Cigarette packet with auxiliary opening means

A method for manufacturing a pack comprising:

• a pack container (11) which directly surrounds contents of the pack, an inner wrapping (46), and an outer wrapping (33) which is made of film and which is at least partially removed when the pack is first used, the pack container (11) and inner wrapping (46) having in the region of a pack end wall (17) an opening tab (39) which is delimited by weakening lines and which is connected to the outer wrapping (33) in such a manner that, when the outer wrapping (33) is removed, the opening tab (39) is severed from the inner wrapping, said method being characterized in that:
• a) blanks for the pack container (11) or inner wrapping (46) are severed from a continuous material web;
• b) before the blanks for the pack container (11) or the inner wrapping (46) are severed, the material web is provided with glue surfaces (43, 51, 52) for each blank;
• c) the glue surfaces (43, 51, 52) are arranged so that, in a completely folded pack container (11) or inner wrapping (46), the glue surfaces are positioned in a region of the opening tab (39) of the pack end wall (17) at an outer side thereof;
• d) the material web is furthermore provided, in the region of every blank, with a continuous perforation line (38, 48) for delimiting an opening tab (47) which can be completely torn out of the end wall (17);
• e) the glue surfaces (43, 51, 52) applied to the material web consist of glue which can set after application and which can be reactivated by heat and pressure;
• f) after being severed from the material web, each blank is folded around the pack contents to form the pack container (11) or the inner wrapping (46),
• g) the outer wrapping (33) is then folded around the pack thus configured to form folding tabs in the region of an outer wrapper end wall (34) which covers the pack end wall (17);
• and
• h) the folding tabs of the outer wrapper end wall (34) are then connected to each other by means of thermal sealing through the application of heat and pressure, with the heat and pressure being chosen such that the glue surfaces (43, 51, 52) are reactivated so that the pack end wall (17) is connected to the outer wrapping end wall (34);
• said method being further characterized in that, for the production of pack containers (11) with a Z-fold made from material strips (22, 23) folded in a Z-shape adjacent to the pack end wall (17), a grip tab (41) is connected to the opening tab (39) and extends into the region of an adjacent pack side wall (15) with a freely-projecting portion being folded against the pack end wall (17) in the region of the opening tab (39), one of the glue surfaces (43) being applied to a non-printed inner side of the material web for connecting the grip tab (41) to the outer wrapping (33).