Container having a movable wall

Abstract

A container for consumer goods is provided, including a box including a bottom wall, two side walls, a back box wall, a front wall, a movable container back wall, and a lid. The movable container back wall depends along a first fold line from the box, is movable about the first fold line between an open position and a closed position, and at least partially overlies the back box wall when in the closed position. The lid depends along a hinge line from the movable container back wall and is movable between the open and the closed positions. A first and a second compartment each configured to receive the consumer goods are located in the box, the first compartment is accessible when the lid is in the open position, and the second compartment is accessible when both the lid and the movable container back wall are in respective open positions.

Claims

1. A container for consumer goods, comprising: a box comprising a bottom wall, two side walls, a back box wall, and a front wall; a movable container back wall depending along a first fold line from the box, wherein the movable container back wall is movable about the first fold line between an open position and a closed position, and at least partially overlies the back box wall when the movable container back wall is in the closed position; a lid depending along a hinge line from the movable container back wall, the lid being movable between an open lid position and a closed lid position; a first compartment configured to receive consumer goods and located in the box, wherein the first compartment is accessible when the lid is in the open lid position; and a second compartment configured to receive the consumer goods and located in the box, wherein the second compartment is accessible when both the lid and the movable container back wall are in their respective open positions.

2. The container according to claim 1, further comprising an aperture in the back box wall, wherein the movable container back wall at least partially covers the aperture when the movable container back wall is in the closed position, and wherein the aperture is configured to permit access to the second compartment when the movable container back wall is moved from the closed position to the open position.

3. The container according to claim 2, wherein the second compartment is connected to the movable container back wall, and wherein the second compartment moves through the aperture in the back box wall when the movable container back wall moves between the open and closed positions.

4. The container according to claim 1, further comprising at least one frangible portion connecting a part of the movable container back wall to the box, wherein the at least one frangible portion retains the movable container back wall in the closed position, and wherein the at least one frangible portion is broken upon first moving the movable container back wall into the open position.

5. The container according to claim 1, further comprising an aerosol-generating article within at least one of the first and second compartments.

6. A method of forming a container for consumer goods, the method comprising: folding a first laminar blank to form a first compartment configured to receive consumer goods; folding a second laminar blank to form a second compartment configured to receive the consumer goods; securing the first and second compartments to a third laminar blank; folding the third laminar blank around the first and second compartments to form a box comprising a bottom wall, two side walls, and a front wall; securing the folded third laminar blank to a fourth laminar blank; and folding the fourth laminar blank to form a movable container back wall and a lid, wherein the movable container back wall depends along a first fold line from the box and is movable about the first fold line between an open position and a closed position, wherein the lid depends along a hinge line from the movable container back wall and is movable between an open lid position and a closed lid position, wherein the first compartment is accessible when the lid is in the open lid position, and wherein the second compartment is accessible when both the lid and the movable container back wall are in their respective open positions.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of folding the third laminar blank to form the box further comprises folding the third laminar blank to form a back box wall, and wherein the movable container back wall overlies the back box wall when the movable container back wall is in the closed position.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the third laminar blank comprises a first side, a second side, and a line of weakening, wherein the step of securing the first and second compartments to the third laminar blank comprises securing a back wall of each of the first and second compartments to the first side of the third laminar blank, wherein the step of folding the third laminar blank further comprises folding the third laminar blank around the first and second compartments to form a back box wall and a first movable back panel, the first movable back panel being delineated by the line of weakening and the first fold line, wherein the first compartment is secured to the back box wall and wherein the second compartment is secured to the first movable back panel, wherein the step of folding the fourth laminar blank further comprises folding the fourth laminar blank to form a second movable back panel and the lid depending from the second movable back panel, and wherein the step of securing the folded third laminar blank to the fourth laminar blank comprises securing the second movable back panel of the fourth laminar blank to the second side of the first movable back panel of the third laminar blank so that the first and second movable back panels together form the movable container back wall.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the line of weakening comprises at least one frangible portion connecting the first movable back panel to the back box wall, wherein the at least one frangible portion retains the movable container back wall in the closed position, and wherein the at least one frangible portion is broken upon first moving the movable container back wall into the open position.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein an edge of the first movable back panel defines an aperture in the back box wall, wherein the movable container back wall covers the aperture when the movable container back wall is in the closed position, and wherein the aperture is configured to permit access to the second compartment when the movable container back wall is moved from the closed position to the open position.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the second compartment moves through the aperture in the back box wall when the movable container back wall moves between the open and closed positions.

12. The method according to claim 6, wherein the steps of folding the first and second laminar blanks further comprise folding at least one of the first and second laminar blanks around an aerosol-generating article.

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 prior art hinge-lid container;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a front perspective view of a hinge-lid container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a rear perspective view of the hinge-lid container of FIG. 2;

(5) FIG. 4 shows an outer laminar blank for forming part of the hinge-lid container of FIG. 2;

(6) FIG. 5 shows an inner laminar blank for forming part of the hinge-lid container of FIG. 2;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a blank for forming a compartment within the hinge-lid container of FIG. 2; and

(8) FIGS. 7 to 12 shows the step of assembling the blanks of FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 to form the container of FIG. 2.

(9) FIG. 1 shows a prior art hinge-lid container 10 for housing a plurality of aerosol-generating articles, such as a bundle of cigarettes. The container 10 comprises a box 12 and a lid 14 depending along a hinge line from a back wall of the box 12. The box 12 defines a single compartment in which the aerosol-generating articles are housed.

(10) An inner frame 16 is attached to an inner surface of the box 12 and extends above a top edge of the box 12. The inner frame 16 defines an aperture 18 through which the aerosol-generating articles can be removed when the lid 14 is in an open position. The lid 14 is shown between the open position and a closed position in FIG. 1. Typically, the box 12 and the lid 14 are formed from a first laminar blank, and the inner frame 16 is formed from a second laminar blank.

(11) FIGS. 2 and 3 show a hinge-lid container 20 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The container 20 comprises a box 22 and a lid 24 depending along a hinge line 26 from a movable back wall 28 of the container 20. The movable container back wall 28 is shown more clearly in FIG. 3, together with a box back wall 30. The movable container back wall 28 depends, at its bottom edge, along a fold line 32 from a bottom wall of the box 22, and the lid 24 depends along the hinge line 26 from a top edge of the movable container back wall 28. The movable container back wall 28 is movable about the fold line 32 between a closed position in which it lies against the box back wall 30 and an open position shown in FIG. 3.

(12) A first compartment 34 for receiving one or more consumer goods is provided on the box back wall 30, the first compartment 34 located in an upper portion of the box 22. A second compartment 36 for receiving one or more consumer goods is provided on the movable container back wall 28 and extends through an aperture 38 in the box back wall 30 into a lower portion of the box 22 when the movable container back wall 28 is in the closed position. When the movable container back wall 28 is moved into the open position shown in FIG. 3, the second compartment 36 is moved through the aperture 38 and outside of the lower portion of the box 22.

(13) Advantageously, the hinge-lid container 20 in accordance with the present invention has the same external dimensions and appearance as the conventional hinge-lid container 10 shown in FIG. 1, when the lids are in the closed positions. However, the first and second compartments 34 and 36 of the hinge-lid container 20 in accordance with the present invention can accommodate consumer goods that are smaller than the consumer goods housed within the conventional container 10. For example, the first and second compartments 34 and 36 can house aerosol-generating articles for use with an electrically operated smoking system, which may be significantly shorter than conventional filter cigarettes that may be housed within the conventional hinge-lid container 10.

(14) To access the first compartment 34, the user need only open the lid 24 of the hinge-lid container 20. To access the second compartment 36, the user must first open the lid 24 and then move the movable container back wall 28 into the open position.

(15) FIG. 4 shows an outer laminar blank 40 for forming the lid 24, the movable container back wall 28 and a first box bottom panel of the hinge-lid container 20 of FIGS. 2 and 3. Dashed lines indicate folding lines and solid lines indicate cut lines and edges of the blank.

(16) The outer laminar blank 40 comprises an outer movable back panel 42, movable portion flaps 44, and a first box bottom panel 46 depending along a fold line from a bottom edge of the outer movable back panel 42. A lid back panel 48 depends along a fold line from a top edge of the outer movable back panel 42, a lid top panel 50 depends along a fold line from a top edge of the lid back panel 48, a lid front panel 52 depends along a fold line from a top edge of the lid top panel 50, and a reinforcing under panel 54 depends along a fold line from a top edge of the lid front panel 52. A first set of lid side flaps 56 depend along fold lines from the lid back panel 48 and a second set of lid side flaps 58 depend along fold lines from the lid front panel 52. Lid top flaps 60 depend along fold lines from the lid top panel 50.

(17) FIG. 5 shows an inner laminar blank 70 for forming the box 22 of the hinge-lid container 20 of FIGS. 2 and 3. Dashed lines indicate folding lines and solid lines indicate cut lines and edges of the blank.

(18) The inner laminar blank 70 comprises a second box bottom panel 72 and a box front panel 74 depending along a fold line from a bottom edge of the second box bottom panel 72. A back panel 76 depends along a fold line 78 from a top edge of the second box bottom panel 72, the back panel 76 comprising a perforation line 80. The portion of the back panel 76 delineated by the perforation line 80 and the fold line 78 along the top edge of the second box bottom panel 72 forms an inner movable back panel 82. The remainder of the back panel 76 forms a box back wall 84.

(19) Box side flaps 86 depend along fold lines from side edges of the box front panel 74 and inner frame side panels 88 depend along fold lines from side edges of the box back wall 84. Inner frame front flaps 90 extend along fold lines from side edges of the inner frame side panels 88.

(20) FIG. 6 shows a laminar blank 100 for forming a compartment of the hinge-lid container 20 of FIGS. 2 and 3. Dashed lines indicate folding lines and solid lines indicate cut lines and edges of the blank.

(21) The laminar blank 100 comprises a compartment front panel 102, a compartment bottom panel 104 depending along a fold line from a bottom edge of the compartment front panel 102, and a first compartment back flap 106 depending along a fold line from the compartment bottom panel 104. Compartment side panels 108 depend along fold lines from side edges of the compartment front panel 102, and second and third compartment back flaps 110 and 112 depend along fold lines from side edges of the compartment side panels 108.

(22) To form a compartment for the hinge-lid housing 20, the laminar blank 100 is folded so that the compartment bottom panel 104 forms a bottom wall of the compartment and the compartment side panels 108 form side walls of the compartment. The laminar blank 100 is also folded so that the second and third compartment back flaps 110 and 112 abut or partially overlap each other as well as both overlapping the first compartment back flap 106. The first, second and third compartment back flaps 106, 110 and 112 together form a back wall of the compartment. The second and third compartment back flaps 110 and 112 are adhered to the first compartment back flap 106 to retain the laminar blank 100 in the folded state. A folded laminar blank 100 forming a compartment is shown in FIG. 7.

(23) To form a hinge-lid container 20 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, two compartments as shown in FIG. 7 are provided, at least one of the compartments housing one or more consumer goods. The consumer goods may be inserted into the compartment after the laminar blank 100 has been folded to form the compartment, or the laminar blank 100 may be folded around the one or more consumer goods when forming the compartment.

(24) As shown in FIG. 8, the two compartments are secured to the back panel 76 on the inner laminar blank 70. One of the compartments is secured to the box back wall 84 to form the first compartment 34 and the other compartment is secured to the inner movable back panel 82 to form the second compartment 36. The compartments may be secured to the inner laminar blank 70 using a suitable adhesive.

(25) The inner frame side panels 88 and the inner frame front flaps 90 of the inner laminar blank 70 are then folded around the first and second compartments 34 and 36 to form first and second inner frame portions 120 and 122, as shown in FIG. 9.

(26) Next, the second box bottom panel 72 is folded underneath the second compartment 36, and the box front panel 74 is folded over the front of the first and second inner frame portions 120 and 122 so that they together form a box front wall 124. The box side flaps 86 are folded around the sides of the first and second inner frame portions 120 and 122 so that they together form box side walls.

(27) To prepare the outer laminar blank 40 for receiving the folded inner laminar blank 70, the movable portion flaps 44 are folded over and preferably adhered to an inner surface of the outer movable back panel 42 to reinforce the outer movable back panel 42.

(28) To further prepare the outer laminar blank 40 for receiving the folded inner laminar blank 70, the reinforcing under panel 54 is folded over and preferably adhered to an inner surface of the lid front panel 52, and the lid top flaps 60 are folded over and preferably adhered to an inner surface of the lid top panel 50.

(29) As shown in FIG. 11, the folded inner laminar blank 70 containing the first and second compartments 34 and 36 is secured to the prepared outer laminar blank 40. Specifically, the outer surface of the inner movable back panel 82 is adhered to the inner surface of the outer movable back panel 42 and the folded movable portion flaps 44, and the outer surface of the second box bottom panel 72 is adhered to the inner surface of the first box bottom panel 46. The outer movable back panel 42, the folded movable portion flaps 44 and the inner movable back panel 82 together form the movable container back wall 28. The first and second box bottom panels 46 and 72 together form the bottom wall of the box.

(30) Finally, the lid top panel 50, the lid front panel 52, and the first and second sets of lid side flaps 56 and 58 are folded to form the lid 24, as shown in FIG. 12. To maintain the lid panels and flaps in their folded positions, each of the second lid side flaps 58 overlaps and is adhered to the corresponding first lid side flap 56 to form a lid side wall.