PACKAGE FOR SMOKING ARTICLES

Abstract

 It is provided a package (10) for smoking articles, in the form of a container (11) of parallelepiped shape capable of containing a specific number of cigarettes (S), wherein the container (11) has a support (12) at the bottom having a plurality of elastically deformable protrusions (13), facing downwards and each arranged at the end of a cigarette (S) that is opposite the end intended to be put in to the mouth, wherein each of the protrusions (13) is configured in such a way that pressure from below deforms the protrusion (13) by turning it upwards so that it is susceptible of being pressed from below upwards in order to cause an upward displacement of the corresponding cigarette (S) juxtaposed against the protrusion (13) when the container (11) is opened at the top to allow the release of the cigarette (S).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a package for smoking articles, in particular but not exclusively cigarettes, configured to allow cigarettes to be extracted more easily and under more hygienic conditions.

[0002] Similar packages are described in patent documents DE-C-811628, WO-A-2013/056823 and GB-A-949990.

[0003] Popular smoking articles, such as cigarettes, are traditionally sold in hard packages with a hinged lid or in soft packages without a lid.

[0004] U.S. Patent Publication US-A-3120904 describes a flexible holder, to be placed at the bottom of a cigarette packet, for lifting and holding upwardly packaged cigarettes within the package. The flexible holder comprises a plurality of plates and an adhesive tape that are folded back on themselves in a generally Z-shape. Through lateral pressure of the fingers on the outer longitudinal ends of the bottom of the package, an upward displacement of the cigarettes is caused which is proportional to the displacement of the holder. Although the pressure on the bottom of the package allows the cigarettes to be lifted and held in the raised position, the structure of the holder is such that it is not possible to remove only one cigarette at a time because, as a result of the shifting of the holder, all the cigarettes resting on the flexible holder plate are lifted together. Although the lifting height of the cigarettes is proportional to the displacement of the flexible holder, in order to extract a single cigarette, it is necessary to grasp with the fingers the portion of the end of the cigarette that is being fed to the smoker.

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a cigarette package configured in such a way that cigarettes can be removed from the package as easily and hygienically as possible without the smoker having to touch the end portion of the cigarette with his or her fingers.

[0006] Said purpose is achieved, according to the present invention, by a package for smoking articles, such as cigarettes or the like, having the shape of a parallelepiped container suitable to contain a determined number of cigarettes, characterised by the fact that the container has on its bottom a support having a plurality of elastically deformable projections, preferably having a hemispherical shape, pointing downwards and each placed at the end of a cigarette which is opposite the end intended to be taken in, each of said projections being capable of being pressed upwards from below in order to cause an upward movement of the corresponding cigarette juxtaposed to said projection when the container is opened at the top.

[0007] Preferred technical solutions are highlighted in the dependent claims.

[0008] The features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent in the light of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, illustrated for illustrative purposes only, and not limitingly, in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

• figure 1 is a perspective view of a package for smoking articles according to the present invention, illustrated in a partially open configuration to allow extraction of a cigarette,
• figure 2 is a partial perspective view of the lower part of the package of figure 1,
• figure 3 is a perspective view showing how the cigarettes can be grouped in three juxtaposed rows each wrapped in a band to be housed in the package,
• figure 4 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a package for smoking articles according to the present invention, illustrated in a partially open configuration to allow a cigarette to be extracted,
• figure 5 is a partial perspective view of the lower part of the package of figure 4, and
• figure 6 is a perspective view of the cigarettes grouped in three juxtaposed rows each wrapped in a band to be housed in the package and of the package with the positions of strips or glue dots from A, B, C and D highlighted.

[0009] Referring initially to Figures 1-2 and 4-5 of the drawings, therein a package for smoking articles, such as cigarettes or the like, according to the present invention is collectively referred to as 10. The package 10 is shaped to accommodate a certain number of cigarettes S and is formed, in a per se known manner, of a container 11 of parallelepiped shape with right-angled or bevelled edges. The container 11 is conveniently made of strong cardboard or cardboard and a holder 12 for cigarettes S is affixed to its bottom by gluing.

[0010] The holder 12 has a plurality of elastically deformable protrusions 13. One or more of the protrusions 13 is preferably hemispherical, but could also define a different shape, for example cylindrical or conical or wedge-shaped or other.

[0011] Suitably, each of the protrusions 13 may be, in a preferred embodiment, hemispherical.

[0012] Furthermore, at least in an initial configuration or conformation, each protrusion 13 protrudes downwards and is arranged at the end of a cigarette S that is opposite the end intended to be fed to the smoker. Each protrusion 13 is, therefore, advantageously configured so that pressure from below deforms the protrusion 13 itself by turning it upwards. As a result of this feature, each protrusion 13 is susceptible to being pressed from below upwards to cause an upward displacement of the corresponding cigarette S juxtaposed against said protrusion 13, when the container 11 is opened at the top to allow the cigarette to be ejected.

[0013] In other words, each protrusion 13 is configured in such a way as to define at least one initial configuration and one final configuration. In detail, in the initial configuration, as mentioned above, the protrusion 13 protrudes downwards, i.e. towards the outside of the package 10 with respect to the relative cigarette S. In the final configuration, on the other hand, the protrusion 13 protrudes upwards, i.e. towards the inside of the package 10 in such a way as to raise the relative cigarette S juxtaposed to the protrusion 13. The transition from the initial configuration to the final configuration is preferably realised by means of elastic deformation of the protrusion 13 which, from its initial convexity with respect to the outside of the package 10, is brought to be concave with respect to the outside.

[0014] The support 12 is made of a natural or synthetic polymer material and is suitably enclosed by a cover element 14 detachable from the container 11 by means of a pull tab 15 and a separating line indicated in strokes, as seen in more detail in Figures 2 and 4. The height of the protrusions 13 is chosen so that they are not at the same level or protrude from the base of the package 10 after removal of the cover element 14, but rather are slightly recessed in the package.

[0015] In the case of a conventional package containing twenty cigarettes S, the cigarettes S may be arranged, as usual, in three staggered and juxtaposed rows of seven, six and, respectively, seven cigarettes S. Each row of cigarettes S may be wrapped in a strip of film or paper 16 preferably elasticated, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 6. Strips or dots of glue A to B and C to D are applied to the side ends of each strip 16 to secure the corresponding strip to the opposite side walls of the container 11 of the package 10. The thickness of the strip 16 is chosen so that the glue applied does not touch the cigarettes S. The cigarettes S are packed with just the right amount of pressure so as not to hinder their removal.

[0016] It is clear from the foregoing that the invention achieves its intended purpose. In particular, the package 10, especially but not only if in rigid form, according to the invention allows the cigarettes S to be extracted without the need for the smoker to touch or pick up with his fingers the part of the cigarette S that is being fed, thus avoiding any risk of contamination of that part. Furthermore, the removal of the cigarettes S from the package 10 can be done with greater convenience and simplicity, without the smoker having to divert his attention from the activity he is performing.

[0017] Although in the present description reference has been made, for the sake of brevity, to the specific example of "cigarettes", rather than to the more generic expression "smoking articles", it is understood that the package 10 according to the invention is equally advantageously applied to other types of smoking articles, such as cigars, cigarillos and the like.

Claims

1. Package (10) for smoking articles, in the form of a container (11) of parallelepiped shape capable of containing a specific number of cigarettes (S), characterised by said container (11) has a support (12) at the bottom having a plurality of elastically deformable protrusions (13), facing downwards and each arranged at the end of a cigarette (S) that is opposite the end intended to be put in to the mouth, each of said protrusions (13) being configured in such a way that pressure from below deforms said protrusion (13) by turning it upwards so that it is susceptible of being pressed from below upwards in order to cause an upward displacement of the corresponding cigarette (S) juxtaposed against said protrusion (13) when said container (11) is opened at the top to allow the release of said cigarette (S).

2. Package (10) according to claim 1, wherein one or more of said protrusions (13) is hemispherical.

3. Package (10) according to any of the previous claims, wherein said support (12) is enclosed by a cover element (14) detachable from said container (11) by means of a tear-off tab (15) and a separation line engraved in said container (11).

4. Package (10) according to any of the previous claims, wherein said container (11) is made of cardboard or cardboard.

5. Package (10) according to any of the previous claims, wherein said support (12) is made of a natural or synthetic polymer material and is glued to the bottom of the package (10).

6. Package (10) according to any of the previous claims, wherein said cigarettes (S) are arranged in said package (10) in staggered and juxtaposed rows and each row of said cigarettes (S) is wrapped in a band (16) of film or paper preferably elasticated, on the side ends of each said band (16) being applied strips or dots of glue to secure the corresponding said band (16) to the opposite side walls of said container (11).

Drawing