CONTAINER WITH INNER STIFFENER FOR SMOKING ARTICLES, INNER STIFFENER, METHOD

Abstract

A container (10) for smoking articles (30) having an outer housing comprising a box (12) and a lid (14) hingedly attached to the box, an inner liner (20) disposed within the housing, the inner liner defining an interior volume for the smoking articles, the inner liner being sealed around the smoking articles and having an access opening (26) with a closure flap. An inner stiffener (50) having at least side walls (58) hingedly connected to a main panel (52) for at least partially (52) being hingedly connected to a bottom panel (54) that includes a stepped region (60) for receiving at least part of a smoking article provided in line with the access surrounding the smoking articles is provided within the inner liner, the main panel

Claims

1. A container for smoking articles, comprising: a plurality of smoking articles; an outer housing comprising a box and a lid hingedly attached to the box, wherein the box comprises a front wall, a rear wall and opposing side walls; an inner liner disposed within the housing, the inner liner defining an interior volume for the smoking articles, the inner liner being sealed around the smoking articles and having an access opening with a closure flap; and an inner stiffener having at least side walls hingedly connected to a main panel for at least partially surrounding the smoking articles within the inner liner, the main panel being hingedly connected to a bottom panel; wherein the bottom panel includes a stepped region for receiving at least part of a smoking article provided in line with the access opening.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein the stepped region of the bottom panel raises the smoking article partially through the access opening relative to the other smoking articles outside of the stepped region.

3. The container of claim 1 wherein the depth and width of the stepped region corresponds to at least a radius of at least one smoking article.

4. The container of claim 3 wherein the depth and width of the stepped region corresponds to a diameter of at least one smoking article.

5. The container of claim 1 wherein the access opening extends partially into the front wall of the container and the main panel is a front panel, the stepped region of the bottom panel being provided by a hinge line between the front and bottom panels, the hinge line being at least partially stepped inwardly to create a ledge in line with the access opening.

6. The container of claim 1 wherein the access opening extends partially into the rear wall of the container and the main panel is a rear panel, the stepped region of the bottom panel being provided by a hinge line between the rear and bottom panels, the hinge line being at least partially stepped inwardly to create a ledge in line with the access opening.

7. The container of claim 1 wherein a pair of substantially parallel longitudinal cut lines extends across the hinge line of the main and bottom panels and three substantially parallel traverse crease lines are provided between the cut lines for folding to form the stepped region.

8. The container of claim 7 wherein a first crease line extends between ends of the cut lines in the main panel, a second crease line extends between ends of the cut line in the bottom panel and a third crease line is provided between the first and second crease lines.

9. The container of claim 8 wherein the third crease line is provided substantially centrally between the first and second crease lines but is displaced with respect to the hinge line of the main and bottom panels.

10. An inner stiffener member for placement around a charge of smoking articles to be used in a container according to claim 1, the inner stiffener comprising at least side walls hingedly connected to a main panel for placement adjacent a face and sides of a charge of smoking articles respectively and a bottom panel hingedly connected to the main panel wherein a pair of substantially parallel longitudinal cut lines extend across the hinge line of the main and bottom panels and three substantially parallel traverse crease lines are provided between the cut lines for folding to form a stepped region.

11. The inner stiffener of claim 10 wherein a first crease line extends between ends of the cut lines in the main panel, a second crease line extends between ends of the cut line in the bottom panel and a third crease line is provided between the first and second crease lines.

12. The inner stiffener of claim 11 wherein the third crease line is provided substantially centrally between the first and second crease lines but is displaced with respect to the hinge line of the main and bottom panels.

13. The inner stiffener of claim 10, wherein the main panel is a front or rear panel of the inner stiffener or both.

14. A method of packaging a charge of smoking articles, the method comprising: placing on a main panel of an inner stiffener a plurality of smoking articles in a predetermined location and angular orientation to form a charge of smoking articles, the inner stiffener including at least side walls and a bottom panel hingedly connected to the main panel, the bottom panel including a collapsed stepped region; folding the side walls to lie adjacent sides of the charge of smoking articles; folding the bottom panel to lie adjacent ends of the charge of smoking articles; extending the stepped region inwardly towards the smoking articles to misalign at least one smoking article relative to the other smoking articles; and wrapping and sealing an inner liner around the inner stiffener and charge of smoking articles to form an inner bundle.

15. A method of claim 14 further comprising folding a laminar blank around the inner bundle to form an outer housing containing the bundle of smoking articles.

Description

[0029] Referring now to the drawings, in which some aspects of the invention are illustrated.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective front view of a container according to an embodiment of the invention, shown with the outer housing and an inner liner in an open position and illustrating with phantom lines the position of an inner stiffener;

[0031] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a closed inner bundle illustrating the positioning of the smoking articles;

[0032] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of an inner stiffener for a container according to the present invention; and

[0033] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the stepped region of the inner stiffener shown in FIG. 3.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a container 10 for smoking articles is depicted. The container 10 includes an outer housing in the form of a box 12 and a lid 14 hingedly attached to the box via a hinge line 18. The hinge line 18 extends across the back of the box 14 of the container 10, and acts to allow the lid 14 to be moved from a closed position (not shown) to an open position (shown). An inner liner 20 is disposed within the housing. The inner liner 20 is made from a barrier material or materials to substantially hermetically seal the smoking articles before the container is opened for the first time. The barrier material may be a metal foil or a plastic and metal laminate.

[0035] The inner liner 20 is made from a sheet of material with the liner being wrapped around a bundle of smoking articles, for example cigarettes 30, to form an inner bundle having a front wall 20a, a back wall 20b, opposing side walls 20c, a bottom wall 20d and top wall 20e. A permanent adhesive is used to seal overlapping folded regions 22 of the sheet thereby sealing the goods within the bundle. An access opening 26 is provided in the top and front walls for accessing the contents of the bundle, the opening having a resealable tab 24.

[0036] The inner bundle also includes an inner stiffener 50 disposed within the inner liner 20. An inner frame (not shown) may also be provided between the inner liner and the box. The inner stiffener is made from a cardboard blank (see FIGS. 3 and 4) that at least partially surrounds the smoking articles within the bundle to impart strength to the bundle and includes a stepped region providing the additional function of raising one or more of the smoking articles contained within the bundle relative to other articles to allow easier access to the contents of the container.

[0037] In one embodiment, the inner stiffener 50 has opposing side walls 58 hingedly connected by crease lines 57 to a front panel 52 for at least partially surrounding the smoking articles 30 within the inner liner 20. The top edge of the front panel 52 is provided with a recess 56. The front panel is also hingedly connected by crease lines 55 to a bottom panel 54 that includes a stepped region 60 for receiving at least part of a smoking article provided in line with the access opening 26. The stepped region 60 within the inner stiffener blank 50 is formed from a series of parallel cuts and crease lines provided in the front and bottom panels, as shown in FIG. 3 and in expanded detail in FIG. 4.

[0038] Two parallel longitudinal cut lines 61 of substantially equal length are located centrally across hinge line 55. Transverse crease lines 62a, 62c are provided between the corresponding ends of the cut lines 61 and a third transverse crease line 62b extends between the cut lines centrally between crease lines 62a, 62c to divide the region bounded by the longitudinal cut lines 61 and crease lines 62a, 62c into two equal parts D1 and D2 (see FIG. 4). Crease line 62b is misaligned with the hinge line 55 between the front and bottom panels. In this manner, when the front and bottom panels are folded substantially perpendicularly to one another to surround the smoking articles, a stepped region 60 is formed between the panels to raise one or more of the articles that are in contact with the stepped region of the stiffener.

[0039] It is to be appreciated that the length of the longitudinal cut lines 61 and the distance between the lines will depend upon the number of smoking articles to be received on the stepped region formed from the lines. For example, the depth and width of the stepped region may correspond at least to the radius of a single smoking article, more preferably being at least about 70 percent of the diameter of a single smoking article.

[0040] The stepped region could be provided elsewhere on the bottom panel of the stiffener. For example, a back panel may be provided hingedly connected to the bottom panel with a stepped region provided across the hinge line. This would serve to raise the final smoking article in the bundle to provide easier access to this article in the bundle. Also, depending on the position of the access opening, also a position of the step on a side wall of the inner stiffener would be possible.

[0041] Packaging of the smoking articles is achieved by placing a plurality of smoking articles 30 on the main panel 52 of the inner stiffener 50 in a predetermined location and angular orientation to form a charge of smoking articles. The side walls 58 of the inner stiffener are folded inwardly to lie adjacent sides of the charge of smoking articles and the bottom panel 54 of the stiffener is folded to lie adjacent ends of the charge of smoking articles. Folding the bottom panel 54 inwardly towards the main panel 52 causes a stepped region 60 to be formed by means of the cut lines 61 and crease lines 62a, 62b, 62c which raises at least one smoking article that contacts the stepped region relative to the other smoking articles. An inner liner 20 is then wrapped and sealed around the inner stiffener and charge of smoking articles to form an inner bundle. A laminar blank is folded around the inner bundle to form the outer housing 10 containing the bundle of smoking articles. A transparent outer wrapping film with tear tape (not shown) may be sealed around the outer housing.