Abstract
Method for producing a plurality of blanks from a continuous strip of material. Firstly, a continuous strip of material (101) is provided, the strip having a plurality of cut-outs (103) spaced along a longitudinal direction thereof. Then, the continuous strip is cut along a plurality of cut lines (203) to form the plurality of blanks (301), each cut line comprising a straight transverse section and a curved section. Each cut line intersects a respective cut-out in the strip in the curved section of the cut line. Each cut line, together with its respective intersected cut-out, corresponds to an edge (303, 305) of at least one of the plurality of blanks. There is also provided a blank (301) formed by the method and a container (400) for consumer goods, the container comprising an inner frame (301) formed from a blank formed according by the method.
Claims
1. A method for producing a plurality of blanks from a continuous strip of material, the method comprising the steps of: providing a continuous strip of material having a plurality of cut-outs spaced along a longitudinal direction of the strip; cutting the continuous strip along a plurality of cut lines to form the plurality of blanks, wherein each cut line comprises a straight transverse section and a curved section, wherein the cut lines are spaced along the longitudinal direction of the strip, each cut line intersects a respective cut-out in the strip in the curved section of the cut line, and each cut line together with its respective intersected cut-out corresponds to an edge of one of the plurality of blanks; and selecting a combination of cut line shape, cut-out shape, and cut-out to cut line orientation, such that the edge of the at least one of the plurality of blanks comprises an undercut recess, wherein the curved section of each cut line cuts a portion of the respective cut-out, and wherein a remaining portion of the respective cut-out defines the undercut recess.
2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of forming the plurality of cut-outs in the continuous strip of material.
3. A method according to claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of cut lines, with its respective intersected cut-out, corresponds to a first edge of the blank on one side of the cut line and a second edge, opposite the first edge, of the blank on the other side of the cut line.
4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising, after the step of cutting the continuous strip, the step of separating the blanks in the longitudinal direction of the strip.
5. A method according to claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of cut-outs in the continuous strip of material is fully enclosed by the material.
6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the continuous strip of material is provided with an additional plurality of cut-outs spaced along the longitudinal direction of the strip, the additional plurality of cut-outs being spaced from the plurality of cut-outs along a transverse direction of the continuous strip.
7. A method according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of cut lines, with its respective intersected cut-out, corresponds to a first edge of the blank on one side of the cut line and a second edge, opposite the first edge, of the blank on the other side of the cut line.
8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising, after the step of cutting the continuous strip, the step of separating the blanks in the longitudinal direction of the strip.
9. A method according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of cut-outs in the continuous strip of material are the same shape.
10. A method according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of cut-outs in the continuous strip of material is fully enclosed by the material.
11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the continuous strip of material is provided with an additional plurality of cut-outs spaced along the longitudinal direction of the strip, the additional plurality of cut-outs being spaced from the plurality of cut-outs along a transverse direction of the continuous strip.
12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal spacing of the plurality of cut lines is the same as the longitudinal spacing of the plurality of cut-outs.
13. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of using the plurality of blanks in packaging for consumer goods.
14. A blank formed according to the method of claim 1.
15. A container for consumer goods, the container comprising an inner frame formed from a blank formed according to claim 14.
Description
(1) The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
(2) FIG. 1 shows a first example of a continuous strip of material having a plurality of cut-outs spaced along a longitudinal direction of the strip;
(3) FIG. 2 shows a step of cutting a continuous strip of material along a plurality of cut lines;
(4) FIG. 3 shows a blank for an inner frame for packaging for smoking articles according to a first embodiment of the invention;
(5) FIG. 4 shows a container for smoking articles incorporating the inner frame blank of FIG. 3;
(6) FIG. 5 shows a second example of a continuous strip of material having a plurality of cut-outs spaced along a longitudinal direction of the strip;
(7) FIG. 6 shows a blank for an inner frame for packaging for smoking articles according to a second embodiment of the invention; and
(8) FIG. 7 shows a container for smoking articles incorporating the inner frame blank of FIG. 6.
(9) FIG. 1 shows a first example of a continuous strip of material 101. In this embodiment, the material may be any material suitable for producing inner frame blanks for packaging for smoking articles. The continuous strip of material 101 includes a plurality of triangular cut-outs 103 spaced along the longitudinal direction 105 of the strip. In this embodiment, the triangular cut-outs 103 are evenly spaced along the longitudinal direction, with a spacing 107. The triangular cut-outs 103 are also aligned with each other in the transverse direction 109 of the strip.
(10) FIG. 2 schematically shows cutting a continuous strip of material along a plurality of cut lines. In FIG. 2, the continuous strip of material 201 may be a conventional strip of material, and does not include cut-outs like the continuous strip of material 101 illustrated in FIG. 1. The continuous strip of material 201 is cut along a plurality of cut lines 203, for example, using conventional cutting machinery. In this embodiment, the cut lines 203 are evenly spaced along the longitudinal direction 105 of the strip, with a spacing 107 equal to the spacing of the cut-outs 103 in the strip of material 101 illustrated in FIG. 1. The cut lines 203 are suitably shaped to produce blanks for inner frames for packaging for smoking articles, as will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.
(11) The cut lines 203 in FIG. 2 produce a nested arrangement of blanks along the continuous strip of material 201. That is, a first edge of a particular blank corresponds to a second edge, opposite the first edge, of an adjacent blank. Two adjacent blanks mate with each other along each cut line 203. In this embodiment, each blank includes a cut-away portion 205 and an extension portion 207. The cut-away portion 205 provides easy access to the smoking articles when the inner frame is assembled in the container for smoking articles.
(12) FIG. 3 shows a blank 301 for an inner frame for packaging for smoking articles produced using the continuous strip of material 101 of FIG. 1, cut according to the cutting step shown in FIG. 2. The continuous strip of material 101 has been aligned with the cut lines 203 such that each cut line 203 intersects a respective cut-out 103. Since the longitudinal spacing of the cut-outs 103 is equal to the longitudinal spacing of the cut lines 203, every cut-out 103 is intersected by a cut line 203.
(13) The inner frame blank 301 has an upper edge 303 and a lower edge 305. The upper edge 303 of the blank 301 comprises a) the portion of a cut line 203 not intersecting a cut-out 103 (shown as edge portion 303a in FIG. 3) and b) where the cut line 203 intersects the cut-out 103, part of the edge of cut-out 103 itself (shown as 303b in FIG. 3), forming an undercut recess 330. Since cut lines 203 produce a nested arrangement of blanks, along edge portion 303a, the upper edge 303 of the blank 301 is also the lower edge of an adjacent blank (not shown). Similarly, the lower edge 305 of the blank 301 comprises a) the portion of a cut line 203 not intersecting a cut-out 103 (shown as 305a in FIG. 3) and b) where the cut line 203 intersects the cut-out 103, part of the edge of the cut-out 103 itself (shown as 305b in FIG. 3). Along edge portion 305a, the lower edge 305 of the blank 301 is also the upper edge of an adjacent blank (not shown). In this embodiment, the cut-outs 103 are intersected by cut lines 203 at the cut-away portions 205 and extension portions 207.
(14) FIG. 4 shows a container for smoking articles incorporating the inner frame blank of FIG. 3. FIG. 4 shows a hinge lid container 400 having the form of a rectangular parallelepiped comprising a box 401, a lid 403 and inner frame 301. The inner frame 301 is of the form illustrated in FIG. 3 and has been produced using the continuous strip of material 101 of FIG. 1, cut according to the cutting step shown in FIG. 2, then folded for incorporation into container 400. A wrapped bundle of smoking articles 405 is arranged within the container 400. The inner frame 301 is mounted between the box 401 and the bundle 405 of smoking articles.
(15) As already discussed in relation to FIG. 3, inner frame 301 comprises an upper edge 303 and a lower edge 305. The upper edge 303 is visible above the front wall of the box 401 when the lid 403 is open. Because a cut-out 103 is intersected by a cut line 203 at the cut-away portion 205, the cut-away portion 205 of the upper edge 303 of the front wall of the inner frame 301 has a new shape and provides a new visual impression on a consumer. Nevertheless, the inner frame 301 may be manufactured using conventional cutting steps (for example, as shown in FIG. 2). The lower edge 305 is inside the box 401, so is not visible to a consumer and is shown with a dashed line in FIG. 4.
(16) FIG. 5 shows a second example of a continuous strip of material 501. As in FIG. 1, the material may be any material suitable for producing inner frame blanks for packaging for smoking articles. The continuous strip of material 501 includes a plurality of triangular cut-outs 503 spaced along the longitudinal direction 105 of the strip. As in FIG. 1, the triangular cut-outs 503 are evenly spaced along the longitudinal direction, with a spacing 107, and are aligned with one another in the transverse direction 109. In FIG. 5, the continuous strip of material 501 further includes a plurality of circular cut-outs 505 spaced from cut-outs 503 in the transverse direction 109. The circular cut-outs 505 are also spaced along the longitudinal direction 105 of the strip. In FIG. 5, the circular cut-outs 505 are evenly spaced along the longitudinal direction, with the same spacing 107 as the triangular cut-outs 503.
(17) FIG. 6 shows a blank 601 for an inner frame for packaging for smoking articles produced using the continuous strip of material 501 of FIG. 5, cut according to the cutting step shown in FIG. 2. The continuous strip of material 501 has been aligned with the cut lines 203 such that each cut line 203 intersects a respective cut-out 503 but does not intersect cut-outs 505. Since the longitudinal spacing of the cut-outs 503 is equal to the longitudinal spacing of the cut lines 203, every cut-out 503 is intersected by a cut line 203. Since the longitudinal spacing the cut-outs 505 is also equal to the longitudinal spacing of the cut lines 203, cut-outs 505 are produced on every blank 601.
(18) As in FIG. 3, the inner frame blank 601 has an upper edge 603 and a lower edge 605. The upper edge 603 of the blank 601 comprises a) the portion of a cut line 203 not intersecting a cut-out 503 (shown as edge portion 603a in FIG. 6) and b) where the cut line 203 intersects the cut-out 503, part of the edge of cut-out 503 itself (shown as 603b in FIG. 6). Since cut lines 203 produce a nested arrangement of blanks, along edge portion 603a, the upper edge 603 of the blank 601 is also the lower edge of an adjacent blank (not shown). Similarly, the lower edge 605 of the blank 601 comprises a) the portion of a cut line 203 not intersecting a cut-out 503 (shown as 605a in FIG. 6) and b) where the cut line 203 intersects the cut-out 503, part of the edge of the cut-out 503 itself (shown as 605b in FIG. 6). Along edge portion 605a, the lower edge 605 of the blank 601 is also the upper edge of an adjacent blank (not shown). As in FIG. 3, the cut-outs 503 are intersected by cut lines 203 at the cut-away portions 205 and extension portions 207.
(19) Inner frame blank 601 also includes cut-outs 505. Since the continuous strip of material 501 has been aligned with the cut lines 203 such that each cut line 203 does not intersect cut-outs 505, the cut-outs 505 do not form part of either the upper edge 603 or the lower edge 605 of the blank 601. The cut-outs 505 are adjacent the cut-away portions 205.
(20) FIG. 7 shows a container for smoking articles incorporating the inner frame blank of FIG. 6. FIG. 7 shows a hinge lid container 700 having the form of a rectangular parallelepiped comprising a box 701, a lid 703 and inner frame 601. The inner frame 601 is of the form illustrated in FIG. 6 and has been produced using the continuous strip of material 501 of FIG. 5, cut according to the cutting step shown in FIG. 2, then folded for incorporation into container 700. A wrapped bundle of smoking articles 705 is arranged within the container 700. The inner frame 601 is mounted between the box 701 and the bundle 705 of smoking articles.
(21) As already discussed in relation to FIG. 6, inner frame 601 comprises an upper edge 603 and a lower edge 605. The upper edge 603 is visible above the front wall of the box 701 when the lid 703 is open. Because a cut-out 503 is intersected by a cut line 203 at the cut-away portion 205, the cut-away portion 205 of the upper edge 603 of the front wall of the inner frame 601 has a new shape and provides a new visual impression on a consumer. In addition, the cut-outs 505 which are adjacent the cut-away portion 205 of the front wall of the inner frame 601 also produce a new visual impression on a consumer. The wrapped bundle 705 of smoking articles may be visible through cut-outs 505. The inner frame 601 may be manufactured using conventional cutting steps (for example, as shown in FIG. 2). The lower edge 605 is inside the box 701, so is not visible to a consumer and is shown with a dashed line in FIG. 7.
