Vertically Stacked Cigarette Pack With Independent Lower Opening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cigarette packs with vertically aligned groups require users to turn the pack upside down, leading to accidental opening of the bottom lid and loss of contents, making them inconvenient and less appealing to users.
Innovation Solution
A pack design with vertically aligned groups of cigarettes, featuring a cup-shaped upper and lower container with hinged lids, where the lower container is connected by a pre-weakened tearable line that allows independent opening, preventing accidental opening and ensuring easy access to both groups of cigarettes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the pack contains two lids arranged opposite one another for accessing two groups of cigarettes, then both groups can be accessed, but the bottom lid may open accidentally causing loss of contents
Solution Approach 1:
The pack is divided into two separate containers (upper and lower), each with its own lid. The lower container is further segmented by providing a false bottom that creates a hidden compartment. This segmentation allows independent access to different cigarette groups while preventing accidental opening of the entire pack.
Solution Approach 2:
A false bottom is introduced as an intermediary element between the lower lid and the actual bottom of the lower container. This false bottom creates a deceptive structure that prevents the lower lid from opening accidentally, as it appears to be the real bottom but is actually a removable false structure.
2Ease of operation
If the pack requires turning upside down to access the bottom group of cigarettes, then both groups are accessible, but the operation becomes complex and unintuitive
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of requiring the user to turn the pack upside down to access the bottom container, the invention inverts the logical approach: the lower container is designed with a false bottom that can be removed from the inside outward, allowing access without inverting the entire pack structure. This reverses the conventional wisdom of how multi-compartment packs should be opened.
Solution Approach 2:
The false bottom is pre-configured within the lower container during manufacturing, creating a ready-to-remove structure that facilitates easy access. The deceptive design is prepared in advance, so the user naturally interacts with it without needing to understand the internal mechanism, simplifying the operation.
3Ease of operation
If the lower lid is hinged to allow opening, then the bottom cigarette group is accessible, but accidental opening can occur
Solution Approach 1:
The false bottom is designed to be extractable from the lower container. It appears to be a fixed structural element but is actually a removable component that can be taken out to access the hidden compartment. This extraction mechanism provides controlled access while maintaining the appearance of a sealed container.
Solution Approach 2:
The false bottom functions as a single-use or limited-use component that, once removed, changes the state of the lower container. It provides a simple, inexpensive mechanism for controlled access that doesn't require complex locking systems or multiple sealing mechanisms.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
Pack (1) for smoking articles comprising: a first group (7) of smoking articles; a first container (2), which is cup-shaped and houses the first group (7) of smoking articles; a second group (7) of smoking articles, which is arranged below the first group (7) of smoking articles and is vertically aligned with the first group (7) of smoking articles; and a second container (4), which is cup-shaped, houses the second group (7) of smoking articles and is connected to the first container (2) along two pre-weakened tearable lines (31) which must be broken to allow the removal of a joining band (45) and therefore to allow access to the second group (7) of smoking articles.