Method of folding a sheet of packing material with an extraction opening about a group of cigarettes, and corresponding package of cigarettes

A method of folding a sheet of packing material about a group of cigarettes;

• the sheet (22) of packing material is in the form of an elongated rectangle, has two opposite parallel long sides and two opposite parallel short sides, and comprises an extraction opening (4) closed by a reusable cover flap (5) and located close to a short side;
• the group (23) of cigarettes is substantially parallelepiped-shaped, and comprises two major lateral walls (24), two minor lateral walls (25), and two end walls (26);
• four longitudinal edges (27) are defined between the two major lateral walls (24) and the two minor lateral walls (25);
• four major transverse edges (28) are defined between the two major lateral walls (24) and the two end walls (26);
• and four minor transverse edges (29) are defined between the two minor lateral walls (25) and the two end walls (26);
• the method comprises the steps of:
• bringing a first end wall (26a) of the group (23) of cigarettes into contact with the flat sheet (22) of packing material, so that the major transverse edges (28) of the group (23) of cigarettes are parallel to the short sides of the sheet (22) of packing material, and the minor transverse edges (29) of the group (23) of cigarettes are parallel to the long sides of the sheet (22) of packing material;
• folding the sheet (22) of packing material into a U about the major transverse edges (28) of the first end wall (26a), so that the sheet (22) of packing material (22) covers both the major lateral walls (24) completely;
• folding the sheet (22) of packing material onto a second end wall (26b) of the group (23) of cigarettes;
• and
• folding the sheet (22) of packing material onto the minor lateral walls (25) of the group (23) of cigarettes;
• and the method is characterized by comprising the further step of positioning the first end wall (26a) of the group (23) of cigarettes asymmetrically with respect to the sheet (22) of packing material, so that the first end wall (26a) of the group (23) of cigarettes is closer to the short side of the sheet (22) of packing material opposite the extraction opening (4), and is further from the short side of the sheet (22) of packing material located close to the extraction opening (4).