Rigid side-open package for tobacco articles

Abstract

A rigid package for tobacco articles, having a container with an open end, and a lid hinged to the container to rotate between an open position and a closed position respectively opening and closing the open end; when the lid is in the closed position, the container is substantially parallelepiped-shaped and has two, respectively top and bottom, end walls, and a lateral surface bounded by the end walls and having two, respectively front and rear, major lateral walls, and two minor lateral walls; four longitudinal edges are defined between the major lateral walls and the minor lateral walls, and eight transverse edges are defined between the lateral walls and the end walls; the lid is hinged along a hinge formed in the rear major lateral wall and parallel to the longitudinal edges; and the lid includes part of the end walls, part of the major lateral walls, and a minor lateral wall. The articles are retained in an inner container slidingly received within the outer container.

1 - 22 . (canceled)  
     
     
         23 . A rigid package for tobacco articles; the package ( 1 ) comprising a first container ( 3 ) having an open end ( 4 ), and a lid ( 5 ) hinged to the first container ( 3 ) to rotate between an open position and a closed position respectively opening and closing the open end ( 4 ); when the lid ( 5 ) is in the closed position, the first container ( 3 ) being substantially parallelepiped-shaped, and comprising two, respectively top and bottom, end walls ( 7 ,  8 ), and a lateral surface bounded by the end walls ( 7 ,  8 ) and comprising two, respectively front and rear, major lateral walls ( 10 ,  11 ), two minor lateral walls ( 9 ), four longitudinal edges ( 12 ), each defined between a major lateral wall ( 10 ;  11 ) and a minor lateral wall ( 9 ), and eight transverse edges ( 13 ), each defined between an end wall ( 7 ;  8 ) and a lateral wall ( 9 ;  10 ;  11 ); the lid ( 5 ) being hinged along a hinge ( 6 ) formed in the rear major lateral wall ( 11 ) and substantially parallel to the longitudinal edges ( 12 ), and the lid ( 5 ) comprising part of the end walls ( 7 ,  8 ), part of the major lateral walls ( 10 ,  11 ), and a minor lateral wall ( 9 ); and the package ( 1 ) being characterized by comprising a second container ( 14 ) for housing the tobacco articles ( 2 ) and which is housed in sliding manner inside the first container ( 3 ) to slide, with respect to the first container ( 3 ), between an inserted position, in which the second container ( 14 ) is fully inserted inside the first container ( 3 ), and an extracted position, in which part of the second container ( 14 ) is extracted from the first container ( 3 ) and projects from the open end ( 4 ) of the first container ( 3 ).  
     
     
         24 . A package as claimed in  claim 23  characterized in that, when the lid ( 5 ) is in the closed position, at least at the front major lateral wall ( 10 ), an edge ( 31 ) of the lid ( 5 ) is detached from an edge ( 32 ) of the first container ( 3 ) to partly expose the underlying second container ( 14 ).  
     
     
         25 . A package as claimed in  claim 24  characterized in that, along the front major lateral wall ( 10 ) of the first container ( 3 ), the edge ( 31 ) of the lid ( 5 ) is parallel to the edge ( 32 ) of the first container ( 3 ), so that the distance between the edge ( 31 ) of the lid ( 5 ) and the edge ( 32 ) of the first container ( 3 ) is constant.  
     
     
         26 . A package as claimed in  claim 24  characterized in that, along the front major lateral wall ( 10 ) of the first container ( 3 ), the distance between the edge ( 31 ) of the lid ( 5 ) and the edge ( 32 ) of the first container ( 3 ) varies.  
     
     
         27 . A package as claimed in  claim 24  characterized in that, when the lid ( 5 ) is in the closed position, at the end walls ( 7 ,  8 ), the edge ( 31 ) of the lid ( 5 ) substantially contacts the edge ( 32 ) of the first container ( 3 ).  
     
     
         28 . A package as claimed in  claim 24  characterized in that the edge ( 31 ) of the lid ( 5 ) and the edge ( 32 ) of the first container ( 3 ) are defined by a straight line.  
     
     
         29 . A package as claimed in  claim 24  characterized in that the edge ( 31 ) of the lid ( 5 ) and the edge ( 32 ) of the first container ( 3 ) are defined by a bent line.  
     
     
         30 . A package as claimed in  claim 24  characterized in that the edge ( 31 ) of the lid ( 5 ) and the edge ( 32 ) of the first container ( 3 ) are defined by a curved line.  
     
     
         31 . A package as claimed in  claim 23  characterized in that the second container ( 14 ) is substantially parallelepiped-shaped, and comprises two, respectively top and bottom, end walls ( 15 ,  16 ), and a lateral surface bounded by the end walls ( 15 ,  16 ) and comprising two, respectively front and rear, major lateral walls ( 17 ), two minor lateral walls ( 18 ), four longitudinal edges ( 19 ), each defined between a major lateral wall ( 17 ) and a minor lateral wall ( 18 ), and eight transverse edges ( 20 ), each defined between an end wall ( 15 ;  16 ) and a lateral wall ( 17 ;  18 ); the top end wall ( 15 ) of the second container ( 14 ) comprising an open portion ( 21 ) by which to extract the tobacco articles ( 2 ) from the second container ( 14 ) when the second container ( 14 ) is in the extracted position.  
     
     
         32 . A package as claimed in  claim 31  characterized in that the longitudinal edges ( 19 ) of the second container ( 14 ) are rounded edges.  
     
     
         33 . A package as claimed in  claim 32  characterized in that the longitudinal edges ( 12 ) of the first container ( 3 ) are square edges.  
     
     
         34 . A package as claimed in  claim 32  characterized in that the longitudinal edges ( 12 ) of the first container ( 3 ) are rounded edges.  
     
     
         35 . A package as claimed in  claim 32  characterized in that the second container ( 14 ) is formed from a respective flat blank ( 23 ) comprising two groups ( 24 ) of longitudinal crease lines ( 25 ), and a number of transverse crease lines ( 26 ) defining, between the two groups ( 24 ) of longitudinal crease lines ( 25 ), a first panel ( 15 ′) forming part of the top end wall ( 15 ), a second panel ( 17 ′) forming one major lateral wall ( 17 ), a third panel ( 16 ′) forming the bottom end wall ( 16 ), a fourth panel ( 17 ′) forming the other major lateral wall ( 17 ), and a fifth panel ( 15 ′) forming part of the top end wall ( 15 ); the second panel ( 17 ′) comprising two first wings ( 18 ′), which are located on opposite sides of the second panel ( 17 ′), are separated from the second panel ( 17 ′) by the two groups ( 24 ) of longitudinal crease lines ( 25 ), and form respective portions of the minor lateral walls ( 18 ); the fourth panel ( 17 ′) comprising two second wings ( 18 ′), which are located on opposite sides of the fourth panel ( 17 ′), are separated from the fourth panel ( 17 ′) by the two groups ( 24 ) of longitudinal crease lines ( 25 ), and form respective portions of the minor lateral walls ( 18 ); and each group ( 24 ) of longitudinal crease lines ( 25 ) comprising a number of longitudinal crease lines ( 25 ).  
     
     
         36 . A package as claimed in  claim 23  characterized in that the first container ( 3 ) is formed from a respective flat blank ( 27 ) comprising two longitudinal crease lines ( 28 ), and a number of transverse crease lines ( 29 ) defining, between the two longitudinal crease lines ( 28 ), a first panel ( 10 ′) forming part of the front major lateral wall ( 10 ), a second panel ( 9 ′) forming one minor lateral wall ( 9 ), a third panel ( 11 ′) forming the rear major lateral wall ( 11 ), a fourth panel ( 9 ′) forming the other minor lateral wall ( 9 ), and a fifth panel ( 10 ′) forming the rest of the front major lateral wall ( 10 ); the first, third and fifth panel ( 10 ′,  11 ′,  10 ′) having respective pairs of wings ( 7 ′,  8 ′), which are located on opposite sides of the first/third/fifth panel ( 10 ′,  11 ′,  10 ′), are separated from the first/third/fifth panel ( 10 ′,  11 ′,  10 ′) by the longitudinal crease lines ( 28 ), and form the end walls ( 7 ,  8 ); each wing ( 7 ′;  8 ′) of the third panel ( 11 ′) having two wings ( 9 ′″), which are located at opposite ends of the wing ( 7 ′;  8 ′), are separated from the wing ( 7 ′;  8 ′) by the transverse crease lines ( 29 ), and form respective inner portions of the minor lateral walls ( 9 ).  
     
     
         37 . A package as claimed in  claim 31  characterized in that at least one edge ( 12 ;  13 ;  19 ;  20 ) of at least one of the containers ( 3 ;  14 ) is a nonsquare edge.  
     
     
         38 . A package as claimed in  claim 37  characterized in that at least one edge ( 12 ;  13 ;  19 ;  20 ) of at least one of the containers ( 3 ;  14 ) is a rounded nonsquare edge.  
     
     
         39 . A package as claimed in  claim 37  characterized in that at least one edge ( 12 ;  13 ;  19 ;  20 ) of at least one of the containers ( 3 ;  14 ) is a bevelled nonsquare edge.  
     
     
         40 . A package as claimed in  claim 37  characterized in that at least one lateral wall ( 9 ;  10 ;  11 ;  17 ;  18 ) of at least one container ( 3 ;  14 ) has an outwardly convex profile, is connected to at least one relative lateral wall ( 9 ;  10 ;  11 ;  17 ;  18 ) along a sharp longitudinal edge ( 12 ;  19 ), and subtends with the lateral wall ( 9 ;  10 ;  11 ;  17 ;  18 ) a substantially obtuse dihedral angle.  
     
     
         41 . A package as claimed in  claim 37  characterized in that at least one lateral wall ( 9 ;  10 ;  11 ;  17 ;  18 ) of at least one container ( 3 ;  14 ) has an outwardly convex profile, is connected to at least one relative end wall ( 7 ;  8 ;  15 ;  16 ) along a sharp transverse edge ( 13 ;  20 ), and subtends with the end wall ( 7 ;  8 ;  15 ;  16 ) a substantially obtuse dihedral angle.  
     
     
         42 . A package as claimed in  claim 23  characterized in that the minor lateral wall ( 9 ) of the first container ( 3 ) opposite the lid ( 5 ) comprises at least one through hole ( 22 ) sized to permit insertion of a user's finger.  
     
     
         43 . A package as claimed in  claim 23  characterized by comprising stop means for limiting slide of the second container ( 14 ) with respect to the first container ( 3 ), so as to prevent detachment of the second container ( 14 ) from the first container ( 3 ).  
     
     
         44 . A package as claimed in  claim 43  characterized in that the stop means comprise at least one first tongue projecting outwards of the second container ( 14 ) from a respective major lateral wall ( 17 ) of the second container ( 14 ), and a second tongue projecting inwards of the first container ( 3 ) from a respective major lateral wall ( 10 ;  11 ) of the first container ( 3 ) and located close to the open end ( 4 ) of the first container ( 3 ); the first and second tongue being so located that the first tongue engages the second tongue as the second container ( 14 ) slides out of the first container ( 3 ).