similarly, the flap 22 has a respective first end which is connected to the inner frame 15 by a first hinge 22a and has further a second end which is connected to the inner frame 15 by a second hinge 22b.

In other words, the second flap 22 is an area of the inner frame 15 bounded above by the second incision 24, below by a portion of the lower border 20 between the first hinge 22a and the second hinge 22b and laterally by the first hinge 22a and by the second hinge 22b. The upper border of the second flap 22 corresponds to the second incision 24.

Similarly, the second flap 22 further comprises a third hinge 22c, which is arranged between the first hinge 22a and the second hinge 22b and identifies in the second flap 22 a first portion 22d, arranged between the first hinge 22a and the third hinge 22c, and a second portion 22e arranged between the third hinge 22c and the second hinge 22b. Preferably, the first 21 a, the second 21b and the third hinge 21 c of the first flap 21 and also the first 22a, the second 22b and the third hinge 22c of the second flap 22 extend respectively from the first incision 23 as far as the lower border 20 and from the second incision 24 as far as the lower border 20.

It should be noted that the front wall 17 of the inner frame 15 is bounded by two longitudinal edges 25, which are in particular right edges and parallel to the longitudinal axis A, which are defined between the front wall 17 and the first side wall 16 of the inner frame 15 and between the front wall 17 and the second side wall 18. The longitudinal edges 25 of the inner frame 15 are parallel to the longitudinal edges 12 of the packet and rest on the latter when the inner frame 15 is inside the container 2.

The first hinge 21 a, the second hinge 21b and the third hinge 21c of the first flap 21 and the first hinge 22a, the second hinge 22b and the third hinge 22c of the second flap 22 are parallel to the two longitudinal edges 25 of the inner frame 15.

If, further, there is considered a line of longitudinal symmetry S in the front wall of the inner frame 17, shown in figures 7, 10 and 1 1 , preferably the second hinge 21b of the first flap 21 and the second hinge 22b of the second flap 22 are arranged in the front wall 17 symmetrically with respect to the line of longitudinal symmetry S.

Preferably in fact, the first incision 23 and the second incision 24 have the same dimension and the flaps 21 and 22 are symmetrical and specular with respect to the line of symmetry S (and also to the axis of longitudinal symmetry A of the packet 1 ) to increase the stability of the lower support of the inner wrapper 3.

It should be noted that, when the first flap 21 and the second flap 22 are folded in such a manner that the third hinge 21c of the first flap 21 and the third hinge 22c of the second flap 22 are pushed towards the inside of the container 2, the upper border of the first flap 21 , which corresponds to the first incision 23 and the upper border of the second flap 22, which corresponds to the second incision 24, lie on a plane parallel to the lower wall 8 of the packet 1 to ensure stable support to the inner wrapper 3.

In this manner, the lower support that the first flap 21 and the second flap 22 provide for the inner wrapper 3 lies on a plane parallel to the lower wall 8 of the packet 1 , as will be seen better below.

Preferably, the first hinge 21 a of the first flap 21 is located in the first side wall 16 of the inner frame 15 and the second hinge 21b of the first flap 21 is located in the front wall 17 of the inner frame 15. Further, the second hinge 22b of the second flap 22 is located in the front wall 17 of the inner frame 15 and the first hinge 22a of the second flap 22 is located in the second side wall 18 of the inner frame 15.

The third hinge 21c of the first flap 21 and the third hinge 22c of the second flap 22 are located between the respective first hinges 21a and 22a and second hinges 21b and 22b of the corresponding flaps 21 and 22 in a geometrical position that is such that when the first flap 21 and the second flap 22 are folded inside the container 2, the flaps adopt an "L" shape in which the first portion 2 Id of the first flap 21 is perpendicular to the second portion 21 e of the first flap 21 and the first portion 22d of the second flap 22 is perpendicular to the second portion 22e of the second flap 22.

In detail, the first portion 21d of the first flap 21 is arranged at 90° with respect to the first side wall 16 whereas the second portion 21 e is arranged at 90° with respect to the front wall 17. Similarly, the first portion 22d of the second flap 22 is arranged at 90° with respect to the second side wall 18, the second portion 22e of the second flap 22 is arranged at 90° with respect to the front wall 17.

The second portion 21 e of the first flap 21 and the second portion 22e of the second flap 22 are parallel to one another and perpendicular to the front wall 17. The upper border of the first flap 21 and of the second flap 22, defined respectively by the first incision 23 and by the second incision 24, each folded into an "L", thus create the lower support that enables the inner wrapper 3 to be supported stably on opposite sides thereof. Further, by sizing in a suitable manner the first incision 23 and the second incision 24, the flaps 21 and 22 can be such as to support the inner wrapper 3 transversely almost completely, owing to the upper border of the flap 21e and of the flap 22e.

The packet of cigarettes 1 disclosed above is obtained by a set of two blanks that are independent of and separate from one another. The container 2 is made by folding a traditional blank for packets of rigid type which is already known and will not be disclosed below.

A blank 26 for making the inner frame 15 in the rigid packet 1 disclosed above is on the other hand shown in figure 10.

The blank 26 is bounded by the upper border 19 and by the lower border 20 and has a first and a second longitudinal weakening line, which are respectively indicated by 27 and 28, which are parallel to one another and constitute the two longitudinal edges 25 of the inner frame 15.

The first longitudinal weakening line 27 and the second longitudinal weakening line 28 define a first panel 29 constituting the first side wall 16, a second panel 30 constituting the front wall 17 and a third panel 31 constituting the second side wall 18 of the inner frame 15.

The blank 26 has the first incision 23 and the second incision 24, the first flap 21 and the second flap 22 being bounded by the lower border 20 of the inner frame 15 and being separated therefrom by the first incision 23 and the second incision 24.

The first flap 21 is connected to the blank 26 by a third weakening line 32 that defines the first hinge 21a of the first flap 21 and is further connected to the blank 26 by a respective fourth weakening line 33 that defines the second hinge 21b of the first flap 21.

The second flap 22 is connected to the blank 26 by a fifth weakening line 34 that defines the first hinge 22a of the second flap 22 and is further connected to the blank 26 by a respective sixth weakening line 35 that defines the second hinge 22b of the second flap 22.

The first flap 21 and the second flap 22 further comprise a seventh weakening line 36 and an eighth weakening line 37 that respectively define the third hinge 21 c of the first flap 21 and the third hinge 22c of the second flap 22.

The third weakening line 32, the fourth weakening line 33 and the seventh weakening line 36 extend from the first incision 23 to the lower border 20 of the inner frame 15. The fifth weakening line 34, the sixth weakening line 35 and the eighth weakening line 37 extend from the second incision 24 to the lower border 20 of the inner frame 15.

In addition, the third weakening line 32, the fourth weakening line 33, the fifth weakening line 34, the sixth weakening line 35, the seventh weakening line 36 and the eighth weakening line 37 are parallel to one another and are parallel to the first and to the second longitudinal weakening line 27 and 28.

If the line of symmetry S of the front wall 17 is considered, this line of symmetry S lies in the second panel 30 and constitutes the line of symmetry of the blank 26.

Preferably, the fourth weakening line 33 and the sixth weakening line 35 are symmetrical with the line of symmetry S. Still more preferably, the first incision 23 and the second incision 24 have the same dimension, the third weakening line 32 and the fifth weakening line 34 are symmetrical with the line of symmetry S, the seventh weakening line 36 and the eighth weakening line 37 are symmetrical with the line of symmetry S.

The third weakening line 32 is arranged in the first panel 29 whereas the fourth weakening line 33 is arranged in the second panel 30 so that the first incision 23 extends for a portion of the first panel 29 and for a portion of the second panel 30, in particular from the third weakening line 32 to the fourth weakening line 33.

Similarly, the fifth weakening line 34 is arranged in the third panel 31 whereas the sixth weakening line 35 is arranged in the second panel 30 so that the second incision 24 extends for a portion of the third panel 31 and for a portion of the second panel 30, in particular from the fifth weakening line 34 to the sixth weakening line 35.

It should also be noted that the first incision 23 and the second incision 24 are perpendicular to the longitudinal weakening lines 27, 28 and 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 and 37 present in the blank 26.

Advantageously, it is thus possible to obtain a pair of flaps 21 and 22 in the inner frame which make a stable support for the inner wrapper 3, containing smoke articles that are shorter than the longitudinal dimension of the packet 1 , when the flaps 21 and 22 are folded inside the packet 1.

Owing to the first portion 21d and to the second portion 21 e of the first flap 21 and to the first portion 22d and to the second portion 22e of the second flap 22, in which the first portion and the second portion are arranged as an "L" inside the packet 1 , a support plane is created for each flap 21 and 22, which is parallel to the lower wall 8 of the packet.

Considering the flap 21 , the support plane has a component that is parallel to the side wall 16 of the inner frame 15 (the upper border of the second portion 21e defined by the first incision 23) and a component that is parallel to the front wall 17 of the inner frame 15 (the upper border of the first portion 2 Id defined by the first incision 23). The same considerations also apply to the flap 22.

A correct alignment of the first incision 23 and of the second incision 24 enables the coplanarity of the two support planes to be guaranteed that are respectively defined by the first portion 2 Id and second portion 21e of the first flap 21 and by the first portion 22d and second portion 22e of the second flap 22.

Owing to the possibility of making a support in the inner frame 15, the packaging machine is significantly simplified, inasmuch as the inner frame can be manipulated into a wrapper line that is different from the main wrapper line that is suitable for folding the blank with which the container 2 and the lid 5 hinged thereupon are made. The inner frame can be for example suitably manipulated for making the flaps 21 and 22 and folding the flaps 21 and 22 towards the inside of the packet 1 before being associated with the inner wrapper 3. For example, further manipulating elements can be added in a zone of the packaging machine in which there are no problems of space, so as to associate the inner frame 15 that is already provided with the flaps 21 and 22 with the inner wrapper 3.

The supply of the set consisting of an inner frame 15 and an inner wrapper 3 to the main wrapper line does not therefore require variations on the latter, which can be maintained as simple as possible.