SPACING SUPPORT FOR PACKETS FOR SMOKING ARTICLES, SPACING KIT, PACKAGE CONTAINING SAID SPACING KIT AND METHOD TO ASSEMBLE A SPACING KIT

Abstract

A spacing support (11) and a spacing kit (10) for packets (100) of smoking articles configured to support in an orderly manner a plurality of packets arranged on two adjacent rows. The spacing support (11) comprises two containing drawers (12) arranged adjacent to each other and each defining a respective housing (13) for a corresponding row of packets, which extends in a longitudinal direction (X), and an access aperture (17) through which the packets (100) can be introduced and extracted from the housing (13). Each containing drawer (12) comprises a bottom wall (14) from which a pair of side walls (15) extends, each of these walls (14, 15) being configured to come into contact with a respective wall (101, 102) of the packet (100), wherein at least one of the side walls (15) comprises a plurality of positioning elements (18) projecting toward the inside of said housing (13), made as pre-cut fins (19) integrated into the side wall (15), and configured to delimit positioning compartments (26), in which each of said packets (100) is stably arranged and held in a static manner, in said longitudinal direction (X), with respect to said housing (13).

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A spacing support for packets (100) for smoking articles configured to support in an orderly manner a plurality of packets arranged on two adjacent rows, and comprising two containing drawers (12) adjacent to each other and each defining a respective housing (13) for a corresponding row of packets, which extends in a longitudinal direction (X), wherein each containing drawer (12) comprises a bottom wall (14) from which a pair of side walls (15) extends, each side wall (15) adapted to come into contact with a respective wall (101, 102) of the packet (100), said containing drawer (12) also comprising an access aperture (17) through which the packets (100) are introduced and extracted with respect to housing (13), wherein at least one of said side walls (15) comprises a plurality of positioning elements (18) projecting towards the inside of said housing (13) and made as pre-cut fins (19) integrated into said side wall (15), said positioning elements (18) being configured to delimit positioning compartments (26), in which each of said packets (100) is stably arranged and held in a static manner, in said longitudinal direction (X), with respect to said housing (13), said positioning elements (18) being provided one after the other at a distance (D), measured in said longitudinal direction (X), equal to a predetermined and constant value, so as to arrange and hold the packets (100) in their respective positioning compartments (26), at a constant pitch with respect to each other, which is coordinated with said distance (D), wherein each of said positioning elements (18) consists of a pair of fins (19), each fin (19) being joined to said side wall (15) by a respective joining line (20), and the fins (19) of the same pair are separated from each other by a cutting line (21); wherein said joining lines (20) and said cutting line (21) are reciprocally parallel to each other and are also parallel to the longitudinal direction (X).

17. The spacing support according to claim 16, characterised in that one side wall (15) of one containing drawer (12) overlaps and comes into contact with a corresponding side wall (15) of the other containing drawer (12), the inner surfaces of said side walls (15) facing toward the inside of said housing (13) being arranged one with respect to the other according to a configuration of symmetry with reference to a centreline axis (A) of said bottom wall (14) that extends parallel to the longitudinal direction (X).

18. The spacing support according to claim 17, characterised in that between said centrelines (A) of the bottom walls (14) of said two containing drawers (12) a centre distance (I) is defined, measured in a transverse direction (Y), which is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction (X), having a predetermined and constant value.

19. The spacing support according to claim 16, characterised in that said side walls (15) and said bottom wall (14) of said housing (13) are integrated into a single body, separated from each other by respective folding lines (16), wherein said side walls (15) and said bottom wall (14) are arranged one with respect to the others so that each containing drawer (12) is “U”-shaped, where the open end of the “U” defines said access aperture (17).

20. The spacing support according to claim 16, characterised in that said two containing drawers (12) are configured as separate and distinct elements configured to be brought reciprocally closer to each other so that one of said side walls (15) of one containing drawer (12) almost completely overlaps a respective side wall (15) of the other containing drawer (12).

21. The spacing support according to claim 16, characterised in that said two containing drawers (12) are integrated into a single body, two side walls (15) of respective containing drawers (12) being joined together along a creasing line (22), which extends parallel to the longitudinal direction (X) and defines hinge means around which each containing drawer (12) can rotate by a certain angle with respect to the other containing drawer (12).

22. The spacing support according to claim 16, characterised in that said containing drawers are made starting from sheet material, for example in corrugated cardboard having a homogeneous thickness approximately equal to about 3.5 mm.

23. A spacing kit comprising: a plurality of packets (100) for smoking articles, each having the shape of a parallelepiped and comprising two opposite side walls of greater extension (101), two opposite side walls of smaller extension (102), a lower wall (103) and a top wall (104), two containing drawers (12) adjacent to each other, which each define a housing (13) extending in a longitudinal direction (X) and containing a row consisting of multiple packets (100), the packets (100) in the spacing kit thus being arranged on two adjacent rows and supported in an orderly manner, wherein each containing drawer (12) comprises a bottom wall (14), intended to come into contact with one of the side walls of smaller extension (102) of said packet (100), and a pair of side walls (15) each overlapping respective side walls of greater extension (101) of the packets (100) arranged in the same row, wherein said side walls (15) and said bottom wall (14) are joined so as to define an access aperture (17) of said containing drawer (12) by means of which the packets (100) can be introduced and extracted from the housing (13), the packets being accommodated in the latter so that the other side wall of smaller extension (102) of the packets (100) is exposed and accessible directly from the outside at the access aperture (17), wherein at least one of the two side walls (15) of each containing drawer (12) comprises a plurality of positioning elements (18) projecting toward the inside of said housing (13) and made as pre-cut fins (19) integrated into the side wall (15), said positioning elements (18) being configured to delimit positioning compartments (26) in which each of said packets (100) is stably arranged and held in a static manner, in said longitudinal direction (X) with respect to said housing (13), said positioning elements (18) being arranged one after the other at a fixed distance (D), which is at least equal to or greater than a typical size of the packet (100), measured in said longitudinal direction (X), defined as the height of the side walls of smaller and greater extension (101, 102), so as to arrange and hold the packets (100) in their respective positioning compartments (26) at a constant pitch with respect to each other, which is coordinated with said distance (D), wherein each of said positioning elements (18) consists of a pair of fins (19), each fin (19) being joined to said side wall (15) by a respective joining line (20), and the fins (19) of the same pair are separated from each other by a cutting line (21); wherein said joining lines (20) and said cutting line (21) are reciprocally parallel to each other and are also parallel to the longitudinal direction (X).

24. The spacing kit according to claim 23, characterised in that each row consists of five packets (100), said packets distanced from each other in said longitudinal direction (X) by an interspace in correspondence with which one of said positioning elements (18) is made.

25. The spacing kit according to claim 23, characterised in that said side wall of smaller extension (102), which is arranged in proximity to said access aperture (17) projects beyond an end edge (15A) of said side wall (15), which is arranged on the opposite side with respect to said bottom wall (14), so that said side wall of smaller extension (102) remains exposed and easily accessible.

26. A box-like package for packets (100) of smoking articles, characterised in that it comprises a body (24) which accommodates a spacing kit according to claim 23, and a lid (25) consisting of two flaps (25A, 25B) hinged to said body (24) and configured to close the box-like package in a reclosable manner.

27. The box-like package according to claim 26, characterised in that it comprises an outer wrapping, which encloses it hermetically, for example made of a polymer material.

28. A method to assemble a spacing kit according to claim 23, characterised in that it comprises the steps of: making two containing drawers (12) by folding respective contiguous and adjacent walls (14, 15) in the shape of a “U” along folding lines (16) to obtain a housing (13) for a row of packets (100) of smoking articles, said walls comprising a bottom wall (14) and two side walls (15) that extend from said bottom wall (14), bringing closer together said two previously made containing drawers (12), so that the two respective housings (13) extend parallel to each other and both parallel to a longitudinal direction (X), introducing an ordered group of packets (100) of smoking articles within the two housings (13) by thrusting means (105), after the introduction step, deforming, through deforming means (106), positioning elements (18) of at least one of said side walls, each positioning element (18) consisting of a pair of fins (19), each fin (19) being joined to said at least one side wall (15) by a respective joining line (20), the fins (19) of a same pair being separated from each other by a cutting line (21).

29. The method according to claim 28, characterised in that, during the deformation step, retracting said thrusting means (105) away from the packets (100) is provided with a movement correlated between said thrusting means (105) and said deforming means (106), so that upon gradual release of said thrusting means (105) from the packets (100) corresponds, as said portions are deformed, a gradual introduction of said positioning elements (18) inside the housings (13).

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0062] These and other characteristics of the present invention will become clear from the following description of embodiments, with the related methods, provided by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0063] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a kit, according to the present invention, comprising a spacing support for packets of smoking articles, and a plurality of packets housed in the spacing support;

[0064] FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the kit of FIG. 1;

[0065] FIG. 3a is a top plan view of the kit of FIG. 1;

[0066] FIG. 3b is a schematic, top plan view of a group of packets of smoking articles of the type known in the art,

[0067] FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of the kit of FIG. 1;

[0068] FIGS. 5 and 6 are top plan views of design variants of a spacing support according to the present invention, in which the plan development of the spacing support is visible.

[0069] FIGS. 7 and 8 are schematic perspective views, which illustrate a sequence of operating steps included in a method for making the kit of FIG. 1,

[0070] FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of the kit of FIG. 1, arranged inside a box-like package enclosing it.

[0071] To help understanding, identical reference numbers have been used, where possible, to identify identical common elements in the figures. It should be understood that elements and characteristics of an embodiment can conveniently be incorporated in other embodiments without further clarifications.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0072] Reference will now be made in detail to the various embodiments of the invention, of which one or more examples are illustrated in the appended figures. Each example is provided by way of illustration of the invention and is not intended as a limitation thereof. For example, the characteristics illustrated or described as being part of an embodiment can be implemented on, or in association with, other embodiments to produce a further embodiment. It is understood that the present invention will include these changes and variations.

[0073] The embodiments described herein with reference to the figures refer to a spacing kit for packets of smoking articles, which is generally indicated with the reference number 10.

[0074] The spacing kit 10 comprises a spacing support 11 and a plurality of packets for smoking articles, generally indicated with the reference number 100.

[0075] As better shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, each packet 100 has a parallelepiped shape and comprises two opposite side walls of greater extension 101, two opposite side walls of smaller extension 102, a lower wall 103 and a top wall 104.

[0076] Preferably, the size of a packet 100 suitable for being supported by spacing support 11 are equal to 15.5×48 mm, meaning with these values, respectively, the width and the height of the side walls of smaller extension 102.

[0077] According to some embodiments described herein, spacing support 11 comprises two containing drawers, each indicated with reference number 12, arranged adjacent with respect to one another.

[0078] Each containing drawer 12 defines a respective housing 13 for a corresponding row of packets of smoking articles 100.

[0079] According to some embodiments provided herein, containing drawer 12, and the housing 13 defined by it, extend in a longitudinal direction X.

[0080] In a preferred embodiment, each row comprises five packets of smoking articles 100.

[0081] In some embodiments, each containing drawer 12 comprises a bottom wall 14, and a pair of side walls 15, which extend from bottom wall 14. In particular, the side walls 15 are adjacent to the bottom wall 14 and joined to the latter by folding lines 16, which extend parallel to the longitudinal direction X.

[0082] Each wall of the containing drawer 12, that is the bottom wall 14 and the pair of side walls 15, is configured to come into contact with a respective wall of packet 100.

[0083] For example, the pair of side walls 15 overlaps and comes into contact with the side walls of greater extension 101 and the bottom wall overlaps and comes into contact with one of the side walls of smaller extension 102. In this case, the packet 100 is accommodated in the housing 13 oriented so that a direction of prevalent longitudinal development of the packet is orthogonal with respect to the longitudinal direction X.

[0084] According to some embodiments, the containing drawer 12 comprises an access aperture 17 through which the packets 100 can be introduced and extracted from the housing 13.

[0085] As better shown in FIG. 4, the bottom and side walls 14, 15 are arranged one with respect to the others so that each containing drawer 12 is “U”-shaped, where the open end of the “U” defines the access aperture 17. It should be noted that the packets 100 are oriented in such a way that the other side wall of smaller extension 102 is arranged near the access aperture 17. In particular, as better shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, this side wall of smaller extension 102 projects beyond an end edge 15A of the side wall 15 arranged on the opposite side with respect to the bottom wall 14. In this way, the side wall of smaller extension 102 of the packets 100 remains exposed and easily accessible to perform the necessary processes on it, such as for example the application of the government stamp.

[0086] According to some embodiments provided herein, at least one of the side walls 15 comprises a plurality of positioning elements 18 projecting towards the inside of the housing 13 and configured to delimit the positioning compartments 26 (see for example FIGS. 1, 4 and 9), in which each of said packets 100 is stably arranged and held in a static manner, in said longitudinal direction X, with respect to said housing 13, that is preventing its movement in the longitudinal direction X.

[0087] The packets 100, in particular, can be introduced and extracted with respect to the positioning compartments 26 through the aforementioned access aperture 17.

[0088] In a preferred embodiment, the positioning elements 18 are made as pre-cut fins 19, integrated into the side wall 15.

[0089] According to an embodiment, each positioning element 18 consists of a pair of fins 19. Each fin 19 is joined to the side wall 15 by a respective joining line 20, while the fins are separated from one another by a cutting line 21. The joining lines 20 and the cutting line 21 are mutually parallel to each other and are also parallel to the longitudinal direction X.

[0090] In an alternative embodiment, not shown, each positioning element 18 can consist of a single fin 19. In this case, the fin 19 can extend from a joining line 20, which connects it to the side wall 15, up to the end edge 15A.

[0091] According to the embodiment in which each housing is intended to accommodate a row of five packets 100, six positioning elements 18 are provided. In particular, four positioning elements 18 are interposed between two adjacent packets 100, and the remaining two positioning elements 18 are arranged at opposite ends of the side wall 15 so as to hold the outermost packet 100 arranged at the end of the row.

[0092] In other words, an interspace separating two adjacent packets 100 is defined at the positioning elements 18. This interspace is at least equal to, or slightly greater than, the width of the fins 19, measured parallel to the longitudinal direction X.

[0093] In the embodiments provided herein, the positioning elements 18 are arranged one after the other at a distance D, measured in the longitudinal direction X, which is equal to a predetermined and constant value, so as to arrange and hold the packets 100 in their respective positioning compartments 26 at a constant pitch with respect to each other, which is coordinated with said distance.

[0094] In a preferred embodiment, the distance D is at least equal to or greater than a characteristic size of the packet 100, preferably defined as the height of the side walls of greater and smaller extensions 101, 102. In the example described here, the distance D is therefore at least equal to or greater than 48 mm.

[0095] According to some embodiments described herein, a side wall 15 of a containing drawer 12 overlaps, and comes into contact with, a corresponding side wall 15 of the other containing drawer 12.

[0096] In a preferred embodiment, the two side walls 15, which overlap and comes into contact with each other are the side walls without the positioning elements 18, the latter being made on the other side walls 15 of the containing drawers 12, which remain visible and accessible from the outside.

[0097] It should be understood that in other embodiments, the positioning elements 18 can be made on both side walls 15 of a containing drawer 12, or they can be made on the side walls 15 of two adjacent containing drawers 12, and overlapped on each other, or still they can be made on the outer wall of a containing drawer 12, and on the inner wall of the other containing drawer.

[0098] According to a preferred embodiment, the inner surfaces of the side walls 15 facing towards the inside of the housing 13 are arranged according to a configuration of symmetry with respect to one another with reference to a centreline axis A of the bottom wall 14, which extends parallel to the longitudinal direction X.

[0099] In an embodiment, a centre distance I, measured in a transverse direction Y, which is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction X having a predetermined and constant value, is defined between the centrelines A of the bottom walls 14 of the containing drawers 12. For example, the centre distance I can be approximately equal to 22.5 mm.

[0100] In FIGS. 5 and 6 show two alternative embodiments of the spacing support 11.

[0101] According to a first embodiment (FIG. 5), the two containing drawers 12 are integrated into a single body. In this case, two side walls 15 of as many containing drawers 12 are joined along a creasing line 22 defining a hinge around which each containing drawer 12 can rotate by a certain angle with respect to the other containing drawer 12.

[0102] In accordance with a second embodiment (FIG. 6), alternative to the previous one, the two containing drawers 12 are configured as separate and distinct elements which, in use, are brought closer together in the manner described above, that is completely overlapping two side walls 15 of the various containing drawers 12 one above the other.

[0103] According to the various embodiments described herein, the spacing support 11, that is the containing drawers 12, are made starting from sheet material, for example paper, cardboard or paperboard having a suitable thickness to ensure the necessary mechanical strength.

[0104] In a preferred embodiment, the spacing support 11, and therefore the containing drawers 12 are made of corrugated cardboard having a homogeneous thickness of about 3.5 mm.

[0105] In other embodiments, the spacing support 11, and therefore the containment drawers 12, can also be made of materials other than those mentioned above, such as for example plastic.

[0106] The spacing kit 10 described above is configured to be introduced into a box-like package 23 (FIG. 9) having a body 24 configured to receive the spacing kit 10 (that is the spacing support 11 and the plurality of packets 100) which can be closed in a reclosable manner by a lid 25 consisting of two flaps 25A, 25B hinged to body 24.

[0107] The flaps 25A, 25B can be opened to have access inside the box-like package 23, for example to collect the packets 100 or to perform on them one or more processes, such as the application of the government stamp, and subsequently shut again to close the box-like package 23.

[0108] In one embodiment, an outer wrapping (not shown) is provided wrapped around the box-like package 23. The outer wrapping hermetically encloses the box-like package 23 and is applied at the end of all the processes, when the package is ready to be stored or shipped for subsequent marketing. The outer wrapping can for example consist of a thin and transparent film, for example made with polymeric materials known in the art (cellophane or similar).

[0109] With reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 a method for assembling a spacing kit 10 according to the present invention is now described.

[0110] In a first step, forming the two containing drawers 12 is required. In this step, providing the containing drawer 12 with the “U” shape by folding the side walls 15 with respect to the bottom wall 14 along the folding lines 16 so as to obtain the housing 13, is required.

[0111] In a second step, bringing closer together the two containing drawers 12 assembled in the previous step is required, so that the two housings 13 extend parallel to each other and to the longitudinal direction X.

[0112] In a third step, introducing an ordered group of packets of smoking articles 100 within the two housings 13 by the action of one or more thrusting members 105, which have been schematised with a dashed line in FIGS. 7 and 8, is required. As indicated by the arrows F1, preferably the spacing support 11 is kept stationary, while the thrusting members 105 move the group of packets 100 towards it.

[0113] Preferably, the thrusting members 105 have a shape complementary to that of the packets 100, not only finding the side wall of smaller extension 102 facing them, but also, at least partially, the lower wall 103 and the top wall 104. According to some embodiments, the thrusting members 105 can therefore have a “comb-like” configuration, with a base portion intended to find the side wall of smaller extension 102, and elongated portions (not shown), which extend from the base wall by penetrating into the spaces between two adjacent packages.

[0114] After the third introduction step, the method comprises a fourth step in which deformation is required, through deforming members 106 schematised in FIG. 8 as tips or punches, determined portions of at least one of the side walls 15 comprised in each containing drawer 12.

[0115] The portions of the side wall 15 that are deformed in the fourth step are intended to define the positioning elements 18.

[0116] Consequently, the portions being deformed are arranged in succession in the longitudinal direction X so as to be separated, one from the other, from the aforesaid distance D.

[0117] According to a preferred embodiment, during the fourth step, retracting the thrusting members 105 away from the packets 100 (arrow F2 in FIG. 8), so that there is a correlated movement between the thrusting members 105 and the deforming members 106, so that the gradual release of the thrusting members 105 from the packets 100 corresponds, as the portions are deformed, to a gradual introduction of the positioning elements 18 inside housings 13.

[0118] In this way, the packets 100 are always held and constrained, to prevent their relative movement with respect to the spacing support 11, initially by the thrusting members 105, and subsequently by the positioning elements 18, which define their respective positioning compartments 26.

[0119] With reference to FIGS. 3a and 3b, a method of use of the support and the spacing kit 11, 10 according to the present invention is briefly illustrated below, with particular reference to the application step of a government stamp, indicated with the reference number 110, on the packets of smoking articles 100.

[0120] FIG. 3b shows an ordered group of packets of traditional smoking articles, ordered according to two overlapped rows of five packets each.

[0121] FIG. 3a-3b allow to visually, immediately and intuitively compare the situation presented by using a spacing support 11 according to the present invention, which accommodates a plurality of “special” packets 100, having a smaller size than the standard size of traditional packets (FIG. 3a), in comparison with the recurring situation in the prior art, in which the government stamp 110 must be applied to a group of packets of traditional smoking articles, without the spacing support 11 (FIG. 3b).

[0122] As can be seen from the comparison between the figures, the outermost profile of the spacing support 11 delimits an area, which is identical to the total area occupied by the group of traditional packets. In other words, the spacing support 11 is shaped and sized in such a way as to compensate for the lower volumes occupied by the “special” packets so that the latter, when received by the spacing support 11, substantially occupy the same volumes as a group of traditional packets.

[0123] Moreover, from the comparison between the figures it is also possible to notice that the position of the government stamps remains unchanged in both cases. Due to the presence of the spacing support 11, the two-dimensional spatial “coordinates” in the X and Y directions of the government stamps 110, applied to the packets 100, remain identical to the corresponding “coordinates” of the homologous government stamps applied on traditional packets of smoking articles.

[0124] As shown in figures FIGS. 3a-3b, the distance, or centre distance, between the center of two government stamps 110 applied on two adjacent packets 100 is substantially equal to the distance D in the longitudinal direction X, and to the centre distance I, in the transverse direction Y.

[0125] It is evident that the shapes, the dimensional values and the thicknesses mentioned in the present description are merely illustrative, and can be modified, without thereby departing from the scope of protection of the present invention, depending on the sizes and shapes of the packets of smoking articles to be accommodated in spacing support 11. In fact, as can be deduced from the description of the comparison between the FIGS. 3a and 3b mentioned above, the spacing support 11 has related sizes and thicknesses, in particular complementary to those of the packet 100, which it must support, in order to maintain the same total volumes of a group of traditional packets and to arrange the packets in positions, such that the government stamp can be applied in the same positions (or “coordinates”) with respect to the conventional case.

[0126] It is clear that changes or additions or both changes and additions of parts or steps can be made to the support and to the spacing kit, to the method for assembling it and to the package enclosing it, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0127] It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person skilled in the art will certainly be able to realize many other equivalent forms of support and spacing kit, method and package, having the characteristics expressed in the claims and therefore all falling within the scope of protection defined by them.

[0128] In the claims that follow, the references in parentheses have the sole purpose of facilitating the reading and should not be considered as limiting factors with regard to the scope of protection implied in the specific claims.