Container For Consumer Goods

Abstract

A container includes an outer housing including a box portion having a top opening closable by a lid portion, the box portion including front and back walls connected by a bottom wall and two side walls; consumer goods wrapped with an inner liner and arranged within the outer housing; and an inner frame arranged between outer housing and inner liner, wherein the inner frame includes front and side panels and a first vertical crease or perforated line across at least part of the front panel; wherein the inner liner is formed out of an inner liner sheet which includes an L-shaped perforation; and the removable portion defines an access opening through which consumer goods can be taken out, and wherein the perforation of the inner liner extends along the front wall, a first side wall and the back wall of the container.

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; b. a bundle of elongated consumer goods wrapped with an inner liner and being arranged within the outer housing; and c. an inner frame arranged between the outer housing and the inner liner, wherein the inner frame comprises a front panel and two side panels and further comprises a first vertical crease or perforated line across at least part of the front panel for defining at least one foldable portion which can be folded to an inside of the container for selectively limiting space within the container; wherein d. the inner liner is formed out of an inner liner sheet which comprises an L-shaped perforation for separating a removable portion from a remainder of the inner liner; and e. the removable portion defines an access opening through which consumer goods can be taken out, and wherein the L-shaped perforation of the inner liner extends along the front wall, a first side wall of the two side walls and the back wall of the container.

2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the inner frame further comprises at least one horizontal cut across part of the front panel and part of a first side panel of the two side panels, for further defining the at least one foldable portion.

3. The container according to claim 2, wherein the first vertical crease or perforated line is arranged at a first end of the at least one horizontal cut.

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

5. The container according to claim 4, wherein the second vertical crease or perforated line extends at least from the second end of the at least one horizontal cut towards an upper edge of the first side panel of the inner frame.

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

7. The container according to claim 2, wherein the inner frame comprises at the at least one horizontal cut one or more breakable connections between the at least one foldable portion and non-foldable portions of the inner frame.

8. The container according to claim 2, wherein the inner frame comprises a first glue portion at the front panel below the at least one horizontal cut and/or the inner frame comprises a second glue portion at the first side panel below the at least one horizontal cut.

9. The container according to claim 2, wherein the at least one horizontal cut is arranged at or below an upper edge of the front panel of the outer housing in an open position.

10. The container according to claim 2, wherein the removable portion of the inner liner and the at least one foldable portion are arranged such that the at least one foldable portion does not contact the inner liner outside the removable portion.

11. An inner liner for a container for consumer goods, wherein the inner liner is formed out of an inner liner sheet which comprises an L-shaped perforation for separating a removable portion from a remainder of the inner liner.

12. The inner liner according to claim 11, wherein the L-shaped perforation comprises a horizontal portion that starts at a vertical edge of the inner liner sheet and extends parallel to a horizontal axis of the inner liner sheet.

13. The inner liner according to claim 12, wherein the perforation further comprises a vertical portion that starts at a horizontal edge of the inner liner sheet and extends parallel to a longitudinal axis of the inner liner sheet.

14. The inner liner according to claim 11, wherein the inner liner sheet is wrapped in a loop around a wrapping axis that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the inner liner sheet, wherein the loop of the inner liner sheet is closed at a top and a bottom of the inner liner.

15. A method of wrapping a plurality of elongated consumer goods within the inner liner according to claim 11, the method comprising the following steps: a. forming a substantially cuboid shaped bundle of parallelly arranged elongated consumer goods, said bundle having two opposite major faces, two opposite side faces along a length of the major faces and two opposite end faces at ends of the elongated consumer goods along a width of the major faces; b. wrapping the inner liner sheet of the inner liner in a loop around the bundle of consumer goods, wherein a wrapping axis is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the inner liner sheet such that the L-shaped perforation extends at least over at least part of the two major faces and one side face of the side faces of the bundle of elongated consumer goods; and c. closing the loop of the inner liner sheet at the ends of the loop for forming the inner liner.

Description

4. SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] In the following, preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed by reference to the accompanying figures, in which shows:

[0039] 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;

[0040] FIG. 2: a three-dimensional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, when the foldable portion of the inner frame is in folded condition;

[0041] FIG. 3: a two-dimensional view of a blank of the outer housing of the container of FIG. 1;

[0042] FIG. 4: a two-dimensional view of a blank of the inner frame of the container of FIG. 1;

[0043] 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;

[0044] FIG. 6A-C: three-dimensional views of a wrapping process of consumer goods into an inner liner of FIg. 5;

[0045] 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;

[0046] FIG. 7: a two-dimensional view of a further embodiment of an inner frame with two foldable portions;

[0047] FIG. 8: a two-dimensional view of a second embodiment of a blank of an inner liner and indications of positions of consumer goods with respect to the inner liner; and

[0048] FIG. 9: a two-dimensional view of a third embodiment of a blank of an inner liner and indications of positions of consumer goods with respect to the inner liner.

5. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0049] In the following preferred embodiments of the invention are described with respect to the figures.

[0050] 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 consumer goods 5 are arranged to form a substantially cuboid shaped bundle. Said bundle of consumer goods 5 having two opposite major faces 5′, two opposite side faces 5″ along a length of the major faces 5′ and two opposite end faces 5′″ at the ends of the elongated consumer products (5) along a width of the major faces 5′. 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.

[0051] 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 constraint 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.

[0052] 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 40, even when it is folded to the inside.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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.

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] 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.

[0058] 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.

[0059] 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.

[0060] 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.

[0061] 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.

[0062] 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.

[0063] 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.

[0064] 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 4o and comprises a horizontal cut 58 and first 51, second 53 and third 53 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.

[0065] 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 removable portion 22 can be pulled by a consumer to provide an access opening 8 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) through which the consumer goods 5 can be taken out. The L-shaped perforation 24 comprises a horizontal portion 26 that starts at the left side edge 63 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 61 of the generally rectangular inner liner 1. 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.

[0066] 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 a substantially cuboid shaped bundle of parallelly arranged elongated consumer products 5 is formed. Then, the inner liner 20 is wrapped in a loop around a wrapping axis W that is parallel to a longitudinal axis V of the inner liner 20. The consumer goods 5 are also arranged in parallel to the wrapping axis W. The wrapping step is done, such that the L-shaped perforation 24 extends at least over at least part of the two major faces 5′ and a side face 5″ of the bundle of elongated consumer products 5.

[0067] After the inner liner 20 is fully wrapped around the consumer goods 5 it forms a closed loop 69, having an overlap 23 on one side wall 27 as shown in FIG. 6B.

[0068] In a further packing step, as shown in FIG. 6C the inner liner loop 69 is finally closed by folds 25 at the top end 21 and at the bottom end 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment of an inner liner 20 and the corresponding two-dimensional inner liner sheet 60 thereof. In contrast to the inner liner 20 of FIG. 5 this inner liner 20 comprises two L-shaped perforations 24 and 64 that provide two removable portions 22 and 65. Such inner liner 20 can be preferably used for a container 1 comprising two foldable portions 40, 50 as shown by the inner frame 30 of FIG. 7. The two L-shaped perforations 24, 64 reveal two opposed upper edges of the inner liner in the final container 1, after being removed by the consumer. Thus, also in an embodiment with two foldable portions 40, 50 the inner liner 20 is not wrinkled when either one or both of the foldable portions 40, 50 are pushed inside. The first and second removable portions 22, 65 are preferably connected to each other, such that pulling one removable portion 22, 65 by the consumer will remove both removable portions 22, 65 at once.

[0071] The second L-shaped perforation 64 comprises a horizontal portion 66 that starts at the right side edge 62 of the inner liner 20 and extends horizontally into an area that will extend along the side wall 18 and back wall 16 of the finally produced container 1. The horizontal portion 66 merges by a curved shape into a vertical portion 68 that extends along the back wall 16 of the finally produced container 1. The vertical portion 28 ends at the upper edge 61 of the generally rectangular inner liner 1. FIG. 8 further shows the position and size of the L-shaped perforations 24, 64 in respect to the position of the consumer goods 5 wrapped within the inner liner 20. The vertical portions 28 and 68 are distanced to each other by distance d2, such that a portion of the width d2 of the inner liner 20 remains at the back wall 16 of the container 1 if both removable portions 22 and 68 are removed.

[0072] FIG. 9 shows a third embodiment of an inner liner 20 and the corresponding two-dimensional inner liner sheet 60 thereof. In contrast to the inner liner 20 of FIG. 5 this inner liner 20 comprises an L-shaped perforation 24 having an additional vertical portion 70 at the other end thereof. In contrast to the embodiments of FIGS. 5 and 6 the bundle of consumer goods 5 is arranged generally centered within the inner liner sheet 60 such that by the perforation 24 a removable portion 22 of the inner liner 20 is provided that simultaneously reveals an upper portion of the front panel and two opposed upper edges of the inner liner 20 in the final container 1. Thus, the inner liner 20 of FIG. 9 can be used together with an inner frame 30 that comprises two foldable portions 40, 50, like the inner frame 30 of FIG. 7. Thus, also in an embodiment with two foldable portions 40, 50 the inner liner 20 is not wrinkled when either one or both of the foldable portions 40, 50 are pushed inside.

[0073] The L-shaped perforation 24 comprises a first vertical portion 28 that starts at the upper edge 61 of the generally rectangular inner liner sheet 60 and extends vertically downwards along the back wall 16 of the finally produced container 1. This first vertical portion 28 merges by a curved shape into a horizontal portion 26 that extends horizontally along the back wall 16, the side wall 14, the front wall 12, the side wall 18 and again the back wall 16 of the finally produced container 1. Then, the horizontal portion 26 merges by a curved shape into the additional vertical portion 70 that extends vertically along the back wall 16 of the finally produced container 1. The additional vertical portion 70 ends at the upper edge 61 of the inner liner 1.

[0074] FIG. 9 further shows the position and size of the L-shaped perforations 24 in respect to the position of the consumer goods 5 wrapped within the inner liner 20. The additional vertical portion 70 is distanced to the left side vertical edge 63 by distance d3. The vertical portion 28 is distanced to the right side vertical edge 62 by distance d4. Preferably, distance d3 and distance d4 are identical. Distances d3 and d4 are chosen such that the left sides vertical edge 63 and the right side vertical edge 62 overlap at the back wall 16 of the finally produced container 1 and a portion of the inner liner 20 remains at the back wall 16 of the container 1 if the removable portions 22 is removed.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0075] 1 container

[0076] 5 consumer goods, cigarettes

[0077] 5′ major faces of bundle of consumer goods

[0078] 5″ side faces of bundle of consumer goods

[0079] 5′″ end faces of bundle of consumer goods

[0080] 6 cavity

[0081] 8 access opening

[0082] 10 outer housing

[0083] 11 top wall

[0084] 12 front wall

[0085] 13 lid portion

[0086] 13′-13″″ areas of lid portion

[0087] 14 side wall

[0088] 16 back wall

[0089] 17 box portion

[0090] 18 side wall

[0091] 19 crease lines

[0092] 20 inner liner

[0093] 21 top end of inner liner loop

[0094] 22 removable portion of inner liner

[0095] 23 overlap

[0096] 24 L-shaped perforation

[0097] 25 folds

[0098] 26 horizontal portion of L-shaped perforation

[0099] 27 side wall of inner liner

[0100] 28 vertical portion of L-shaped perforation

[0101] 29 bottom end of inner liner loop

[0102] 30 inner frame

[0103] 31 first vertical crease or perforated line

[0104] 32 front panel of inner frame

[0105] 33 second vertical crease or perforated line

[0106] 34 right side panel of inner frame

[0107] 35 third vertical crease or perforated line

[0108] 36 left side panel of inner frame

[0109] 37 downward extension

[0110] 38 horizontal cut

[0111] 39 breakable connection

[0112] 40 first foldable portion

[0113] 41, 41′ third glue area

[0114] 42; 42′ first glue area

[0115] 43 second glue area

[0116] 44 left end of foldable portion

[0117] 45 tabs

[0118] 46 side portion

[0119] 47 right end of foldable portion

[0120] 48 front portion of foldable portion

[0121] 50 second foldable portion

[0122] 51 first vertical crease or perforated line

[0123] 53 second vertical crease or perforated line

[0124] 55 third vertical crease or perforated line

[0125] 58 horizontal cut

[0126] 59 breakable connection

[0127] 60 inner liner sheet

[0128] 61 upper edge

[0129] 62 right side vertical edge

[0130] 63 left side vertical edge

[0131] 64 second L-shaped perforation

[0132] 65 second removable portion

[0133] 66 horizontal portion of second perforation

[0134] 68 vertical portion of second perforation

[0135] 69 inner liner loop

[0136] 70 additional vertical portion

[0137] V longitudinal axis

[0138] W wrapping axis of inner liner