Philip Morris Inc.

J Jerome Fleenor

Robert T Mitten

Christopher N Chance

Duane C Wilder

A hinged lid cigarette pack includes a bottom portion defining a receptacle for the cigarettes and a hingably connected lid which closes over the cigarette. A tab is foldably connected to the front wall of the lid at a mating edge between the lid front wall and the bottom portion front wall. The tab comprises a front tab panel foldably connected to the lid front wall at the mating edge and a top tab panel foldably connected to the front tab panel via a first tab fold line. A back tab panel is foldably connected to the top panel via a second tab fold line which is located opposite to the first tab fold line. When the lid is closed, the respective tab panels lie in a face-to-face contact with corresponding front, top and back walls of the lid. When the lid is open, the tab does not interfere with access to the cigarettes. At the desired time, the tab is extended such that the panels lie in substantially the same plane to read messages printed thereon. The consumer may then remove the desired number of tab panels by tearing along detachment lines. The front, top and back tab panels may be subdivided into additional tab panel sections which are interconnected via additional attachment lines.

Hinged lid box with attached coupon

A cigarette pack includes a pack portion and a lid portion hinged thereto, and an inner frame disposed within the pack portion and projecting upwardly beyond an upper end of the pack portion. The vertical corners of the cigarette pack are smoothly rounded. Front rounded corners of the inner frame are formed with integral retention flaps which project laterally outwardly so as to bear frictionally against the sidewalls of the lid portion when the lid portion is in a closed state. Each sidewall of the lid portion includes inner and outer panels. The inner panel includes a front edge located behind the respective retention flap so as to avoid making contact therewith when the lid is pivoted between open and closed states.

Cigarette hardpack having rounded corners and lid retaining flaps

An apparatus for testing the quality of a seal on a package overwrap having a cutting or burning element to create a hole in the package overwrap without breaching the integrity of the package; a measuring head for introducing super-atmospheric air pressure through the hole between the overwrap and the package; and a pressure transducer for determining whether the rate of air leakage from the overwrap is within acceptable limits.

Growing community of inventors

Midlothian, VA, United States of America

J Jerome Fleenor