CONTAINER WITH WRAPPER WITH DETACHABLE TAB

Abstract

A container of consumer goods comprises a housing (10a) and one or more consumer goods (18) wrapped in a wrapper (20) and contained within the housing (10a), the wrapper (20) comprising a plurality of intersecting lines of weakness (22) that together define a plurality of interconnected detachable portions (24) of the wrapper (20).

Claims

1. A container of consumer goods comprising: a housing; and one or more consumer goods wrapped in a wrapper and contained within the housing, the wrapper comprising a plurality of intersecting lines of weakness that together define a plurality of interconnected detachable portions of the wrapper.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of intersecting lines include a first line of weakness and a second line of weakness, and wherein the first line of weakness has a tear strength that is less than the tear strength of the second line of weakness.

3. A container according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of interconnected detachable portions of the wrapper comprise a first detachable tab portion that is configured to expose no more than three consumer goods on a front wall of the housing when the first detachable tab portion is detached from the wrapper.

4. A container according to claim 3, wherein the first detachable tab portion is configured to expose no more than one consumer good on the front wall of the housing when the first detachable tab portion is detached from the wrapper.

5. A container according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of intersecting lines of weakness comprises a first plurality of spaced apart substantially parallel lines of weakness each extending in a first direction and a second plurality of spaced apart substantially parallel lines of weakness each extending in a second direction.

6. A container according to claim 5 wherein the smallest angle between the first direction and the second direction is between 45 degrees and 90 degrees.

7. A container according to claim 1 wherein the housing further comprises: a housing top wall extending between the back wall and the lid front wall; and a housing bottom wall opposite the top wall and extending between the back wall and the box front wall, wherein a longitudinal direction extends between the housing top wall and the housing bottom wall; wherein the plurality of intersecting lines of weakness underlie the housing front wall and wherein at least one of the first and second directions extends at a non-orthogonal angle with respect to the longitudinal direction.

8. A container according to claim 7, wherein the box portion comprises a box front wall having a top edge that defines an edge of an opening through which consumer goods can be removed from the container when the lid is in the open position, and wherein the distance between the top edge of the box front wall and a line of weakness defining a detachable tab portion of the wrapper is at least 10 millimetres.

9. A container according to claim 1 wherein one or more of the detachable tab portions of the wrapper include one or more indicia on a surface thereof.

10. A container according to claim 9, wherein a first indicia is provided on a first detachable tab portion, and a second indicia is provided on a second detachable tab portion, the first indicia being different from the second indicia.

11. A container according to claim 1 wherein the housing comprises a box portion and a lid portion extending from the box portion along a hinge line across a back wall of the housing, wherein the lid portion is moveable between an open position and a closed position in which a front wall of the lid portion and a front wall of the box portion together define a front wall of the housing opposite the back wall of the housing.

12. A container according to claim 1 wherein the one or more consumer goods is a plurality of smoking articles.

13. A container according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of interconnected detachable portions of the wrapper comprise a first detachable tab portion that is configured to expose no more than three consumer goods on a front wall of the housing when the first detachable tab portion is detached from the wrapper.

14. A container according to claim 13, wherein the first detachable tab portion is configured to expose no more than one consumer good on the front wall of the housing when the first detachable tab portion is detached from the wrapper.

15. A container according to claim 14 wherein the plurality of intersecting lines of weakness comprises a first plurality of spaced apart substantially parallel lines of weakness each extending in a first direction and a second plurality of spaced apart substantially parallel lines of weakness each extending in a second direction.

16. A container according to claim 3 wherein the plurality of intersecting lines of weakness comprises a first plurality of spaced apart substantially parallel lines of weakness each extending in a first direction and a second plurality of spaced apart substantially parallel lines of weakness each extending in a second direction.

17. A container according to claim 2 wherein the housing further comprises: a housing top wall extending between the back wall and the lid front wall; and a housing bottom wall opposite the top wall and extending between the back wall and the box front wall, wherein a longitudinal direction extends between the housing top wall and the housing bottom wall; wherein the plurality of intersecting lines of weakness underlie the housing front wall and wherein at least one of the first and second directions extends at a non-orthogonal angle with respect to the longitudinal direction.

18. A container according to claim 17, wherein the box portion comprises a box front wall having a top edge that defines an edge of an opening through which consumer goods can be removed from the container when the lid is in the open position, and wherein the distance between the top edge of the box front wall and a line of weakness defining a detachable tab portion of the wrapper is at least 10 millimetres.

19. A container according to claim 2 wherein one or more of the detachable tab portions of the wrapper include one or more indicia on a surface thereof.

20. A container according to claim 19, wherein a first indicia is provided on a first detachable tab portion, and a second indicia is provided on a second detachable tab portion, the first indicia being different from the second indicia.

Description

[0036] The invention will be further described by way of example with reference to the following drawings, in which:

[0037] FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c show a pack according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the invention.

[0038] FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c show an embodiment of the invention in the form of a hinge lid cigarette pack 10a, 10b, 10c, comprising a pack body 12 to which a lid 14 is hinged along the back (as viewed in the drawings) wall and an inner frame 16 disposed inside the pack body 12. A bundle of cigarettes 18 wrapped in an inner liner 20 is inside the pack.

[0039] The inner liner 20 of a container according to this embodiment of the invention has a pattern of intersecting lines of perforation or other weakness 22 at least over the portion of the inner liner that is exposed when the pack lid 14 is open; it will normally be convenient for the lines of perforation to extend over the entire inner liner 20. In this embodiment, the lines of perforation 22 are in a rectangular grid, 10 mm apart. It will be appreciated that other patterns of intersecting lines may be employed. The lines of perforations or other lines of weakness define detachable portions 24 of the wrapper. The lines of perforations or other lines of weakness allow the user of the pack to remove a part 26 of the inner liner 20 of a shape and size determined by the user. The part 26 of the inner liner that is removed will consist of one or more of the detachable portions 24.

[0040] When the pack 10 is first opened, after the outer overwrap, not shown, has been removed, a portion of the inner liner 20 can be removed by tearing along lines of perforation 22 defining a part 26 of the inner liner to be removed, consisting of one or more of the detachable portions 24. By selecting the lines of perforations appropriately, the user can determine the size and shape of the removed part 26 of the inner liner. If only a relatively small portion of the exposed inner liner is removed, for example a portion toward one side only of the exposed inner liner, more of the inner liner can be removed later by tearing along other, previously untorn, lines of perforation.

[0041] FIG. 1a shows a pack 10a in which the envelope fold at the top of the inner liner 20 has been pulled open and the inner liner 20 torn along lines of perforation 22 to leave a saw tooth upper edge 28 to the inner liner remaining in the pack. One edge of the removed part 26a of the inner liner has a corresponding saw tooth edge.

[0042] FIG. 1b shows a pack 10b in which the envelope fold at the top of the inner liner 20 has been pulled open and torn to detach a part 26b of the inner liner from the exposed portion of the inner liner along a line of perforations 22 extending from one side of the pack to the other at an angle of about 45 to leave an upper edge 28b to the inner liner remaining in the pack in the form of a skewed inverted V.

[0043] FIG. 2c shows a pack 10b in which the envelope fold at the top of the inner liner 20 has been pulled open and torn from either side to detach a part 26c from the exposed portion of the inner liner along lines of perforations 22 extending downward from each side at an angle of about 45 to leave an upper edge 28c to the inner liner remaining in the pack in the form V.

[0044] By appropriate choice of lines of perforation to tear, the user can readily determine the shape and size of the portion 24 of the inner liner 20 that is detached, and so the shape of the inner liner, and in particular of the upper edge 28a, 28b, 28c of the inner liner, that remains in the pack.