Cross-Reference to Related Applications

This Patent Application claims priority from Italian Patent Application No. 102022000005627 filed on March 22, 2022, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

This invention relates to a sealed pack provided with a reusable closing tab.

This invention finds advantageous application in a pack of cigarettes, which the description below will make explicit reference to without detracting from its general application.

Prior Art

Rigid cigarette packs with hinged lids are currently the most popular cigarette packets on the market as they are easy to produce, easy and practical to use, and protect the cigarettes contained therein well.

A rigid cigarette pack with a hinged lid comprises a wrap consisting of a group of cigarettes wrapped in a sheet of metallic paper and a stiff outer casing that houses the wrap; the wrap is initially completely closed and has an upper portion that can be tom away (called “pull”) that is removed upon first opening the cigarette pack to enable the extraction of the cigarettes enclosed by the wrap. The outer casing consists of a cupshaped container with an open top end and a lid, which is also cup- shaped and hinged to the container to rotate, in relation to the container, between an open and a closed position of the open end.

In the rigid cigarette pack with a hinged lid described in the patent applications W02008142540A1 and WO2012147073A1, the wrap is impermeable (sealed) and has a cigarette extraction opening, which extends, in part, through the upper wall of the wrap and, in part, through the front wall of the wrap and is closed by a reusable closing tab; in other words, the closing tab is provided with a reusable glue that does not dry out and makes it possible to lock the closing tab several times in a closed position of the cigarette extraction opening. To simplify the opening and closing of the cigarette pack, or to enable the simultaneous opening and closing of the lid of the outer casing and the closing tab of the wrap with a single manoeuvre, a portion of the closing tab is permanently glued to and cannot be separated from an internal surface of a front wall of the lid so that by opening or closing the lid, the closing tab is also simultaneously opened and closed.

In any case, in the rigid cigarette pack with a hinged lid described in the patent applications W02008142540A1 and WO2012147073A1, it was observed that the closing tab (to which a part of the wrap, which is separated from the rest of the wrap to create the extraction opening, firmly adheres internally) tends to have a permanent deformation (i.e. a kind of “shape memory”) at the comer between the front wall and the upper wall; in other words, when the closing tab is raised, its shape is not smooth but tends to have, centrally, a “bump” that reproduces the shape of the comer between the front wall and the upper wall of the wrap. This “bump” entails both functional problems, since it prejudices the correct closing of the wrap, making the position of the closing tab less precise around the extraction opening, and aesthetic problems, since consumers definitely do not appreciate seeing it.

In particular, the “bump” is more evident the less elastic the material that constitutes the closing tab is and it constitutes a significant problem when (to reduce the environmental impact) you move from a closing tab made of plastic material to a closing tab made of paper material (much less elastic than plastic material).

The patent application W02017005655A1 describes a pack of smoking articles that has a rigid container that is provided with a lid that is hinged and houses a sealed wrap provided with a reusable closing tab that is fixed to a front wall of the hinged lid; according to an alternative embodiment, the corner of the rigid container may be rounded or blunted.

The patent application EA202192387A1 describes a pack of smoking articles that has a stiff container equipped with a hinged lid.

The patent application WO2015132770A1 describes a pack of smoking articles that houses a sealed wrap provided with a hole controlled by a pneumatic valve.

Description of the Invention

The purpose of this invention is to provide a sealed pack provided with a reusable closing tab; this pack is free of the drawbacks described above and, at the same time, is easy and inexpensive to produce.

In accordance with this invention, a sealed pack provided with a reusable closing tab, according to what is claimed in the attached claims, is provided.

The claims describe preferred embodiments of this invention forming an integral part of this description.

Brief Description of the Drawings

This invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings that illustrate some non-limiting embodiments thereof, in which:

- Figure 1 is a front perspective view and in a closed configuration of a cigarette pack made according to this invention;

- Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of the cigarette pack in Figure 1 in a closed configuration;

- Figure 3 is a front perspective view of the cigarette pack in Figure 1 in an open configuration;

- Figure 4 is a front perspective view of a wrap that is completely empty and free of the closing tab of the cigarette pack in Figure 1;

- Figure 5 is a plan view of a wrap sheet and a tab used to produce the wrap in Figure 4;

- Figure 6 is a perspective view of a reinforcement element contained in the wrap in Figure 4;

- Figure 7 is a plan view of a blank used to produce the reinforcement element in Figure 4;

- Figure 8 is a plan view of a variant of the blank in Figure 7 ;

- Figure 9 is a plan view of an additional variant of the blank in Figure 7 ;

- Figure 10 is a perspective view of a reinforcement element produced using the blank in Figure 9; and

- Figure 11 is a plan view of a blank used to produce a container and a lid for the cigarette pack in Figure 1.

Preferred Embodiments of the Invention

In Figures 1, 2 and 3, the reference number 1 globally denotes a rigid cigarette pack.

The cigarette pack 1 comprises a container 2 that is made of cardboard or stiff card, is cup-shaped, and houses a wrap 3 (partially illustrated in Figure 3 and better illustrated in Figure 4).

The container 2 has an open top end (illustrated in Figure 3) and is provided with a lid 4, which is cup-shaped and hinged to the container 2 along a hinge 5 (illustrated in Figure 2) to rotate, in relation to the container 2, between an open position (illustrated in Figure 3) and a closed position (illustrated in Figures 1 and 2) of the open top end 3. The container 2 has a basically rectangular parallelepiped shape oriented in a main vertical extension direction, is cup-shaped, and has an open top end, a bottom wall 6 opposite the open top end, a front wall 7 and a rear wall 8 (in which the hinge 5 is made), parallel to and opposite each other, and two side walls 9, which are parallel and opposite to each other. Between the front 7, rear 8 and side 9 walls of the container 2, four longitudinal edges are defined, while between the walls 7, 8 and 9 and the bottom wall 6 of the container 2, four transverse edges are defined.

The lid 4 has a basically rectangular parallelepiped shape, is cup-shaped, and has an open lower end (facing the open upper end of the container 2 when the lid 4 is in the closed position), an upper wall 10 (which is parallel and opposite to the lower wall 6 of the container 2 when the lid 4 is in the closed position), a front wall 11 (which is parallel to and aligned with the front wall 7 of the container 2 when the lid 4 is in the closed position), a rear wall 12 (which is parallel to and aligned with the rear wall 8 of the container 2 when the lid 4 is in the closed position and is hinged to the rear wall 8 of the container 2 along the hinge 5), and two side walls 13 parallel and opposite to each other (which are parallel to and aligned with, in particular coplanar and adjacent, to the side walls 9 of the container 2 when the lid 4 is in the closed position). Between the front 11, rear 12, and side 13 walls of the lid 4, four longitudinal corners are defined, while between the walls 11, 12, and 13 and the lower wall 10 of the lid 4, four transversal corners are defined. The longitudinal corners and the transversal corners of the lid 4 are parallel to and aligned with the corresponding longitudinal and transversal corners of the container 2 when the lid 4 is in the closed position.

According to the embodiment illustrated in the attached figures, the cigarette pack 1 has no collar; according to a different embodiment not illustrated, the cigarette pack 1 comprises a collar (preferably made of cardboard or card), which is fixed (normally by gluing), folded in a “U” shape inside the container 2 to partially project outside the open upper end and to engage a corresponding internal surface of the lid 4 when the lid 4 is arranged in the above-mentioned closed position; the collar is preferably provided with closing elements (for example, a pair of claws that project to the side) to keep the lid 4 in the closed position.

According to what is illustrated in Figure 3, the wrap 3 encloses a group 14 of cigarettes (partially illustrated in Figure 3) with (approximately) a parallelepiped shape. According to what is illustrated in Figure 4, the wrap 3 has (approximately) a rectangular parallelepiped shape and has an upper wall 15, a lower wall opposite the upper wall 15, a front wall 16, and a rear wall parallel and opposite to each other, and two side walls 17 parallel and opposite to each other. Between the front, rear 16, and side 17 walls of the wrap 3, four longitudinal corners are defined, while between the front, rear 16, and side 17 walls and the upper and lower walls 15 of the wrap 3, eight transversal corners are defined. In particular, between the front wall 16 and the upper wall 15 of the wrap 3, a front corner 18 (oriented transversely) is defined that has a rounded shape (i.e., the front comer 18 with a rounded shape connects the front wall 16 and the upper wall 15 of the wrap 3).

The wrap 3 has at the top and at the front a cigarette extraction opening 19 closed by a reusable closing tab 20; i.e., the extraction opening 19 opens partially through the front wall 16 and partially through the upper wall 15 of the wrap 3.

The closing tab 20 is fixed to the wrap 3 using glue that can be re-stuck and that does not dry out, which is applied to the inner surface of the closing tab 20 (i.e. the surface of the closing tab 20 faces the wrap 3) and is arranged around the extraction opening 19 to enable the closing tab 20 to be partially separated from the wrap 3 and then fixed again to the wrap 3 several times (i.e. at each opening of the cigarette pack 1).

The closing tab 20 has an end edge 21 that does not have restickable glue and is arranged, when the lid 4 is in the closed position, below the extraction opening 19; in other words, the end edge 21 constitutes the lower edge of the closing tab 20 (arranged below the extraction opening 19 when the lid 4 is closed) and does not have restickable glue. In the preferred embodiment illustrated in the attached figures, the end edge 21 is glued (externally) permanently and so that it cannot be separated to an inner surface of the lid 4 near the front wall 11 of the lid 4 to move the closing tab 20 by exploiting the movement of the lid 4.

According to what is illustrated in Figure 5, the wrap 3 is made by folding a heat- sealable wrap sheet 22, which has a rectangular shape, is folded around the group 14 of cigarettes, and once folded is stabilised using heat sealing (i.e., overlapped portions of the wrap sheet 22 are connected firmly via heat sealing). The wrap sheet 22 has an incision 23 that is “U”-shaped and defines the extraction opening 19 of the wrap 3; in addition, the closing tab 20 that completely covers the incision 23 (i.e., the extraction opening 19) is glued to the wrap sheet 22. Between the closing tab 20 and the wrap sheet 22, the restickable glue is interposed; this glue is sensitive to pressure (i.e., it does not dry out) and enables, even after a long time, to separate the closing tab 20 from the wrap sheet 22 and, thus, to re-join the closing tab 20 to the wrap sheet 22 a great number of times.

The presence of glue between the closing tab 20 and the wrap sheet 22 determines the permanent gluing (i.e. that even in use is never separated) of a portion 24 of the wrap sheet 22 enclosed inside the incision 23 (i.e. at the extraction opening 19) to the closing tab 20; thus, when the closing tab 20 is raised from the wrap sheet 22, the portion 24 of the wrap sheet 22 enclosed inside the incision 23 (i.e. at the extraction opening 19) is raised together with the closing tab 20, freeing the extraction opening 19 (as illustrated in Figures 3, 5, and 6). In addition, the presence of the restickable glue 15 that is sensitive to pressure (i.e. that does not dry out) between the closing tab 20 and the wrap sheet 22 determines the temporary gluing (i.e. that is separated in use) between the portion of the wrap sheet 22 that surrounds the incision 23 (i.e. that surrounds the extraction opening 19) and the closing tab 20 so as to normally keep the closing tab 20 in contact with the wrap sheet 22 to close (seal) the extraction opening 19.

In the embodiment illustrated in the figures attached, the closing tab 20 is initially separated and independent of the wrap sheet 22 and is subsequently applied to the wrap sheet 22. According to an alternative embodiment, the closing tab 20 is formed within the wrap sheet 22 (i.e., it consists of one of the layers of wrap sheet 22).

The wrap sheet 22 is made of a heat sealable material. This material may be a plastic or paper material. The wrap sheet 22 is preferably made of a compostable and/or biodegradable material. The closing tab 20 may be made of a plastic material. The closing tab 20 is preferably made of a paper material.

According to what is illustrated in Figure 6, the wrap 3 comprises a reinforcement (stiffening, support) element 25, which consists of cardboard or stiff card (just like the cardboard or stiff card that the container 2 consists of), and is arranged inside the wrap 3 in contact with the group 14 of cigarettes. The function of the reinforcement element 25 is to instil the wrap 3 with greater stiffness and stability of shape so as to avoid the wrap 3 from collapsing on itself after having extracted a part of the cigarettes contained in the wrap 3, complicating the extraction of the remaining cigarettes and, in particular, greatly complicating the opening and subsequent re-closing of the closing tab 20. An additional function of the reinforcement element 25 is to provide suitable mechanical protection to the cigarettes during the formation and manipulation of the wrap 3. Another function of the reinforcement element 25 is to keep the lid 4 in the closed position, since the lid 4 to pass from the closed position to the open position (and vice versa) must slightly, elastically deform the upper and front part of the reinforcement element 2. An additional function of the reinforcement element 25 is (as will be better described below) to instil the front corner 18 of the wrap 3 with the desired round shape. According to what is illustrated in Figure 6, the reinforcement element 25 has (approximately) a rectangular parallelepiped shape and has an upper wall 26, a lower wall 27 opposite the upper wall 26, a front wall 28 (there is, in contrast, no rear wall), and two side walls 29 that are parallel and opposite each other. Between the front 28 and side 29 walls of the reinforcement element 25, two longitudinal corners are defined, while between the front 28 and side 29 walls and the upper 26 and lower 27 walls of the reinforcement element 25, four transversal corners are defined. In particular, between the front wall 28 and the upper wall 26 of the reinforcement element 25, a front comer 30 (oriented transversely) is defined that has a rounded shape (i.e., instilling the same shape to the front comer 18 of the wrap 3); i.e., the front comer 30 with a rounded shape connects the front wall 28 and the upper wall 26 of the reinforcement element 25.

The reinforcement element 25 has, at the top and at the front, a cigarette extraction opening 31 that corresponds to the extraction opening 19 of the wrap 3, i.e., it reproduces the position, shape, and size of the extraction opening 19 of the wrap 3 (alternatively, the extraction opening 31 could have a slightly larger size than the extraction opening 19 of the wrap 3). Thus, the extraction opening 31 of the reinforcement element 25 opens partially through the front wall 28 and partially through the upper wall 26 of the reinforcement element 25.

According to what is illustrated in Figure 7, the reinforcement element 25 is made by folding a flat blank 32 consisting of cardboard or stiff card and having an elongated, basically rectangular shape.

The blank 32 comprises the front wall 28, the lower wall 27, which is connected to the front wall 28 along a pre-weakened, transversal folding line, and the upper wall 26 that is connected to the front wall 28 via two connection bands 33 that are preferably (but not necessarily) pre-weakened. The blank 32 comprises the two side walls 29 that are connected to the front wall 28 along two respective longitudinal, pre-weakened folding lines. Two (lower) flaps 34 are connected to the lower wall 27; the flaps are folded 90° against the corresponding side walls 29; in the embodiment illustrated, the two (lower) flaps 34 rest on an outer surface of the corresponding side walls 29, i.e., they embrace the corresponding side walls 29 from the outside. Two (upper) flaps 35 are connected to the upper wall 26; the flaps are folded 90° against the corresponding side walls 29; in the embodiment illustrated, the two (upper) flaps 35 rest on an outer surface of the corresponding side walls 29, i.e., they embrace the corresponding side walls 29 from the outside.

According to a different embodiment, the two (lower) flaps 34 rest on an inner surface of the corresponding side walls 29 (i.e., are arranged within the side walls 29 instead of being arranged outside the side walls 29 as illustrated in the attached figures); in contrast, it is preferable that the two (upper) flaps 35 remain outside the corresponding side walls 29 to instil the reinforcement element 25 with greater stability.

The connection bands 33 have multiple, transversal weakening lines that are parallel to each other and parallel to the front corner 30 (i.e., are parallel to the upper edge of the front wall 28 of the reinforcement element 25 and are parallel to the front edge of the upper wall 26 of the reinforcement element 25). The transversal weakening lines increase the flexibility of the connection bands 33 and, thus, enable the connection bands 33 to assume a round shape that corresponds to a quarter (i.e., 90° of angular extension) of a cylindrical surface. According to a possible embodiment not illustrated 7, the connection bands 33 also have multiple longitudinal weakening lines that are parallel and perpendicular to the transversal weakening lines; i.e., the longitudinal weakening lines intersect with the transversal weakening lines forming a “chessboard” of weakening lines. The function of the longitudinal weakening lines is to further increase the flexibility of the connection bands 33 to enable the connection bands 33 to assume a perfectly round shape.

The production of the wrap 3 involves folding the blank 32 around the group 14 of cigarettes to create the reinforcement element 25 (that surrounds the group 14 of cigarettes on five sides, without the reinforcement element 25 of a rear wall); in this step, a folding pocket may be used having a shaped surface against which the connection bands 33 rest so as to instil the connection bands 33 with a perfectly round shape. According to a preferred embodiment, glue is not applied to the blank 32 and the reinforcement element 25 is held together (i.e., you avoid reopening the blank 32) only via a mechanical container (until the reinforcement element 25 is wrapped around by the wrap 3); according to a different embodiment, the flaps 34 and 35 of the blank 32 are glued to firmly adhere to the side walls 29.

Once the production of the reinforcement element 25 is finished, the wrap sheet 22 is folded and stabilised via heat sealing around the reinforcement element 25, thus completing the production of the wrap 3; in this step, the front corner 18 of the wrap 3 rests against the underlying front corner 30 of the reinforcement element 25 reproducing the (round) shape of the underlying front comer 30 of the reinforcement element 25. In other words, the front corner 30 of the reinforcement element 25 has the function of a “mould” for impressing its shape on the front corner 18 of the wrap 3 too.

According to a preferred embodiment, the front comer 30 of the reinforcement element 25 and the front corner 18 of the wrap 3 (that have exactly the same shape) have a round shape having a bending radius ranging between 3 and 7 mm. More generally, the front corner 30 of the reinforcement element 25 and the front corner 18 of the wrap 3 (that have exactly the same shape) have, in cross-section, an elliptical shape having a major semiaxis ranging between 3 and 7 mm and a minor semiaxis ranging between 3 and 7 mm; the cylindrical shape represents a particular case of the elliptical shape (that occurs when the size of the semiaxes of the ellipse are the same).

To avoid the axial squashing of the cigarettes of the group 14 of cigarettes at the front corner 30 of the reinforcement element 25, it is necessary that the upper edge of the cigarettes is arranged at a certain distance from the upper wall 26 of the reinforcement element 25; in particular, the distance between the group 14 of cigarettes and the upper wall 26 of the reinforcement element 25 is greater the greater the bending radius (thus the dimensions) of the front comer 30 of the reinforcement element 25.

According to a preferred (but not binding) embodiment, the upper edge 36 of each side wall 29 of the reinforcement element 25 has at the front a rounded shape that reproduces the desired shape of the front corner 30 of the reinforcement element 25.

Each connection band 33 is sized so that the connection band 33 rests on the upper edge 36 of the corresponding side wall 29 so that the upper edge 36 can act as the “rib”, i.e., it can instil the connection band 33 with the desired shape (the desired profile).

In other words, each connection band 33 is purposefully elongated towards the outside so as to overlap the upper edge 36 of the corresponding side wall 29 (i.e., so as to rest above the upper edge 36 of the corresponding side wall 29); in this way, each connection band 33 is forced to assume the shape imposed by the upper edge 36 of the corresponding side wall 29 that, thus, guides the controlled deformation of the connection band 33.

The side edge of each connection band 33 is preferably not aligned with the longitudinal, pre-weakened folding line around which the corresponding side wall 29 is folded. In fact, preferably, the side edge of each connection band 33 projects beyond the longitudinal, pre-weakened folding line around which the corresponding side wall 29 is folded by an extension at least equal to the thickness of the side wall 29 (i.e., to the thickness of the blank 32).

According to a possible embodiment, the group 14 of cigarettes has several rows of cigarettes (two rows of cigarettes as illustrated in Figure 3 or three rows of cigarettes according to a different embodiment not illustrated); in this embodiment, the rows of cigarettes may be arranged vertically offset, i.e. they may be arranged at different vertical levels so that one front row of cigarettes (i.e. arranged in direct contact with the front wall 28 of the reinforcement element 25 and at the front corner 30 of the reinforcement element 25) is arranged further from the upper wall 26 of the reinforcement element 25 (thus, lower down) compared to the rear row of cigarettes (the rear rows of cigarettes). This result may be obtained by inserting a little step on the lower wall 27 of the reinforcement element 25 that raises the rear row of cigarettes (the rear rows of cigarettes) compared to the front row of cigarettes; typically, the little step is box-shaped and is produced using panels that are connected to the lower wall 27 of the reinforcement element 25 and are folded on themselves to form a tubular body.

When the rows of cigarettes that compose the group 14 of cigarettes are arranged vertically misaligned, the upper wall 26 of the reinforcement element 25 may be flat (as illustrated in the attached figures) or may have a little step to have different heights, or the upper wall 26 of the reinforcement element 25 is arranged a little lower than the front row of cigarettes and is arranged a little higher than the rear row of cigarettes (rows of cigarettes).

Raising the rear row of cigarettes (the rear rows of cigarettes) compared to the front row of cigarettes makes it possible to considerably reduce the empty spaces present between the group 14 of cigarettes and the upper wall 26 of the reinforcement element 25.

According to a possible embodiment illustrated in Figure 8, the reinforcement element 25 comprises flaps 37 that project inwards from an edge of the extraction opening 31 starting from the front wall 28 and the upper wall 26 and partially obstruct the extraction opening 31; the flaps 37 may, potentially, be connected to the walls 26 and 28 via pre-weakened folding lines so they can be folded (temporarily) towards the outside when the cigarettes are extracted and, thus, not block the extraction of the cigarettes. The flaps 37 perform two functions: they reduce the visibility of the empty spaces present between the group 14 of cigarettes and the upper wall 26 of the reinforcement element 25 and they make it possible to house informative, advertising, or aesthetic text or drawings.

According to a possible embodiment illustrated in Figures 9 and 10, the reinforcement element 25 also has a (small compared to the front wall 28) rear wall 38 that is provided with two flaps 39 that are folded 90° against the corresponding side walls 29. Advantageously, this embodiment of the reinforcement element 25 is more stable compared to the reinforcement element 25 without the rear wall.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 9 and 10, the two flaps 39 rest on an outer surface of the corresponding side walls 29, i.e., they embrace the corresponding side walls 29 from the outside (the external arrangement of the two flaps 39 that embrace the side walls 29 from the outside instils greater stability to the reinforcement element 25). The flaps 35 and 39 preferably have a (triangular) shape that is complementary so as to be arranged side by side above a corresponding side wall 29 without overlapping each other.

According to what is illustrated in Figure 11, the container 2 and the lid 4 are made by folding a flat (conventional) blank 40 consisting of cardboard or stiff card and having an elongated, basically rectangular shape.

In the embodiment illustrated in the attached figures, the extraction opening 19 of the wrap 3 is arranged in a central position; according to a different embodiment, not illustrated, the extraction opening 19 of the wrap 3 is arranged in a side position (i.e., off centre).

In the embodiment illustrated in the attached figures, the wrap 3 is inserted in the container 2 provided with the lid 4. According to a different embodiment not illustrated, the container 2 provided with the lid 4 is not provided and, thus, the wrap 3 is “naked” (i.e., it is not housed within another, outer packaging). According to an additional embodiment not illustrated, the container 2 is shaped differently and, for example, may not have the hinged lid 4.

According to a different embodiment not illustrated, the reinforcement element 25 has a different number of walls, for example it also comprises a rear wall or does not have the lower wall 27 and/or the side walls 29.

In the embodiment illustrated in the attached figures, the wrap 3 houses a single group 14 of cigarettes and has a single extraction opening 19 provided with a closing tab 20. According to a different embodiment not illustrated, the wrap 3 houses two groups 14 of cigarettes arranged side by side and has two extraction openings 19 next to each other (and arranged at a certain distance from each other), each of which is provided with its own closing tab 20; in this embodiment, the wrap 3 (and obviously the container 2 and the lid 4, if provided) have an elongated shape transversely in order to house the two groups 14 of cigarettes arranged side by side. In this embodiment, a single reinforcement element 25 may be provided having two extraction openings 31 or may be provided with two reinforcement elements 25 arranged side by side and each having a related extraction opening 31. If two reinforcement elements 25 are provided, arranged side by side and each having a corresponding extraction opening 31, they may be wrapped in the same wrap 3 or they may be wrapped by respective wraps 3.

In the embodiment illustrated in the attached figures, the longitudinal and transversal corners of the container 2 and the lid 4 are straight; alternatively, the longitudinal and/or transversal comers of the container 2 and the lid 4 could be rounded or blunted. In particular, the front corner of the lid 4 arranged between the front wall 11 and the upper wall 10 of the lid 4 could be rounded; i.e., the front comer of the lid 4 arranged between the front wall 11 and the upper wall 10 of the lid 4 could have the same shape as the front comer 18 of the wrap 3 (i.e., of the front comer 30 of the reinforcement element 25).

In the embodiment illustrated in the attached figures, the cigarette pack 1 contains a group 14 of cigarettes; alternatively, the pack 1 may contain any other type of smoking articles such as cigars, electric or electronic cigarettes (i.e., cigarettes that generate an aerosol without combustion), cartridges and refills for electronic cigarettes, or new generation cigarettes. As a final alternative, the pack 1 may contain any other type of non-smoking articles (products) i.e., not belonging to the tobacco industry; for example, the pack 1 may contain a group of food articles (products), such as sweets, for example (lollies or the like).

The embodiments described herein may be combined between them without departing from the scope of protection of this invention.

The pack 1 described above has numerous advantages. In the first place, in the pack 1 described above, the closing tab 20 (to which the portion 24 of the wrap 3 that is separated from the rest of the wrap 3 to produce the extraction opening 19 firmly adheres on the inside) does not have any permanent deformation at the front corner 18 between the front wall 16 and the upper wall 15 of the wrap 3; in other words, when the closing tab 20 is raised, its shape is perfectly smooth and, thus, has an ideal (perfect) conformation even when materials that are less elastic, such as paper-based materials, are used. This result is obtained thanks to the front corner 18 of the wrap 3 that has a rounded shape and, thus, does not force the closing tab 20 to form, for a long time, a sharp comer (that would tend, instead, to impress the closing tab 20 with a permanent deformation).

In addition, the pack 1 described above can be produced in a standard packaging machine for rigid cigarette packs with a hinged lid with very few changes. Thus, the pack 1 described above does not require the use of a special, costly packaging machine (i.e., specially designed for this type of pack 1) for its production.

REFERENCE NUMBER LIST FOR FIGURES

1 cigarette pack

2 container

3 wrapping

4 lid

5 hinge

6 lower wall

7 front wall

8 rear wall

9 side walls

10 upper wall

11 front wall

12 rear wall

13 side walls

14 group of cigarettes

15 upper wall

16 front wall

17 side walls

18 front corner extraction opening closing tab end edge wrap sheet incision portion reinforcement element upper wall lower wall front wall side walls front corner extraction opening blank connection bands flaps flaps upper edge flaps rear wall flaps blank