A method for producing a packet for smoking articles and packet obtained by this method

Abstract

A method for producing a packet of smoking articles, including the steps of: providing a wrapping sheet having a first layer of first material; removing a portion of the wrapping sheet to define a shaped profile; wrapping a group of smoking articles with the wrapping sheet; arranging a containing frame having an open zone around the wrapping sheet, to contain the group of smoking articles and the wrapping sheet, forming a semi-finished unit, with the open zone facing the shaped profile; supplying a sheet of a heat-sealable material having an opening; providing an adhesive label having a first layer of the first material; attaching the adhesive label onto the opening of the sheet of heat-sealable material; wrapping the semi-finished unit with the sheet of heat-sealable material, so that the layer of first material of the label faces the open zone; sealing the sheet of heat-sealable material, forming a barrier-like envelope.

1 . A method for producing a packet of smoking articles, comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a wrapping sheet comprising at least one first layer of a first material;   b) removing a portion of the wrapping sheet in order to define a shaped profile;   c) wrapping a group of smoking articles with the wrapping sheet;   d) arranging a containing frame provided with at least one open zone around the wrapping sheet, in order to contain the group of smoking articles and the wrapping sheet, forming a semi-finished unit, with the open zone of the containing frame facing the shaped profile of the wrapping sheet;   e) providing a sheet of a heat-sealable material provided with an opening;   f) providing an adhesive label comprising at least one first layer of the first material;   g) attaching the adhesive label onto the opening of the sheet of heat-sealable material;   h) wrapping the semi-finished unit with the sheet of heat-sealable material, in such a way that the first layer of first material of the label faces the open zone of the containing frame;   i) sealing the sheet of heat-sealable material, forming a barrier-like envelope.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising, before the step g), a step of applying said first layer of the first material onto the adhesive label. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the a step of creating said opening on the sheet of heat-sealable material before the step e). 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the a step of folding a blank of an outer packaging material around the envelope, in order to form a container provided with an opening for allowing access to the smoking articles arranged at the adhesive label, and a cover hinged to the container, rotatable in order to open and close the opening of the container. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , further comprising a step of binding the adhesive label of the envelope to the cover, in such a way that when the cover is rotated with respect to the container, the adhesive label is simultaneously moved. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising a step of folding a blank of an outer packaging material around the envelope, in order to form a container provided with an opening that is configured to allow an exit, at least partially, of the semi-finished unit from the container, wrapped by the envelope, by means of a rotational or a translational movement, allowing access to the smoking articles. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of arranging the containing frame around the wrapping sheet comprises a sub-step of folding an inner packaging material blank around the wrapping sheet in such a way as to completely cover the wrapping sheet, apart from said open zone for accessing the smoking articles. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step d) comprises a sub-step of overlapping, two by two, portions of the containing frame to contain the wrapping sheet with the group of smoking articles within it; and wherein the method also comprises a step of binding the overlapped portions of the containing frame together in order to stabilize the containing frame. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 8 , comprising, before the step d), a step of cutting, for each pair of the portions of the containing frame to be overlapped, at least one of the portions, in such a way that its transversal development is smaller than that of the other portion of the same pair. 
     
     
         11 . A packet of smoking articles, comprising:
 a group of smoking articles;   a wrapper comprising a first layer of a first material and that wraps the group of smoking articles in such a way that said first layer of first material faces the smoking articles; the wrapper being shaped in such a way as to define an opening for extracting the smoking articles;   a containing frame wrapped around the wrapper, in order to contain the group of smoking articles and the wrapper, forming a semi-finished unit; the containing frame comprises an open zone arranged at the opening of the wrapper, for extracting the smoking articles;   an envelope of a second material that is different from the first material, and that is a sealed heat-sealable material; the envelope contains the semi-finished unit and is provided with at least one opening arranged at said opening of the wrapper;   an adhesive label positioned in such a way as to cover the opening of the envelope; the adhesive label comprises a first surface that comprises a layer of said first material facing the group of smoking articles.   
     
     
         12 . The packet according to  claim 11 , wherein the first material is paper or aluminum. 
     
     
         13 . The packet according to  claim 11 , wherein the wrapper also comprises a layer of a third material, which is different from the first material and which is coupled to the layer of first material. 
     
     
         14 . The packet according to  claim 13 , wherein the third material is aluminum. 
     
     
         15 . The packet according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a container which contains the envelope and which is provided with an opening for accessing the smoking articles, arranged at the label of the envelope; and   a cover, which is hinged to the container, rotatable in order to open and close the opening of the container.   
     
     
         16 . The packet according to  claim 15 , wherein the adhesive label of the envelope is bound to the cover, in such a way that when the cover is rotated with respect to the container the adhesive label is simultaneously moved. 
     
     
         17 . The packet according to  claim 11 , further comprising a container which contains the envelope and which is provided with an opening that is configured to allow the semi-finished unit, wrapped by the envelope, to exit at least partially from the container, by means of a rotational or a translational movement, allowing access to the smoking articles. 
     
     
         18 . The packet according to  claim 11 , wherein the containing frame completely covers the wrapper, apart from an open zone for accessing the smoking articles, defining a box-shaped containing frame. 
     
     
         19 . The packet according  claim 11 , wherein the containing frame comprises overlapped portions, two by two, for containing the wrapper with the group of smoking articles within it; said overlapped portions being bound to each other in such a way as to stabilize the containing frame. 
     
     
         20 . The packet according to  claim 19 , wherein said overlapped portions are found at least at side walls of the box-shaped containing frame, and comprise strips of material having a main longitudinal development and a transversal development. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The packet according to  claim 20 , wherein for each of the two-by-two overlapped portions, one of the two portions has a smaller transversal development than the other one for facilitating extraction of the smoking articles.