Rigid box for smoking articles and respective production method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10549880-B2
Application number	US-201515328923-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2015
Priority date	Jul 31, 2014
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

Rigid box for smoking articles having a parallelepiped shape and provided with: a first panel which defines a top wall; a second panel which is folded 90° with respect to the first panel and defines a first lateral wall; a third panel which is folded 90° with respect to the second panel and defines a bottom wall; a fourth panel which is folded 90° with respect to the third panel and defines a second lateral wall opposite the first lateral wall; a fifth panel which is folded 90° with respect to the fourth panel and rests on an inner surface of the first panel; a sixth panel which is folded 90° with respect to the fifth panel and divides the inner volume of the rigid box; and a seventh panel which is folded 90° with respect to the sixth panel and rests on an inner surface of the third panel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A rigid box ( 1 ) for smoking articles; the rigid box ( 1 ) being parallelepiped-shaped and comprises:
a first panel ( 4 ) which defines a top wall;
a second panel ( 5 ) which is hinged to the first panel ( 4 ), is folded 90° with respect to the first panel ( 4 ) and defines a first lateral wall;
a third panel ( 6 ) which is hinged to the second panel ( 5 ), is folded 90° with respect to the second panel ( 5 ), is parallel to and faces the first panel ( 4 ), and defines a bottom wall;
a fourth panel ( 7 ) which is hinged to the third panel ( 6 ), is folded 90° with respect to the third panel ( 6 ), is parallel to and faces the second panel ( 5 ), and defines a second lateral wall opposite the first lateral wall;
a fifth panel ( 8 ) which is hinged to the fourth panel ( 7 ), is folded 90° with respect to the fourth panel ( 7 ) and rests on and is glued to an inner surface of the first panel ( 4 );
a sixth panel ( 9 ) which is hinged to the fifth panel ( 8 ), is folded 90° with respect to the fifth panel ( 8 ), is parallel to the second panel ( 5 ) and to the fourth panel ( 7 ) and divides the inner volume of the rigid box ( 1 ) in two adjacent chambers ( 10 , 11 );
a seventh panel ( 12 ) which is hinged to the sixth panel ( 9 ), is folded 90° with respect to the sixth panel ( 9 ) and rests on and is glued to an inner surface of the third panel ( 6 ); and
an eighth panel ( 13 ), which is hinged to the first panel ( 4 ) from the opposite side of the second panel ( 5 ), is folded 180° with respect to the first panel ( 4 ) onto the first panel ( 4 ) and constitutes a pivoting lid which covers the first panel ( 4 ); and
wherein between the eighth panel ( 13 ) and the first panel ( 4 ) glue ( 21 ) is interposed which allows to separate the eighth panel ( 13 ) from the first panel ( 4 ) at an opening of the rigid box ( 1 ).

2. The rigid box ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein at least a first chamber ( 10 ) bounded laterally by the fourth panel ( 7 ) and by the sixth panel ( 9 ) is designed to contain a smoking article ( 3 ).

3. The rigid box ( 1 ) according to claim 2 , wherein:
the first panel ( 4 ) has at least a first through-hole ( 14 ) which is formed at, and which comes out inside the first chamber ( 10 ); and
the fifth panel ( 8 ) has at least a second through-hole ( 15 ) which is formed at the first chamber ( 10 ) and is aligned and superimposed to the first through-hole ( 14 ).

4. The rigid box ( 1 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the second hole ( 15 ) is larger than the first hole ( 14 ) so that an edge of the first hole ( 14 ) lies completely within an edge of the second hole ( 15 ).

5. The rigid box ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein at least a second chamber ( 11 ) bounded laterally by the sixth panel ( 9 ) and by the second panel ( 5 ) is designed to contain a smoking article ( 3 ).

6. The rigid box ( 1 ) according to claim 5 , wherein the first panel ( 4 ) has at least a third through-hole ( 16 ) formed at, and which comes out inside the second chamber ( 11 ).

7. The rigid box ( 1 ) according to claim 1 wherein the glue ( 21 ) interposed between the eighth panel ( 13 ) and the first panel ( 4 ) is non-dry, re-stick glue.

8. The rigid box ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the glue ( 21 ) interposed between the eighth panel ( 13 ) and the first panel ( 4 ) is weak-stick glue which yields the first time the rigid box ( 1 ) is opened.

9. The rigid box ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first panel ( 4 ) comprises two first tabs ( 17 ), which are hinged to the first panel ( 4 ) at the opposite ends of the first panel ( 4 ), are folded 90° with respect to the first panel ( 4 ), and define part of a front wall and part of a rear wall respectively; and
the third panel ( 6 ) comprises two second tabs ( 18 ), which are hinged to the third panel ( 6 ) at the opposite ends of the third panel ( 6 ), are folded 90° with respect to the third panel ( 6 ), are superimposed and glued to the first tabs ( 17 ), and define part of the front wall and part of the rear wall.

10. The rigid box ( 1 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the first tabs ( 17 ) have a transverse dimension greater than the second tabs ( 18 ).

11. The rigid box ( 1 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the edges of the first and second tabs ( 17 , 18 ) are at a given distance of other than zero from the edges of the second panel ( 5 ) and of the fourth panel ( 7 ) to define corresponding through openings.

12. The rigid box ( 1 ) according to claim 9 , wherein at least some fold lines that separate the first and second tabs ( 17 , 18 ) from the first panel ( 4 ) and from the third panel ( 6 ) are pre-weakened tear lines.

13. A method for producing a rigid box ( 1 ) for smoking articles; the rigid box ( 1 ) being parallelepiped-shaped and being produced by folding a blank ( 22 ) comprising:
a first panel ( 4 ) which defines a top wall;
a second panel ( 5 ) which is hinged to the first panel ( 4 ) and defines a first lateral wall;
a third panel ( 6 ) which is hinged to the second panel ( 5 ) and defines a bottom wall;
a fourth panel ( 7 ) which is hinged to the third panel ( 6 ) and defines a second lateral wall opposite the first lateral wall;
a fifth panel ( 8 ) which is hinged to the fourth panel ( 7 );
a sixth panel ( 9 ) which is hinged to the fifth panel ( 8 ) and is designed to divide the inner volume of the rigid box ( 1 ) in two adjacent chambers ( 10 , 11 );
a seventh panel ( 12 ) which is hinged to the sixth panel ( 9 ); and
an eighth panel ( 13 ), which is hinged to the first panel ( 4 ) from the opposite side of the second panel ( 5 ), is folded 180° with respect to the first panel ( 4 ) and constitutes a pivoting lid which covers the first panel ( 4 ) itself;
the method comprises the steps of:
placing the third panel ( 6 ) on a parallelepiped-shaped folding spindle ( 24 ) having the same size as a first chamber ( 10 );
superimposing and gluing the eighth panel ( 13 ) onto the first panel ( 4 ) before placing the third panel ( 6 ) on the folding spindle ( 24 );
folding the fourth panel ( 7 ) 90° with respect to the third panel ( 6 ) and onto the folding spindle ( 24 );
folding the fifth panel ( 8 ) 90° with respect to the fourth panel ( 7 ) and onto the folding spindle ( 24 );
folding the sixth panel ( 9 ) 90° with respect to the fifth panel ( 8 ) and onto the folding spindle ( 24 ) and simultaneously folding the seventh panel ( 12 ) 90° with respect to the sixth panel ( 9 ) and gluing onto an inner surface of the third panel ( 6 );
folding the second panel ( 5 ) 90° with respect to the third panel ( 6 ); and
folding the first panel ( 4 ) 90° with respect to the second panel ( 5 ) and gluing onto an outer surface of the fifth panel ( 8 ).

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein:
the first panel ( 4 ) comprises two first tabs ( 17 ), which are hinged to the first panel ( 4 ) at the opposite ends of the first panel ( 4 ) and define part of a front wall and part of a rear wall respectively; and
the third panel ( 6 ) comprises two second tabs ( 18 ), which are hinged to the third panel ( 6 ) at the opposite ends of the third panel ( 6 ) and define part of the front wall and part of the rear wall; and
further steps of: folding 90° the second tabs ( 18 ) with respect to the third panel ( 6 ), and folding 90° the first tabs ( 17 ) with respect to the first panel ( 4 ) to superimpose the first tabs ( 17 ) on the second tabs ( 18 ) are provided.

15. The method according to claim 14 and comprising the further steps of:
withdrawing the folding spindle ( 24 ) axially from the

Assignees

• Gd Spa

Inventors

• Tacchi Alver
• Negrini Stefano

Classifications

• B65D5/5021

  Integral elements for containers formed by folding-up portions connected to a central panel from all sides · CPC title

• B65D5/5405

  for opening containers formed by erecting a blank in tubular form · CPC title

• B65B19/26

  Machines specially adapted for packaging cigars · CPC title

• B65D85/1081

  Inserts or accessories added or joined to the container, e.g. coins, pens, cards, spacers (B65D85/1009 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65B43/10

  by folding the material · CPC title