A spacer support for packets of smoking articles includes a plurality of through housing compartments to receive at least one packet and having a pair of apertures on opposite sides for introducing or extracting the packets, and wherein the spacer support also includes a pair of lateral walls having a plurality of opposite windows, and a pair of connection walls which extend between the connecting lateral walls. A plurality of positioning elements and a plurality of access openings are disposed alternately one after the other, in succession in the longitudinal direction, so that each housing compartment is delimited by the pair of opposite lateral walls and by the positioning elements so as to stably retain the packets in a static manner relative to the longitudinal direction.

An electrically heated smoking system includes a secondary unit capable of receiving a smoking article having an aerosol-forming substrate. The secondary unit includes at least one heating element and an interface for connection to a primary power supply for supplying electrical power to the at least one heating element during a pre-heating mode, to increase the temperature of the aerosol-forming substrate to an operating temperature. The secondary unit further includes a secondary power supply arranged to supply electrical power to the at least one heating element during a smoking mode, to maintain the temperature of the aerosol-forming substrate at substantially the operating temperature. The secondary unit also includes secondary circuitry. The electrically heated smoking system optionally includes a primary unit.

A container for consumer goods, such as smoking articles, includes an outer housing with a hinged lid that houses an inner package of consumer goods. The inner package has an access opening through which consumer goods can be removed and that is covered by a reclosable flap, which is attached to a first lid panel that is relatively movable to a second lid panel throughout rotation of the lid between lid open and closed positions. Blanks for forming the outer housing and a method of forming the container are also provided.

A container for consumer goods, such as smoking articles, has an outer housing with a hinged lid that houses an inner package of consumer goods. The inner package has an access opening through which consumer goods can be removed and that is covered by a reclosable flap attached to a first lid panel that is relatively movable to a second lid panel throughout rotation of the lid between lid open and closed positions. The hinged lid is connected to the reclosable flap that is arranged to cover the access opening. The reclosable flap moves relative to the access opening during movement of the hinged lid. The reclosable flap carries an indicium in a manner such that the indicium is not visible when the lid is in the closed position and such that the indicium becomes visible during movement of the hinged lid from the closed position towards the open position.

A box blank useful for forming a container includes a first layer comprising paperboard, a second layer comprising a paper layer and a foil layer, and an adhesive layer adhering the first layer to the second layer, wherein the foil layer is between the paperboard and the paper layer.

A box blank useful for forming a container includes a first layer comprising paperboard, a second layer comprising a paper layer and a foil layer, and an adhesive layer adhering the first layer to the second layer, wherein the foil layer is between the paperboard and the paper layer.

A method of marking a package of articles, especially consumer articles, such as cigarettes or the like, includes providing a package of one or more article and a first wrapping material. The package is wrapped with the first wrapping material. A marking is provided on a region of the enclosure. The step of providing a marking on the region of the enclosure includes irradiating the wrapped package with a laser beam, and the first wrapping material is substantially transparent to the laser beam, at least in the region to be marked. An apparatus for marking a package of articles, such as a pack of cigarettes, is also described.

A method of marking a package of articles, especially consumer articles, such as cigarettes or the like, includes providing a package of one or more article and a first wrapping material. The package is wrapped with the first wrapping material. A marking is provided on a region of the enclosure. The step of providing a marking on the region of the enclosure includes irradiating the wrapped package with a laser beam, and the first wrapping material is substantially transparent to the laser beam, at least in the region to be marked. An apparatus for marking a package of articles, such as a pack of cigarettes, is also described.

A container for consumer goods includes a rigid outer box, an inner package, an inner frame and a pull tab. The outer box has a hinged lid configured to provide access to an inner volume of the outer box. The inner frame is paperboard having a pre-cut opening configured to provide access to an inner volume of the inner package. The pull tab covers the opening with a first adhesive that releasably adheres an edge portion of the pull tab to the inner frame and a second adhesive that permanently adheres the pull tab to the inner package and the outer box.

The container may comprise a box, a lid, at least a first bundle and a second bundle of consumer goods, and an expandable spacer. The expandable spacer comprises at least one spacer weakening line. The at least one spacer weakening line is provided on the spacer bottom wall. The expandable spacer has an initial size that is defined by an initial distance between the first side wall and the second side wall of the expandable spacer for containing a predetermined number of consumer goods. The spacer weakening line is configured to break when more than the predetermined number of consumer goods are inserted between the expandable spacer walls so that the first and the second side walls of the expandable spacer are spaced further apart. Methods of using disclosed containers are also disclosed.