PACKAGE FOR TOBACCO-RELATED ARTICLES

• US 20120261286A1
• Filed: 11/18/2010
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Imperial Tobacco Limited (Imperial Tobacco Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Imperial Tobacco Limited (Imperial Tobacco Group PLC)
• Inventors: Collins, Tim, Knorr, Solvey, Wolfgramm, Regine, Gurke, Inga, Holloway, Steve, Southey, Neil, Devivier, Guillaume
• Granted Patent: US 8,556,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/268
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/1009 provided with proffering means B65D85/1054 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/1048 characterized by the shape of the container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/1054 combined with an outer sleeve connected to the lid
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/1056 characterized by the lid

Abstract

A package for tobacco-related articles comprises a shell including a front wall, a rear wall, two lateral walls, and a top side. A lid is adapted to close the top side of the shell when in a closed state. The lid is swivelably connected to the rear wall or one of the lateral walls at a hinge line and is swivelable about the hinge line for transfer between the closed state and an opened state. The lid comprises a top wall including a front edge, a rear edge, two lateral edges, and a bottom side and is adapted to close the top side of the shell when the lid is in its closed state. A beveled edge wall extends from at least the edge of the top wall of the lid opposite to the hinge line and fits into the shell when the lid is in its closed state.

Claims

1. A package for tobacco-related articles, said package comprising:

a shell including a front wall, a rear wall, and two lateral walls opposite to each other and connecting the front wall and the rear wall,

said shell having a top side; and

a lid adapted to close the top side of the shell when in a closed state,

said lid being swivelably connected to the rear wall or one of the lateral walls of the shell at a lid hinge line and being swivelable about the lid hinge line for transfer between the closed state and an opened state,

wherein the lid comprises a top wall including a front edge, a rear edge, two lateral edges, and a bottom side and is adapted to close the top side of the shell when the lid is in the closed state,

wherein a beveled edge wall extends from at least a first edge of the top wall, said first edge being located opposite to the lid hinge line,

wherein the beveled edge wall fits into the shell when the lid is in the closed state so that the beveled edge wall is accommodated in the shell and generally not visible.

2. Package according to claim 1,

wherein the lid hinge line is located at the rear edge or at one of the lateral edges of the top wall.

3. Package according to claim 2,

wherein the beveled edge wall extends from a plurality of edges of the top wall except the edge at which the lid hinge line is located.

4. Package according to claim 1,

wherein the lid includes a rear wall extending from the rear edge and having a free end or a lateral wall extending from one of the lateral edges and having a free end,

wherein the lid hinge line is located at the free end.

5. Package according to claim 1,

wherein the beveled edge wall is folded from a blank of the shell that includes a blank of the lid.

6. Package according to claim 1,

wherein the beveled edge wall has a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of triangular, quadrangular, polygonal, and shape including at least one curved face.

7. Package according to claim 1,

wherein the shell comprises a bottom wall,

wherein the two lateral walls and the bottom wall connect the front wall and the rear wall.

8. Package according to claim 1,

wherein the shell is an outer shell,

said package further comprising an inner shell adapted to accommodate a plurality of tobacco-related articles and shiftably mounted in the outer shell,

wherein the inner shell is moveable from a retracted position to an advanced position that enables access to the tobacco-related articles.

9. Package according to claim 8, wherein the package further comprises:

a cutout in at least one wall of the outer shell, selected from the group consisting of the front wall, the rear wall, and the two lateral wall,

wherein the cutout is adapted to expose a part of the inner shell and to enable transmission of a force onto the inner shell for moving the inner shell; and

a connector extending between a portion of the inner shell and the lid,

wherein the connector engages the lid at a distance from the lid hinge line smaller than a dimension of the lid in a direction perpendicular to the lid hinge line,

said connector being adapted to shift the lid into the opened state when the inner shell is moved into the advanced position and to shift the lid into the closed state when the inner shell is moved into the retracted position.

10. Package according to claim 9,

wherein the cutout is adapted to enable exertion of a force onto the inner shell for moving the inner shell.

11. Package according to claim 9,

wherein the inner shell comprises an inner rear wall having an upper edge or an inner lateral wall having an upper edge,

wherein the connector extends from said upper edge such that a first connector hinge line is defined at or adjacent said upper edge,

wherein a second connector hinge line is defined at the bottom side of the top wall.

12. Package according to claim 11,

wherein, in the closed state of the lid, a ratio of a distance between the first connector hinge line and the lid hinge line to a distance between the lid hinge line and the second connector hinge line is in the range from 0.5 to 1.0.

13. Package according to claim 8,

wherein the package comprises at least two inner shells which are arranged side by side.

14. Package according to claim 1,

wherein the shell is an inner shell, which is at least partially surrounded by an outer shell.

15. Package according to claim 1,

wherein the lid is formed from separate first and second parts, which are arranged opposite to each other, the first part of the lid being swivelably connected to the rear wall or a first one of the lateral walls of the shell at the lid hinge line and the second part of the lid being swivelably connected to the front wall or a second one of the lateral walls of the shell at a second lid hinge line,

wherein each of the first and second parts of the lid comprises a beveled edge wall at least opposite to the lid hinge line and the second lid hinge line, respectively.

16. Package according to claim 15,

wherein the first and second parts of the lid are designed in a general mirror symmetry with respect to each other.

17. Package according to claim 1,

wherein the lid comprises a gripping device.

18. Package according to claim 1,

wherein the package contains tobacco-related articles,

wherein the tobacco-related articles are selected from the group consisting of cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, tobacco-containing rods, smokeless tobacco, simulated smoking devices, inhalors without combustion of tobacco, and aroma reservoirs.

19. Package according to claim 4,

wherein the lid includes a plurality of edge walls.

20. Package according to claim 8,

wherein the inner shell, in the retracted position, is housed inside the outer shell.

21. Package according to claim 9,

wherein the connector is a hinged connector.

22. Package according to claim 12,

wherein the ratio of the distance between the first connector hinge line and the lid hinge line to the distance between the lid hinge line and the second connector hinge line is in the range from 0.70 to 0.85.

23. Package according to claim 22,

wherein the ratio of the distance between the first connector hinge line and the lid hinge line to the distance between the lid hinge line and the second connector hinge line is about 0.78.

24. Package according to claim 13,

wherein the lid is formed from at least two separate parts, which are arranged side by side and are swivelably connected to the rear wall of the outer shell,

wherein each of the separate parts of the lid is associated with a corresponding one of the inner shells.

25. Package according to claim 17,

wherein the gripping device is selected from a group consisting of a tab, a nose, a gripping depression, and a gripping hole.