Philip Morris USA Inc.

Philip Morris Products S.a.

Jacques Weiss

Erwan Fradet

Philippe Chatelain

Pierre-Yves Gindrat

Alain Sager

Lucas Chatelain

Philippe Bourgoin

Marc Robert Chemla

Miles Richard Hawley

Matthew Rees

Jacques Mermod

Virginy Suchet

Peter Alexander Johan Mul

Manufactured goods are marked or labeled with a secure unique identifier. A central checking center allows users to verify the authenticity of a particular good such as a cigarette pack or carton via any convenient interface such as the internet or a cell phone. A system of secret sharing allows secure authentication of each item and prevents code breaking or misuse.

Methods and systems for making, tracking and authentication of products

A hinge-lid container includes a box portion and a lid portion hinged to the box portion. The box portion includes an integral first panel connected to the remainder of the container along a first hinge line and an integral second panel. The first panel in an initial position forms at least part of a wall of the box portion and the second panel in an initial position underlies the first panel. The first panel is defined in the wall of the box portion by at least one line of weakness in the initial position and is foldable about the first hinge line from the initial position to a second position in which it is hinged outwardly from the remainder of the container. The second panel is connected to the remainder of the container along a second hinge line. The box portion can include an integral third panel.

Hinge-lid container with additional integral panels

A hinge-lid pack of smoking articles such as cigarettes comprises: a box portion; a lid portion hinged to the box portion; and at least two longitudinally offset tiers of smoking articles mounted in the box portion. Each of the at least two tiers comprises a separately wrapped bundle of smoking articles. In one embodiment, the smoking articles in each of the at least two tiers are of substantially the same length and the upper ends and the lower ends of the separately wrapped bundles of smoking articles are longitudinally offset relative to one another. In another embodiment, the smoking articles in each of the at least two tiers are of different length and the upper ends of the separately wrapped bundles of smoking articles are longitudinally offset relative to one another.

Tiered hinge-lid pack of smoking articles

Growing community of inventors

Vufflens-la-Ville, Switzerland

Jacques Weiss