Abstract
A receptacle accessory for fitting on a package for consumer goods is provided, the package having a body portion and a lid portion hingedly attached to the body portion, the receptacle accessory including: a cap portion configured to receive and releasably retain the lid portion of the package by an interference fit, the cap portion including a front wall, a rear wall, and a lateral top wall connecting the front wall and the rear wall; and a compartment configured to receive and retain used consumer goods, the compartment being disposed on a face of the front wall facing away from the rear wall. There is also provided a system including a package for consumer goods having a body portion and a lid portion hingedly attached to the body portion along a hinge line, and the receptacle accessory.
Claims
1.-15. (canceled)
16. A receptacle accessory for fitting on a package for consumer goods, the package having a body portion and a lid portion hingedly attached to the body portion, the receptacle accessory comprising: a cap portion configured to receive and releasably retain the lid portion of the package by an interference fit, wherein the cap portion comprises a front wall, a rear wall, and a lateral top wall connecting the front wall and the rear wall; and a compartment configured to receive and retain used consumer goods, the compartment being disposed on a face of the front wall facing away from the rear wall.
17. The receptacle accessory according to claim 16, wherein the cap portion further comprises at least one side wall connecting an end of the front wall to a corresponding end of the rear wall.
18. The receptacle accessory according to claim 16, wherein the front wall of the cap portion extends further than the rear wall of the cap portion from the lateral top wall.
19. The receptacle accessory according to claim 16, wherein the compartment has a rear wall formed by the front wall of the cap portion, a front wall, a lateral top wall connecting the rear wall and the front wall, and a pair of side walls, and wherein the compartment is open at a lower end to receive used consumer goods.
20. The receptacle accessory according to claim 16, wherein the compartment is provided with a plurality of substantially parallel longitudinal ridges to define a plurality of substantially parallel spaces within the compartment.
21. The receptacle accessory according to claim 20, wherein a concave arcuate surface is provided between each adjacent pair of the substantially parallel longitudinal ridges.
22. The receptacle accessory according to claim 20, wherein each space is configured to interference fit with a used consumer good when received in the space such that the used consumer good is securely held within the space.
23. The receptacle accessory according to claim 20, wherein the compartment has a rear wall formed by the front wall of the cap portion, a front wall, a lateral top wall connecting the rear wall and the front wall, and a pair of side walls, wherein the compartment is open at a lower end to receive used consumer goods, and wherein the substantially parallel longitudinal ridges are provided on the front wall of the compartment facing the rear wall of the compartment.
24. The receptacle accessory according to claim 16, wherein at least one interior surface of the compartment is provided with a non-slip surface coating or non-slip surface features configured to help retain used consumer goods within the compartment.
25. The receptacle accessory according to claim 20, wherein the compartment has a rear wall formed by the front wall of the cap portion, a front wall, a lateral top wall connecting the rear wall and the front wall, and a pair of side walls, wherein the compartment is open at a lower end to receive used consumer goods, and wherein the front wall of the compartment extends further than the rear wall of the compartment from the lateral top wall.
26. The receptacle accessory according to claim 16, wherein the compartment is provided with a ribbon configured to be pulled for facilitating ejection of used consumer goods from the compartment.
27. The receptacle accessory according to claim 16, wherein the compartment is provided with a deodorising medium.
28. A system comprising a package for consumer goods having a body portion and a lid portion hingedly attached to the body portion along a hinge line, and a receptacle accessory according to claim 16.
29. The system according to claim 28, wherein the rear wall of the cap portion, when fitted on the lid portion of the package, does not cover the hinge line, thereby allowing the receptacle accessory to move with the lid portion when the lid portion is pivoted about the hinge line.
30. The system according to claim 28, wherein the rear wall of the cap portion, when the lid portion of the package is fully inserted into the cap portion of the receptacle accessory, covers the hinge line, thereby preventing the lid portion from pivoting about the hinge line, and wherein the cap portion of the receptacle accessory is slidable relative to the lid portion of the package so as to expose the hinge line and to allow the lid portion to pivot about the hinge line.
Description
[0087] Examples will now be further described with reference to the figures in which:
[0088] FIG. 1 shows a package of consumer goods;
[0089] FIG. 2 shows a receptacle accessory;
[0090] FIG. 3 shows a bottom plan view of the receptacle accessory of FIG. 2;
[0091] FIG. 4 shows a receptacle accessory having a ribbon to facilitate ejection of used consumer goods, the receptacle accessory being fitted on a package of consumer goods; and
[0092] FIG. 5 shows a side view of a receptacle accessory fitted on a package of consumer goods in a partially open configuration.
[0093] FIG. 1 shows a package 1 of consumer goods 2. The package 1 is made of cardboard. The package 1 has a body portion 3 comprising a front wall 50, a bottom 4, a left mitre panel 5, a right mitre panel 6 and a rear wall (not visible in FIG. 1). The body portion 3 is hollow, and defines a volume in which the consumer goods 2 are stored. A lid portion 7 is hingedly attached to the body portion 3 along a hinge line 8 formed along the top of the rear wall of the package 1. The lid portion 7 has a rectangular front wall 9, a rectangular rear wall 10, a rectangular lateral top wall 11 and left and right opposing side walls 12, 13. The left and right opposing side walls 12, 13 in the illustrated embodiment are trapezoidal, such that a bottom edge of each side wall 12, 13 aligns with a top edge of the respective mitre panel 5, 6 of the body portion 3 when the lid portion 7 is closed. The lid portion 7 is hollow so as to fit over consumer goods 2 stored vertically within the body portion 3 of the package 1. An inner frame 14, also made of cardboard, is provided inside the body portion 3. The inner frame 14 has left and right side walls 15, 16, a front wall 17 and an optional rear wall (not visible in FIG. 1). The front wall 17 of the inner frame 14 has a cut-out portion 18 to facilitate access to the consumer goods 2 when the lid portion 7 is open. The inner frame 14 helps to provide structural stability to the package 1, with the side walls 15, 16 and edge portions of the front wall 17 fitting inside the lid portion 7 when the lid portion 7 is closed. The inner frame 14 can help to guide the lid portion 7 between open and closed positions.
[0094] FIG. 2 shows a receptacle accessory 20 having a cap portion 21. The cap portion 21 comprises a front wall 22, a rear wall 23 and a lateral top wall 24 connecting the front wall 22 to the rear wall 23. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the cap portion 21 also comprises first and second side walls 25, 26 each connecting one end of the front wall 22 to a corresponding end of the rear wall 23. However, in other embodiments (not shown), one or both of the side walls 25, 26 may be omitted.
[0095] In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the cap portion 21 has a shape and configuration that is generally similar to the shape and configuration of the lid portion 7 of the package 1 of FIG. 1. The cap portion 21 is sized and configured to receive and releasably retain the lid portion 7 of the package 1 by an interference fit. In the illustrated embodiment, the side walls 25, 26 of the cap portion 21 are trapezoidal and similar in shape to the trapezoidal side walls 12, 13 of the package 1 illustrated in FIG. 1. In the illustrated embodiment, the front wall 22 of the cap portion 21 extends further than the rear wall 23 from the lateral top wall 24.
[0096] The receptacle accessory 20 further comprises a compartment 27 configured to receive and retain used consumer goods (not shown in FIG. 2). The used consumer goods are the consumer goods 2 shown in FIG. 1 after they have been removed from the package 1 and enjoyed by a consumer. The compartment 27 is disposed on a face of the front wall 22 of the cap portion 21 facing away from the rear wall 23 of the cap portion 21.
[0097] The compartment 27 in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 has a rear wall 28 formed by the front wall 22 of the cap portion 21, a front wall 29 and a lateral top wall 30 connecting the rear wall 28 and the front wall 29. The lateral top wall 30 of the compartment 27 in this embodiment is a simple extension of the lateral top wall 24 of the cap portion 21. The compartment 27 further comprises first and second side walls 31, 32. The compartment 27 is open at a lower end 33 to receive used consumer goods.
[0098] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the compartment 27 is provided with a plurality of substantially parallel longitudinal ridges 34. The ridges 34 define a plurality of substantially parallel spaces 35 within the compartment 27. Each space 35 may be configured to interference fit with a used consumer good when received in the space 35 such that the used consumer good is securely held within the space 35.
[0099] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, each space 35 has a closed end proximate the lateral top wall 24 of the cap portion 21. The closed end of each space 35 is also proximate the lateral top wall 30 of the compartment 27. The closed end of each space 35 is bounded by the rear wall 28, the front wall 29 and the lateral top wall 30 of the compartment. The spaces 35 at left and right sides of the compartment 27 are also bounded by the side walls 31, 32 of the compartment 27. The closed ends of the spaces 35 may be configured to hold portions of used consumer goods in a substantially airtight manner. For example, where the used consumer goods are used aerosol-generating articles, such as used rod-shaped heat-not-burn aerosol-generating articles comprising an aerosol-generating substrate towards one longitudinal end and a filter portion at an opposed longitudinal end, the used consumer goods may be inserted into the spaces 35 such that the used aerosol-generating substrate end of each consumer good is contained within the closed end of each space 35. The filter portion end of each consumer good can then act as a plug at an opening of the closed end of the respective space 35. In this way, the used aerosol-generating substrate portions of each used consumer good may be contained within the closed ends of the spaces so as to reduce the emission of unwanted odours from the compartment 27.
[0100] FIG. 3 shows a bottom plan view of the receptacle accessory 20 shown in FIG. 2, with like parts being labelled as in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 more clearly shows the relationship between the front wall 22 and rear wall 23 of the cap portion 21, the front wall 29 and rear wall 28 of the compartment 27, the side walls 25, 26 of the cap portion 21, and the side walls 31, 32 of the compartment 27. In the illustrated embodiment, the longitudinal ridges 34 or provided on an inner surface of the front wall 29 of the compartment 27, facing the rear wall 28 of the compartment 27. In alternative embodiments, the longitudinal ridges 34 may be provided on an inner surface of the rear wall 28 of the compartment 27, facing the front wall 29 of the compartment. In some embodiments, the longitudinal ridges 34 may be provided on facing surfaces of both the rear wall 28 and the front wall 29 of the compartment 27. In these embodiments, it is preferable that the longitudinal ridges 34 are in registration with each other on opposite sides of the compartment 27, thereby to define the spaces 35.
[0101] A concave arcuate surface 36 may be provided between each pair of adjacent longitudinal ridges 34. The concave arcuate surface 36 may be shaped as an arc of a cylinder. The shape of the concave arcuate surface 36 may be selected to be complementary to a cylindrical shape of used consumer goods, thereby better to retain the used consumer goods in the spaces 35 so that the used consumer goods do not easily fall out of the compartment 27. The concave arcuate surfaces 36, in combination with the longitudinal ridges 34 and the opposing wall of the compartment 27, provide an interference fit with used consumer goods inserted into the spaces 35.
[0102] At least one interior surface of the compartment 27, for example an interior surface of at least one of the front wall 29, the rear wall 28, the side walls 31, 32 and the concave arcuate surfaces 36 may be provided with a non-slip surface coating or non-slip surface features to help retain used consumer goods within the compartment 27. The non-slip surface coating may be a coating having a friction coefficient higher than a friction coefficient of an exterior surface of the compartment 27. Non-slip surface features may comprise a roughening or texturing of at least portions of the at least one interior surface so as to increase a friction coefficient of the interior surface of the compartment 27.
[0103] Because used consumer goods are stored within the compartment 27, but outside of the package 1 of unused consumer goods 2, it is desirable that the used consumer goods do not easily fall out of the compartment 27 while the package 1 with the attached receptacle accessory 20 is being carried in a pocket or handbag.
[0104] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the front wall 29 of the compartment 27 extends further than the rear wall 28 of the compartment 27 from the lateral top wall 30. This means that lower portions of the spaces 35 are exposed in a direction that faces the front wall 50 of the body portion 3 of the package 1 when the receptacle accessory 20 is fitted on the lid portion 7 of the package 1 and the lid portion 7 is closed. When the lid portion 7 is opened by pivoting about the hinge line 8, the spaces 35 move away from the front wall 50 of the body portion 3 of the package 1. However, since at least portions of the used consumer goods are retained within the closed ends of the spaces 35 by an interference fit, the used consumer goods will not fall out of the compartment 27 when the lid portion 7 is opened.
[0105] In alternative embodiments (not shown), the rear wall 28 of the compartment 27 (and the front wall 22 of the cap portion 21) extends substantially the same distance as the front wall 29 of the compartment 27 from the lateral top wall 30. In these embodiments, lower portions of the spaces 34 are enclosed by the rear wall 28 and the front wall 29 of the compartment 27, other than at the bottom end of the compartment 27. Although these alternative embodiments do not allow used consumer goods to be ejected from the compartment 27 as easily, they may help better to retain the used consumer goods within the compartment as a result of an increased interference fit.
[0106] The embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 has ten spaces 35 defined by nine longitudinal ridges 34. This embodiment is particularly suited for use with packages 1 containing ten consumer goods. The receptacle accessory 20 is thus configured to hold the same number of used consumer goods as there are fresh consumer goods 2 in the package 1. In other embodiments, there may be twenty spaces defined by nineteen longitudinal ridges 34. These embodiments are particularly suited for use with packages 1 containing twenty consumer goods. In embodiments where longitudinal ridges 34 are provided on interior surfaces of both the front wall 29 and the rear wall 28 of the compartment 27, ten spaces 35 may be defined by eighteen longitudinal ridges, and twenty spaces 35 may be defined by thirty eight longitudinal ridges 34. The number of spaces 35 and ridges 34 may be generalised as required.
[0107] At least one interior surface of the cap portion 21 of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 may be provided with a non-slip surface coating or non-slip surface features to help improve the interference fit between the interior surface of the cap portion 21 and an exterior surface of the lid portion 7 of the package 1. The at least one interior surface of the cap portion 21 may comprise at least one of an interior surface of the front wall 22, an interior surface of the rear wall 23, an interior surface of a side wall 25, 26, or interior surfaces of any combination of the front wall 22, the rear wall 23 and the side wall(s) 25, 26. The non-slip surface coating may be a coating having a friction coefficient higher than a friction coefficient of an exterior surface of the receptacle accessory 20. The non-slip surface features may comprise a roughening or texturing of at least portions of the interior surface so as to increase a friction coefficient of the interior surface of the cap portion 21. Such non-slip surface coatings or surface features can help to prevent the receptacle accessory 20 from becoming accidentally separated from the package 1 when carried in a pocket or handbag.
[0108] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the front wall 22 of the cap portion 21 extends further than the rear wall 23 from the lateral top wall 24. A lower edge of the rear wall 23 of the cap portion 21, when fitted on the lid portion 7 of the package 1, may be located above the hinge line 8 of the package 1. In other words, the rear wall 23 of the cap portion 21 does not cover or extend over the hinge line 8 of the package 1 when the lid portion 7 of the package 1 is fully received in the cap portion 21. This allows the lid portion 7 to be opened without hindrance, since the lid portion 7 and the rear wall 23 of the cap portion 21 can both pivot together about the hinge line 8.
[0109] In other embodiments, a lower edge of the rear wall 23 of the cap portion 21, when the lid portion 7 is fully received in the cap portion 21, may be located below the hinge line 8. In other words, the rear wall of the cap portion 21 may cover or extend over the hinge line 8 of the package 1 when the lid portion 7 of the package 1 is fully received in the cap portion 21. This prevents the lid portion 7 from being pivoting freely about the hinge line 8, and can serve to lock the lid portion 7 in a closed position. If a consumer wishes to unlock the lid portion 7, the receptacle accessory 20 may be slid upwardly relative to the package 1 until the hinge line 8 is exposed or no longer covered by the rear wall 23 of the cap portion 21, thus allowing the lid portion 7 to pivot freely about the hinge line 8. Being able to lock the lid portion 7 in this way may be desirable so as to prevent unwanted opening of the package 1 during transport in a pocket or handbag.
[0110] The compartment 27 may be provided with a deodorising medium. The deodorising medium may comprise a lining or coating on the interior of the compartment 27, the lining or coating being impregnated with a deodorant. The coating may be a gel coating. Some used consumer goods, for example aerosol-generating articles that have been heated in a heating device, may have a residual odour that may be unwelcome in a user's pocket or handbag. The provision of a deodorising medium in the compartment 27 may help to reduce such residual odours.
[0111] FIG. 4 shows an embodiment in which the compartment 27 is provided with a ribbon 40 configured to be pulled for facilitating ejection of used consumer goods from the compartment 27. The ribbon 40 may be made of a flexible polymer material, or may comprise woven or non-woven threads or fibres, for example of cotton or synthetic polymer. In some embodiments, the ribbon 40 may be made of cellulosic fibres. The ribbon 40 is flexible. Preferably, the ribbon 40 is substantially inelastic in a longitudinal direction. In other words, the ribbon 40 preferably does not stretch appreciably when pulled. One end of the ribbon 40 is attached to an interior surface of the compartment 27. The end of the ribbon 40 may be attached at or close to a corner portion of the interior of the compartment 27, for example where the lateral top wall 30 meets a side wall 31, 32. A length of the ribbon 40 may then lie generally within the compartment 27, and a free end 41 of the ribbon 40 may project from the compartment 27 or be graspable from outside the compartment 27. As the compartment 27 is sequentially filled with used consumer goods, the ribbon 40 will be constrained between distal ends of the used consumer goods and the interior surface of the lateral top wall 30 of the compartment 27, although the free end 41 will remain graspable from outside the container 27. When a consumer wishes to eject used consumer goods from the compartment 27 (this may be done when the compartment 27 is filled or when the compartment 27 is only partially filled), the consumer grasps the free end 41 of the ribbon 40 and pulls in a direction away from the lateral top wall 30. Tension in the ribbon 40 will then help to pull the used consumer goods out of the compartment 27 for responsible disposal. The ribbon 40 may also facilitate ejection of any debris that may have been deposited in the compartment from the used consumer goods, for example crumbs or particles of used aerosol-generating substrate. Provision and use of a ribbon 40 allows the used consumer goods to be ejected quickly and easily, without the need to touch or handle the used consumer goods directly with the consumer's fingers.
[0112] The ribbon 40 may incorporate a deodorising medium. The ribbon 40 may be impregnated or coated with a deodorising medium. The free end 41 of the ribbon 40 may be free of deodorising medium so that the free end 41 may be grasped by a consumer without transferring deodorising medium to the consumer's fingers.
[0113] FIG. 5 shows a side view of an embodiment comprising the package 1 of consumer goods 2 as shown in FIG. 1 fitted with a receptacle accessory 20 as shown in FIG. 2. The lid portion 7 of the package 1 is joined to the body portion 3 by the hinge line 8. The cap portion 21 of the receptacle accessory 20 fits over the lid portion 7 of the package 1. The rear wall 23 of the cap portion 21 does not cover the hinge line 8, thus allowing the lid portion 7 and the receptacle accessory 20 to pivot about the hinge line 8 as shown, giving access to the consumer goods 2 in the package 1.
