CONTAINER HAVING IMPROVED APPEARANCE

Abstract

There is provided a container (10) for consumer goods, the container (10) being at least partially formed from a blank (100) having a thickness (T). The container (10) comprises a top wall (12), a bottom wall, a front wall (14), a rear wall (16), and first and second side walls (18, 20). A top wall front edge (22), a bottom wall front edge (30), a first side wall front edge (38), and a second side wall front edge (42) together extend along a first plane. A top wall rear edge (24), a bottom wall rear edge (32), a first side wall rear edge (40), and a second side wall rear edge (44) together extend along a second plane. At least one of the front wall (14) and the rear wall (16) comprises an ablation area, wherein any ablation area on the front wall (14) comprises at least one ablated line (46, 48, 50, 52, 54) extending across the inner surface of the front wall (14) to define a portion (56) of the front wall (14) that is spaced outwardly from the first plane, and wherein any ablation area on the rear wall (16) comprises at least one ablated line (58, 60, 62, 64, 66) extending across the inner surface of the rear wall (16) to define a portion of the rear wall (16) that is spaced outwardly from the second plane. Each ablated line has a residual thickness (RT1) that is less than the thickness (T) of the laminar blank (100).

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A container for consumer goods, the container being at least partially formed from a blank having a thickness (T), the container comprising: a top wall comprising a top wall front edge, a top wall rear edge, and first and second top wall side edges; a bottom wall comprising a bottom wall front edge, a bottom wall rear edge, and first and second bottom wall side edges; a front wall extending from the top wall front edge to the bottom wall front edge; a rear wall extending from the top wall rear edge to the bottom wall rear edge; a first side wall extending between the first top wall side edge and the first bottom wall side edge, the first side wall being connected to the front wall by a first side wall front edge and the first side wall being connected to the rear wall by a first side wall rear edge; and a second side wall extending between the second top wall side edge and the second bottom wall side edge, the second side wall being connected to the front wall by a second side wall front edge and the second side wall being connected to the rear wall by a second side wall rear edge; wherein the top wall front edge, the bottom wall front edge, the first side wall front edge, and the second side wall front edge together extend along a first plane; wherein the top wall rear edge, the bottom wall rear edge, the first side wall rear edge, and the second side wall rear edge together extend along a second plane; wherein at least one of the front wall and the rear wall comprises an ablation area, wherein any ablation area on the front wall comprises at least one ablated line extending across the inner surface of the front wall to define a portion of the front wall that is spaced outwardly from the first plane, and wherein any ablation area on the rear wall comprises at least one ablated line extending across the inner surface of the rear wall to define a portion of the rear wall that is spaced outwardly from the second plane; wherein each ablated line has a residual thickness (RT1) that is less than the thickness (T) of the laminar blank; and wherein at least one ablated line of any ablation area on the front wall extends from at least one of the top wall front edge, the bottom wall front edge, the first side wall front edge, and the second side wall front edge, and wherein at least one ablated line of any ablation area on the rear wall extends from at least one of the top wall rear edge, the bottom wall rear edge, the first side wall rear edge, and the second side wall rear edge.

17. A container according to claim 16, wherein any ablation area on the front wall comprises a first front ablated line extending from the intersection of the top wall front edge and the first side wall front edge, and a second front ablated line extending from the intersection of the top wall front edge and the second side wall front edge, and wherein any ablation area on the rear wall comprises a first rear ablated line extending from the intersection of the top wall rear edge and the first side wall rear edge, and a second rear ablated line extending from the intersection of the top wall rear edge and the second side wall rear edge.

18. A container according to claim 17, wherein any first front ablated line extends to the intersection of the bottom wall front edge and the first side wall front edge, wherein any second front ablated line extends to the intersection of the bottom wall front edge and the second side wall front edge, wherein any first rear ablated line extends to the intersection of the bottom wall rear edge and the first side wall rear edge, and wherein any second rear ablated line extends to the intersection of the bottom wall rear edge and the second side wall rear edge.

19. A container according to claim 17, wherein any ablation area on the front wall further comprises: a third front ablated line extending from the intersection of the bottom wall front edge and the first side wall front edge; a fourth front ablated line extending from the intersection of the bottom wall front edge and the second side wall front edge; and a fifth front ablated line intersecting each of the first, second, third and fourth front ablated lines; and wherein any ablation area on the rear wall further comprises: a third rear ablated line extending from the intersection of the bottom wall rear edge and the first side wall rear edge; a fourth rear ablated line extending from the intersection of the bottom wall rear edge and the second side wall rear edge; and a fifth rear ablated line intersecting each of the first, second, third and fourth rear ablated lines.

20. A container according to claim 19, wherein any fifth front ablation line defines a continuous loop and wherein any fifth rear ablation line defines a continuous loop.

21. A container according to claim 16, wherein the first side wall, the second side wall, or both the first and second side walls comprise a bevelled or rounded edge.

22. A container according to claim 16, wherein each ablated line has a residual thickness (RT1) of less than 50 percent of the thickness (T) of the laminar blank.

23. A container according to claim 16, wherein each ablated line has a residual thickness (RT1) of at least 5 percent of the thickness (T) of the laminar blank.

24. A container according to claim 16, wherein the thickness (T) of the laminar blank is between 200 micrometres and 350 micrometres.

25. A container according to claim 16, wherein the laminar blank has a basis weight of between 100 grams per square metre and 350 grams per square metre.

26. A container according to claim 16, wherein the laminar blank has a spring-back force of less than 10 milliNewton metres between adjacent walls.

27. A container according to claim 16, further comprising a box portion and a lid portion depending along a hinge line from a top edge of the box portion, the lid portion being moveable about the hinge line between an open position and a closed position.

28. A container according to claim 16 containing smoking articles.

29. A method of forming a container for consumer goods, the container being at least partially formed from a blank having a thickness (T), the method comprising: providing a laminar blank having a thickness (T), the laminar blank having a first set of ablated lines defining a plurality of panels of the laminar blank, each ablated line having a residual thickness (RT1) that is less than the thickness (T) of the laminar blank; folding the laminar blank about the first set of ablated lines to form a container having: a top wall comprising a top wall front edge, a top wall rear edge, and first and second top wall side edges; a bottom wall comprising a bottom wall front edge, a bottom wall rear edge, and first and second bottom wall side edges; a front wall extending from the top wall front edge to the bottom wall front edge; a rear wall extending from the top wall rear edge to the bottom wall rear edge; a first side wall extending between the first top wall side edge and the first bottom wall side edge, the first side wall being connected to the front wall by a first side wall front edge and the first side wall being connected to the rear wall by a first side wall rear edge; and a second side wall extending between the second top wall side edge and the second bottom wall side edge, the second side wall being connected to the front wall by a second side wall front edge, and the second side wall being connected to the rear wall by a second side wall rear edge; wherein the laminar blank is folded such that top wall front edge, the bottom wall front edge, the first side wall front edge, and the second side wall front edge together extend along a first plane; wherein the laminar blank is folded such that top wall rear edge, the bottom wall rear edge, the first side wall rear edge, and the second side wall rear edge together extend along a second plane; wherein the laminar blank further comprises at least one ablation area so that at least one of the front wall and the rear wall of the container comprises the at least one ablation area, wherein any ablation area on the front wall comprises at least one ablated line extending across the inner surface of the front wall, wherein any ablation area on the rear wall comprises at least one ablated line extending across the inner surface of the rear wall, and wherein each ablated line has a residual thickness (RT1) that is less than the thickness (T) of the laminar blank, and wherein at least one ablated line of any ablation area on the front wall extends from at least one of the top wall front edge, the bottom wall front edge, the first side wall front edge, and the second side wall front edge, and wherein at least one ablated line of any ablation area on the rear wall extends from at least one of the top wall rear edge, the bottom wall rear edge, the first side wall rear edge, and the second side wall rear edge; and wherein, during the step of folding, the laminar blank is at least partially folded along the at least one ablated line of each ablation area, so that any ablation area on the front wall defines a portion of the front wall spaced outwardly from the first plane and so that any ablation area on the rear wall defines a portion of the rear wall spaced outwardly from the second plane.

Description

[0043] The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a front perspective view of a container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] FIG. 2 shows a rear perspective view of the container of FIG. 1; and

[0046] FIG. 3 shows a laminar blank for forming the container of FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0047] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a container 10 formed from a folded laminar blank in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The container 10 comprises a top wall 12, a bottom wall, a front wall 14, a rear wall 16, a first side wall 18 and a second side wall 20. The container 10 is divided into a lid portion 11 and a box portion 13, the lid portion 11 depending along a hinge line 15 from the box portion 13.

[0048] The top wall 12 comprises a top wall front edge 22, a top wall rear edge 24, and first and second top wall side edges 26, 28. The bottom wall comprises a bottom wall front edge 30, a bottom wall rear edge 32, and first and second bottom wall side edges 34, 36. The first side wall 18 is connected to the front wall 14 by a first side wall front edge 38 and to the rear wall 16 by a first side wall rear edge 40. The second side wall 20 is connected to the front wall 14 by a second side wall front edge 42 and to the rear wall 16 by a second side wall rear edge 44. The top wall front edge 22, the bottom wall front edge 30, the first side wall front edge 38 and the second side wall front edge 42 together extend along a first plane. The top wall rear edge 24, the bottom wall rear edge 32, the first side wall rear edge 40 and the second side wall rear edge 44 together extend along a second plane.

[0049] The front wall 12 comprises an ablation area including a first front ablated line 46, a second front ablated line 48, a third front ablated line 50, a fourth front ablated line 52 and a fifth front ablated line 54 each formed on the inner surface of the front wall 12. The fifth front ablated line 54 is a rectangular ablated line that forms a continuous loop connected to each of the first, second, third and fourth front ablated lines. When the laminar blank is folded to form the container 10 at least some of the folding force is transferred along the first to fifth front ablated lines so that the laminar blank automatically deforms along the ablated lines. The deformation along the first to fifth front ablated lines creates a central portion 56 of the front wall 12 that is substantially parallel to and spaced outwardly from the first plane.

[0050] Similarly, the rear wall 16 comprises an ablation area including a first rear ablated line 58, a second rear ablated line 60, a third rear ablated line 62, a fourth rear ablated line 64 and a fifth rear ablated line 66 each formed on the inner surface of the rear wall 16. The fifth rear ablated line 66 is a rectangular ablated line that forms a continuous loop connected to each of the first, second, third and fourth rear ablated lines. When the laminar blank is folded to form the container 10 at least some of the folding force is transferred along the first to fifth rear ablated lines so that the laminar blank automatically deforms along the ablated lines. The deformation along the first to fifth rear ablated lines creates a central portion 68 of the rear wall 16 that is substantially parallel to and spaced outwardly from the second plane.

[0051] FIG. 3 shows a laminar blank 100 for forming the container 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and like reference numerals are used to designate like parts. Solid line represent cut lines and dashed lines represent ablated lines along which the laminar blank 100 is folded or deformed to form the container 10.

[0052] The laminar blank 100 comprises a box portion bottom panel 152, a box portion front panel 154 depending along an ablated line 156 from the box portion bottom panel 152, and a box portion rear panel 158 depending along an ablated line 160 from the box portion bottom panel 152. First box portion side panels 162 depend along ablated lines 164 from the box portion rear panel 158 and second box portion side panels 166 depend along ablated lines 168 from the box portion front panel 154. Two box portion dust flaps 170 depend along ablated lines 172 from the first box portion side panels 162. When the laminar blank 100 is folded to form the container 10, the box portion bottom panel 152 in combination with the box portion dust flaps 170 forms the container bottom wall.

[0053] The laminar blank 100 further comprises a lid portion rear panel 174 depending along an ablated line 176 from the box portion rear panel 158, a lid portion top panel 142 depending along an ablated line 178 from the lid portion rear panel 174, and a lid portion front panel 180 depending along an ablated line 182 from the lid portion top panel 142. A lid portion front under panel 184 depends along an ablated line 186 from the lid portion front panel 180.

[0054] The laminar blank 100 also comprises first lid portion side flaps 188 depending along ablated lines 190 from the lid portion rear panel 174, first and second dust flaps 138, 140 depending along ablated lines 194 from the respective first lid portion side flaps 188, and second lid portion side flaps 196 depending along ablated lines 198 from the lid portion front panel 180. When the laminar blank 100 is folded to form the container 10, the lid portion top panel 142 in combination with the first and second dust flaps 138, 140 forms the container top wall 12. Each first box portion side panel 162 in combination with the respective second box portion side panel 166, first lid portion side flap 188 and second lid portion side flap 196 forms the respective container side wall 18, 20. The box portion rear panel 158 and the lid portion rear panel 174 together form the box portion rear wall 16. The box portion front panel 154 in combination with the lid portion front panel 180 and the lid portion front under panel 184 forms the container front wall 14.