Container with non-squared edges

Abstract

Container for consumer articles, the container being at least partially formed from a laminar blank (100), the laminar blank defining a portion of the container, which includes: a first planar wall (101); a second planar wall (102) connected to the first planar wall by a first modified edge portion (104); and a third planar wall (103) connected to the first planar wall by a second modified edge portion (105). The first modified edge portion is defined by an ablation area, on its inner surface, having one or more ablated lines (201-206) each having a residual thickness less than the thickness (T) of the laminar blank, the first modified edge portion an end portion tapering from a width (W) of the first portion to a point at the junction with the second modified edge portion. The second modified edge portion is defined by a plurality of creasing lines (300).

Claims

1. A container for consumer articles, the container being at least partially formed from a laminar blank, the laminar blank defining a portion of the container, the portion of the container comprising: a first planar wall; a second planar wall connected to the first planar wall by a first modified edge portion; and a third planar wall connected to the first planar wall by a second modified edge portion; the longitudinal direction of the first modified edge portion being transverse to the longitudinal direction of the second modified edge portion; the first modified edge portion and the second modified edge portion forming, when the container is assembled from the laminar blank, adjacent edge portions of the container meeting at a junction; wherein each of the first modified edge portion and the second modified edge portion has a length in the longitudinal direction of the respective modified edge portion and a respective width that extends transversely to the length; wherein the first modified edge portion is defined by an ablation area on its inner surface, the ablation area comprising one or more ablated lines each having a residual thickness less than the thickness (T) of the laminar blank, the first modified edge portion further comprising a first portion and an end portion extending from the first portion, the end portion tapering from a width (W) of the first portion to a point at the junction with the second modified edge portion; wherein the second modified edge portion is defined by a plurality of creasing lines in the laminar blank, wherein the one or more ablated lines comprises a first ablated line and a second ablated line, and wherein each of the first ablated line and the second ablated line comprises a slanted section extending over at least part of the tapering end portion of the first modified edge portion, along a direction forming a non null angle with the longitudinal direction of the first modified edge portion.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein both of the first modified edge portion and the second modified edge portions comprise a respective first portion and a respective end portion extending from the respective first portion and tapering from a width of the respective first portion to a point at the junction with the other one of the first modified edge portion and the second modified edge portion.

3. A container according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of creasing lines extends in the longitudinal direction of the second modified edge portion over the whole length of the second modified edge portion.

4. A container according to claim 1, wherein the second modified edge portion is defined by at least four creasing lines in the laminar blank, the at least four creasing lines extending in the longitudinal direction of the second modified edge portion over the whole length of the second modified edge portion.

5. A container according to claim 1, wherein each ablated line has a residual thickness of less than about 50 percent of the thickness (T) of the laminar blank.

6. A container according to claim 1, wherein each ablated line has a residual thickness of at least about 5 percent of the thickness (T) of the laminar blank.

7. A container according to claim 1, further comprising a fourth planar wall connected to the first planar wall by a third modified edge portion, the longitudinal direction of the third modified edge portion being transverse to the longitudinal direction of the first modified edge portion and substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the second modified edge portion, such that, when the container is assembled from the laminar blank, the first modified edge portion and the third modified edge portion form adjacent edge portions of the container meeting at a second junction; wherein the first modified edge portion comprises the first portion and two opposite end portions extending from the first portion, each end portion tapering from a width (W) of the first portion to a point at the junction with a respective one of the second and third modified edge portions (A2, A3).

8. A container according to claim 7, wherein the third modified edge portion (A3) is defined by a plurality of creasing lines in the laminar blank extending in the longitudinal direction of the third modified edge portion over the whole length of the third modified edge portion.

9. A container according to claim 1 containing smoking articles.

10. A container according to claim 1, wherein the first ablated line and the second ablated line extend in parallel in the longitudinal direction of the first modified edge portion within the first portion of the ablation area; and wherein each of the first and second ablated lines is arranged proximate to a respective one of the first planar wall and the second planar wall.

11. A laminar blank for forming a container for consumer articles, the laminar blank comprising: a first planar wall; a second planar wall connected to the first planar wall by a first modified edge portion; and a third planar wall connected to the first planar wall by a second modified edge portion; the longitudinal direction of the first modified edge portion being transverse to the longitudinal direction of the second modified edge portion; the first modified edge portion and the second modified edge portion forming, when the container is assembled from the laminar blank, adjacent edge portions of the container meeting at a junction; wherein each of the first modified edge portion and the second modified edge portion has a length in the longitudinal direction of the respective modified edge portion and a respective width that extends transversely to the length; wherein the first modified edge portion is defined by an ablation area on its inner surface, the ablation area comprising one or more ablated lines each having a residual thickness less than the thickness (T) of the laminar blank, the first modified edge portion further comprising a first portion and an end portion extending from the first portion, the end portion tapering from a width (W) of the first portion to a point at the junction with the second modified edge portion; and wherein the second modified edge portion is defined by a plurality of creasing lines in the laminar blank, wherein the one or more ablated lines comprises a first ablated line and a second ablated line, and wherein each of the first ablated line and the second ablated line comprises a slanted section extending over at least part of the tapering end portion of the first modified edge portion, along a direction forming a non null angle with the longitudinal direction of the first modified edge portion.

Description

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

(2) FIG. 1 depicts a sample portion of a laminar blank for use in determining the spring-back force of the blank;

(3) FIG. 2 depicts an apparatus for determining the spring-back force of a blank;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic top view of a detail of a first embodiment of a laminar blank for the manufacture of a container in accordance with the present invention;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematic top view of a detail of a second embodiment of a laminar blank for the manufacture of a container in accordance with the present invention; and

(6) FIG. 5 shows a schematic top view of a detail of a third embodiment of a laminar blank for the manufacture of a container in accordance with the present invention.

(7) FIG. 3 depicts the surface of a cardboard laminar blank 100, which has a thickness (T) of about 300 micrometres. It comprises a first wall panel 101 for forming a first planar wall of a container, a second wall panel 102 for forming a second planar wall of the container, and a third wall panel 103 for forming a third planar wall of the container. A first modified edge portion 104 connects the first wall panel 101 and the second wall panel 102. A second modified edge portion 105 connects the first wall panel 101 and the third wall panel 103. The longitudinal direction of the first modified edge portion 104 is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the second modified edge portion 105. When the container is assembled from the blank, the first modified edge portion 104 and the second modified edge portion 105 form adjacent edge portions of the container meeting at a junction.

(8) The inner surface of the first modified edge portion 104 defines a first ablation area. As shall be explained in more detail below, the ablation area comprises a plurality of ablated lines having a residual thickness less than the thickness (T) of the laminar blank. The ablated lines define areas of weakness, such that the blank 100 can be easily bent when assembling the container and rounded or bevelled edge portions of the container can be formed. Each of the ablated lines has a residual thickness of about 20 percent of the thickness T of the blank. The ablated lines are formed in the blank 100 by laser ablation.

(9) The ablation area of the first modified edge portion 104 has a length in the longitudinal direction of the first modified edge portion 104 and a respective width that extends transversely to the length.

(10) The ablation area of the first modified edge portion 104 comprises a first portion 106 and an end portion 107 extending from the first portion 106 and tapering from a width of the first portion 106 to a point at the junction with the second modified edge portion 105.

(11) The ablation area of the first modified edge portion 104 comprises a first ablated line 201 and a second ablated line 202 which extend in parallel in the longitudinal direction of the first modified edge portion 104 within the first portion 106 of the ablation area. The first and the second ablated lines 201 and 202 taper over the end portion 107 to end at the junction point with the second modified edge portion 105.

(12) The first ablated line 201 is arranged proximate to the first wall panel 101 and the second ablated line 202 is arranged proximate to the second wall panel 102. Further, the ablation area of the first modified edge portion 104 comprises four further ablated lines 203, 204, 205, 206 that extend in parallel in the longitudinal direction of the first modified edge portion 104 within the first portion 106 of the ablation area.

(13) The pair of ablated lines formed by the ablated lines 204 and 205 extends in the longitudinal direction of the first modified edge portion 104 further into part of the tapering end portion 107 of the ablation area of the first modified edge portion 104. In contrast, the pair of ablated lines 203 and 206 comprises respective slanted sections 2031 and 2061 forming an angle of about 10 degrees with the ablated lines 204 and 205. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the ablated lines 203 and 206 are symmetrical with respect to the pair formed by the ablated lines 204 and 205.

(14) The second modified edge portion 105 comprises a plurality of creasing lines 300 extending in the longitudinal direction of the second modified edge portion 105 over the whole length of the second modified edge portion 105. Thus, a corner portion of the first planar wall panel 101 is delimited by the substantially straight creasing line 300 of the second modified edge portion 105 and by the tapered portion of ablated line 201 of the first ablation area of the first modified edge portion 104.

(15) FIG. 4 depicts the surface of another cardboard laminar blank 400. The cardboard laminar blank 400 will be described below only insofar as it differs from the cardboard laminar blank 100 and parts of the blank 400 having the same features and function of corresponding parts of the laminar blank 100 are referred to, wherever possible by the same numerals.

(16) As illustrated in FIG. 4, the blank 400 differs from the blank 100 because the second modified edge portion 105 also comprises a first portion 406 and an end portion 407 extending from the first portion 406 and tapering from a width of the first portion 406 to a point at the junction with the first modified edge portion 104. The second modified edge portion 105 could be defined by a plurality of ablated lines. However, preferably the second modified edge portion is defined by a plurality of creasing lines 501, 502, 503, 504, 505, 506. The mutual arrangement of the creasing lines 501, 502, 503, 504, 505, 506 within the second modified edge portion 105 corresponds to the mutual arrangement of the ablated lines 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206 within the ablation area of the first modified edge portion 105 as described above.

(17) Thus, in the blank 400 a corner portion of the first planar wall panel 101 is delimited by the tapered portion of creasing line 501 of the second modified edge portion 105 and by the tapered portion of ablated line 201 of the ablation area of the first modified edge portion 104.

(18) FIG. 5 depicts the surface of another cardboard laminar blank 600. The cardboard laminar blank 600 will be described below only insofar as it differs from the cardboard laminar blank 100 and parts of the blank 600 having the same features and function of corresponding parts of the laminar blank 100 are referred to, wherever possible by the same numerals.

(19) As illustrated in FIG. 5, the blank 600 differs from the blank 100 because the first modified edge portion 105 no longer comprises ablated lines 203, 204, 205 and 206. Consequently, when the blank 600 of FIG. 5 is folded to assemble a container, the first modified edge portion will have a substantially bevelled profile that is defined by ablated lines 201 and 202. This contrasts with the blank 100 of FIG. 4, for which the first modified edge portion will have a substantially curved profile that is defined by ablated lines 201, 202, 203, 204, 205 and 206.