The invention relates to a cigarette pack, having an inner pack (12) for pack contents, in particular for a group of cigarettes (11), and having an outer pack (13), preferably in the form of a hinge/lid pack, wherein the inner pack (12) which preferably directly encases the pack contents has lateral walls made of (thin) cardboard (50), which are formed by overlapping lateral tabs (51, 52, 53) of a blank (33) for the inner pack (12). The invention is characterized in that end corner tabs (55), which are arranged on both sides of a lid wall (37) of the inner pack (12), have a respective substantially V-shaped design, and in that each of the end corner tabs (55) is arranged between inner lateral tabs (51) and outer lateral tabs (52, 53) of the lateral walls (50) of the inner pack (12).

A method of producing a pack of smoking articles includes providing a pre-assembled pack of smoking articles comprising an inner pack having a flexible sheet in which a group of smoking articles is wrapped or enclosed and a re-closable flap movable between a closed position preventing access to the smoking articles and an open position for accessing the smoking articles, and an outer pack comprising a container which holds and substantially encompasses the inner pack, the outer pack having a lid in a closed position preventing access to the inner pack; creating a space or gap between the lid of the outer pack and the inner pack; and attaching the re-closable flap of the inner pack to the lid of the outer pack via and/or through the space or gap. An apparatus for producing a pack of smoking articles per the above method is also provided.

A packer machine and wrapping method to produce a pack of smoking articles; the packer machine has: a first wrapping drum, which supports a first wrapping pocket, which is adapted to receive a first blank and subsequently a group of smoking articles; a first feeding station, in which the first blank is inserted into the first wrapping pocket; a first transfer station, which is arranged downstream of the first feeding station and in which the group of smoking articles is inserted into the first wrapping pocket; a second wrapping drum, which supports at least one second wrapping pocket, which is adapted to receive a second blank and subsequently an inner container, which is formed by folding the first blank; a second feeding station, in which the second blank is inserted into the second wrapping pocket; a second transfer station, which is arranged downstream of the second feeding station and in which the inner container is inserted into the second wrapping pocket; and a third wrapping drum, which supports at least one third wrapping pocket, which is adapted to directly receive the inner container from the first wrapping pocket in a third transfer station arranged between the first wrapping drum and the third wrapping drum and is adapted to release the inner container directly to the second wrapping pocket in the second transfer station, which is arranged between the third wrapping drum and the second wrapping drum.

A container (10) for consumer articles comprises a box portion (12) and a lid portion (14) connected to the box portion (12) along a hinge line (16) extending across a container back wall. The lid portion (14) is pivotable about the hinge line (16) between a closed position and an open position, and comprises a lid top wall (30), a lid back wall (28), and a lid back edge portion (34) connecting the lid top wall (30) and the lid back wall (28). The lid back edge portion (34) extends between an upper edge (36) of the lid back wall (28) and a back edge (38) of the lid top wall (30). Further, the upper edge (36) of the lid back wall (28) and the back edge (38) of the lid top wall (30) are curved, the upper edge (36) of the lid back wall (28) being convex towards a top of the container when the container (10) is in the upright position and the back edge (38) of the lid top wall (30) being convex towards a front of the container (10) when the container (10) is in the upright position and viewed from the top of the container (10).

A container (10) for consumer articles comprises a box portion (12) and a lid portion (14) connected to the box portion (12) along a hinge line (16) extending across a container back wall. The lid portion (14) is pivotable about the hinge line (16) between a closed position and an open position, and comprises a lid top wall (30), a lid back wall (28), and a lid back edge portion (34) connecting the lid top wall (30) and the lid back wall (28). The lid back edge portion (34) extends between an upper edge (36) of the lid back wall (28) and a back edge (38) of the lid top wall (30). Further, the upper edge (36) of the lid back wall (28) and the back edge (38) of the lid top wall (30) are curved, the upper edge (36) of the lid back wall (28) being convex towards a top of the container when the container (10) is in the upright position and the back edge (38) of the lid top wall (30) being convex towards a front of the container (10) when the container (10) is in the upright position and viewed from the top of the container (10).

Forming unit (A) and forming method to manufacture a group of articles (14), wherein the articles (14) are arranged at a given distance from one another. The following are provided: a forming conveyor (26) which moves at least one forming box (27) along a forming path (P2): a hopper (24), which is arranged along the forming path (P2) and is provided with at least one output mouth (25) comprising a plurality of dividing walls (31) defining channels (32), each configured to contain a vertical stack of articles (14); and an extractor (29), which is configured to extract the group of articles (14) from the channels (32) of the output mouth (25) and to insert the group into the forming box (27) by means of a work stroke, which is perpendicular to the forming path (P2). The forming box (27) has aa plurality of through holes (28) with a cylindrical shape, each being separate from and independent of the other through holes ((2288)) and being designed to house a corresponding single article (14) of the group.

Forming unit (A) and forming method to manufacture a group of articles (14), wherein the articles (14) are arranged at a given distance from one another. The following are provided: a forming conveyor (26) which moves at least one forming box (27) along a forming path (P2): a hopper (24), which is arranged along the forming path (P2) and is provided with at least one output mouth (25) comprising a plurality of dividing walls (31) defining channels (32), each configured to contain a vertical stack of articles (14); and an extractor (29), which is configured to extract the group of articles (14) from the channels (32) of the output mouth (25) and to insert the group into the forming box (27) by means of a work stroke, which is perpendicular to the forming path (P2). The forming box (27) has aa plurality of through holes (28) with a cylindrical shape, each being separate from and independent of the other through holes ((2288)) and being designed to house a corresponding single article (14) of the group.

A smoking article package inspection system configured to inspect a smoking article package is provided. The system includes imaging devices configured to capture images of the smoking article package and an analysis unit configured to analyze the images captured by the imaging devices and determine whether the smoking article package is defective. The imaging devices may be positioned and configured to capture images of the smoking article package at least one of: before and after enclosing a plurality of smoking articles in the smoking article package, before and after printing an identifier on the smoking article package, and before and after wrapping the smoking article package with an outer wrapper. A related method is also provided.

Packing machine and packing method for producing an inner container of a slide-open package of tobacco articles by folding an inner blank about a wrapped group of tobacco articles; the inner blank is folded, by way of first folding means, so as to form a hinged lid; in a feed station, the partly folded inner blank is coupled to the wrapped group of tobacco articles so that a rear wall of the wrapped group of tobacco articles rests on a panel of the inner blank corresponding to a rear wall of the inner container; and the inner blank is folded, by second folding means arranged downstream from the feed station, about the wrapped group of tobacco articles to complete the production of the inner container.

Packing machine and packing method for producing an inner container of a slide-open package of tobacco articles by folding an inner blank about a wrapped group of tobacco articles; the inner blank is folded, by way of first folding means, so as to form a hinged lid; in a feed station, the partly folded inner blank is coupled to the wrapped group of tobacco articles so that a rear wall of the wrapped group of tobacco articles rests on a panel of the inner blank corresponding to a rear wall of the inner container; and the inner blank is folded, by second folding means arranged downstream from the feed station, about the wrapped group of tobacco articles to complete the production of the inner container.