CONTAINER FOR CONSUMER GOODS WITH SMOOTH LID CLOSING ACTION

Abstract

A container for consumer articles comprises a box portion, a lid and an inner frame within the box portion. The inner frame comprises an inner frame front wall; first and second inner frame side walls each depending along an inner frame fold line from the inner frame front wall; a first and a second cut lines in the first and second inner frame side walls. Each cut line intersects a respective inner frame fold line at upper and lower intersection points. The cut lines define a pair of locking tabs, each of which extends outwardly from the inner frame towards a respective side wall of the container and past an edge formed by the inner frame front wall with a respective inner frame side wall, and interacting with the lid portion of the container when the lid portion is between the open position and the closed position. Each of the first and second cut lines comprises an undulated portion comprising at least two peaks and a trough, a distance between adjacent peaks of the undulated portion being at least about 0.8 mm.

Claims

1. A container for consumer articles, the container comprising: a box portion; a lid portion, wherein the lid portion is moveable relative to the box portion between an open position and a closed position; and an inner frame received within the box portion, wherein the inner frame comprises: an inner frame front wall; first and second inner frame side walls each depending along an inner frame fold line from the inner frame front wall; a first cut line and a second cut line in the first and second inner frame side walls, respectively, wherein each of the first and second cut lines intersects a respective inner frame fold line at upper and lower intersection points; the first and second cut lines defining a first and a second locking tab; each of the first and second locking tab extending outwardly from the inner frame towards a respective side wall of the container and past an edge formed by the inner frame front wall with a respective inner frame side wall, and interacting with the lid portion of the container when the lid portion is moved between the open position and the closed position; and wherein each of the first and second cut lines comprises an undulated portion comprising at least two peaks and a trough, a distance between adjacent peaks of the undulated portion being at least about 0.8 mm.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein distance between adjacent peaks of the undulated portion is less than about 40 mm.

3. A container according to claim 1, wherein each locking tab tapers towards an upper end of the respective cut line, and the tangent to each of the first and second cut lines at the upper intersection points forms, with the respective inner frame fold line, an angle of at least about 5 degrees.

4. A container according to claim 3, wherein the tangent to each of the first and second cut lines at the upper intersection points forms, with the respective inner frame side wall fold line, an angle of at less than about 30 degrees.

5. A container according to claim 1, wherein each cut line comprises a top slanted portion extending outwardly and downwardly from the upper intersection point.

6. A container according to claim 5, wherein the top slanted portion has a length of at least about 0.5 mm.

7. A container according to claim 1, wherein each cut line comprises a bottom ramp portion extending outwardly and upwardly from the lower intersection point.

8. A container according to claim 7, wherein the bottom ramp portion is defined by a straight line, an arc or a combination of a straight line and an arc.

9. A container according to claim 7, wherein the undulated portion is comprised between the top slanted portion and the bottom ramp portion.

10. A container according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the upper and lower intersection points as measured along a respective inner frame side wall fold line is at least about 10 mm.

11. A container according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the upper and lower intersection points as measured along a respective inner frame side wall fold line is less than about 20 mm.

12. A blank for an inner frame adapted to be received within a box portion of a container for consumer articles, the container further comprising a lid portion, wherein the lid portion is moveable about the hinge line between an open position and a closed position; the blank comprising: a blank front panel for forming an inner frame front wall and first and second blank side panels for forming inner frame side walls, each of the first and second inner frame side panels depending along a respective fold line from the blank front panel; a first cut line and a second cut line in the first and second inner frame side panels, respectively, wherein each of the first and second cut lines intersects a respective fold line at upper and lower intersection points; the first and second cut lines defining a first and a second locking tab; each of the first and second locking tabs extending outwardly from the inner frame and past an edge formed by inner frame front wall panel and a respective inner frame side panel the when the first and second inner frame side panels are folded about the respective fold lines; the first and second locking tabs being adapted to interact with the lid portion of the container when the inner frame is received in the assembled container and the lid portion is moved between the open position and the closed position; wherein each of the first and second cut lines comprises an undulated portion comprising at least two peaks and a trough, a distance between adjacent peaks of the undulated portion being at least about 0.8 mm.

13. A blank according to claim 12, wherein the distance between adjacent peaks of the undulated portion is less than about 40 mm.

14. A blank according to claim 12, wherein each locking tab tapers towards an upper end of the respective cut line, and the tangent to each of the first and second cut lines at the upper intersection points forms, with the respective inner frame fold line, an angle of at least about 5 degrees.

15. A blank according to claim 14, wherein the tangent to each of the first and second cut lines at the upper intersection points forms, with the respective inner frame side wall fold line, an angle of at less than about 30 degrees.

Description

[0065] The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0066] FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a blank for forming the inner frame of a container according to the invention;

[0067] FIG. 2 is a detail view, on a an enlarged scale, of a locking tab of the inner frame of FIG. 1; and

[0068] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the qualitative trend of the resistance to close of the lid of a container according to the invention as a function of the angle between the lid back wall and the box back wall.

[0069] The blank 100 shown in FIG. 1 is for forming an inner frame of a container in accordance with the present invention. One such container (not shown) is shaped as a rectangular parallelepiped and comprises a lower box portion an upper lid portion that is hinged to the lower box portion along a hinge line extending along a back wall of the container. The box portion comprises a front wall, a back wall, two side walls extending between the front wall and the back wall, and a bottom wall. The lid portion has a front wall, a left side wall, a right side wall, a back wall and a top wall. The back wall and the top wall of the lid are joined at top back edge. When the container is closed, the free edges of the walls of the lid portion abut the free edges of the corresponding walls of the box portion along a line of abutment. In the closed position, the walls of the lid portion therefore form extensions of the corresponding walls of the box portion to define the walls of the container.

[0070] The inner frame 100 comprises an inner frame front wall 102 and a first and a second inner frame side walls 104, 106, each of which depends along a respective inner frame fold line 108, 110 from the inner frame front wall 102.

[0071] A first cut line 112 and a second cut line 114 are formed in the first and second inner frame side walls 104, 106, respectively. Each of the first and second cut lines 112, 114 intersects a respective inner frame fold line 108, 110 at upper and lower intersection points 116, 118. The distance between the upper and lower intersection points 116, 118 as measured along a respective inner frame side wall fold line is about 15 mm.

[0072] The first and second cut lines 112, 114 define a first and a second locking tab 120, 122. Each of the locking tabs 120, 122 extends outwardly from the inner frame front wall 102 such that, when the blank 100 is folded to form the inner frame and is inserted in the box portion of an assembled hinge lid container, each of the tabs 120, 122 extends past an edge of the inner frame formed by the inner frame front wall 102 with a respective inner frame side wall 104, 106. When the lid of the assembled container is moved between the open position and the closed position, the locking tabs 120, 122 interact with the lid portion of the assembled container.

[0073] As illustrated in FIG. 2, each of the first and second cut lines 112, 114 comprises an undulated portion 124, 126 comprising peaks 128 and troughs 130. The distance D between adjacent peaks 128 in the undulated portion 124, 126 is about 2 mm. Each locking tab 120, 122 tapers towards an upper end of the respective cut line 112, 114, and the tangent to each of the first and second cut lines at the upper intersection points 116, 118 forms, with the respective inner frame fold line 108, 110 an angle of about 20 degrees.

[0074] Each cut line 112,114 comprises a top slanted portion 132, 134 extending outwardly and downwardly from the upper intersection point 116. The top slanted portion has a length L of about 0.7 mm. Further, each cut line 112, 114 comprises a bottom ramp portion 136, 138 extending outwardly and upwardly from the lower intersection point 118. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the bottom ramp portion 136, 138 is defined by an arc. The undulated portion 124, 126 is comprised between the top slanted portion 132, 134 and the bottom ramp portion 136, 138.

[0075] FIG. 3 illustrates how the resistance to close of the lid of a container according to the invention comprising an inner frame 100 as described above varies as a function of the angle between the lid back wall and the box back wall. As the lid is moved between the open position and the closed position, the locking tabs 120, 122 frictionally engage the inner surface of the lid side walls and thus contribute to the force required for opening and closing the lid. In particular, as the lid is moved from the open position towards the closed position, the resistance to closing progressively increases as the lid approaches the closed position. As shown in FIG. 3, while increasing overall from a minimum value to a maximum value as the angle between the lid back wall and the box back wall varies from about 90 degrees to 0 about degrees, the resistance to closing oscillates with a succession of local maxima and minima. Without wishing to be bound to theory, this is understood to be a consequence of the peaks 128 and troughs 130 of the undulated cut lines 112, 114.