CONTAINER WITH EXPANDABLE SPACER FOR USED AND UNUSED CONSUMER GOODS

Abstract

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.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A container for consumer goods, in particular rod-shaped consumer goods, the container comprising: a box for housing consumer goods, the box comprising a box front wall, a box back wall, a box bottom wall and two opposite box side walls, wherein a top face of the box is at least partially open to provide an access opening for accessing the consumer goods, a lid pivotably connected to the box back wall along a hinge and the lid is movable along the hinge between a closed position, in which the lid covers the access opening, and an open position, in which the access opening is exposed, at least a first bundle and a second bundle of consumer goods, and an expandable spacer comprising a first side wall, an opposing second side wall, a bottom wall positioned between the first side wall and the second side wall, and at least one spacer weakening line provided on the spacer bottom wall, the expandable spacer having an initial size 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, wherein the expandable spacer is positioned within the box between the first and second bundles of consumer goods, the first side wall of the expandable spacer being adjacent the first bundle of consumer goods and the second side wall of the expandable spacer being adjacent the second bundle of consumer goods and wherein 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 second side walls of the expandable spacer are spaced further apart.

17. The container of claim 16, wherein the spacer weakening line is positioned along a first edge of the bottom wall adjacent either the first side wall or the second side wall of the expandable spacer.

18. The container of claim 16, wherein the box front wall comprises a notch that aligns with an initial position of the expandable spacer in the box.

19. The container of claim 18, wherein the size of the notch is configured so that at least one consumer good is able to pass through the notch into the expandable spacer.

20. The container of claim 16, further comprising an inner liner, wherein the expandable spacer and the first bundle and second bundle of consumer goods are wrapped inside the inner liner.

21. The container of claim 20, wherein the inner liner comprises a first inner liner weakening line positioned along either of the first side wall or the second side wall of the expandable spacer and a second inner liner weakening line positioned adjacent the box bottom wall.

22. The container of claim 21, wherein both the first inner liner weakening line and at least a portion of the second inner liner weakening lines are configured to break upon removing a first portion of the inner liner that covers the first bundle of consumer goods.

23. The container of claim 16, wherein the expandable spacer comprises a material that is odour absorbing.

24. The container of claim 16, wherein the expandable spacer comprises activated carbon.

25. The container of claim 16, wherein the expandable spacer is configured for containing used consumer goods.

26. The container of claim 24, wherein the first side of the expandable spacer is configured to move towards the first bundle of consumer goods when the consumer goods in the first bundle are inserted into the expandable spacer.

27. The container of claim 16, wherein the expandable spacer further comprises two opposing side flaps on each of the first and second side walls.

28. The container of claim 16, further comprising an inner frame disposed within the box, the inner frame having a front wall provided adjacent to the front wall of the box.

29. The container of claim 20, further comprising an inner frame disposed within the box and outside the inner liner.

30. The container of claim 16, wherein the expandable spacer comprises cardboard, plastic, or metal.

31. The container of claim 16, wherein the expandable spacer is formed from a single laminar blank.

32. A method of using a container of consumer goods, the method comprising: obtaining a container of consumer goods, the container comprising: a box for housing consumer goods, the box comprising a box front wall, a box back wall, a box bottom wall and two opposite box side walls, wherein a top face of the box is at least partially open to provide an access opening for accessing consumer goods, a lid pivotably connected to the box back wall along a hinge and the lid is movable along the hinge between a closed position, in which the lid covers the access opening, and an open position, in which the access opening is exposed, at least a first and second bundle of consumer goods, an expandable spacer comprising a first side wall, an opposing second side wall, a bottom wall positioned between the first side wall and the second side wall, and at least one spacer weakening line positioned on the spacer bottom wall, the expandable spacer having an initial size 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, and an inner liner that wraps the first and second bundles of consumer goods wherein the inner liner comprises a first inner liner weakening line positioned along either the first or the second side wall of the expandable spacer and a second inner liner weakening line positioned adjacent the box bottom wall, wherein the expandable spacer is positioned within the box between the first and second bundles of consumer goods, the first side wall of the expandable spacer being adjacent the first bundle of consumer goods and the second side wall of the expandable spacer being adjacent the second bundle of consumer goods and wherein upon insertion of more than the predetermined number of consumer goods, the spacer weakening line is configured to break so that the first and second side walls of the expandable spacer are spaced further apart; removing a first portion of the inner liner that covers the first bundle of consumer goods by breaking the first inner liner weakening line and at least a portion of the second inner liner weakening line, removing a first consumer good from the first bundle of consumer goods, using the first consumer good, and placing the used first consumer good into the expandable spacer.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising removing all of the consumer goods from the first bundle of consumer goods, using all of the consumer goods from the first bundle of consumer goods and placing all of the used consumer goods from the first bundle of consumer goods into the expandable spacer, wherein upon placing all of the used consumer goods from the first bundle of consumer goods into the expandable spacer, the first wall of the expandable spacer is positioned near the first box side wall.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising removing a second portion of the inner liner that covers the second bundle of consumer goods by breaking a remaining portion of the second inner liner weakening line.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising removing a first consumer good from the second bundle of consumer goods, using the first consumer good from the second bundle of consumer goods, and placing the used first consumer good into the expandable spacer, thereby moving the second wall of the expandable spacer towards the second side wall of the box.

Description

[0041] The invention is defined in the claims. However, below there is provided a non-exhaustive list of non-limiting examples. Any one or more of the features of these examples may be combined with any one or more features of another example, embodiment, or aspect described herein. The invention will now be further described, by way of example of only, with reference to the figures in which:

[0042] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a container;

[0043] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an inner liner;

[0044] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a blank of an expandable spacer;

[0045] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of an expandable spacer;

[0046] FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of an inner liner that is containing an expandable spacer and two bundles of consumer goods;

[0047] FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a container with a portion of an inner liner in the process of being removed;

[0048] FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective partial cut-out view of a container showing a first side wall of an expandable spacer nearer to the first side wall of the box;

[0049] FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective partial cut-out view of a container showing a second portion of an inner liner in the process of being removed.

[0050] FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective partial cut-out view of a container showing a second side wall of an expandable spacer nearer to the second side wall of the box; and

[0051] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a container that includes an optional notch in the box.

[0052] FIG. 1 shows a container 10 in a partially opened position. The container 10 comprises a box 20 and a lid 30.

[0053] The box 20 comprises a box back wall 22 extending between a box first side wall 27 and a box second side wall 28. The box bottom wall 23 is orthogonal to the box first side wall 27 and the box second side wall 28 and extends between the box first side wall 27 and box second side wall 28. The box first side wall 27 and the box second side wall 28 are orthogonal to a box front wall 24 disposed opposite the box back wall 22.

[0054] The lid 30 comprises a lid top wall 36 extending between a lid front wall 34 and lid back wall 32 and between a lid first side wall 37 and lid second side wall 38. The lid first side wall 37 and the lid second side wall 38 are orthogonal to the lid top wall 36 and extend between the lid front wall 34 and the lid back wall 32.

[0055] The lid back wall 32 extends from a hinge line 40 along a top edge of the box back wall 22. The lid 30 is movable about the hinge line 40 between the closed position and an open position. The hinge line 40 extends between the box first side wall 27 and the box second side wall 28.

[0056] The box 20 is arranged and configured to receive consumer goods. The consumer goods may have a longitudinal length that is generally orthogonal with the hinge line 40. Preferably, the consumer goods are elongated articles such as aerosol generating articles, where the longitudinal length or axis is generally orthogonal with the hinge line 40. The consumer goods may be extracted from an access opening defined at a top side of the box 20.

[0057] FIG. 2 shows an inner liner 50 before being placed in a container. This particular inner liner 50 is made from a single piece of material. The inner liner 50 includes a first inner liner weakening line 51 and a second inner liner weakening ling 52. The first inner liner weakening line 51 and the second inner liner weakening line 52 define a first portion 56 and a second portion 57 of the inner liner. The inner liner 50 may also optionally include a first crease line 53, a second crease line 54, and a third crease line 55. The first crease line 53, the second crease line 54, and the third crease line 55 may be used to facilitate folding the inner liner for better covering a first and second bundle of consumer goods when the inner liner 50 is wrapping the first and second bundle of consumer goods within the container.

[0058] FIG. 3 shows a blank of an expandable spacer 60. The expandable spacer 60 includes a first side wall 61 and a second side wall 63 that are spanned by a bottom portion 65. Adjacent a bottom edge of the first side wall 61 and the second side wall 63 are a first weakening line 66 and a bottom crease line 64 respectively. Each of the first side wall 61 and the second side wall 63 may also optionally include a first side flap 67 and a second side flap 68 that are formed by folding along first and second crease lines on the first side wall 61 and the second side wall 63 respectively. FIG. 4 shows the expandable spacer 60 once it is at least partially formed by folding the first side wall 61 and the second side wall 63 towards each other along the first weakening line 66 and the bottom crease line 64. In this view, the first side flap 67 and the second side flap 68 of the first side wall 61 and the second side wall 63 are not yet folded towards the bottom potion 65 of the expandable spacer 60.

[0059] FIG. 5 shows a first bundle of consumer goods 71, a second bundle of consumer goods 72, and an expandable spacer 60 that are within an inner liner 50. The first weakening line 51 of the inner liner 50 may be seen as positioned along the first side wall 61 of the expandable spacer 60.

[0060] The second weakening line 52 of the inner liner 50 may be seen as positioned along the bottom of the first 71 and second bundles of consumer goods 72 which may be adjacent the perimeter of the front wall 24 and the bottom wall 23 of the box 20 when inserted into the container 10. This view of the inner liner shows the optional first crease line 53, which allows a portion of the inner liner 50 to be folded over the first 71 and second 72 bundles of consumer goods. The second crease line 54 is adjacent the bottom back of the first and second bundles of consumer goods.

[0061] FIG. 6 shows the first portion 56 of the inner liner 50 within the container after a portion of the first portion 56 of the inner liner 50 has been peeled back in order to be removed. As seen in this figure, a portion of the first weakening line 51 has already been broken.

[0062] FIG. 7 shows a partial cut-out view of the container after a certain number, in this case, 10 consumer goods have been placed into the expandable spacer 60 and the first wall 61 of the expandable spacer 60 has been forced over to the first side wall 27 of the box 20. As seen in this figure, the second side wall 63 of the expandable spacer 60 has yet to be moved. As also noted in this figure, the expandable spacer has an expanded size that holds 10 consumer goods, the entire amount that were included in the first bundle of consumer goods 71.

[0063] FIG. 8 shows the second portion 57 of the inner liner within the container after a portion of the second portion 57 of the inner liner has been peeled back in order ultimately to be removed from the second bundle of consumer goods 72.

[0064] FIG. 9 shows a partial cut-out view of the container after a certain additional number, in this case, 10 consumer goods from the second bundle of consumer goods have been placed into the expandable spacer 60 and the second wall 63 of the expandable spacer 60 has been forced over to the second side wall 28 of the box 20.

[0065] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of a container that includes a front wall 24 of a box that includes an optional notch 29 that is cut out of the front wall 24 to aide in placing the consumer goods into the expandable spacer.

[0066] For the purpose of the present description and of the appended claims, except where otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing amounts, quantities, percentages, and so forth, are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about”. Also, all ranges include the maximum and minimum points disclosed and include any intermediate ranges therein, which may or may not be specifically enumerated herein. In this context, therefore, a number A is understood as A±2% of A. Within this context, a number A may be considered to include numerical values that are within general standard error for the measurement of the property that the number A modifies. The number A, in some instances as used in the appended claims, may deviate by the percentages enumerated above provided that the amount by which A deviates does not materially affect the basic and novel characteristic(s) of the claimed invention. Also, all ranges include the maximum and minimum points disclosed and include any intermediate ranges therein, which may or may not be specifically enumerated herein.