Cigarette Pack With Partly Removable Innerframe

This invention relates to cigarette packs, and more particularly to cigarette packs in the form of boxes.

Cigarette packs in the form of boxes are extremely well known. One of the most popular forms of such boxes has an outer member which includes a lower main portion in which the cigarettes stand vertically. The upper portion is a lid which is often (although not always) hinged to the back of the main portion so that the upper ends of the cigarettes are exposed when the lid is tipped back. Such boxes typically have an innerframe inside the main portion and which extends up from the main portion under the lid to provide some interference with the lid as it opens and closes. This interference helps to keep the lid firmly and neatly closed and reduces the risk that the lid will open accidently.

Cigarette packs of the foregoing type are relatively small and strong. The visible exterior surfaces are needed for brand-identifying information, contents specifications, warning labels, etc. There is therefore no room on the outside of the pack for additional information such as promotional coupons, and even if such additional information could be put on the outside of the pack, it would be difficult for the consumer to free that information (such as a coupon) from the pack. Placing coupons or other information separately in the pack is disadvantageous because it necessitates additional processing steps and production equipment, because it may not be noticed by the consumer, because it increases production costs, etc.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a cigarette pack having additional surface areas which can be used for a coupon or other information.

It is another object of this invention to provide a cigarette pack including additional information area which cannot be overlooked by the consumer, but which can be easily removed and either saved or discarded as desired.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a cigarette pack having an additional but removable information area, which pack functions as a standard pack after the additional information area is removed.

These and other objects of the invention are accomplished in accordance with the principles of the invention by providing a box-like cigarette pack in which the innerframe (which may otherwise be substantially conventional) has an initially lower portion which is folded up either along the inside or the outside of the innerframe so that part of the initially lower portion extends above the normal front cutout of the innerframe where it cannot fail to be seen by the consumer when the lid of the pack is first opened. All or part of the folded-up portion of the innerframe is preferably joined to the remainder of the innerframe by a line of weakness to facilitate removal of the material beyond the line of weakness. For example, this line of weakness may be formed by perforations and/or partial scoring. In a particularly preferred embodiment, this line of weakness is also the line along which the folded-up portion is folded. The line of weakness thereby also facilitates folding the innerframe at the desired location, and the entire folded-up portion is removable by the consumer. This provides the largest additional surface area for use as a coupon or for other information. The folded-up portion (or at least that part which is beyond the above-mentioned line of weakness) may be printed, embossed, and/or debossed on either or both sides with any desired information.

Further features of the invention, its nature and various advantages will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a cigarette pack of an illustrative type with which this invention can be employed.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the pack of FIG. 1 with the top or lid pivoted back.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the pack of FIG. 1 with the top or lid pivoted back.

FIG. 4 is an illustrative innerframe blank configured in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 5 shows the innerframe blank of FIG. 4 with an initially lower portion folded up along what will be the inner surface of the innerframe in the finished pack.

FIG. 6 shows the innerframe blank of FIG. 4 with the above-mentioned lower portion folded up along what will be the outer surface of the innerframe in the finished pack.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing a pack having an innerframe of the type shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing an alternative innerframe blank configured in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 5 for the alterative innerframe blank of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing a further alternative innerframe blank configured in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 5 for the further alternative innerframe blank of FIG. 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional hinged-lid, box-type cigarette pack 10 includes an outer member 12 having a lower main portion 14 and an upper lid portion 16. Main portion 14 has a front wall 20, a left side wall 22, a right side wall 24, a rear wall 26, and a bottom wall 28. Lid 16 has similar front 20a, left side 22a, right side 24a, and rear 26a walls which respectively function as continuations of the similarly named main portion walls when the lid is closed as shown in FIG. 1. In addition, lid 16 has a top wall 30. Lid 16 is typically hinged to main portion 14 along hinge line 32 where rear walls 26 and 26a meet one another. When lid 16 is tipped all the way back along hinge line 32, the pack has the appearance shown in FIG. 2 when viewed from the front, or as shown in FIG. 3 when viewed from the top.

FIGS. 2 and 3 reveal the innerframe 38 which is conventionally included inside at least the upper portion of main portion 14. Innerframe 38 includes a front wall 40, a left side wall 42, and a right side wall 44. The central upper portion of innerframe front wall 40 has a depression or cutout to facilitate consumer access to the upper ends of the cigarettes 18 in the pack. Typically, cigarettes 18 are initially wrapped in foil inside innerframe 38. The upper front portion of this foil wrapper may be removed by the consumer when he or she opens the pack. Innerframe 38 is typically glued to panels 22 and 24 and/or panel 20. When lid 16 is closed, it fits down over and completely covers the portion of innerframe 38 which projects above main portion 14. Innerframe 38 interferes somewhat with lid 16 as the lid is opened and closed. This interference helps to keep lid 16 neatly closed and reduces the risk of the pack opening by accident.

An illustrative innerframe blank 138 in accordance with this invention is shown in FIG. 4. Similar reference numbers are used in FIG. 4 and subsequent FIGS. for elements which are similar or related to innerframe elements described above. Innerframe blank 138 includes a front wall panel 40 having an initially lower portion 40a, a left wall panel 42, and a right wall panel 44. To facilitate folding panels 42 and 44, the blank may be weakened (e.g., scored and/or perforated) along lines 43 and 45. Blank 138 is also extensively weakened or preferably cut through along vertical line 41a and 41b located along each side of lower portion 40a. Another line of weakness 41c is provided in blank 138 above lower portion 40a. Cuts 41a and 41b and line of weakness 41c facilitate folding initially lower portion 40a up along line 41c as shown in FIG. 5 or 6. In FIG. 5 initially lower portion 40a is folded behind the remainder of blank 138. In the alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 6, on the other hand, initially lower portion 40a is folded up in front of the remainder of the blank. In addition, to facilitating folding along line 41c, the weakening of this line may be such as to facilitate removal of portion 40a from a finished pack by separation along line 41a. Alternatively, line 41c may be made relatively strong and another weaker line (not shown) may be provided across portion 40a between line 41c and the opposite edge 51 of that portion. In that event only the part of portion 40a beyond this other line of weakness is removed from the finished pack by the consumer.

As can be seen in FIG. 5 or 6, the line 41c along which portion 40a is folded up is preferably high enough so that a significant part of portions 40a projects above the upper edge of the front wall of main pack portion 14, and also preferably above the lower edge of the cutout conventionally provided by the top edge of the innerframe. Indeed, portion 40a may even extend over all or a portion of the tops of the cigarettes in the finished pack as shown, for example, in FIGS. 10 and 11 which are discussed in detail below. On the other hand, the line 41c along which portion 40a is folded up is preferably below the upper edge of the front wall of main pack portion 14 so that line 41c is not visible in the finished pack. In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4-7, portion 40a, when folded up, extends approximately to the top of the innerframe which is at or near the upper ends of the cigarettes in the finished pack.

One or both sides of portion 40a may be printed, embossed, and/or debossed with any desired information as suggested by the phantom letters ABC and DEF in the FIGS. Preferably at least some of this information is visible to the consumer when the top of the pack is first opened. The then-visible information may include a suggestion that the consumer remove portion 40a from the pack. When that is done, additional information on portion 40a may become visible to the consumer. The removed portion may be a convenient size and shape for a coupon or coupon-like article. Note that by projecting up into the cutout in the top of the innerframe, portion 40a is not only highly visible to the consumer when the pack is opened, but the consumer is also encouraged to remove portion 40a by the fact that until removed it tends to interfere with the usual easy removal of cigarettes from the pack.

Printing, embossing, and/or debossing may be placed on portion 40a at any time (e.g., before or after the innerframes are cut to their final individual shape). A special eye mark may be included in printing applied prior to cutting to help register the cutting with the printing. It will be noted that the innerframe design shown in FIG. 4 permits continuous vertical cutoff of innerframes from a roll of material with no scrap or waste.

FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 2 but shows a cigarette pack with an innerframe 138 in accordance with this invention prior to removal of portion 40a. Although in the pack shown in FIG. 7 innerframe portion 40a is folded up as shown in FIG. 5, it will be understood that portion 40a could alternatively be folded up as shown in FIG. 6 if desired. As can be seen in FIG. 7, panels 40 and 40a are inside and/or extend up from front wall 20. Panels 42 and 44 are respectively inside and extend up from left and right side walls 22 and 24. Panel 40a extends up into the innerframe cutout conventionally provided in front of the tops of the cigarettes where it is (1) clearly visible, (2) easily grasped for removal, and (3) a possible impediment to easy withdrawal of the first cigarette until removed. Innerframe 138 is preferably glued inside the main portion 14 of the pack (e.g., by gluing innerframe panels 42 and 44 to pack side walls 22 and 24, respectively). If desired, the portion of the innerframe to be removed may be glued to the foil pull tab conventionally provided on the upper portion of the foil wrapped around the cigarettes as mentioned above. The removable portion of the innerframe then comes out of the pack when the foil pull tab is pulled.

Although FIG. 7 shows the pack with top 16 open, it will be appreciated that the top opens and closes exactly as shown in FIGS. 1-3 and described above. As in the prior art, when the top of the pack shown in FIG. 7 is closed, the outer member of the pack completely encloses and obscures innerframe 138. Accordingly when the pack of FIG. 7 is closed, it looks exactly as shown in FIG. 1.

When the consumer of a pack having an innerframe of the type shown in FIG. 4 first opens the pack, he or she sees what is shown in FIG. 7. In order to most conveniently remove a cigarette from the pack, the consumer must first remove panel 40a. This may be made especially apparent to the consumer by printing on panel 40a or elsewhere on the innerframe or pack. After panel 40a has been removed, the pack looks exactly as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and is thereafter functionally the same as a conventional pack.

Although panel 40a is shown in the drawings as a rectangle, it will be appreciated that it can have other shapes such as a scalloped edge, a rounded edge, an arrowhead shaped edge, etc.

Various techniques can be employed to enlarge the removable portion of the innerframe in accordance with this invention if desired. For example, FIGS. 8 and 9 show an alternative embodiment 238 in which the line of weakness 41c alogn which the initially lower portion of the innerframe blank is folded up and subsequently torn out extends all the way across the blank. Cut lines 41a and 41b are not needed in this embodiment. Accordingly, the removable portion of the innerframe includes the initially lower portion 40a of front panel 40, as well as the initially lower portions 42a and 44a of side panels 42 and 44.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show another alternative embodiment 338 in which the initially lower portion 40a of front panel 40 is large enough so that a part 40a' of that portion can be folded back over the tops of the cigarettes in the finished pack. Portion 40a can be enlarged in this manner either by extending it down (as shown in FIG. 10) or by raising fold line 41c. Longer cigarettes facilitate adoption of the latter alternative. The alternative shown in FIG. 10 may have the disadvantage that the upper and lower margins of the innerframe blank are not exactly complementary, so there will be some scrap innerframe material with this particular design. An additional line of weakness 41d is provided to facilitate folding part 40a' back over the tops of the cigarettes.

It will be understood that the foregoing is merely illustrative of the principles of this invention, and that various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. For example, lid 16 may be either integral with main portion 14 or glued to main portion 14 by a tab. The lid of the pack may also slide on and off over the innerframe rather than pivoting open and closed. It will also be appreciated that the principles of this invention can be applied to cigarette packs of any size (e.g., packs of 6, 10, 14, 20 (as shown in the drawings), 25, etc., cigarettes).