Envelopes – wrappers – and paperboard boxes – Paperboard box – With closure for an access opening
Patent
1998-06-18
2000-08-22
Elkins, Gary E.
Envelopes, wrappers, and paperboard boxes
Paperboard box
With closure for an access opening
206268, 206273, 2291601, B65D 4316
Patent
active
061058564
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This application is a national phase under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.371 of prior PCT International Application No. PCT/JP97/03871 which has an International filing date of Oct. 24, 1997 which designated the United States of America, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to a hinge lid pack suitable for packaging cigarettes or filter cigarettes.
BACKGROUND ART
This kind of hinge lid pack is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No.2-296641 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,038). This known pack comprises a box-shaped body whose upper end is opened. A box-shaped lid is connected to a rear opening edge of the body through a self-hinge. The lid rotates around the self-hinge so as to cover an opening end of the body or to be detached from the opening end. In other words, the lid opens and closes the opening of the body.
The body has a shoulder on its front surface, and the shoulder extends along a front opening edge of the body. The lid has a flap on its front opening edge, which is folded into the lid.
According to the above-explained hinge lid pack, when the opening end of the body is covered with the lid, the flap of the lid first comes in contact with the shoulder of the body, and then is further folded into the lid. When the opening end of the body is completely covered with the lid, the flap of the lid goes beyond the shoulder, and its tip edge butts against a lower edge of the shoulder. In this lid closing state, since the flap of the lid and the shoulder of the body are engaged with each other, there is no case where the lid is opened accidentally.
Just after the flap goes beyond the shoulder, the flap springs back and clicks the front surface of the body, so that a click sound occurs. Therefore, a user can confirm that the lid is completely closed by the click sound. In the case of the above-explained hinge lid pack, the lid overcomes the engagement between the flap and the shoulder so as to be opened. At this time, the flap is largely turned back. Even if the lid is opened and closed repeatedly only a few times, an elastic force of the flap root is abruptly lowered. Thereafter, even if the lid is closed, a spring force of the flap is poor, and the flap cannot produce a clear click sound.
Also, since the engagement between the flap and the shoulder becomes poor, the lid might be opened accidentally.
Moreover, if the elastic force of the flap is decreased, the flap cannot return to the lid and remains exposed at the outside of the lid even if the rid is opened. In this case, the user must fold the flap into the lid before the lid is closed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a hinge lid pack wherein a click sound can be surely produced even if the lid is opened and closed repeatedly and the lid can be stably maintained in a closing state.
The above object can be achieved by the following invention.
Specifically, the hinge lid pack comprises a body having a tongue and a lid having an engaging part engaging with the tongue. The tongue extends from the front surface of the body to the side opposite to the lid, and is rotatable around its root end. The engaging part is provided to have a gap on an inner surface of the lid. When the lid is closed, the tongue is inserted to the lid, thereby engaging with the engaging part.
According to the above-explained hinge lid pack, when the lid is opened with the rotation, the tongue and the engaging piece have engaged with each other, and the engagement provides resistance to the lid opening operation. For this reason, the lid is not opened accidentally.
When the lid overcomes resistance so as to be opened, the tongue of the body is detached from the gap of the lid. In other words, the engagement between the tongue and the engaging part is released. At this time, the tongue relatively clicks the engaging part so as to produce a click sound. Conversely, when the lid is closed, the engaging part is mounted on the tongue, so that the tongue is further folde
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patent: 5518172 (1996-05-01), Nanno
patent: 5586648 (1996-12-01), Focke et al.
Elkins Gary E.
Japan Tobacco Inc.
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