Package of tobacco item with a foldable bottom shell

• US 20050150787A1
• Filed: 02/14/2003
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: G.D. Societa per Azioni.
• Original Assignee: G.D. Societa per Azioni.
• Inventors: Draghetti, Fiorenzo, Li Vigni, Angelo
• Granted Patent: US 7,431,153 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/271
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/1081 Inserts or accessories added or joined to the container, e.g. coins, pens, cards, spacers B65D85/1009 takes precedence

Abstract

A package (1) of tobacco items, of which form part a packet (2) of tobacco items, which opens at the top, is substantially parallelepiped-shaped, and houses a group (3) of tobacco items; and a foldable protective member (4), which assumes a closed configuration, in which it is flat and rectangular, and an open configuration, in which it is tubular to house a portion of the packet (2) of tobacco items with no clearance; the protective member (4) being folded into the closed configuration and attached removably to the packet (2) of tobacco items.

Claims

1. ) A package of tobacco items comprising a parallelepiped-shaped packet (2) of tobacco items, which opens at the top and houses a group (3) of tobacco items, and a hollow parallelepiped-shaped protective member (4) which is able to house a portion of the packet (2) of tobacco items with substantially no clearance;

the package (1) being characterized in that the protective member (4) is foldable and can assumes indifferently a closed configuration, in which it is flat, and an open configuration, in which it is hollow and parallelepiped-shaped to house a portion of the packet (2) of tobacco items with substantially no clearance;

the protective member (4) comprising four flat panels (20′

, 21′

, 22′

) bounded by folding lines (23′

), which defines edges (23) of the hollow protective member (4) in the open configuration;

for changing from the open configuration to the closed configuration and vice versa, the flat panels being rotated one with respect to the other about the folding lines (23′

);

protective member (4) being folded into the closed configuration and attached removably to the packet (2) of tobacco items.

2. ) A package as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the protective member (4) in the closed configuration is inserted inside the packet (2) of tobacco items.

3. ) A package as claimed in claim 1, characterized by comprising a transparent overwrapping enclosing the packet (2) of tobacco items;

the protective member (4) in the closed configuration being applied to an outer wall of the packet (2) of tobacco items, and being held in that position by the transparent overwrapping.

4. ) A package as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the packet (2) comprises two, respectively top and bottom, end walls (9, 10);

a lateral surface (8) bounded by the end walls (9, 10) and defined by two, respectively front and rear, major lateral walls (12, 13), and by two minor lateral walls (11);

four longitudinal edges (15), each defined between a major lateral wall (12;

13) and a minor lateral wall (11); and

eight transverse edges (16), each defined between an end wall (9;

10) and a lateral wall (11;

12;

13);

the protective member (4) in the open configuration being parallelepiped-shaped, and comprising a lateral surface (17) defined by two, respectively front and rear, major lateral walls (21, 22), and by two minor lateral walls (20);

each major lateral wall (21;

22) of the protective member (4) being substantially the same width as and smaller in height than the major lateral walls (12, 13) of the packet (2) of tobacco items; and

each minor lateral wall (20) of the protective member (4) being substantially the same width as and smaller in height than the minor lateral walls (11) of the packet (2) of tobacco items.

5. ) A package as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that, to switch from the closed configuration to the open configuration, the minor lateral walls (20) of the protective member (4) are rotated, with respect to the major lateral walls (21, 22) of the protective member (4), about the longitudinal edges (23) between the minor lateral walls (20) and major lateral walls (21, 22) of the protective member.

6. ) A package as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that each major lateral wall (21;

22) of the protective member (4) is smaller in height than the width of the major lateral walls (12, 13) of the packet (2) of tobacco items.

7. ) A package as claimed in claim 4, 5 or 6, characterized in that the protective member (4) is defined by a foldable bottom shell (4), which may assume a closed configuration, in which it is flat, and an open configuration, in which it is in the form of a box for housing a bottom portion of the packet (2) of tobacco items with substantially no clearance.

8. ) A package as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the bottom shell (4) comprises a bottom end wall (19) of substantially the same size as the bottom end wall (10) of the packet (2) of tobacco items.

9. ) A package as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the bottom end wall (19) of the bottom shell (4) is defined by a single panel (31) connected to only one lateral wall (20;

21;

22) of the bottom shell (4) along a respective transverse edge.

10. ) A package as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the bottom end wall (19) of the bottom shell (4) comprises fastening means for fixing the bottom end wall (19) to the lateral wall (20;

21;

22) of the bottom shell (4) opposite the lateral wall (20;

21;

22) of the bottom shell (4) connected to the bottom end wall (19) along the respective transverse edge (24).

11. ) A package as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the fastening means comprise a tongue integral with the bottom end wall (19) of the bottom shell (4);

and a slit for receiving the tongue and formed in the lateral wall (20;

21;

22) of the bottom shell (4).

12. ) A package as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the bottom end wall (19) of the bottom shell (4) is defined by two first panels (25, 26), each connected to a respective lateral wall (20;

21;

22) of the bottom shell (4) along a respective transverse edge (24).

13. ) A package as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the bottom end wall (19) of the bottom shell (4) is defined by two second panels (27, 28), each connected to a respective minor lateral wall (20) and to a respective major lateral wall (21;

22) of the bottom shell (4) along respective transverse edges (24);

the second panels (27, 28) being located below the first panels (25, 26), so that the first panels (25, 26) rest on the second panels (27, 28) when the bottom shell (4) is in the open configuration.

14. ) A package as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that, to fold up when the bottom shell (4) is in the closed configuration, each second panel (27;

28) has a respective preformed fold line (32;

33) extending across the whole of the second panel (27, 28) and originating at the point of intersection between a major transverse edge (24) and a minor transverse edge (24).

15. ) A package as claimed in claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the first panels (25, 26) are substantially rectangular, and the second panels (27, 28) are substantially triangular.

16. ) A package as claimed in claim 13, 14 or 15, characterized in that the first panels (25, 26) are smaller than the bottom end wall (19) of the bottom shell (4), and comprise respective complementary-shaped appendixes (29, 30), so that the appendixes (29;

30) of one first panel (25;

26) rest on the other first panel (26;

25), and vice versa, when the bottom shell (4) is in the open configuration.

17. ) A package as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 16, characterized in that the protective member (4) in the open configuration is the same shape as the packet (2) of tobacco items, so that the longitudinal edges (23) and transverse edges (24) of the protective member (4) in the open configuration are substantially the same shape as the longitudinal edges (15) and transverse edges (16) of the packet (2) of tobacco items.

18. ) A package as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that the packet (2) of tobacco items and the protective member (4) in the open configuration both have rounded or beveled longitudinal edges (15, 23).

19. ) A package as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that at least one lateral wall (11, 12, 13) of the packet (2) of tobacco items has at least one outwardly convex half-profile, is connected to at least one adjacent lateral wall (12, 13, 11) along a respective sharp longitudinal edge (15), and subtends with said adjacent lateral wall (12, 13, 11) a respective substantially obtuse dihedral angle, so that the respective longitudinal edge (15) is other than square.

20. ) A package as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 19, characterized by comprising fastening means for fastening the protective member (4) in position with respect to the packet (2) of tobacco items, when the packet (2) of tobacco items is inserted inside the protective member (4).

21. ) A package as claimed in claim 20, characterized in that said fastening means comprise projections formed inside the protective member (4).

22. ) A package as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 21, characterized in that at least one of the exposed lateral surfaces of said protective member (4) is printed with wording and/or graphics.