Method and device for producing a package for smoking articles

Abstract

In the method for producing a package for bar-shaped smoking articles that has at least one outer layer intended to receive the bar-shaped smoking articles and to hold the package together, a foil strip that is suitable for the outer layer and is taken from a reel is embossed and/or provided with creasing breaks online in time with the work cadence (P) of the packaging machine and subsequently cut to size. The resulting blank is then folded around the bar-shaped smoking articles in the packaging machine. On one hand, this method allows packaging the cigarettes directly in the outer wrapper without an innerliner, and on the other hand, to strongly rationalize and simplify the entire packaging process and to apply a large variety of signs of all kinds that are perceptible visually, tactually, acoustically or by olfaction.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is the National Phase of PCT / EP2012 / 056459, filed Apr. 10, 2012, which claims priority to European Application No. 11162113.2, filed Apr. 12, 2011, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.FIELD OF INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to a method and a device for producing a package for bar-shaped smoking articles that has at least one outer layer. The term “bar-shaped smoking articles” is meant to include cigarettes, cigarillos, or cigars. For the sake of simplicity, mostly only cigarettes are mentioned in the following.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]According to the prior art, a cigarette package is generally composed of an inner package that may consist of paper, plastic material, metallized paper, or synthetic paper, in rare cases also of an aluminum foil, and of an outer package that may consist of thin cardboard as it is e.g. described in WO-2010 / 012370 A1, or general...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]On the background of this prior art, it is the object of the present invention to provide a method and a device for producing packages for cigarettes, cigarillos, or cigars which meet the various requirements with regard to such packages without using an inner package, on one hand, and on the other hand, enable a more rational production and allow to provide the package with a large diversity of visible or virtually invisible tactually, acoustically, or olfactorily perceptible signs that may also serve as authentication features. In the context of the present application, the term “sign” is meant to include any kind of logotypes, individual points, groups of points, colors, as well as combinations thereof which are produced by the embossing roller(s) and are visually, tactually, acoustically, or olfactorily perceptible.

[0007]This object is attained by the method wherein the outer layer of the package is adapted to receive the bar-shaped smoking articles and to hold the package together, whereby a previously printed or unprinted foil strip that is suitable for the outer layer and is taken from a reel is online embossed and / or provided with creasing breaks in time with the work cadence (P) of the packaging machine and subsequently cut to size, and the resulting blank is folded around the bar-shaped smoking articles in the packaging machine, and by a device wherein it comprises a foil strip reel, an embossing unit and / or a creasing unit and a cutting unit, and is operatively connected to a packaging machine, the device comprising control and synchronizing elements in order to process a foil strip online in time with the work cadence of the packaging machine and to wrap the produced blank around bar-shaped smoking articles.

Problems solved by technology

Supplying the two blanks synchronously to the cycle of the packaging machine requires complex synchronizing means, particularly when the inner package is being embossed and / or printed.

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