Container For Consumer Goods

Abstract

A container for consumer goods includes an outer housing including a box portion closable by a lid portion and having front and back walls and two side walls; and an inner frame within the outer housing including a front panel glued to an inner surface of the front wall and two side panels glued to respective side walls; wherein the inner frame includes at least one horizontal cut across part of the front panel and part of one of the side panels, and at least first, second and third folding lines extending vertically and parallel to each other from the at least one horizontal cut to an upper edge of the inner frame for defining at least one foldable portion; and the horizontal cut being positioned, in un-folded condition of the inner frame at or below an upper edge of the front wall of the box portion.

Claims

1. A container for consumer goods comprising: a. an outer housing comprising a box portion having a top opening closable by a lid portion, the box portion comprising a front wall and a back wall connected to each other by a bottom wall opposite the top opening and two side walls, and the lid portion comprising a front panel connected to a back panel by a top wall and opposite side panels, the lid portion being hingedly attached to the box portion at a hinge line between the back panel and the back wall; and b. an inner frame arranged within the outer housing and comprising a front panel and first and second side panels, wherein the front panel of the inner frame is glued to an inner surface of the front wall of the box portion of the outer housing and the first and second side panels of the inner frame are glued to the respective side walls of the box portion of the outer housing; wherein c. the inner frame comprises at least one horizontal cut across part of the front panel of the inner frame and part of the first side panels of the inner frame, and at least a first folding line, a second folding line and a third folding lines extending vertically and parallel to each other from the at least one horizontal cut to an upper edge of the inner frame for defining at least one foldable portion which can be folded to an inside of the container for selectively limiting space within the container; and d. the at least one horizontal cut being positioned, in an un-folded condition of the inner frame at or below an upper edge of the front wall of the box portion.

2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the first folding line is a first vertical crease or perforated line at a first end of the at least one horizontal cut in the front panel of the inner frame.

3. The container according to claim 2, wherein the second folding line is a second vertical crease or perforated line at a second end of the at least one horizontal cut at the first side panel of the inner frame.

4. The container according to claim 3, wherein the third vertical folding line is a third crease or perforated line above the at least one horizontal cut and between the front panel of the inner frame and the first side panel of the inner frame of the inner frame.

5. The container according to claim 1, wherein the inner frame comprises at the at least one horizontal cut one or more breakable connections between the foldable portion and non-foldable portions of the inner frame.

6. The container according to claim 1, wherein the inner frame comprises a first glue portion at the front panel of the inner frame below the at least one horizontal cut and/or the inner frame comprises a second glue portion at the first side panel of the inner frame below the at least one horizontal cut.

7. The container according to claim 1, further comprising an inner liner for storing consumer goods, wherein the inner liner is arranged within the outer housing and within the inner frame and the inner liner comprises a removable portion defining an access opening through which consumer goods can be taken out; and wherein the inner liner comprises at least one L-shaped perforation for separating the removable portion from a remainder of the inner liner.

8. The container according to claim 7, wherein the at least one L-shaped perforation comprises a horizontal portion that extends along the front wall, one of the side walls and the back wall of the box portion of the outer housing.

9. The container according to claim 8, wherein the at least one L-shaped perforation comprises a vertical portion that extends along the back wall of the box portion of the outer housing.

10. The container according to claim 7, wherein the inner liner is wrapped in a loop around vertically arranged consumer goods, wherein a wrapping axis is vertically arranged and the inner liner is closed at a top and a bottom of the inner liner.

11. The container according to claim 1, wherein the inner frame further comprises a second horizontal cut extending across part of the front panel of the inner frame and part of the second side panels of the inner frame, for defining a second foldable portion which can be folded to the inside of the container for selectively limiting the space within the container.

12. The container according to claim 11, wherein the inner frame at the front panel of the inner frame comprise a fourth vertical crease or perforated line at a first end of the second horizontal cut.

13. The container according to claim 11, wherein the inner frame at the second side panel of the inner frame comprise a fifth vertical crease or perforated line at a second end of the second horizontal cut.

14. An Inner frame for a container for consumer goods, wherein the inner frame comprises at least one horizontal cut across part of a front panel of the inner frame and part of a side panels of the inner frame and at least a first folding line, a second folding line and a third folding line extending vertically and parallel to each other from the at least one horizontal cut to an upper edge of the inner frame, for defining at least one foldable portion which can be folded to an inside of the container for selectively limiting space within the container.

15. The inner frame according to claim 14, wherein: a. the first folding line is a first vertical crease or perforated line at a first end of the at least one horizontal cut in the front panel; b. the second folding line is a second vertical crease or perforated line at a second end of the at least one horizontal cut at the side panel of the inner frame; and c. the third vertical folding line is a third crease or perforated line above the at least one horizontal cut and between the front panel and the side panel the of the inner frame.

Description

4. SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] In the following, preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed by reference to the accompanying figures, in which shows:

[0030] FIG. 1: a three-dimensional view of an embodiment of an open container, when the foldable portion of the inner frame is still in un-folded condition;

[0031] FIG. 2: a three-dimensional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, when the foldable portion of the inner frame is in folded condition;

[0032] FIG. 3: a two-dimensional view of a blank of the outer housing of the container of FIG. 1;

[0033] FIG. 4: a two-dimensional view of a blank of the inner frame of the container of FIG. 1;

[0034] FIG. 5: a two-dimensional view of a blank of an inner liner of the container of FIG. 1 and indications of positions of consumer goods with respect to the inner liner;

[0035] FIG. 6A-C: three-dimensional views of a wrapping process of consumer goods into an inner liner of FIG. 5;

[0036] FIG. 6D: a three-dimensional view of consumer goods wrapped into an inner liner of FIG. 5, indicating the removable portion of the inner liner; and

[0037] FIG. 7: a two-dimensional view of a further embodiment of an inner frame with two foldable portions.

5. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0038] In the following preferred embodiments of the invention are described with respect to the figures.

[0039] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a container 1 for consumer goods 5, for example cigarettes 5. Other consumer goods 5 may for example be tobacco products or tobacco substitute products, which can be heated for providing vapor but no smoke, e.g. so called “heat-not-burn” consumer goods. The size of the container 1 comprises a height of about 70 to 120 mm and a width of about 40 to 72 mm and a thickness of about 16 to 25.5 mm. The container 1 has a generally cuboid shape. The container 1 comprises an outer housing 10 with a box portion 17 and a hinged lid portion 13 for opening and closing the container 1, an inner frame 30 with a foldable portion 40 and an inner liner 20 wrapped around the consumer goods 5. Usually the container 1 is additionally wrapped in a plastic foil (not shown) as integrity seal and for further protection.

[0040] The foldable portion 40 of the inner frame 30 can be folded by the consumer to the inside of the container 1 for selectively reducing the space within the container 1 when already a number of consumer goods 5 have been removed. This reduction of space helps protecting the consumer goods 5 as they are constrained in their movement within the container. Further, the foldable portion 40, when folded to the inside, provides an inner cavity 6 between the inner frame 30 and the outer housing 10, which can be used for holding a small object, like a cigarette lighter, a tobacco product heating device or a tobacco substitute product heating device, within the container 1. Since the exemplary cigarette lighter is separated from the cigarettes 5 by the foldable portion 40 of the inner frame, the risk of damaging the cigarettes 5 by movements of the cigarette lighter is reduced.

[0041] The foldable portion 40 is defined at its lower end by at least one horizontal cut 38. Therefore, the foldable portion 40 when folded has a pleasant appearance to the consumer. Further, a remaining, un-folded portion of the inner frame below the foldable portion 40 provides an increased stability of the container 1 at the area of the foldable portion 4o, even when it is folded to the inside.

[0042] It is preferred that the horizontal cut 38 is positioned below the upper edge of the front wall 12 of the outer housing 1, so that the consumer cannot see the horizontal cut 38 in un-folded condition. However, the horizontal cut 38 is positioned closely adjacent to the upper edge of the front wall 12 of the outer housing 1 such that there is as much as possible surface of the inner frame 30 below the horizontal cut 38 that remains glued to the outer housing 1, for improving stability of this corner of the container 1.

[0043] The outer housing 10 is preferably made of a stronger paper sheet, paperboard or cardboard, in order to provide a stable structure to the container 1 and to mechanically protect the consumer goods 5 inside. The lid portion 13 is hingedly attached to the box portion 17 at the back side of the container 1 and can be brought manually from a closed position into an open position, as shown in FIG. 1. Thereby, the hinge of the lid portion 13 is made of a fold of the paper or paperboard of the outer housing 10 and can be easily manufactured. In the closed position the consumer goods 5 are fully protected inside the container 1, wherein in the open position access to the consumer goods 5 is given and for example a cigarette can be taken out from the container 1.

[0044] FIG. 3 shows the two-dimensional blank of the outer housing 10 after cutting and creasing prior to folding and gluing. The lines 19 within the contour line represent crease lines that facilitate folding of the blank into a three-dimensional outer housing 10. The blank of the outer housing comprises areas for the front wall 12, the bottom wall 15, the back wall 16 and side walls 14, 18 that define the box portion 17 of the outer housing 10. The top wall 11 and the front panel 13′ form together with the areas 13″, 13′″ and 13″″ the lid portion 13 of the outer housing.

[0045] FIG. 4 shows a first embodiment of a two-dimensional blank of the inner frame 30 after cutting, creasing and perforating and prior to folding and gluing. The lines 19 within the contour line represent crease lines that facilitate folding of the blank into a three-dimensional inner frame 30. The cut-out tabs 45 extend from the inner frame 30 for holding the lid area 13 in closed position. FIGS. 1 and 2 show only one centrally arranged tab 45. The at least one horizontal cut 38 defines the foldable portion 40 of the inner frame 30. In the embodiment of FIG. 4 the inner frame 30 only comprises one foldable portion 40. However, in other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 7, the inner frame 30 can comprise two foldable portions 40, 50.

[0046] The inner frame 30 is arranged within the outer housing 10 generally for stiffening the container 1 in the area of the lid portion 13 and for holding the lid portion 13 in closed position. The inner frame comprises a front panel 32 and two side panels 34, 36 and is preferably made of stronger paper sheet or paperboard and glued to the inside of the outer housing 10. The inner frame 30 and the outer housing 10 may be made of the same material.

[0047] The inner frame 30 further comprises at the front panel 32 a first vertical crease or perforated line 31 at a first end of the horizontal cut 38. In the preferred embodiment the first vertical crease or perforated line 31 is provided as a perforated line 31 that begins at the left end of the horizontal cut 38 and extends vertically to the upper edge of the inner frame 30 at the left end 44 of the foldable portion 40.

[0048] The inner frame 30 further comprises at the side panel 34 a second vertical crease or perforated line 33 at a second end of the horizontal cut 38. In the preferred embodiment the second vertical crease or perforated line 33 is provided as a crease line 33 that begins at the lower end of the inner frame 30, extends vertically to the right end of the horizontal cut 38 and further extends vertically to the upper edge of the inner frame 30 at the right end 47 of the foldable portion 40.

[0049] The inner frame 30 further comprises between the front panel 32 and the side panel 34 a third vertical crease or perforated line 35 at a second end of the horizontal cut 38. In the preferred embodiment the third vertical crease or perforated line 35 is provided as a perforated line 35 that extends vertically from the horizontal cut 38 to the upper edge of the foldable portion 40. The third vertical crease or perforated line 35 is arranged in-between the first and second vertical crease or perforated lines 31, 33. Preferably it is additionally arranged in parallel to the first and second vertical crease or perforated lines 31, 33. The crease or perforated lines 31, 33 and 35 facilitate folding the foldable portion 40 and ensure a defined shape of the foldable portion 40 after folding.

[0050] When folded to the inside of the container 1 preferably a side portion 46 of the foldable portion 40 is adjacent and parallel to the back wall 16 of the container 1 and the front portion 48 of the foldable portion 40 is arranged in parallel and distanced to the side wall 14 of the container 1.

[0051] The inner frame 30 is glued to the inside of the outer housing 10 at glue areas 41, 42, 43. The glue area 43 is located below the side portion 46 of the foldable portion 40 and thus below the horizontal cut 38. The glue area 42 extends below the front portion 48 to the foldable portion 40 and thus below the horizontal cut 38. Thereby, the glue areas 43 and 42 of the inner frame 30 provide rigidity of the upper edge of the outer housing 10 even when the foldable portion 40 is folded to the inside. Preferably, the inner frame 30 in the area of the glue area 42 comprises a downward extension 37 that maximizes the glue area 42 and ensures that the inner frame 30 can be stamped without loss from an endless sheet material band.

[0052] The foldable portion 40 can comprise at the horizontal cut 38 one or more breakable connections 39 between the foldable portion 40 and the non-foldable portions of the inner frame 30. The breakable connection 39 breaks easily when the consumer folds the foldable portion 40 to the inside. It is preferably provided, by separating the horizontal cut 38 into two portions, leaving breakable connection 39 simply uncut. The breakable connection 39 preferably has a length below 2 mm, preferably below 1 mm to be easily breakable but to provide enough stability for the inner frame 30 during manufacturing. As shown in FIG. 4, the breakable connection 39 is arranged where third vertical crease or perforated line 35 intersects with horizontal cut 38.

[0053] FIG. 7 shows a further embodiment of inner frame 30 which comprises two foldable portions 40, 50. The second foldable portion 50 basically corresponds to the first foldable portion 40 and comprises a horizontal cut 58 and first 51, second 53 and third 55 vertical crease or perforated lines. The horizontal cut 58 is separated by a breakable portion 59 into two sections. For improving the stability of container 1 in the area of the second foldable portion 50 a glue area 41′ is arranged below the second horizontal cut 58. In addition, a glue area 42′ extends below the below the second horizontal cut 58 as well as below the first horizontal cut 38.

[0054] FIG. 5 shows a two-dimensional view of a blank of an inner liner 20 having an L-shaped perforation 24 that defines a removable portion 22. The L-shaped perforation 24 comprises a horizontal portion 26 that starts at the left side edge of the inner liner 20 and extends horizontally into an area that will extend along the front wall 12, side wall 14 and back wall 16 of the finally produced container 1. The horizontal portion 26 merges by a curved shape into a vertical portion 28 that extends along the back wall 16 of the finally produced container 1. The vertical portion 28 ends at the upper edge of the inner liner 20. FIG. 5 shows the position and size of the L-shaped perforation in respect to the position of the consumer goods 5 wrapped within the inner liner 20.

[0055] The FIGS. 6A-C show a preferred wrapping process of the inner liner 20 around the consumer goods 5. In a first step as shown in FIG. 6A the inner liner 20 is wrapped in a loop around a wrapping axis W that is parallel to a vertical axis V of the inner liner 20. The consumer goods 5 are also arranged in parallel to the wrapping axis W.

[0056] After the inner liner 20 is fully wrapped around the consumer goods 5 it forms a closed loop, having an overlap 23 on one side wall 27 as shown in FIG. 6B.

[0057] In a further packing step, as shown in FIG. 6C the inner liner loop 20 is finally closed by folds 25 at the top 28 and at the bottom 29 thereof. This package of inner liner 20 and consumer goods is then wrapped within an assembly of inner frame 30 and outer housing 10.

[0058] FIG. 6D shows the opening of the inner liner 20 when the consumer pulls the removable portion 22 away from the remainder of the inner liner 20. Outer housing 10 and an inner frame 20 are not shown in FIG. 6D for better visibility of the inner liner 20.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0059] 1 container [0060] 5 consumer goods, cigarettes [0061] 6 cavity [0062] 10 outer housing [0063] 11 top wall [0064] 12 front wall [0065] 13 lid portion [0066] 13′-13″″ areas of lid portion [0067] 14 side wall [0068] 16 back wall [0069] 17 box portion [0070] 18 side wall [0071] 19 crease lines [0072] 20 inner liner [0073] 21 top of inner liner loop [0074] 22 removable portion of inner liner [0075] 23 overlap [0076] 24 L-shaped perforation [0077] 25 folds [0078] 26 horizontal portion of L-shaped perforation [0079] 27 side wall of inner liner [0080] 28 vertical portion of L-shaped perforation [0081] 29 bottom of inner liner loop [0082] 30 inner frame [0083] 31 first vertical crease or perforated line [0084] 32 front panel of inner frame [0085] 33 second vertical crease or perforated line [0086] 34 right side panel of inner frame [0087] 35 third vertical crease or perforated line [0088] 36 left side panel of inner frame [0089] 37 downward extension [0090] 38 horizontal cut [0091] 39 breakable connection [0092] 40 first foldable portion [0093] 41, 41′ third glue area [0094] 42; 42′ first glue area [0095] 43 second glue area [0096] 44 left end of foldable portion [0097] 45 tabs [0098] 46 side portion [0099] 47 right end of foldable portion [0100] 48 front portion of foldable portion [0101] 50 second foldable portion [0102] 51 first vertical crease or perforated line [0103] 53 second vertical crease or perforated line [0104] 55 third vertical crease or perforated line [0105] 58 horizontal cut [0106] 59 breakable connection [0107] V vertical axis [0108] W wrapping axis of inner liner