Tobacco Article Opening Pack With Press-Actuated Sleeve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hinge-lid containers for consumer goods, such as smoking articles, lack innovative designs for opening and closing mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A pack design featuring pivotally connected front and back covers that move from a closed to an open position via a slot in the outer box, facilitated by an inner sleeve mechanism, allowing easy access with one hand.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional hinge-lid container is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the opening mechanism lacks innovation and user convenience
Solution Approach 1:
The container is divided into two main segments: an outer box and an inner sleeve. The inner sleeve is further segmented into front and back walls with connecting panels. This segmentation allows the inner sleeve to move independently within the outer box, enabling the innovative opening mechanism where pressing the bottom wall moves the inner sleeve forward to expose contents, while the front and back covers pivot open. The segmented structure resolves the contradiction by providing complex functionality through modular components rather than a monolithic design.
Solution Approach 2:
The container employs multiple dynamic elements: the inner sleeve can move forward and backward along the longitudinal axis, the front and back covers can pivot between closed and open positions, and the connecting panels enable coordinated movement between components. This dynamic design allows the container to transition between different states (closed, partially open, fully open) based on user interaction, enhancing operational convenience while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure through well-defined movement paths.
2Ease of operation
If the inner sleeve is made movable by pressing the bottom wall, then one-handed operation is enabled, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inner sleeve mechanism is designed to be self-actuating through user input. Pressing the bottom wall directly translates to forward movement of the inner sleeve via the slot geometry and connecting panel arrangement, without requiring additional actuators, motors, or complex transmission mechanisms. The structural geometry itself facilitates the movement conversion, allowing one-handed operation while minimizing added complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting panels act as intermediaries between the inner sleeve and the outer box covers. When the inner sleeve moves forward, the connecting panels transmit this motion to pivot the front and back covers open. This intermediary mechanism coordinates the movement of multiple components in response to a single user action (pressing the bottom wall), enabling one-handed operation while distributing the mechanical complexity across well-defined interaction points.
3Ease of operation
If the front and back covers are pivotally connected at bottom ends, then the opening action is simplified, but the structural integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The front and back covers are pre-connected to the inner sleeve through the connecting panels before use. This preliminary connection ensures that when the covers pivot open, they remain properly aligned and supported by the inner sleeve structure. The bottom-end pivotal connection is reinforced by this pre-established connection, maintaining structural integrity while enabling simple opening motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner sleeve is nested within the outer box, with the front and back covers forming the outer shell. The connecting panels create a nested connection system where the inner sleeve moves within the space defined by the covers. This nesting arrangement provides structural support to the pivotal connection points, as the covers are supported by the rigid outer box structure while still allowing free pivoting motion for opening and closing.
Data Source
AI summary
In an example embodiment, a pack for tobacco articles comprises an inner sleeve, and an outer box comprising front and back covers that allow access to the inner sleeve when the outer box is opened. The inner sleeve can include a front connecting panel pivotally connecting a front wall of the inner sleeve to an inner surface of the front cover and a back connecting panel pivotally connecting a back wall of the inner sleeve to an inner surface of the back cover. A slot in the outer box is configured to allow opening of the outer box by applying pressure against a bottom wall of the inner sleeve.