Cigarette dispensing package

• US 4,172,520 A
• Filed: 09/26/1977
• Issued: 10/30/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Andre Gero, Anthony J. Distefano, Domenick W. Distefano
• Original Assignee: Andre Gero, Anthony J. Distefano, Domenick W. Distefano
• Inventors: Gero, Gabriel
• Primary Examiner(s): Ross, Herbert F.
• Application Number:
  US05/836,749
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 229/11, 229/20, 229/44 CB, 206/815, 206/45.15, 206/45.18, 206/248, 206/250, 206/252, 206/254, 206/259, 206/264, 206/265, 206/266, 206/267, 206/270, 206/271, 206/273, 206/274, 206/275
• US Class Current: 206/265
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/1036 Containers formed by erecting a rigid or semi-rigid blank

Abstract

A cigarette dispensing package and blank are provided wherein an inner shell is pivotably movable within an outer shell between a fully contained closed position and a partially extending open position. The economical package construction embodies a two-piece blank with a novel toggle lock tab which can be loaded on conventional cigarette equipment with generally negligible conversion. In addition, a novel foil bundle is disclosed which facilitates loading during manufacture, and precludes damage to the cigarettes when the package is opened as the novel foil bundle cooperates with the movement of the inner shell within the outer shell.

Claims

1. A package for cigarettes and the like, said package comprising:

an outer shell having a multiedge bottom surface and a plurality of sidewalls upstanding therefrom, said outer shell including an elongated opening therein;

one of said sidewalls constituting a rear wall oppositely disposed with respect to said elongated opening;

an inner shell having at least a front and side walls, and said inner shell being pivotally connected to said outer shell and movable between a first position within said outer shell in which the interior of said inner shell is inaccessible and a second position partially out of the confines of said outer shell in which the interior of said inner shell is accessible;

a non-connected over-center toggle lock tab extending from a rear wall of said inner shell for firmly seating said inner shell in a closed position within said outer shell by an abutting engagement with the top corner of said outer shell to form a toggle over-center type closure upon closing so as to preclude said inner shell from moving from said first position accidentally;

said non-connected over-center toggle lock tab being unsecured to any wall of said outer shell, and stop means for limiting the pivotal travel of said inner shell when said inner shell is in said second position and for precluding said inner shell from being withdrawn completely out of the confines of said outer shell, and said stop means comprising at least one wall surface of said inner shell except for said front wall.

2. The package of claim 1, wherein said inner shell includes a front wall which closes said elongated opening when said inner shell is in its first position, said front wall of said inner shell being hingedly secured to one edge of said bottom surface of said outer shell which is oppositely disposed with respect to the bottom corner of said outer shell.

3. The package of claim 1, wherein said toggle lock tab comprises a member connected to the upper end of said rear wall of said inner shell and when said toggle lock tab member is engaged with said top corner of said outer shell, said member passing overcenter with respect to a first imaginary diagonal joining the upper end of the rear wall of said outer shell with said one edge of said bottom surface whenever said inner shell is moved between its first and second positions.

4. The package of claim 3, wherein the length of said member plus the length of a second imaginary diagonal line joining the upper end of the rear wall of said inner shell with the lower end of the front wall thereof is greater than the length of said first imaginary diagonal, whereby a naturally biased overcenter toggle arrangement is formed which urges said inner shell toward its first or second position when said joining member passes over said first imaginary diagonal.

5. The package of claim 1, including a main body wrapping or foil bundle containing cigarettes or the like, comprising a blank of sheet material having a plurality of fold lines so as to form a bundle having four sides and a bottom when folded, and said bottom portion having perforations along three sides;

whereby upon the initial opening of said inner shell, the bottom of said cigarettes exerting pressure, causing said bottom portion of said bundle to simultaneously tear along said perforated sides, thereby automatically breaking away said bottom portion without a direct manual contact, so as to cooperate with the movement and positions of said inner shell in relation to said outer shell without damaging the contents of said foil bundle.

6. The package of claim 5, including a removable top corner portion covering said cigarettes adjacent the corner opening of said inner shell, said corner portion formed of sheet material having a plurality of fold lines which form a four-sided corner portion having an extending finger tab for gripping purposes enabling removal of said top corner portion.

7. The package of claim 6, wherein said top corner portion and said body wrapping are integrally formed from a single blank of sheet material;

and said top corner portion is attached to said body wrapping by means of perforations, thereby facilitating the removal of said top corner portion upon the gripping and pulling of said finger tab.

8. The package of claim 1, wherein said one wall is a side panel of said inner shell.

9. The package of claim 1, wherein said stop means is formed by side panel walls of said inner shell.

10. The package of claim 1, wherein said stop means is formed by said rear wall of said inner shell and by side panel walls of said inner shell.

11. The package of claim 9, including finger opening notches in said side panel walls of said outer shell adjacent said elongated opening of said outer shell to facilitate gripping said side panel walls of said inner shell for opening said package to said second position.

12. The package of claim 1, including a finger opening in said rear wall of said outer shell to facilitate pushing said rear wall of said inner shell to force said inner shell to swing open to said second position out of the confines of said outer shell.

13. The package of claim 9, wherein said rear wall and said side panel walls of said inner shell are of full length and extend to a common bottom edge.

14. The package of claim 1, including a bundle for wrapping said cigarettes in a predetermined sized pack;

said bundle comprising a main body portion and a partial breakaway bottom portion which is automatically torn when said package is initially opened.

15. The package of claim 14, wherein said breakaway bottom portion is perforated along three bottom side edges of the main body portion;

and said cigarettes causing said breakaway portion to tear along the perforated side edges of said bottom portion when said package is opened.

16. The package of claim 15, wherein said bundle includes a removable top corner portion.

17. The package of claim 16, wherein said removable top corner portion includes extending tab means for gripping purposes.

18. The package of claim 16, wherein said top cover portion is integrally formed with said main body portion of said bundle.

19. The package of claim 18, wherein said top cover portion is secured to said main body portion by perforated lines in said bundle.

20. The package of claim 14, wherein said bundle is made from thin foil sheet material.

21. The package of claim 20, wherein said sheet material is provided with a plurality of fold lines which form said bundle, and the bottom corners of said bundle are folded so that corner tabs are externally disposed so as not to interfere with the bottom of said cigarettes in said bundle.

22. The package of claim 9, wherein said side panel walls of said inner shell are provided with oppositely disposed cutout portions which form side wall openings in the inner shell for easy access to the packaged products.

23. A two-piece blank for forming a side-opening package having inner and outer shells for cigarettes or other articles, said blank comprising:

an inner shell blank having a front wall panel having a lower end flap hinged thereto, a rear wall panel, at least two side wall panels connectable to said front and rear wall panels by parallel fold lines, and a toggle lock tab extending from the upper portion of said rear panel of said inner shell and being connected thereto by a fold line; and

an outer shell blank having a bottom wall panel having an end edge, at least one top wall panel, side wall panels connectable to said top and bottom wall panels by parallel fold lines, at least one rear wall panel having a side panel hinged thereto; and

said lower end flap of said inner shell blank adapted to be secured at said end edge of said bottom wall panel of said outer shell blank for pivotally mounting said inner shell blank to said outer shell blank for forming a package, wherein said toggle lock tab firmly seats said inner shell within said outer shell by being unsecured to any wall of said outer shell and being capable of separable abutting engagement with the top corner of said outer shell to form a toggle over-center closure only upon closing so as to preclude said inner shell from accidental movement out of a closed position.

24. The blank of claim 23, wherein one of said side wall panels of said inner shell blank comprising separate first and second portions which when joined together form a complete side panel and form a four side frame of tubular shape for said inner shell.

25. A two-piece blank for forming a side-opening package having inner and outer shells for cigarettes or other articles, said blank comprising:

an inner shell blank having a front wall panel having a lower end flap hinged thereto, a rear wall panel, at least two side wall panels connectable to said front and rear wall panels by parallel fold lines, and a toggle lock tab extending from the upper portion of said rear panel of said inner shell and being connected thereto by a fold line; and

an outer shell blank having a bottom wall panel having an end edge, at least one top wall panel, at least one rear wall panel, side wall panels connected by fold lines to said rear wall panel and to said top and bottom wall panels; and

said lower end flap of said inner shell blank adapted to be secured at said end edge of said bottom wall panel of said outer shell blank for pivotally mounting said inner shell to said outer shell for forming a package, wherein said toggle lock tab firmly seats said inner shell within said outer shell by being unsecured to any wall of said outer shell and being capable of separable abutting engagement with the top corner of said outer shell to form a toggle overcenter closure only upon closing so as to preclude said inner shell from accidental movement out of a closed position.

26. The blank of claim 25, wherein one of said side wall panels of said inner shell comprising separate first and second portions which when joined together form a complete side panel and form a four side frame of tubular shape for said inner shell.

27. A two-piece blank for forming a side-opening package having inner and outer shells for cigarettes or other articles, said blank comprising:

an inner shell blank having a front wall panel having a lower end flap hinged thereto, a rear wall panel, at least two side wall panels connected to said front and rear wall panels by parallel fold lines; and

an outer shell blank having a bottom wall panel having an end edge, at least one top wall panel, side wall panels connectable to said top and bottom wall panels by parallel fold lines, at least one rear wall panel hinged to a side panel and having an outer fold line, at the fold line connecting said top and side wall panels, a toggle lock tab extending outwardly and beyond said outer fold line of said rear wall panel and being connected thereto by said outer fold line at the upper edge of said rear wall panel; and

said lower end of said flap of said inner shell blank adapted to be secured at said end edge of said bottom wall panel of said outer shell blank for pivotally mounting said inner shell to said outer shell for forming a package, wherein said toggle lock tab of said outer shell is secured to said rear wall of said inner shell and said toggle lock tab forming an over-center hinge arrangement in the form of a toggle enabling the seating of said inner shell firmly in an open and closed relation to said outer shell.

28. The blank of claim 27, wherein one of said side wall panels of said inner shell comprising separate first and second portions which when joined together form a complete side panel and form a four side frame of tubular shape for said inner shell.

29. The two-piece blank of claim 28, including a first reinforcement panel being integrally formed with said rear panel of said outer shell blank but extending therefrom for securement to said toggle lock tab for strengthening and reinforcing same.

33. The two-piece blank according to claim 27, wherein an end flap hinged to said rear wall of said outer shell blank forms a top corner tab in said outer shell.

30. The blank of claim 38, including a triangular-shaped reinforcement panel connected to said toggle lock tab by means of a fold line for providing additional stiffness to said toggle lock tab.

31. A two-piece blank for forming a side-opening package having inner and outer shells for cigarettes or other articles, said blank comprising:

an inner shell blank having a front wall panel having a lower end flap hinged thereto, a rear wall panel, at least two side wall panels connectable to said front and rear wall panels by parallel fold lines, and a non-connecting over-center toggle lock tab, extending from a fold line of the upper portion of said rear panel of said inner shell, being unsecured to any wall of said outer shell; and

an outer shell blank having a bottom wall panel having an end edge, at least one top wall panel, at least one rear wall panel having an aperture, side wall panels connected by fold lines to said rear wall panel and to said top and bottom wall panels; and

said lower end flap of said inner shell blank adapted to be secured at said end edge of said bottom wall panel of said outer shell blank for pivotally mounting said inner shell to said outer shell for forming a package, wherein said non-connecting toggle lock tab seats said inner shell firmly in both an open and closed relation with respect to said outer shell without being connected to said outer shell.

32. The two-piece blank according to claim 31, wherein an end flap hinged to said top wall panel of said outer shell blank is secured to said unconnecting toggle lock tab.