Box packaging for cigarettes

1. Technical Field.

The invention relates to a multipack for cigarettes—generally termed a cigarette multipack herein—for a group of cigarette packs arranged in rows, said group being enclosed by a multipack blank made of thin cardboard.

2. Prior Art.

Multipacks for cigarettes, that is to say so-called cigarette multipacks, constitute packaging units that are commonly provided throughout the world for both consumers and retailers. A multipack usually comprises ten cigarette packs, which are mostly formed in two rows of five packs each. The two rows of packs have their large surfaces (front side and rear side) butting against one another.

The object of the invention is to propose a multipack for cigarettes which ensures easier handling—for the removal of the cigarette packs—has a relatively small material consumption and, furthermore, ensures that the pack contents are presented to better effect.

In order to achieve this object, the multipack according to the invention is characterized by the following features:

a) the group of cigarette packs is open on at least one large-surface-area side, that is to say it is not, or predominantly not, covered by the multipack blank, b) the cigarette packs are arranged such that a large-surface-area front side of the same is positioned in the region of the open side of the multipack blank, and c) the unit comprising the cigarette packs and the multipack blank is fully enclosed by an outer wrapper made of transparent material, namely by a cellophane or plastic film.

Accordingly, in the case of the multipack according to the invention, the multipack blank is designed such that a preferably large-surface-area front wall is completely, or more or less completely, absent, with the result that the cigarette packs are exposed in this region. These packs are positioned such that, in the region of the open pack side, the front surfaces of the cigarette packs, that is to say the specifically configured visible surfaces, are exposed and are thus directly visible. The consumer can thus see the contents of the multipack directly. Nevertheless, the outer film wrapper ensures that the multipack remains a closed unit.

For production reasons, but also for presentation reasons, the multipack blank, according to a further feature of the invention, may be configured such that a border strip is provided preferably on one side in the region of the open front side of the multipack. The configuration of this border strip may correspond to the shape and/or the configuration of the front side of the cigarette packs.

Further details and features of the cigarette multipack according to the invention are explained more specifically hereinbelow with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a multipack for cigarettes,

FIG. 2 shows a spread-out multipack blank for a multipack according to FIG. 1 ,

FIG. 3 shows, in an illustration corresponding to FIG. 1 , another embodiment of a multipack,

FIG. 4 shows a spread-out multipack blank for a multipack according to FIG. 3 ,

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a third exemplary embodiment of a multipack, and

FIG. 6 shows a multipack blank for a pack according to FIG. 5 .

The drawings relate to multipacks for cigarettes, that is to say to so-called cigarette multipacks. A group of cigarette packs 10 is enclosed by a multipack blank 11 . The multipack blank consists of a strong but foldable material, in particular of thin cardboard.

For the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1 , the multipack blank is designed ( FIG. 2 ) and folded such that a large-surface-area side of the multipack, namely a top side 12 , is free or open. The pack contents—the group of cigarette packs 10 —are merely enclosed by a base wall 13 , two elongate side walls 14 , 15 and two small-surface-area end walls 16 , 17 . The cigarette packs 10 are free or uncovered in the region of the open top side 12 .

The cigarette packs 10 are positioned within the multipack, or the multipack blank 11 , in a formed group, to be precise in two rows, of which the top row in FIG. 1 is visible in the region of the top side 12 . Within the row, the cigarette packs 10 have their narrow side surfaces butting against one another. A front side 18 of the cigarette packs of the top row is directed toward the top side 12 , that is to say it is exposed and thus visible.

In the case of the exemplary embodiment shown, the front side 18 of the cigarette packs 10 is configured specifically, namely with curved closing edges 19 and 20 belonging to a lid and a box part. The closing edges 19 , 20 are spaced apart and run parallel to one another. A subregion of a collar arranged within the cigarette pack 10 is visible between the closing edges 19 , 20 . Furthermore, the cigarette packs are designed with rounded, lateral pack edges, that is to say with round edges 21 . On account of the design of the multipack or of the multipack blank 11 , this configuration of the cigarette packs 10 can be seen freely from the outside.

The unit comprising the cigarette packs 10 and the multipack blank 11 is enclosed by an outer wrapper 22 . The latter consists of a transparent or see-through film, such as cellophane or plastic. The outer wrapper 22 preferably fully encloses the multipack, that is to say it encloses it in the region of all sides. Overlapping folding tabs of the outer wrapper 22 are connected to one another in a known manner by adhesive bonding or by heat sealing.

For the purpose of opening the multipack, the outer wrapper 22 is provided with an opening aid, to be precise with a tear-open strip 23 running all the way around. In the present case, this is arranged in the longitudinal center of the elongate, cuboidal multipack, with the result that opening the tear-open strip 23 running all the way around—with the aid of an exposed grip end 31 —produces two approximately equally sized subregions of the outer wrapper 22 , which can easily be removed from the pack. The tear-open strip 23 may also be positioned eccentrically, for example such that a “cap” of the outer wrapper 22 can be removed once the tear-open strip 23 has been removed.

For the purpose of forming the end walls 16 , 17 , the multipack blank 11 is provided with inner tabs 24 , 25 , which are provided in extension of the side walls 14 , 15 . A rectangular cover tab 26 is located in the region of the base wall 13 . This cover tab forms the outside of the end wall 16 , 17 and extends approximately over the entire surface area of the same.

Folding lines 27 for separating off the base wall 13 from the side walls 14 , 15 are provided with punched cuts 28 , which facilitate the folding operation when the group of cigarette packs 10 are wrapped.

The exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 3 and 4 differs from that described above in that the open side of the multipack, that is to say the top side 12 , has a border strip 29 at one border. This border strip extends in the region of the open top side 12 , over the entire length of the same. The border strip 29 makes it easier for the group of cigarette packs 10 to be wrapped by the multipack blank 11 and, furthermore, is suitable for carrying decorative printing and/or printed information. The border strip 29 is not connected to the end walls 16 , 17 . The border strip 29 is held in abutment against the cigarette packs 10 , or the front sides 18 thereof, by the outer wrapper 22 . The border strip 29 can be moved freely once the outer wrapper 22 has been removed.

In the case of the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 5 and 6 , a specifically configured border strip 29 , namely with a contoured border edge 30 , is provided. In the present case, said border edge is of approximately undulating design and is adapted to the design of the front sides 18 of the cigarette packs 10 , namely to the configuration of the closing edge 19 , 20 .

By virtue of the multipack blank 11 interacting with the outer wrapper 22 , the multipack described ensures a large stable and closed pack for cigarette packs. The folding tabs of the end walls 16 , 17 are connected to one another, in particular by adhesive bonding, with the result that the dimensional stability of the multipack, which is open on one side, is ensured.

10 Cigarette pack

11 Multipack blank

12 Top side

13 Base wall

14 Side wall

15 Side wall

16 End wall

17 End wall

18 Front side

19 Closing edge

20 Closing edge

21 Round edge

22 Outer wrapper

23 Tear-open strip

24 Inner tab

25 Inner tab

26 Cover tab

27 Folding line

28 Punched cut

29 Border strip

30 Border edge

31 Grip end