Container including tamper proof closure

Abstract

A container for consumer goods is provided, including a box to house the goods and having a box front wall, a box back wall, a box bottom wall, and box side walls, a top face of the box providing an access opening providing access to the goods; and a lid flap hingedly connected to the box back wall and including lid top and front walls, such that in a closed position of the flap the lid top and front walls overlie the access opening and the front wall, such that prior to a first opening of the container, the front wall is connected to each of the side walls along a line of weakness extending along a front edge of the respective side wall, and such that upon separation of the flap along the line, the flap is movable into an open position uncovering the access opening.

Claims

1. A container for consumer goods, the container comprising: a box configured to house the consumer goods, the box comprising a box front wall, a box back wall, a box bottom wall, and box side walls, wherein a top face of the box is at least partially open to provide an access opening providing access to the consumer goods; and a lid flap hingedly connected to the box back wall and comprising a lid top wall and a lid front wall, wherein in a closed position of the lid flap the lid top wall and the lid front wall overlie the access opening and the box front wall, wherein prior to a first opening of the container, the lid front wall is connected to each of the box side walls along a line of weakness extending along a front edge of the respective box side wall, and wherein upon separation of the lid flap from the box along the line of weakness, the lid flap being movable into an open position in which the access opening is uncovered.

2. The container according to claim 1, wherein in the closed position of the lid flap, the bottom edge of the lid front wall is proximate the front edge of the box bottom wall, and wherein the front edge of the box bottom wall is beveled along at least part of a length thereof.

3. The container according to claim 2, wherein the front edge of the box bottom wall comprises a beveled portion adjacent each front corner of the box bottom wall.

4. The container according to claim 1, further comprising closure means for retaining the lid flap in a closed position after the lid flap has been separated from the box.

5. The container according to claim 4, wherein the closure means comprises a closure tab extending from an edge of the lid front wall and a corresponding slot in the box configured to receive the closure tab when the lid flap is in the closed position.

6. The container according to claim 5, wherein the lid front wall comprises a inner lid front wall panel and an outer lid front wall panel overlying the inner lid front wall panel, and wherein the closure tab is defined by a line of weakness in the inner lid front wall panel.

7. The container according to claim 5, wherein the corresponding slot is provided at the front edge of the box bottom wall, and wherein a portion of the box bottom wall adjacent the corresponding slot is recessed relative to a remainder of the box bottom wall.

8. The container according to claim 1, wherein the lid flap further comprises one or more hinge lines extending across at least one of bottom corners of the lid front wall such that a respective bottom corner can be folded upwards from a remainder of the lid front wall prior to the first opening of the container.

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

10. The container according to claim 9, wherein each side wall comprises an inner side wall panel depending from the box back wall, an outer side wall panel depending from the lid front wall along the line of weakness, and an intermediate side wall panel provided between the inner side wall panel and the outer side wall panel, wherein the intermediate side wall panel depends from the box front wall, and wherein the intermediate side wall panel comprises one or more cut outs configured to permit direct contact between the inner side wall panel and the outer side wall panel through the one or more cut outs.

11. The container according to claim 1, wherein the line of weakness connecting the lid flap and the box is formed by a discontinuous cut line such that the lid flap and the box are connected to each other at a plurality of connection points along the discontinuous cut line.

12. The container according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of aerosol-generating articles is housed within the box.

13. A laminar blank for forming a container for aerosol-generating articles according to claim 1, the laminar blank comprising: a box-defining portion comprising a box front wall panel, a box back wall panel, a box bottom wall panel, and inner box side wall panels depending from each side edge of the box back wall panel; a lid-defining portion depending from the box back wall panel, the lid-defining portion comprising a lid top wall panel and a lid front wall panel; and an outer box side wall panel depending from each side edge of the lid front wall panel and connected to the lid front wall panel along a respective line of weakness extending along a front edge of the respective box side wall panel.

14. The laminar blank according to claim 13, further comprising intermediate side wall panels depending from said each side edge of the box front wall panel, wherein each of the intermediate side wall panels comprises one or more cut outs.

Description

(1) The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a container according to a first embodiment of the invention, prior to first opening;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the container of FIG. 1 after the first opening;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a laminar blank for forming the container of FIGS. 1 and 2;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a container according to a second embodiment of the invention, prior to first opening;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a laminar blank for forming the container of FIG. 4;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a container according to a third embodiment of the invention, prior to first opening; and

(8) FIG. 7 shows a laminar blank for forming the container of FIG. 4.

(9) FIG. 1 shows a container 10 in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, comprising a box 12 and a lid flap 14 connected to the box 12 along a hinge line 16. The box 12 is a rectangular parallelepiped and comprises a box front wall 18, a box back wall 20, a first box side wall 22, a second box side wall and a box bottom wall. The top end of the box 12 is open to provide the access opening of the container 10. A cut out 24 is provided at the top edge of the box front wall 18, adjacent the access opening. The cut out 24 is approximately trapezoidal in shape such that the width of the cut out 24 decreases with increasing distance from the access opening. The cut out 24 extends approximately 40 percent of the way down the box front wall 18. The box 12 houses a plurality of aerosol-generating articles 28 which are individually wrapped in pouches.

(10) The lid flap 14 depends from the top edge of the box back wall 20 and comprises a lid top wall 30 and a lid front wall 32. In the closed position of the lid flap 14, the lid top wall 30 and the lid front wall 32 overlie the access opening at the top end of the box and the box front wall 18. The shape and size of the lid front wall 32 substantially corresponds to the shape and size of the box front wall 18 such that in the closed position the lid front wall 32 overlies the entire box front wall 18.

(11) The lid front wall 32 is formed from an inner lid front wall panel 32a and an outer lid front wall panel 32b. The inner lid front wall panel 32a comprises a line of weakness defining a closure tab 34 adjacent the bottom edge of the inner lid front wall panel 32a. The closure tab 34 can be separated from the remainder of the inner lid front wall panel 32a upon first opening of the lid flap 14. An elongate slot 36 is provided at the front edge of the box bottom wall to receive the closure tab 34 when the lid flap 14 is in the closed position.

(12) FIG. 1 shows the container 10 prior to first opening. In this position, the lid front wall 32 is connected to the first box side wall 22 and the second box side wall along lines of weakness 38 extending along the front vertical edges of the box 12. In order to open the container 10, the consumer must grasp the bottom edge of the lid front wall 32 and pull it away from the box 12 in order to break the lines of weakness 38.

(13) FIG. 2 shows the container 10 after the first opening of the lid flap 14. The lid front wall 32 has been separated from the box 12 by breaking the lines of weakness 38. The lid flap 14 has been pivoted away from the box 12 to expose the access opening in the top end of the box. The closure tab 34 has been pulled away from the inner lid front wall panel 32a. For subsequent closures of the lid flap 14, the closure tab 34 can be inserted into the slot 36 of the box 12 to retain the lid flap 14 in a closed position between uses.

(14) The box 12 and lid flap 14 are integrally formed from a single laminar blank. A suitable laminar blank 110 is shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 3, the dashed lines indicate fold lines and the solid lines indicate cut lines. The laminar blank 110 comprises a box-defining portion 112 for forming the box 12 and a lid-defining portion 114 for forming the lid flap 14. The box-defining portion 112 and the lid-defining portion 114 are connected along a hinge line 16.

(15) The box-defining portion 112 comprises a box front wall panel 118, a box bottom wall panel 119 and a box back wall panel 120 arranged longitudinally. An inner box side wall panel 122a depends from each side edge of the box back wall panel 120. An intermediate box side wall panel 122b depends from each side edge of the box front wall panel 118. Each intermediate box side wall panel 122b comprises three cut outs spaced apart along the height of the respective panel.

(16) The lid-defining portion 114 comprises a lid top wall panel 130, an outer lid front wall panel 132b and an inner lid front wall panel 132a arranged longitudinally, along the same line as the panels of the box-defining portion. A line of weakness is provided at the bottom edge of the inner lid front wall panel 132a to define the closure tab 34. An outer box side wall panel 122c depends from each side edge of the outer lid front wall panel 132b. Each outer box side wall panel 122c is connected to the outer lid front wall panel 132b along a discontinuous cut line 138. Along each discontinuous cut line 138, the outer box side wall panel 122c and the outer lid front wall panel 132b are held together at a plurality of spaced apart connection points.

(17) In order to assemble the container 10 from the laminar blank 110, the laminar blank is folded along each of the transverse fold lines and the respective inner side wall panels 122a and the outer side wall panels 122c are folded and glued together through the cut outs in the intermediate side wall panels 122b to seal the container 10. The aerosol-generating articles may be inserted into the container 10 after the initial step of folding the laminar blank 110, or the laminar blank 110 may be folded around the aerosol-generating articles.

(18) FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a container 410 according to a second embodiment of the invention, prior to first opening. The container 410 of the second embodiment is substantially the same as the container 10 of the first embodiment. However, in the container 410 of the second embodiment the box bottom wall has a main planar portion 19 and a bevelled portion 419. In particular, the front edge of the box bottom wall is bevelled along at least part of its length. More specifically, the front edge of the box bottom wall is provided with a central bevelled portion 419.

(19) As also shown in FIG. 4, the container 410 of the second embodiment of the invention, further comprises a hinge line 432 extending across one of the bottom corners of the lid front wall 32 such that said bottom corner can be folded upwards from the remainder of the lid front wall prior to first opening of the container 410.

(20) FIG. 5 shows a laminar blank 510 for forming the container 410 of FIG. 4. The laminar blank 510 is substantially the same as the laminar blank 110 of the first embodiment. However, in laminar blank 510, an arcuate fold line 519 is provided on the box bottom wall panel 119 so as to help with formation of the central bevelled portion 419 of the box bottom wall during assembly of said container. As also shown in FIG. 5, a fold line 532a, 532b is provided respectively on each of the outer lid front wall panel 132b and an inner lid front wall panel 132a to define the hinge line 432 on the lid front wall 32 of FIG. 4.

(21) FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a container 610 according to a third embodiment of the invention, prior to first opening. The container 610 of the third embodiment is substantially the same as the container 10 of the first embodiment. However, in the container 610 of the second embodiment the box bottom wall has a main planar portion 19 and two bevelled portions 619a, 619b. In particular, the front edge of the box bottom wall is bevelled along at least part of its length. More specifically, the front edge of the box bottom wall is provided with a bevelled portion 619a, 619b at each end, proximate the front corners of the box bottom wall.

(22) FIG. 7 shows a laminar blank 710 for forming the container 610 of FIG. 6. The laminar blank 610 is substantially the same as the laminar blank 110 of the first embodiment. However, in laminar blank 610, arcuate fold lines 719a, 719b are provided on the box bottom wall panel 119 so as to help with formation of the two end bevelled portions 619a, 619b of the box bottom wall during assembly of said container.