Hinged Lid Cigarette Packet With Linked Sealing Flaps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional cigarette packets are unsuitable for housing reduced longitudinal dimension cigarettes, leading to difficulty in extraction, and existing sealed twin packets have laborious reclosable adhesive panels that are hard to open, especially for users with reduced manual dexterity, and may compromise the lid's closure and aesthetics.
Innovation Solution
A packet design with two inner packages and reusable 'open & close' sealing flaps, where the flaps are fixed with repositionable adhesive and connected to the lid, allowing easy extraction and closure with minimal manual effort, and a customizable removable tab for enhanced usability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional rigid hinged-lid packets are used to house reduced longitudinal dimension cigarettes, then the packet structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the cigarettes can fall into positions from which it is difficult to extract them
Solution Approach 1:
The inner package is divided into two separate semi-packets, each with its own extraction opening. This segmentation allows cigarettes in each semi-packet to be accessed independently through dedicated openings, preventing extraction difficulties while maintaining structural simplicity.
2Reliability
If reclosable adhesive panels are used to seal extraction openings in sealed twin packets, then the airtight sealing is improved, but the panels are laborious to open especially for users with reduced manual dexterity
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive panel is separated into two functional parts: a fixed base portion attached to the inner package and a removable flap portion with a tab. The tab can be easily grasped and pulled to remove the flap, providing easy access while maintaining the airtight seal when closed.
Solution Approach 2:
A tab is introduced as an intermediary element that facilitates the opening action. The tab extends from the adhesive panel, providing a large-grip interface that mediates between the user's hand and the adhesive panel, making opening easy for users with reduced dexterity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the reclosable adhesive panels are made with reusable adhesive strip, then the packet can be closed multiple times, but the adhesive may dry out compromising the lid's closure and aesthetics
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive properties are changed from permanent/reusable adhesive that can dry out to repositionable adhesive that maintains its properties over time. This parameter change in adhesive behavior allows multiple closures while preventing drying out and maintaining closure reliability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables easy and stress-free extraction of cigarettes, maintains lid closure, and reduces the risk of accidental opening, while allowing customizable opening methods, making it suitable for users with reduced dexterity and preserving cigarette quality.
Implementation Method 1
The flaps are fixed with repositionable adhesive
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
Packet (1) of smoke articles having: an outer container (2) having an open top end (9); a lid (3), which is hinged to the outer container (2) to rotate, with respect to the outer container (2), between an open and a closed position of the open top end (9); a first soft inner package (5), which is housed inside the outer container (2), encloses a first group (6) of smoke articles, and has a first smoke articles extraction opening (28) closed by a first sealing flap (30); and a second soft inner package (7), which is housed inside the outer container (2) alongside the first inner package (5), encloses a second group (8) of smoke articles, and has a second smoke articles extraction opening (41) closed by a second sealing flap (43); in which at least one portion (31) of the first sealing flap (30) is connected permanently and non-detaehably to the ltd (3) so that opening and closing the lid (3) also simultaneously opens and closes the first sealing flap (30), and in which the packet (1) comprises a layer of adhesive material arranged between the second sealing flap (43) and the lid (3), and a removable tab (44) arranged at least partially above the layer of adhesive material, the lid (3) being connectable to the second sealing flap (43) by means of the layer of adhesive material once the removable tab (44) has been removed from the layer of adhesive material.