Knock-down, folded, flip-top cigarette box with pop-out tab

Abstract

A knock down folded flip-top cigarette box provides a pop-out tab on an interior of its front panel so that when the top portion of the popped-open, completed box is opened along a fold line on the back panel, the pop-out tab is visible. A tab formation on the inner surface of the top panel and front panel can include a perforation allowing removal of a tab panel that includes the pop-out tab. The pop-out tab and the tab panel can include indicia, such as slogans, graphics, URLs, coupons, and the like. The knock down folded configuration allows the folded box to be shipped to a customer pre-glued and can be used, that is, completed, filled, and sealed, on standard, relatively low-cost equipment.

1 . A flip-top cigarette box blank comprising: 
 a front panel;    a left wall panel formed on a left edge of the front panel;    a right wall panel formed on a right edge of the front panel;    a back panel formed on a right edge of the right wall panel;    at least two left wall glue flaps formed on a tight edge of the back panel;    a bottom glue flap formed on a bottom edge of the back panel;    a top glue flap formed on a top edge of the back panel;    a bottom panel formed on a bottom edge of the front panel;    a top panel formed on a top edge of the front panel;    a tab formation formed on a top edge of the top panel, the edges comprising fold lines; and    a perforation formed across the front panel and the left and tight wall panels and meeting a fold line formed on the back panel.    
   
   
       2 . The box blank of  claim 1  wherein the tab formation comprises: 
 a top tab portion extending from the top edge of the top panel;    a tab panel extending from a top edge of the top tab portion; and    a pop-out tab extending from a top edge of the tab panel.    
   
   
       3 . The box blank of  claim 1  further comprising at least one roughened portion formed on at least one of the left wall glue flaps, the top glue flap, the bottom glue flap, and the top tab portion.  
   
   
       4 . The box blank of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a top right dust flap formed on a top edge of the right wall panel;    a bottom right dust flap formed on a bottom edge of the right wall panel;    a top left dust flap formed on a top edge of the left wall panel; and    a bottom left dust flap formed on a bottom edge of the left wall panel.    
   
   
       5 . A flip-top cigarette box comprising: 
 a top portion;    a bottom portion;    front, back, right and left wall, top, and bottom panels;    a perforation extending across the front, tight wall, and left wall panels and dividing them into top and bottom portions;    a fold line across the back panel, ends of the fold line intersecting ends of the perforation, thereby enabling flipping back of the top portion of the box by separating the perforation and folding the top portion back on the fold line; and    a tab formation, at least a top tab portion of which is attached to an interior surface of the top panel, at least a tab panel of the tab formation following an interior surface of the top portion of the front panel, and at least a pop-out tab of the tab formation projecting below the perforation in the front panel and following at least a portion of an interior surface of the bottom portion of the front panel.    
   
   
       6 . The flip-top cigarette box of  claim 5  wherein: 
 the left and right wall panels are formed on respective left and right edges of the front panel;    the back panel is formed on one of a right edge of the right wall panel and a left edge of the left wall panel;    the top panel is formed on a top edge of the front panel; and    the bottom panel is formed on a bottom edge of the front panel.    
   
   
       7 . The flip-top cigarette box of  claim 6  further comprising at least two wall glue flaps formed on an edge of the back panel opposite the edge joined to the one of the left and right wall panels.  
   
   
       8 . The flip-top cigarette box of  claim 6  further comprising at least one of a top glue flap and a bottom glue flap formed on respective edges of the back panel.  
   
   
       9 . The flip-top cigarette box of  claim 6  further comprising at least one of: 
 top right and left wall dust flaps formed on respective top edges of the right and left wall panels; and    bottom right and left wall dust flaps formed on respective bottom edges of the right and left wall panels.    
   
   
       10 . A method of constructing a knock down, folded, flip-top cigarette box comprising: 
 providing a box blank with: 
 front, back, right and left wall, top, and bottom panels;  
 a perforation extending across the front, right wall, and left wall panels and dividing them into top and bottom portions;  
 a fold line across the back panel, ends of the fold line intersecting ends of the perforation, thereby enabling flipping back of the top portion of the box by separating the perforation and folding the top portion back on the fold line; and  
 a tab formation, at least a top tab portion of which is attached to an interior surface of the top panel, at least a tab panel of the tab formation following an interior surface of the top portion of the front panel, and at least a pop-out tab of the tab formation projecting below the perforation in the front panel and following at least a portion of an interior surface of the bottom portion of the front panel; and  
   folding the tab formation along the top edge of the top panel so that the tab formation lies against the top panel and the front panel.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein: 
 providing a box blank further comprises: 
 providing the top panel along a top edge of the front panel;  
 providing the right and left wall panels along respective right and left edges of the front panel;  
 providing the back panel along a right or left edge of a respective one of the right and left wall panels; and  
 providing at least one wall glue flap on an edge of the back panel opposite the edge adjoining the one of the right and left wall panels; and  
   constructing further comprises: 
 joining the at least one wall glue flap on the back panel with the other of the right and left wall panels.  
   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein joining the wall flap comprises: 
 folding the back panel along the edge of the one of the right and left wall panels so that it is adjacent the one of the right and left wall panels and the front panel;    applying adhesive to the at least one wall glue flap; and    folding the other of the right and left wall panels onto the at least one wall glue flap to form the knock down folded flip top box.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising shipping the knock down folded flip top box to a customer, the customer completing assembly into an unfolded flip-top box.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising compressing right and left edges of the knock down folded flip top box to pop the box open, folding one of the top and bottom glue flaps substantially perpendicular to the back panel, applying adhesive to the one of the top and bottom glue flaps, folding a corresponding pair of the top and bottom wall dust flaps onto the one of the top and bottom flaps, folding a corresponding one of the top and bottom panels onto the amassed dust and glue flaps, folding the other of the top and bottom glue flaps substantially perpendicular to the back panel, applying adhesive to the other of the top and bottom glue flaps, folding a corresponding pair of the top and bottom wall dust flaps onto the other of the top and bottom glue flaps, and folding a corresponding one of the top and bottom panels onto the amassed dust and glue flaps.