The present invention relates to a hinge-lid container comprising a container and a lid, the lid being biased open when the container is open, and biased closed, when the container is closed. The invention also relates to a blank for such a pack.

Packs of the present type comprising a container and a lid are used to contain many types of consumer good, such as foodstuffs and smokable articles. The container and a lid are typically connected to one another by via a hinge, often an integrally formed hinge, which allows the lid to pivot away from the container on opening it, so that the consumer may access the goods inside, then pivot back to reclose the pack. The material of construction of the hinge, especially when it is integrally formed with the container and lid, typically biases in favour of one or other of the open or the closed position. This may hinder the smooth removal of the goods from within the container or may prevent complete and effective closing of the container after opening. Where the container is a hinged lid pack of the flip-top™ type, the inner frame of such a container may become visible when the container is not entirely closed, the so called "smiling" effect. It is known from DE 665575 to include a spring in such a container to hold the lid open. A further element may be present to interact with the spring to hold the lid closed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a container with reduced smiling.

According a first aspect of the present invention a container is provided comprising a box and a lid, wherein the lid depends from the box via a transverse main hinge line, wherein the main hinge line comprises a central hinge section and two adjacent hinge sections, wherein the central hinge section is separated from the two adjacent hinge sections by cuts and wherein the central hinge section is further delimited by a upper hinge line, wherein the upper hinge line connects the central hinge section and the lid and a lower hinge line, wherein the lower hinge line connects the central hinge section and the box. A biasing member is connected to the lid above the central hinge section on one side and to the box below the central hinge line to the other side. The biasing member is under tension to bias the lid closed when the container is closed and extend through the central hinge section to bias the lid open when the container is open.

In use, the central hinge section will fold outwards of the back wall of the container along the upper and lower hinge lines. This means that when the lid is pivoted backwards around the hinge line, the biasing member is bent through the central hinge section, however, the biasing member is bent at a position below the hinge line. This means, that the biasing member is first further stretched as the lid pivots backwards, extending the distance between the two holding points of the biasing member on the back wall of the container. However, when the lid is bent further, a turning point exists, where the extension of the biasing member is maximal. After that point, because the biasing member is not stretched around the main hinge line but only around the lower hinge line and the upper hinge line, pivoting the lid further will actually release tension from the biasing member, such that the biasing member now supports the further opening and holds the lid in the open position.

Advantageously, the biasing member is attached to the inner side of the lid top wall at a lid holding point by a distance of between about 2 and about 15 mm from the lid back wall, preferably, between about 3 and 8 mm. Therefore, the turning point is substantially the point in which the biasing member aligns in parallel to the back wall of the container, that is, when the lid is pivoted back such that the distance of the lid holding point of the biasing member is above the main hinge line

As used herein, the term "container" refers to a substantially rigid package or box comprising a box for the goods and a lid which may be opened to remove the goods from the box and reclosed to protect the goods from the environment. Such packages are self-supporting, having a size and shape that, once formed, does not alter significantly upon the insertion into and removal of goods therefrom. Where the consumer goods are smoking articles, typically, the container is erected around the smoking articles. Advantageously, the container according to the present invention has the same shape as a flip-top™ box. Preferably, the container is substantially cuboid. More preferably, the container is rectangular in cross-section and is in the form of a carton. It will be appreciated that, through appropriate choices of the dimensions thereof, packs according to the invention may be designed for containing different numbers of smoking articles, such as cigarettes.

The container according to the first aspect of the invention may be formed from any suitable materials including, but not limited to, cardboard, paperboard, plastic, metal or combinations thereof. The cardboard may have a weight of between about 100 grams per square meter and about 350 grams per square meter. Preferably, a laminated paper is used. For example, the package may be constructed from a laminated paper coated with polyethylene on the intended inside of the package or a sandwiched layer of thin aluminium foil between an outer Kraft paper or board and an inner polyethylene coating.

The hinge lines according to the first aspect of the invention may comprise any suitable hinge or bending mechanism. Advantageously, each of the hinge and the bend lines is, separately from one another, embossed, ablated, creased or scored. Preferably, the hinge and the bend lines are creased.

According to one embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the container may comprise additional central hinge sections, each additional central hinge section being associated with its own biasing member, each biasing member being connected to the lid beyond the central hinge section on one side and to the container beyond the central hinge section to the other side, each biasing member being under tension to bias the lid closed when the container is closed and extend through the central hinge section to bias the lid open when the container is open. In such a case, each additional central hinge section comprises two cuts intersecting the hinge line. The biasing member according to the first aspect of the invention may have any suitable configuration to achieve the desired function of biasing the lid closed when the container is closed and biasing the lid open when the container is open. The biasing member may comprise a strip of material which extends substantially from one of the cuts to the other to extend across substantially the entirety of the central hinge section. Alternatively, the biasing member may extend laterally only a fraction of the distance between the two cuts and within the central hinge section. In another embodiment, there may be two or more biasing members disposed between the two cuts and within the central hinge section. In such a case, each biasing member may comprise a thread.

The biasing member according to the invention may be connected to the lid, on one side of the hinge line, and the container, on the other side of the hinge line, by thermal bonding, by means of an adhesive, by mechanical means, such as one or more staples, or by a mixture thereof. Advantageously, the biasing member is connected to the lid and the container by thermal bonding, especially ultrasonic welding.

The biasing member according to the invention may comprise elastomer, especially non- woven elastomer. Such materials are known to the skilled person. It is connected to the lid and the container under tension, for example by stretching it on application.

Preferably, the biasing member is already under tension when applied to the blank from which the container is made. Alternatively, the biasing member may be tensioned after its application to the blank, for example by shrinking the biasing member, for example with heat.

According to a second aspect of the invention, an elongate blank for a container having a box and a lid is provided, the elongate blank comprising: a box-defining portion and a lid-defining portion; wherein the lid-defining portion depends from the box-defining portion via a transverse main hinge line, wherein the main hinge line comprises a central hinge section and two adjacent hinge sections, wherein the central hinge section is separated from the two adjacent hinge sections by cuts and wherein the central hinge section is further delimited by a upper hinge line, wherein the upper hinge line connects the central hinge section and the lid-defining portion and a lower hinge line, wherein the lower hinge line connects the central hinge section and the box- defining portion, the elongate blank additionally comprising a biasing member connected to the lid-defining portion above the central hinge section on one side and to the box-defining portion beyond the central hinge section to the other side, the biasing member being under tension and being configured to bias the lid closed when the formed container is closed and to extend through the central hinge section to bias the lid open when the formed container is open.

One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows an elongate blank for forming a hinge-lid pack;

Figure 2 shows an elongate blank according to the invention for forming a hinge-lid container comprising a biasing member; Figure 3 shows a perspective view from the back of an open, formed container according to the invention, with one side cut away to allow a view into the interior of the formed pack;

Figure 4 shows a perspective view from the front of an open, formed container according to the invention;

Figure 5 shows a side view of an open, formed container according to the invention; and Figure 6 shows a side view of a closed, formed container according to the invention. Figure 1 shows an elongate blank 1 for forming a hinge-lid container and comprising the central hinge section according to the invention. Figure 1 does not show a biasing member which would obscure details of the central hinge section.

The elongate blank comprises a container-defining portion 2 and a lid-defining portion 3, which are separated from one another by hinge line 5.

In the longitudinal direction of the elongate blank, the container-defining portion 2 and the lid-defining portion 3 each comprises a plurality of rectangular panels having substantially the same width in the transverse direction of the blank, which are foldably connected to each other along transverse score lines parallel to the hinge line 5. As shown in Figure.1 , the lid-defining portion 3 comprises a rectangular lid rear wall panel 6, which is connected along the hinge line to a rectangular box rear wall panel 7 of the container-defining portion 2 of the blank, a rectangular lid top wall panel 8 connected to the lid rear wall panel 6, a rectangular lid front wall panel 9 connected to the lid top wall panel 8. The lid-defining portion 3 also comprises a rectangular lid front wall flap 10 connected to the lid front wall panel 9 along a transverse score line, which is of reduced with in the transverse direction of the blank compared with the lid front wall panel 9.

The lid-defining portion of the elongate blank further comprises a pair of opposed trapezoidal lid inner side wall panels 12, which are foldably connected to the side edges of the lid rear wall panel 6 along longitudinal score lines, perpendicular to the hinge line 5. As shown in Figure 1 , each lid inner side wall panel 12 has an upper edge parallel to the hinge line 5, defined by a transverse score line that is a substantially collinear extension of the transverse score line connecting the lid rear wall panel 6 to the lid top wall panel 8. The lower edge of each lid inner side wall panel 12 is defined by an angled cut.

A pair of opposed trapezoidal lid outer side wall panels 14 of substantially the same size and shape as the inner side wall panels 12 are foldably connected to the side edges of the lid front wall panel 9 along respective longitudinal score lines 15, perpendicular to the transverse hinge line 5. Each lid outer side wall panel 14 has a lower edge parallel to the hinge line 5, defined by a transverse cut which is a substantially collinear extension of the transverse score line connecting the lid top wall panel 8 to the lid front wall panel 9, and an angled upper edge 16.

A pair of opposed lid side wall flaps 13 of substantially the same width in the transverse direction of the blank as the lid inner side wall panels 12 and substantially the same length in the longitudinal direction of the blank as the lid top wall panel 8, are pivotally attached to the upper edges of the lid inner side wall panels 12. A right angled triangular piece o† each lid side wall flap 13 is cut out. The cut out piece has a first side extending along a line between the side wall flap 13 and outer side wall panel 14 partially along the width of the side wall flap 13 and a second side extends at right angles to the first side collinear with and partially along the length of the pivotal attachment.

The container-defining portion 2 of the elongate blank comprises, in the longitudinal direction of the blank, a container bottom wall panel 17 connected to the container rear wall panel 7 and a container front wall panel 18 connected to the container bottom wall panel 17. A pair of opposed trapezoidal container inner side wall panels 19 and a pair of opposed trapezoidal container outer side wall panels 20 of substantially the same size and shape are foldably connected to the side edges of the container rear wall panel 7 and the container front wall panel 18 respectively, along longitudinal score lines perpendicular to the hinge line 5. A pair of opposed container side wall flaps 21 are pivotally attached to the longitudinal edges of the container bottom wall panel 17.

The encircled portion of the elongate blank labelled A in Figure 1 highlights the central hinge section located to either side of hinge 5. The central hinge section additionally comprises upper fold line 22 and lower fold line 23 and cuts 24,25.

Figure 2 shows the same blank as illustrated in Figure 1 , additionally comprising a biasing member 26 attached to the lid-defining portion 3 on one side of the hinge line 5 and to the container-defining portion 2 on the other side of the hinge line 5. The biasing member 26 obscures the view of the central hinge section in this figure.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a formed container 27 from the rear comprising a container 28 and a lid 29, the lid being open and pivoted around the hinge line at a right angle to the major face of the container. The inner and outer side wall panels having been removed on one side in this figure allowing a view into the interior of the formed container 27. The central hinge section 30 delimited by upper and lower fold lines 22,23 is illustrated bending away from the container and forming a right angle with the hinge line 5 at its apex. The biasing member 26 can be seen extending through the opening formed by one of the cuts 24 which also delimit the central hinge section 30.

Figure 4 is another perspective view of a formed container 27, this time from the front, comprising a container 28 and a lid 29, the lid being open and pivoted around the hinge line at a right angle to the major face of the container. A part of the central hinge section can be seen (and the remainder can be seen in dotted lines). The biasing member 26 extends through the central hinge section.

Figure 5 is a side view of the formed container 27 comprising a container 28 and a lid 29, the lid being open and pivoted around the hinge line at a right angle to the major face of the container. The encircled portion of the container labelled B in Figure 5 highlights the central hinge section and the biasing member can be seen extending through the central hinge section to bias the lid open.

Figure 6 is a side view of the formed container 27 comprising a container 28 and a lid 29, the lid being closed. In this configuration, the central hinge section is not visible, but the biasing member 26 can be seen biasing the lid closed. In use, the biasing member may be further deflected by the contents of the container, for example, smoking articles.