CONTAINER FOR CONSUMER ARTICLES WITH TAMPER-EVIDENT LID

Abstract

A container for consumer articles comprises a box for housing the consumer articles. The box comprises a box front wall, a box back wall and a box top wall. A lid is defined by separation lines in the box front wall and in the box top wall, such that the lid is at least partly separable from the remainder of the box, wherein upon separation from the remainder of the box the lid is pivotable about a hinge line between an open position in which consumer goods can be removed from the container through an access opening of the container and a closed position in which the interior of the container is inaccessible. The container further comprises an inner front panel underlying and attached to at least a portion of the box front wall. The inner front panel comprises re-closing means for releasably keeping the lid in a closed position when the lid has been at least partly separated from the box.

Claims

1. A container for consumer articles, the container comprising: a box for housing the consumer articles and comprising a box front wall, a box back wall and a box top wall; wherein a lid is defined by separation lines in the box front wall and in the box top wall, such that the lid is at least partly separable from the remainder of the box, wherein upon separation from the remainder of the box the lid is pivotable about a hinge line between an open position in which consumer goods can be removed from the container through an access opening of the container and a closed position in which the interior of the container is inaccessible; and wherein the container further comprises an inner front panel underlying and attached to at least a portion of the box front wall, the inner front panel comprising re-closing means for releasably keeping the lid in a closed position when the lid has been at least partly separated from the box.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the box comprises a box bottom wall and the inner front panel depends along a fold line from the box bottom wall.

3. A container according to claim 1, wherein the box top wall is formed from an inner top panel and an outer top panel, the inner and outer top panels overlapping and being attached to one another, the outer top panel depending along a fold line from the box back wall, and the inner front panel depending along a fold line from the inner top panel, the separation lines extending at least across the outer top panel.

4. A container according to claim 1, wherein the container is formed from a single laminar blank.

5. A container according to claim 1 further comprising an inner frame, wherein the inner front panel is defined at least partly by a front panel of the inner frame.

6. A container according to claim 1, wherein the re-closing means comprise a slit or slot formed in the inner front panel and adapted to releasably receive and retain a distal end of the lid.

7. A container according to claim 1, wherein the re-closing means comprise a hook-and-loop fastener.

8. A container according to claim 1 wherein the re-closing means comprise magnetic retaining means.

9. A container according to claim 1 any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inner front panel comprises a cut out adjacent the first lid top panel, thus at least partly defining the access opening.

10. A container according to claim 3, wherein the inner top panel comprises lines of weakness for separating the lid from the remainder of the inner top panel.

11. A container according to claim 1, containing one or more smoking articles.

12. A laminar blank for forming a container for consumer articles according to claim 1, the blank comprising: a box-defining blank portion for forming a box portion of the container; the box-defining blank portion comprising a back wall panel for forming a box back wall of the container, a front wall panel for forming a box front wall of the container, a top wall panel for forming a top wall of the container and a bottom wall panel for forming a bottom wall of the container; wherein the box-defining portion comprises separation lines extending across the front wall panel and the top wall panel such that a tab is detachable from the box-defining portion to form a lid depending along a hinge line from the back wall panel, and wherein the blank further comprises a second front panel comprising means for releasably re-closing a distal end of the lid.

13. A blank according to claim 12, wherein the second front panel depends along a fold line from the bottom wall panel.

14. A blank according to claim 12, wherein the top wall panel depends along a fold line from the front wall panel, the blank further comprising a top wall reinforcing panel depending, along a fold line, from the back wall panel; and wherein the second front panel depends along a fold line from the reinforcing panel.

15. A blank according to claim 12, wherein the re-closing means comprise a slit or slot formed in the second front panel and adapted to releasably receive and retain a distal end of the tab.

Description

[0051] The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0052] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a container according to the invention before it is opened for the first time;

[0053] FIG. 2 is another schematic perspective view of the container of FIG. 1 being opened by a consumer;

[0054] FIG. 3 is another schematic perspective view of the container of FIGS. 1 and 2 with the lid pivoted in an open position;

[0055] FIG. 4 is yet another schematic perspective view of the container of FIGS. 1 to 3 with the lid pivoted back into its closed position; and

[0056] FIG. 5 is a top view of a blank for forming the container of FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0057] The container 100 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 is shaped as a rectangular parallelepiped and comprises a box 101 for housing consumer articles 102. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, the consumer articles are elongate smoking articles, such as cigarettes. The box 101 comprises a box front wall 103, a box back wall 104 and a box top wall 105.

[0058] A lid 106 is defined by separation lines 107 in the box front wall 103 and in the box top wall 105. Thus, the lid 106 is separable from the remainder of the box on three sides. Upon separation from the remainder of the box, the lid 106 is pivotable about a hinge line 108 between an open position (see, by way of example, FIG. 3) and a closed position (see FIG. 4). Further, the container 100 further comprises a second front panel 109 underlying and attached to the box front wall 103. The second, inner front panel 109 comprises re-closing means 110 for releasably keeping the lid 106 in the closed position when the lid 106 has been separated from the box 101.

[0059] In more detail, the box top wall 105 is formed from an inner top panel 1051 and an outer top panel 1052. The inner and outer top panels 1051, 1052 overlap and are attached to one another. Further, the outer top panel 1052 depends along the hinge line 108 from the box back wall 104, and the inner front panel 109 depends along a fold line from the inner top panel 1051. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the separation lines 107 extend across the outer top panel 1052 and a part of the box front wall 102. The re-closing means 110 comprise a slit formed in the inner front panel 109 and adapted to releasably receive and retain a distal end of the lid 106. In other embodiments (not shown) the slit may be replaced by a slot or by other re-closing means such as a hook-and-loop fastener or magnetic retaining means as mentioned above. Before the container 100 is opened for the first time, the lid 106 extends over the slit (see FIG. 1). In order to open the container for the first time, the consumer detaches the lid 106 off the remainder of the box, for example by holding the distal end of the lid 106 and pulling it away from the box front wall 103. Thus, the ties connecting the lid 106 to the box front wall 103 and the box top wall 105 along the separation lines 107 are broken (see FIG. 2). Thus, it is easy for a consumer to inspect whether the container 100 has been opened before. In practice, integrity of the box front wall 103 will indicate to the consumer that the lid 106 has not yet been separated from the box 101 and that, therefore, nobody has tampered with the container 100.

[0060] The lid 106 can conveniently be pivoted into an open position (see FIG. 3). Further, every time that the container 100 is opened, the lid 106 can be pivoted back into a closed position, wherein it prevents access to the access opening in the upper end of the container 100 and the distal end 106 is received into the slit (see FIG. 4), thus ensuring a secure re-closing of the container 100.

[0061] In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, the inner front panel comprises a cut out 112 adjacent the inner lid top panel 1051, such that the upper access opening of the container 100 is partly defined by the cut out 112. Further, lines of weakness 113 are provided in the inner top panel 1051. Thus, a proximal portion 114 of the inner top panel 1051 is defined that, when the lid 106 is separated from the remainder of the box 101, becomes easily free to pivot about the hinge line 108 with the portion of outer top panel 1052 also forming the lid 106. In particular, in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, the lines of weakness 113 are pre-cut lines. Accordingly, the proximal portion 114 of the inner top panel 1051 is substantially free to pivot about the hinge line 108 even prior to the first opening of the container 100. Thus, in order to effectively expose the upper access opening of the container 100, the consumer only needs to exert a force sufficient to separate the portion of outer top panel 1052 that forms part of the lid 106 from the remainder of the box, without having to break any ties in the inner top panel 1051. At the same time, because the box top wall 105 is formed by two superimposed panels, the strength of the top portion of the container 100 is improved.

[0062] In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the container may comprise an inner frame at least partly wrapped around the consumer articles. This may provide further rigidity to the container and protect the consumer articles. This alternative embodiment of a container according to the invention differs from the container 100 described above in that a front panel of the inner frame defines a second (inner) front panel, whereby the lid may be re-closed and secured to retaining means provided in the front panel of the inner frame.

[0063] The container 100 of FIGS. 1 to 4 is formed from the single laminar blank 500 illustrated in FIG. 5. In FIG. 5, solid lines indicate cut lines and dashed lines indicate fold lines. Further, grey areas indicate where, by way of example, a layer of glue may be applied to affix overlapping panels of the blank 500 when forming the container 100, as will be explained in the following.

[0064] The blank 500 comprises a box blank portion 501 for forming the box 101 of the container 100. The box blank portion 501 comprises a front wall panel 502, a back wall panel 503 and a bottom wall panel 504. Two side panels 508 extend from the front wall panel 502, two side panels 510 extend from the back wall panel 503 and two box dust flaps 509 extend from bottom wall panel 504. When the box 101 of the container 100 is assembled from the box blank portion 501, the front wall panel 501 forms the front wall 103, the back wall panel 503 forms the back wall 104, the side wall panels 508, 510 overlap to form left and right side walls, and box dust flaps 509 overlap bottom wall panel 504 to form the bottom wall. The side wall panels 508, 510 are substantially the same size and shape as each other. When the container 100 is formed, the side wall panels 508, 510 directly overlie each other with their free edges substantially aligned, such that the inner side wall panel is barely visible. Box dust flaps 509 are smaller than the bottom wall panel 504. When the container 100 is formed, the box dust flaps 509 lie inside bottom wall panel 504. They provide additional structural support for the bottom wall of the container but are not visible from the outside of the container.

[0065] The blank 500 further comprises a top wall panel 505 for forming the box top wall 105 of the container 100. The top wall panel 505 depends along a fold line from the front wall panel 502. Separation lines 107 extend across the front wall panel 502 and the top wall panel 505, so that a tab 506 is detachable from the box blank portion 501. Further, the blank 500 comprises a top wall reinforcing panel 507 and a second front panel 508. The top wall reinforcing panel 507 depends along a fold line from the back wall panel 503. The second front panel 508 depends along a fold line from the top wall reinforcing panel 507. The top wall panel 505 and the top wall reinforcing panel 507 have substantially the same shape and size. When the box 101 of the container 100 is assembled from the box blank portion 501, the top wall panel 505 overlaps and is affixed to the top wall reinforcing panel 507 to form the box top wall 105, so that, when it is separated from the front wall panel 502 and the top wall panel 505, the tab 506 depends from the box back wall 503 along a hinge line defined by the fold line along which the top wall reinforcing panel 508 depends from the back wall panel 503.

[0066] The second front panel 508 comprises a cut out 512 adjacent the top wall reinforcing panel 507, for partly defining an access opening of the container 100. Further, pre-cut lines 513 are provided in the top wall reinforcing panel 507 to define a central tongue 514. Two box dust flaps 511 extend from side panels 510.

[0067] When the box 101 of the container 100 is assembled from the box blank portion 501, the central tongue 514 lies under and is affixed to, for example with glue, the tab 506. Thus, in practice, the central tongue 514 and the tab 506 form the lid 106 of the container 100. When the lid 106 is pivoted from the closed position to the open position, the central tongue 514 pivots out of the plane defined by the remainder of the top wall reinforcing panel 507 and an upper opening of the container 100 is made accessible. The box dust flaps 511 are smaller than the top wall reinforcing panel 507, such that, when the container 100 is formed, the box dust flaps 511 lie on the inside of the top wall reinforcing panel 507 without obstructing the upper opening of the container 100. The box dust flaps 511 provide additional structural support for the box top wall 105 of the container 100 but are not visible from the outside of the container.

[0068] The second front panel 508 comprises a slit 515. When the box 101 of the container 100 is assembled from the box blank portion 501, the tab 506 extends over the slit 515. When the lid 106 is detached from the remainder of the box 101 for the first time, the slit 515 is exposed and can receive the distal end of the tab 506, so that the container 101 can easily and securely be re-closed.

[0069] In an alternative embodiment (not shown) of a blank according to the present invention, the blank may comprise a second front panel depending along a fold line from the box bottom wall.