CONTAINER FOR CONSUMER GOODS WITH SLIDING PORTION

Abstract

There is provided a container (10) for consumer goods, the container (10) comprising an outer housing comprising a box portion (12) and a lid portion (14) depending from the box portion (12) along a hinge line. The container (10) further comprises a plurality of consumer goods (18) received within the box portion (12) and an inner frame (16) slidably received within the outer housing. The inner frame (16) comprises an inner frame front wall (22) underlying a box portion front wall (17) and a tab portion (28) positioned between a box portion bottom wall and an end of each of a selection of the consumer goods, the tab portion (28) depending along a first weakening zone (30) from the inner frame front wall (22). The tab portion (28) is arranged so that sliding the inner frame (16) away from a box portion bottom wall engages the tab portion (28) with the selection of consumer goods and lifts them away from the box portion bottom wall. An inner wrapper (20) is wrapped around the consumer goods (18), the inner wrapper (20) comprising an aperture (48) underlying the selection of consumer goods and overlying the inner frame tab portion (28).

Claims

1. A container for consumer goods, comprising: an outer housing comprising a box portion and a lid portion depending from the box portion along a hinge line; a plurality of consumer goods received within the box portion; an inner frame slidably received within the outer housing and positioned between the plurality of consumer goods and the box portion, the inner frame comprising an inner frame front wall underlying a box portion front wall, and a tab portion positioned between a box portion bottom wall and an end of each of a selection of the plurality of the consumer goods, the tab portion depending along a first weakening zone from a bottom edge of the inner frame front wall, wherein the tab portion is arranged such that sliding the inner frame away from the box portion bottom wall engages the tab portion with the selection of consumer goods and lifts the selection of consumer goods away from the box portion bottom wall; and an inner wrapper wrapped around the plurality of consumer goods, the inner wrapper comprising an aperture underlying the selection of consumer goods and overlying the inner frame tab portion so that the inner frame tab portion can contact the selection of consumer goods through the aperture when the inner frame slides away from the box portion bottom wall.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the inner frame further comprises: an inner frame back wall opposite the inner frame front wall, wherein the plurality of consumer goods are positioned between the inner frame front wall and the inner frame back wall; and first and second inner frame side walls each extending between the inner frame front wall and the inner frame back wall; wherein the inner frame back wall is connected to the lid portion so that rotation of the lid portion about the hinge line from a closed position to an open position automatically slides the inner frame away from the box portion bottom wall.

3. A container according to claim 1, further comprising a retaining mechanism configured to limit the range of sliding motion of the inner frame to prevent the inner frame from sliding entirely out of the box portion when the inner frame slides away from the box portion bottom wall.

4. A container according to claim 1, wherein the inner frame further comprises a cut-out in the inner frame front wall and extending from a top edge of the inner frame front wall, the cut-out having substantially the same size and shape as the inner frame tab portion.

5. A container according to claim 1, wherein the inner frame tab portion is folded about the first weakening zone through an angle of between 85 degrees and 95 degrees with respect to the inner frame front wall so that the inner frame tab portion is substantially parallel to the box portion bottom wall.

6. A container according to claim 1, wherein the aperture in the inner wrapper is substantially the same size as the box portion bottom wall so that none of the inner wrapper is positioned between the plurality of consumer goods and the box portion bottom wall.

7. A container according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the inner wrapper is positioned between some of the plurality of consumer goods and the box portion bottom wall to define an inner wrapper bottom wall, and wherein the aperture is an aperture in the inner wrapper bottom wall.

8. A container according to claim 1, wherein the inner frame further comprises second and third weakening zones each extending from the first weakening zone and across a portion of the inner frame front wall.

9. A container according to claim 1, wherein the maximum height of the inner frame front wall is between 70 percent and 130 percent of the maximum height of the box portion front wall.

10. A container according to claim 1, wherein the box portion and the lid portion are formed from a first folded laminar blank, and wherein the inner frame is formed from a second folded laminar blank.

11. A container according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of consumer goods comprises a plurality of aerosol-generating articles.

Description

[0069] The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0070] FIG. 1 shows a top perspective view of a container in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0071] FIG. 2 shows the container of FIG. 1 with the box portion and lid portion removed to reveal the inner frame and wrapped consumer goods;

[0072] FIG. 3 shows a bottom perspective view of the inner frame and wrapped consumer goods of FIG. 2;

[0073] FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of the inner frame and wrapped consumer goods of FIG. 2 showing a first configuration of the inner wrapper;

[0074] FIG. 5 shows a bottom view of the inner frame and wrapped consumer goods of FIG. 2 showing a second configuration of the inner wrapper; and

[0075] FIG. 6 shows a bottom view of the inner frame and wrapped consumer goods of FIG. 2 showing a third configuration of the inner wrapper.

[0076] FIG. 1 shows a container 10 of consumer goods according to an embodiment of the present invention. The container 10 comprises a box portion 12 and a lid portion 14 depending from the box portion 12 along a hinge line across a back wall of the container. An inner frame 16 is slidably received within the box portion 12 and provides a surface against which the lid portion 14 closes. A plurality of consumer goods 18 comprising a bundle of smoking articles is received within the inner frame 16, the plurality of consumer goods 18 wrapped in an inner wrapper 20 positioned between the plurality of consumer goods 18 and the inner frame 16.

[0077] As shown more clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3, which show the container 10 of FIG. 1 with the box portion 12 and the lid portion 14 removed, the inner frame 16 comprises an inner frame front wall 22, a first inner frame side wall 24, a second inner frame side wall, an inner frame back wall 26, and an inner frame tab portion 28 depending along a first weakening zone 30 from a bottom edge 32 of the inner frame front wall 22. The inner frame tab portion 28 is folded along the first weakening zone 30 through an angle of about 90 degrees with respect to the inner frame front wall 22 so that the inner frame tab portion 28 is positioned between the bottom of the wrapped bundle of consumer goods 18 and a box portion bottom wall.

[0078] A portion of the inner frame back wall 26 is adhered to a lid portion back wall 34 so that, when the lid portion 14 is rotated into the open position shown in FIG. 1, the inner frame 16 is automatically lifted upwardly and away from the box portion bottom wall. As the inner frame 16 slides upwardly, the inner frame tab portion 28 engages with a bottom end of a selection of consumer goods to lift the selection of consumer goods upward relative to the remainder of the consumer goods, therefore making it easier for a consumer to grasp the selection of consumer goods. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the inner frame tab portion 28 engages with a single smoking article 36 to lift the single smoking article 36 upwardly when the lid portion 14 is rotated into the open position. The connection between the inner frame back wall 26 and the lid portion back wall 34 also functions as a retaining mechanism to prevent the inner frame 16 from sliding entirely out of the box portion 12.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 3, the inner frame 16 further comprises second and third weakening zones 38, 40 in the form of cut lines and a fourth weakening zone 42 in the form of a score line in the inner frame front wall 22. A foldable portion 44 of the inner frame front wall 22 is defined between the first, second, third and fourth weakening zones. In the event that the inner frame tab portion 28 rotates about the first weakening zone 30 and interferes with the box portion bottom wall during downward sliding motion of the inner frame 16, the foldable portion 44 of the inner frame front wall 22 may rotate inwardly about the fourth weakening zone 42 and away from a box portion front wall 17 to ensure that the inner frame 16 can slide fully downwards to permit closing of the lid portion 14.

[0080] FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of the inner frame 16 and the inner wrapper 20 showing a first configuration of an inner wrapper bottom wall 46. In the first configuration shown in FIG. 4, a cut-out forms an aperture 48 in the inner wrapper bottom wall 46 so that the inner frame tab portion 28 can engage the selection of consumer goods through the aperture 48.

[0081] In a second configuration shown in FIG. 5, the inner wrapper 20 does not comprise an inner wrapper bottom wall, so that the inner frame tab portion 28 can directly engage the selection of consumer goods without the need to provide a dedicated cut-out in the inner wrapper 20.

[0082] In a third configuration shown in FIG. 6, the inner wrapper 20 comprises a weakening zone 50 in the form of a U-shaped cut line in the inner wrapper bottom wall 46, wherein the U-shaped cut line forms a movable flap 52 in the inner wrapper bottom wall 46 so that the inner frame tab portion 28 engages the selection of consumer goods by pushing against the movable flap 52.