CONTAINER WITH ADHESIVE INTERACTION PORTION, METHOD AND BLANK FOR FORMING THE SAME

Abstract

The invention provides a method of forming a container for aerosol generating articles, wherein a blank comprising at least one panel is provided, wherein the surface structure of the panel is opened in a central adhesive receiving area, before or after a local height variation in the panel is created by embossing, wherein the local height variation extends as an outer fluid guide element at least partially at the outside of the central adhesive receiving area. The central adhesive receiving area and the outer fluid guide element form an adhesive interaction portion in the panel. The invention further relates to a blank for forming a container, wherein the blank comprises several panels, and wherein at least one panel comprises an adhesive interaction portion, and to a container for consumer goods, formed from an according blank.

Claims

1. A method of forming a container for aerosol generating articles, comprising the following steps: i) providing a blank comprising at least one panel, ii) opening the surface structure of the panel in a central adhesive receiving area, and iii) creating by embossing a local height variation in the panel, wherein the local height variation extends as an outer fluid guide element at least partially at the outside of the central adhesive receiving area, wherein the central adhesive receiving area and the outer fluid guide element form an adhesive interaction portion in the panel.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fluid guide element is continuous but at least partially non-linear, such that it at least partially encompasses the central adhesive receiving area.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step ii) of opening comprises cutting the panel in the adhesive receiving area.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step ii) of opening comprises scratching or roughening the panel in the adhesive receiving area.

5. A blank for forming a container, wherein the blank comprises several panels, wherein at least one panel comprises an adhesive interaction portion, and wherein the adhesive interaction portion comprises an adhesive receiving area which is at least partially encompassed by a continuous, at least partially non-linear fluid guide element created by embossing.

6. The blank according to claim 5, wherein the fluid guide element fully and continuously encompasses the adhesive receiving area.

7. The blank according to claim 5, wherein the fluid guide element is formed by a depression in the panel.

8. The blank according to claim 5, wherein the fluid guide element is formed by two parallel depressions in the panel.

9. The blank according to claim 5, wherein in the adhesive receiving area, the surface structure of the panel is opened.

10. The blank according to claim 5, wherein in the adhesive receiving area, several subsequent incisions along a perforation line are provided.

11. The blank according to claim 5, wherein in the adhesive receiving area, incisions in several parallel perforation lines are provided.

12. A container for consumer goods, wherein the container is formed from a blank according to claim 5, wherein a container wall is formed from at least one of the panels, and wherein adhesive is provided in the adhesive receiving area of the adhesive interaction portion.

13. The container according to claim 12, wherein the adhesive connects a cover flap of an inner liner to a lid of the container.

14. The container according to claim 13, wherein the blank is made of cardboard and the cover flap comprises a polymer film, in particular metallised film.

15. The container according to claim 13, wherein the adhesive receiving area comprises incisions which extend substantially in the transverse direction of the container, which is a direction substantially perpendicular to the pull direction in between lid and cover flap when opening the container lid.

Description

[0068] The invention will now be further explained with reference to exemplary embodiments as shown in the following figures.

[0069] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a container according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0070] FIG. 2 shows a frontal perspective view of a container according to the embodiment of the invention;

[0071] FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a blank for forming a container according to the embodiment of the invention; and

[0072] FIG. 4 shows a magnification of the lid front wall panels of the blank according to FIG. 3.

[0073] In FIG. 1, a container 1 according to an embodiment of the invention is shown in a perspective view. The container 1 comprises several smoking articles 2, in particular cigarettes. The smoking articles 2 are each oriented in the longitudinal direction, which corresponds to the height direction 100, when the container 1 is in the upright orientation as shown in FIG. 1. The smoking articles 2 are arranged in several rows, in which smoking articles are provided adjacent to each other in the width direction 200. In particular, three rows of smoking articles 2 are provided parallel to each other in the depth direction 300 of the container 1.

[0074] The container comprises a box 3, which is substantially cup-shaped, and a lid 4, which is hingedly attached via a hinge line 5 at an upper end of a box back wall. The container box 3 further comprises a box right side wall 6, a box front wall 7, a box left side wall, and a box bottom wall. The lid 4 of the container 1 comprises a lid back wall attached via the hinge line 5 to the box back wall, a lid right side wall 8, a lid front wall 9, a lid left side wall 10 and a lid top wall. The respective container walls are arranged substantially perpendicular with respect to their adjacent container walls, such that the container 1 is substantially a cuboid, when the lid 4 is in its closed position.

[0075] In the container 1 an inner liner11 is provided, which comprises the smoking articles 2. The inner liner 11 serves the purpose of preserving the freshness of the smoking articles 2. This is particularly important, if the smoking articles 2 comprise volatile components, such as for example, menthol flavor, which may otherwise evaporate. The inner liner 11 comprises an opening 12 extending from the upper front side to the upper side of the box. The opening 12 can be closed by a cover flap 13. The inner liner 11 may fully enclose the smoking articles 2. The inner liner 11 may at least be partially formed by a metallised foil. The cover flap 13 is provided as a separate label, fixed with permanent adhesive at the rear side of the opening 12. In the outer region 14 at the front and sides of the cover flap 13 and/or in the region 15 below and at the sides of the opening 12, non-permanent, low tack adhesive is provided to enable the sealing of the opening 12 by means of the cover flap 13.

[0076] To enable that the cover flap 13 is opened, when the lid 4 is hinged into an open position as shown in FIG. 1, the cover flap 13 is fixed by means of permanent adhesive, in particular permanent glue, to the inner side of the lower end of the lid front wall 9. As the adhesive is supplied very close to the corner edge of the lid front wall, on one hand, there is the risk that some of the adhesive would come in contact with the box of the containers known in the prior art. This could cause that the lid 4 and the box 3 are involuntarily fixed together by means of adhesive, preventing a smooth opening of the container 1. On the other hand, it is very important that the connection in between the cover flap 13 and the lid 4 does not fail, as then the opening of the cover flap 13 would not be effected anymore by opening the lid 4. In FIG. 2, the container 1 is shown in a perspective upper front side view, wherein the lid 4 is again in the open position with respect to the box 3. However, the cover flap 13 is not yet fixed to the lid 4, and therefore, it still remains in its closed position covering the opening 12 of the inner liner 11.

[0077] At the inner side of the lid front wall 9, an adhesive interaction portion 16 is provided, comprising an outer fluid guide element 17 and a central adhesive receiving area 18.

[0078] In the central adhesive receiving area 18 openings are provided in the surface structure of the inner lid front wall 9. The opening may enable to increase the surface of the wall interacting with the adhesive. In particular, in the central adhesive receiving area 18, at least one perforation line is provided, which is formed by several subsequent incisions into the material of the lid front wall 9 along a line.

[0079] The outer fluid guide element 17 is a depressed channel, extending fully around the central adhesive receiving area 18. The cover flap 13 is connected to the lid 4, by a permanent adhesive connection in between the outside of the cover flap 13 in the region near the lower edge of the closed cover flap 13, as seen in FIG. 2 and the inner side of the lid front wall 9 in the region of the central adhesive receiving area 18.

[0080] In FIG. 3, a blank according to an embodiment of the invention is shown, which enables to form a container according to an embodiment of the invention. In the blank according to FIG. 3, dotted lines indicate folding lines via which the panels depend from each other.

[0081] The box right side wall is formed by the outer box right side wall panel 19 and the inner box right side wall panel 20, the box front wall 7 is formed by the box front wall panel 21, the box left side wall is formed by the outer box left side wall panel 22 and the inner box left side wall panel 23. The box bottom wall is formed by the box bottom wall panel 24, and the box back wall is formed by the box back wall panel 25.

[0082] The lid right side wall is formed by the outer lid right side wall panel 26 and the inner lid right side wall panel 27. The lid front wall 9 is formed by the outer lid front wall panel 28 and the inner lid front wall panel 29. The lid left side wall 10 is formed by the outer lid left side wall panel 30 and the inner lid left side wall panel 31. The lid top wall is formed by the lid top wall panel 32. The lid rear wall is formed by the lid rear wall panel 33. The lid rear wall panel 33 and the box rear wall panel 25 depend from each other via the hinge line 5.

[0083] The respective panels forming the container walls are connected to each other by means of adhesive. Not shown in the figures, the inventive adhesive interaction portion may be provided on any of these panels, preferably on the outside of the respective inner panel forming a container wall.

[0084] The inner lid front wall panel 29 has the same width and a height of at least 50% of the outer lid front wall panel 28. Depending on the embodiment, the inner lid front wall panel 29 has the same size or at least at least 90% of the size, at least 80% of the size, at least 70% of the size or at least 60% of the size of the outer lid front wall panel 28. This enables a stable connection in between the outer lid front wall panel 28 and inner lid front wall panel 29 by means of adhesive.

[0085] In particular, the blank is made from a coated cardboard material, i.e. a cardboard material which is provided on the outside thereof with a coating, preferably in the form of a polymer film. In other embodiments, the blank may be manufactured from a highly compact cardboard. These materials share the property that their surface is substantially closed.

[0086] To enable a strong permanent connection of the cover flap 13 with the inner lid front wall panel 29, the material of the inner lid front wall panel 29 is opened in the central adhesive receiving area 18, in particular by providing four parallel perforation lines 34, 35, 36, 37. The perforation lines 34, 35, 36, 37 break the closed surface of the panel 29 to allow a penetration of the adhesive into the panel 29. Preferably, the perforation lines 34, 35, 36, 37 are formed by several subsequent incisions each.

[0087] The incisions may fully or partially penetrate the inner lid front wall panel 29. As the inner lid front wall panel 29 is not visible from the outside of the closed container, but only the outer lid front wall panel 28, fully penetrating incisions are not visible from the outside of the container. In other embodiments only one, two, three, five or more than five parallel perforations lines may be provided. Instead of a straight perforations line, a perforation curve may be provided. Several perforation curves may be arranged in parallel.

[0088] The length of the lowest perforation line 34 may be shorter than the length of the other perforation lines. The other perforation lines 35, 36, 37 may have the same length.

[0089] In the present embodiment more than 100 cuts are provided in total for all perforation lines

[0090] Preferably, more than 20 cuts per perforation line may be provided.

[0091] Each cut may have a length of 0.5 mm (millimeters) to 1.5 mm, preferably 1 mm. The distance in between the incisions in the perforation line may be equal to or more than 0.25 mm or equal to or more than 0.5 mm, preferably 0.5 mm.

[0092] In embodiments, where the perforation lines fully penetrate the inner lid front wall panel 29, they may also have a positive effect on the adhesive connection in between the outer lid front wall panel 28 and the inner lid front wall panel 29.

[0093] The adhesive for the connection in between the outer lid front wall panel 28 and inner lid front wall panel 29 is provided on the other side of the inner lid front wall panel 29 than the adhesive in the adhesive interaction portion. The inner lid front wall panel 29 is generally folded by about 180 degrees from the position as shown in FIG. 3 onto the inner side of the outer front lid wall panel 28 and permanently connected thereto by means of adhesive. The adhesive for connection of the panels 28, 29 may be provided in a separate region of the inner lid front wall panel 29 than the adhesive interaction portion 16.

[0094] The arrangement of the adhesive interaction portion 16 in the inner lid front wall panel 29 enables that same not visible from the outside of the closed container 1, even if the outer fluid guide element 17 is formed by embossing or debossing, which deforms both sides of the inner lid front wall panel 29.

[0095] The adhesive interaction portion 16 on the inner lid front wall panel 29 is shown in more detail in the magnification of FIG. 4.

[0096] The adhesive interaction portion 16 comprises the outer fluid guide element 17, which fully encompasses the central adhesive receiving area 18. The outer fluid guide element 17 is formed by two parallely extending local height variations 38, 39, in particular in the form of a debossed channel, respectively. The local height variations 38, 39 provide a reservoir for receiving surplus adhesive which is distributed when the cover flap 13 is pressed to the adhesive interaction portion 16 with a liquid adhesive arranged in between. The depth of the local height variations in the form of the debossed channels is preferably in between 8-20 m (micrometers). Thus, a reliable bonding in between the cover flap 13 and the inner lid front wall panel 29 can be obtained, while the double debossed channels prevent that adhesive travels outside the outer fluid guide element 17.

[0097] Preferably, at the lower right and left corners 40, 41 of the outer fluid guide element, a radius is provided for the local height variations 38, 39 in form of the double debossed channels. However, at the upper right and left corners 42, 43 of the local height variations 38, 39, a lower radius or even a perpendicular corner is provided. An accordingly formed outer fluid guide element 17 may provide a beneficial transmission of force in between the cover flap 13 and the adhesive interaction portion 16 via the adhesive.

[0098] The lower side of the outer fluid guide element 17 with the rounded corners 40, 41 enables that adhesive is maintained in a distance from the edge of the cover flap 13, and may thus prevent that adhesive reaches the region where an involuntary connection of the lid to the box could occur.

[0099] In the following, an embodiment of a method according to the invention will be explained. Initially, a blank is cut from a cardboard material, having the shape and cutting lines as shown in FIG. 3. The material of the blank has a closed surface, in particular a compressed cardboard surface or a surface coating, for example by a polymer coating.

[0100] The blank is provided with folding lines shown as dotted lines in FIG. 3, preferably in the form of creasing lines. A fluid guide element 17 with two parallel local height variations 38, 39 in the form of a double debossed channel is formed in the lower part of the inner lid front wall panel 29 by means of an embossing tool. The fluid guide element 17 encompasses a central adhesive receiving area 18. Several incisions, in particular in the form of perforation lines 34, 35, 36, 37 are cut with a knife in the central adhesive receiving area 1, breaking the surface of the blank. This allows that liquid adhesive may penetrate into the panel in a later step of the method.

[0101] An inner liner 11 is cut from an inner liner material, preferably a metallised paper or a polymer foil. The inner liner 11 comprises an opening 12, which is closed by means of a cover flap 13. The cover flap 13 is permanently connected to the remaining inner liner 11 at one side of the opening 12 using permanent adhesive, and on the other three sides of the opening 12 using non-permanent, re-stick adhesive.

[0102] Then, the inner liner 11 is folded around a bundle of smoking articles 2 and closed by adhesive connections. Preferably, the inner liner 11 provides a gas-tight packaging for the smoking articles, to preserve their freshness.

[0103] The inner liner 11 together with the smoking articles 2 is then arranged on the aforementioned blank, and the blank is wrapped around same, wherein the respective panels forming the walls are connected by means of adhesive to each other.

[0104] To permanently connect the cover flap 13 to the inner side of the lid front wall 9, liquid adhesive is provided in the region near the lower edge of the closed cover flap 13 and/or on the inner side of the lid front wall 9 inside the central adhesive receiving area 18. The adhesive is applied in a viscous liquid state and travels, when the inner lid front wall 9 is pressed against the cover flap 13. In particular, the adhesive travels into the openings in the surface structure of the central adhesive receiving area 18 and at least partially to and into the outer fluid guide element 17, which receives any unnecessary surplus of adhesive and therefore prevents that same flows outside the area encompassed by the outer fluid guide element 17. Furthermore, the outer fluid guide element 17 enables that adhesive travels along its extension direction and therefore supports the distribution of adhesive in the whole of the adhesive interaction portion 16. The adhesive interaction portion 16 enables a stable connection in between the lower side of the cover flap 13 and the inner side of the lid front wall 9.

[0105] The connection in between the cover flap 13 and the inner side of the lid front wall 9 may be effected at the same time as the connection of the panels of the container 1 to each other. Furthermore, the inner liner 11 may be connected by adhesive to the inner side of at least one wall of the box 3, where an inventive adhesive interaction portion may be provided.

[0106] When the container 1 is opened by hinging the lid 4, the cover flap 13 is automatically lifted, while the non-permanent re-stick connection in between the cover flap 13 and the inner liner 11 opens. Accordingly, the smoking articles 2 can be accessed through the opening 12 as shown in FIG. 1. When the container 1 is closed, the cover flap 13 moves together with the lid 4 and is brought back into the non-permanent, re-stick connection with the inner liner, closing the opening 12 substantially gas-tight. Due to the inventive adhesive interaction portion 16, it is possible that the container 1 may be opened and closed many times, without failing of the adhesive connection in between cover flap 13 and the lid front wall 9.