Packing method for producing a hinged-lid, slide-open package of tobacco articles with a sealing flap

• US 9,701,429 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2012
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: G.D. Societa per Azioni.
• Original Assignee: G.D. Societa per Azioni.
• Inventors: Squarzoni, Michele
• Primary Examiner(s): TRUONG, THANH K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fry, Patrick
• Application Number:
  US14/356,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20140305080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,707 Days
• Field of Search: 53169, 53449
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 11/004 in blanks, e.g. sheets precut and creased for folding
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 11/58 Applying two or more wrappers, e.g. in succession
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 19/02 Packaging cigarettes
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 19/22 Wrapping the cigarettes; Packaging the cigarettes in containers formed by folding wrapping material around formers

Abstract

A packing method for producing a package of tobacco articles having: an inner container, which houses a group of tobacco articles, and has an open top end and a hinged lid to close the open top end; an outer container housing the inner container so as to allow the inner container to slide with respect to the outer container between a closed configuration and an open configuration; and a sealing flap, which is hinged to a top edge of a front wall of the outer container, and is movable between a work position, in which the sealing flap is perpendicular to the front wall of the outer container and located beneath a top wall of the lid of the inner container, and a rest position, in which the sealing flap is substantially parallel to the front wall of the outer container.

Claims

1. A packing method for producing a package (1) of tobacco articles comprising the steps of:

providing an inner container (3), which houses a wrapped group (2) of tobacco articles, has an open top end (5), and comprises a lid (6) hinged to the inner container (3) along a hinge (7) to close the open top end (5);

providing an outer container (4) housing the inner container (3) so as to allow the inner container (3) to slide with respect to the outer container (4) between a closed configuration, in which the inner container (3) is inserted inside the outer container (4), and an open configuration, in which the inner container (3) is extracted partly from the outer container (4); and

providing a sealing flap (22), which is hinged along a transverse fold line (23) to a top edge of a front wall (17) of the outer container (4), and is movable between a work position, in which the sealing flap (22) is perpendicular to the front wall (17) of the outer container (4) and located beneath a top wall (12) of the lid (6) of the inner container (3), and a rest position, in which the sealing flap (22) is substantially parallel to the front wall (17) of the outer container (4);

folding a first blank (24) about the wrapped group (2) of tobacco articles to form the inner container (3);

folding a second blank (25) about the inner container (3) to form the outer container (4)

folding the second blank (25), except for the sealing flap (22), about the inner container (3), so as to leave the sealing flap (22) in an initial position substantially coplanar with the front wall (17) of the outer container (4);

extracting the inner container (3) partly from the outer container (4) by sliding the inner container (3) with respect to the outer container (4);

folding the sealing flap (22) 90°

about the transverse fold line (23) towards the open top end (5) of the inner container (3) and into the work position beneath the top wall (12) of the lid (6) of the inner container (3); and

inserting the inner container (3) fully inside the outer container (4) by sliding the inner container (3) with respect to the outer container (4).

2. A packing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of extracting the inner container (3) partly from the outer container (4) comprises distancing a front edge of the top wall (12) of the lid (6) of the inner container (3) from the top edge of the front wall (17) of the outer container (4) by a distance greater than or equal to the longitudinal dimension of the sealing flap (22).

3. A packing method as claimed in claim 1, comprising folding the sealing flap (22) about the transverse fold line (23), prior to extracting the inner container (3) partly from the outer container (4).

4. A packing method as claimed in claim 3, comprising folding the sealing flap (22) 90°

about the transverse fold line (23) and onto the top wall (12) of the lid (6) of the inner container (3), prior to extracting the inner container (3) partly from the outer container (4).

5. A packing method as claimed in claim 3, comprising folding the sealing flap (22) about the transverse fold line (23) and towards the front wall (17) of the outer container (4), prior to extracting the inner container (3) partly from the outer container (4).

6. A packing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of extracting the inner container (3) partly from the outer container (4) comprises the steps of:

clamping the outer container (4); and

exerting thrust on the inner container (3) by means of a first actuator (27), which engages a wall (9) of the inner container (3) through an opening (21) formed through a corresponding front wall (17) of the outer container (4).

7. A packing method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first actuator (27) has a suction head, which is brought into contact with the wall (9) of the inner container (3).

8. A packing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of extracting the inner container (3) partly from the outer container (4) comprises the steps of:

clamping the outer container (4); and

exerting pull on the inner container (3) by means of a second actuator (28), which engages the top wall (12) of the lid (6) of the inner container (3), and has a suction head.

9. A packing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of inserting the inner container (3) fully inside the outer container (4) comprises the steps of:

clamping the outer container (4); and

exerting thrust on the inner container (3) by means of a first actuator (27), which engages a wall (9) of the inner container (3) through the opening (21) formed through the corresponding front wall (17) of the outer container (4).

10. A packing method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of inserting the inner container (3) fully inside the outer container (4) comprises the steps of:

clamping the outer container (4); and

exerting thrust on the inner container (3) by means of a second actuator (28), which engages the top wall (12) of the lid (6) of the inner container (3).