[0001]CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0002]This application claims the benefit of Italian Patent Application No. 102020000025030, filed Oct. 22, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
[0003]TECHNICAL FIELD
[0004]Packaging for cigarettes.
[0005]BACKGROUND ART
[0006]There are several types of packages of cigarettes, different also according to their size.
[0007]SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008]The cigarette packet with butts container according to the present invention reduces the environmental impact caused when exhausted cigarette butts, i.e. the extinguished remnant of the cigarette after smoking of the cigarette has ceased, are abandoned in nature or otherwise not disposed of properly.
[0009]In particular, the cigarette packet according to the present invention comprises a bored capsule, preferably made of aluminum and inserted in the head or top flap portion of the packet. The capsule can store up to twenty exhausted cigarette butts inside the same packet, to avoid abandoning or discarding the butts in the environment where there are no suitable disposal containers. In other words, the cigarette packet comprises a capsule configured to house at least one butt of an exhausted or smoked cigarette.
[0010]Moreover, according to an aspect of the present invention, the cigarette packet can also comprise a metal, preferably aluminum strip on an exterior surface of the packet, such as the front face of the packet. The strip is identified herein as the extinguish-butt strip.
[0011]According to a further aspect of the present invention, the cigarette packet of the invention includes an outer wrapper made of bio-plastic and, preferably, completely biodegradable. Moreover, according to a further aspect of the present invention, the cigarette packet is made in recycled paper with ecological printing inks.
[0012]The present invention further relates to an assembly comprising a cigarette packet and a wrapper made of bio-plastic, wherein said cigarette packet is inserted into said wrapper and to a method of manufacturing a cigarette packet.
[0013]The packet is preferably made of a recycled paper of appropriate weight for packaging. The glue used to glue the flaps ( 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 in FIG. 5 ), the internal paper strip ( FIG. 7 ), the thin sheet of aluminum ( 11 b in FIG. 8 ), the capsule ( FIG. 23-24-25-26 ) and the extinguish—butt strip ( 10 in FIG. 18 ), also preferably made of aluminum, is preferably an adhesive devoid of chemical solvents and totally eco-sustainable In this way, the two pieces of aluminum, i.e. the capsule and the extinguish-butt strip, can be easy taken away and disposed of properly. The cigarette packet can also include recycling indications on an outer surface such as being placed in the lower area on the sides of the packet ( FIG. 20 ).
[0014]Prints found on the outer surface of the cigarette packet can be made using environmentally friendly inks and/or laser burner technology without inks.
[0015]Finally, to ensure its closure and integrity until sale, the cigarette packet is placed in a wrap, preferably made of a bio-plastic, totally soluble in water and completely biodegradable ( FIG. 21 ).
[0016]A key feature of the invention is the capsule ( FIG. 23 - FIG. 24 - FIG. 25 - FIG. 26 ). In preferred aspects, the capsule is made of aluminum and has 20 holes of truncated-conical shape with flat circular bases and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of them and the capsule itself. The capsule can, in alternative embodiments be made of an alternative metal or other material capable of releasably holding an extinguished cigarette butt therein. The outermost cavity hole in the capsule has a slightly larger diameter than the diameter of a cigarette butt, while the innermost portion of the cavity hole (overlaid on the bottom face of the cavity), opposite from the outermost cavity hole and about two thirds of the length of a typical cigarette but therefrom, has a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of butt Thanks to the geometry of the side surface of the truncated-conical hole will allow the cigarette butt, due to its softness, to remain in the capsule hole thanks to the grazing friction on the side faces of the two objects. The cigarette butt after insertion in the hole will preferably protrude sufficiently, e.g. about a third of its length, to be taken and disposed of properly before discarding the package. In particular, FIG. 17 and FIG. 19 show a cigarette butt ( 30 in FIG. 17 and FIG. 19 ) housed in a hole of the capsule.
[0017]The capsule ( 27 in FIG. 17 ) is shown separated from cigarettes by a large separation flap ( 11 c in FIG. 17, 11 a in FIG. 7 ) integral to the internal paper strip ( 12 b in FIG. 17, 12 a in FIG. 7 ) which may not be glued to the package, and which is preferably made of recycled paper, and which can be covered on the upper surface (the one in contact with the butt), with a thin sheet of aluminum ( 11 b in FIG. 8 ).
[0018]The strip extinguish-butt ( 10 in FIG. 5 and FIG. 18 ), is also preferably made aluminum, has a rectangular bottom base of slight thickness, from which a rotor-shaped element ( 9 in FIG. 5 and FIG. 18 ) is extruded, and which can have a thickness of about five times that of the base of the strip extinguish-butt 10 .
[0019]BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an open, unglued cigarette packet according to the invention showing the internal side thereof; FIG. 2 is a top view of the capsule portion of the cigarette package of the invention; FIG. 3 is a cross-section view of the capsule; FIG. 4 is a second cross-section view of the capsule; FIG. 5 is an open, unglued cigarette packet according to the invention showing the external portion thereof including the extinguish -butt strip thereon; FIG. 6 is a view of an internal side of open packet according to the invention; FIG. 7 illustrates the internal paper strip affixed to the inner portion of the packet; FIG. 8 illustrates an open package internal view with the internal paper strip glued thereon; FIG. 9 is a front view of the cigarette packet with the head portion containing the capsule therein in a closed position; FIG. 10 is a front view of the cigarette packet with the head portion in an open position; FIG. 11 is a side view of a cigarette packet with a closed head portion; FIG. 12 is a side view of the cigarette packet with head portion in an open position; FIG. 13 is a top view of the cigarette packet of FIG. 11 , with the head portion in a closed position; FIG. 14 is a top view of the cigarette packet of FIG. 12 , with the head portion in an open position; FIG. 15 is a front perspective view of the packet of FIG. 9 ; FIG. 16 is a front perspective view of the packet of FIG. 10 ; FIG. 17 is a front view of the cigarette packet illustrating the head portion thereof in an open position; FIG. 18 is a frontal-angular view of the packet showing extinguish-butt strip; FIG. 19 is an additional frontal-angular view of the packet showing head portion in an open position; FIG. 20 is a side perspective view showing the packet with disposal instructions; FIG. 21 is a front perspective view of the packet in a wrap covering FIG. 22 is a close up showing the thin strip underneath the wrap covering; FIG. 23 - FIG. 24 - FIG. 25 - FIG. 26 are additional views of the capsule configured to house at least one butt of an exhausted cigarette.
[0020]DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021]As a first operation, we print the design of the open package on the first sheet of recycled paper of a ream of already printed sheets of the outer faces. Then cuts are made at the contours of the open packet design and at the substantially horizontal dotted line of in FIG. 1 , by means of a ream-cutting machine The substantially vertical dotted line of FIG. 1 , refers to the execution of a groove to facilitate the natural folding of the head of the package by the user.
[0022]Then, we proceed with the gluing of the internal paper strip ( 12 a in FIG. 7 ) integral to the separation flap ( 11 a in FIG. 7 ), as indicated in FIG. 8 , and the application of the adhesive on all the edges 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 as in FIG. 5 . Then, we proceed to fold these flaps ( FIG. 1 ) and fix them inside the faces of the package, also folded.
[0023]Next, the capsule ( 27 in FIG. 17 ) is inserted inside the head ( 31 in FIG. 19 ) of the packet, using the same adhesive.
[0024]Finally we proceed to fill the packet 28 with cigarettes 29 (see FIGS. 16, 17, 19 ), close the head 31 and enveloping everything in the wrapper in bio-plastic ( FIG. 21 ). It has an additional thin strip ( 14 in FIG. 21 ) of the same material glued underneath the casing in bio-plastic, which exits from this slightly at the back ( FIG. 22 ) and follows the outline of the packet (previously cut), in order to facilitate the opening of the same with a tear. Also the same casing has a rectangular hole ( 13 in FIG. 21 ) of the same dimensions as the strip extinguish-butt. We then proceed to apply the strip extinguish-butt ( 10 in FIG. 18 ) with a rotor-shaped element ( 9 in FIG. 5 ) on the packet already bagged directly as in FIG. 5 , always using the same adhesive.
[0025]INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0026]The inventive cigarette packet or package can be produced using existing packaging equipment for cigarettes, only requiring calibrating of the cutting machines, and programming them for the use of new ecological materials and adding other machines capable of inserting the aluminum capsules and extinguish-butt strips. The use of renewable energy is recommended for the production processes in order to have the lowest environmental impact in the production phases of the packet, complete with all its components.
[0027]NOTES
[0028]In the exposition of this invention no measurements have been inserted because each cigarette brand has dimensioned its own packets and the same cigarettes in a different way. The artisan will need to size the packet, in its entirety, in agreement with each manufacturer without undue experimentation. In addition, it will be understood that disclosed is only one of the many possible forms of realization of the invention and the use of certain materials has been presented. It is obvious, therefore, that any other form, dimension or material suitable for the realization of this invention in its entirety, always refers to this model of invention and belongs to the same domain of protection as this description and the following claims.
