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US 8,348,053 B2Granted
Adjacent article package for consumer products
AssigneePhilip Morris USA Inc.
InventorsStephen J. Bellamah, William T. Griffin, Dominic J. C. Howard, William E. Tucker, Jr., John A. Konings, Xuan M. Pham
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An adjacent article package for holding a consumer product and a promotional product includes a combining sleeve formed from a blank. The first container can be a pack of cigarettes and the second container can be a small package containing promotional products such as smokeless tobacco products. The adjacent article package can be sized to be compatible with cigarette cartons, cigarette display racks, tax-stamping equipment and the like.
Claims16
A blank of foldable material for forming a combining sleeve, comprising:
- first, second, third and fourth panels for forming respective front, left side, back, and right side of the combining sleeve, wherein each panel comprises two substantially parallel sides and two substantially parallel ends which are substantially perpendicular to the sides, the first panel connected to the second panel by a first fold line, the second panel connected to the third panel by a second fold line and the third panel connected to the fourth panel by a third fold line, wherein the first, second and third fold lines are along adjacent sides;
- a platform panel connected to an end of the third panel by a connect tab which is connected to the third panel by a fourth fold line and connected to the platform panel by a fifth fold line;
- an adhesive tab connected to a side of the fourth panel at a sixth fold line to join the first panel to the fourth panel;
- at least one locking tab connected to an end of the first, second or fourth panels at a seventh fold line and on the same end of the blank as the platform panel, wherein the locking tab is rotatable about the seventh fold line to engage the platform panel at a periphery thereof;
- wherein the blank is foldable to form a lower sleeve opening communicating with a lower recess between the first, second, third, fourth and platform panels at a lower end of the combining sleeve and an upper opening communicating with an upper recess between the first, second, third, fourth and platform panels at an upper end of the combining sleeve;
- wherein respective first, second and third locking tabs are connected to respective ends of the first, second and fourth panels at respective fold lines on the same end of the blank as the platform panel, wherein the locking tabs are rotatable about each respective fold line to extend equally to engage the periphery of the platform panel.
3 more elements
A method of forming a combining sleeve from a blank comprising:
- first, second, third and fourth panels for forming respective front, left side, back, and right side of the combining sleeve, wherein each panel comprises two substantially parallel sides and two substantially parallel ends which are substantially perpendicular to the sides, the first panel connected to the second panel by a first fold line, the second panel connected to the third panel by a second fold line and the third panel connected to the fourth panel by a third fold line, wherein the first, second and third fold lines are along adjacent sides;
- a platform panel connected to an end of the third panel by a connect tab which is connected to the third panel by a fourth fold line and connected to the platform panel by a fifth fold line;
- an adhesive tab connected to a side of the fourth panel at a sixth fold line to join the first panel to the fourth panel;
- at least one locking tab connected to an end of the first, second or fourth panels at a seventh fold line and on the same end of the blank as the platform panel, wherein the locking tab is rotatable about the seventh fold line to engage the platform panel at a periphery thereof;
- wherein the blank is foldable to form a lower sleeve opening communicating with a lower recess between the first, second, third, fourth and platform panels at a lower end of the combining sleeve and an upper opening communicating with an upper recess between the first, second, third, fourth and platform panels at an upper end of the combining sleeve;
- the method comprising:
- folding the first, second, third and fourth panels and adhesive tab of the blank along the first, second, third and sixth fold lines and overlying the adhesive tab with a portion of the first panel to create a hollow sleeve having an upper opening and a lower opening;
- folding the at least one locking tab into the upper opening along the seventh fold line;
- folding the connect tab into the upper opening along the fourth fold line, wherein a surface of the connect tab faces an inward surface of the third panel;
- folding the platform panel along the fifth fold line such that a peripheral portion of the platform panel meets an edge of the at least one locking tab to partition the hollow sleeve into an upper recess and an adjacent lower recess.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.