This invention relates to cigarette boxes, and particularly to an innerframe inserted into a cigarette box for securely retaining a bundle of smaller than standard size cigarettes or a bundle of a small number of standard size cigarettes in the cigarette box.
In the past, cigarettes were generally made with standard circumferences of about 24.8 millimeters and were usually packaged in bundles of twenty cigarettes. Recently, thinner cigarettes of about 17 millimeters have increased in popularity. When the usual quantity of twenty smaller than standard size cigarettes are arranged in a configuration of two rows of ten, this cigarette bundle could be packaged in a very small cigarette box designed to hold exactly that selected number of cigarettes in that selected configuration. However, for tax stamping, package manufacturing and aesthetic reasons, it may be desirable to package a bundle of smaller than standard size cigarettes in a larger box than is necessary to hold such a cigarette bundle.
Conventional tax stamping machinery is designed to apply a tax stamp to each of ten standard size cigarette boxes contained in a standard size cigarette carton by stamping the boxes located at known fixed positions within the relatively close-fitting carton. A standard size cigarette box holds twenty standard size cigarettes arranged in a configuration of three rows of seven, six and seven cigarettes. A standard size cigarette carton holds ten standard size cigarette boxes arranged in a configuration of two rows of five. Thus, tax stamps, required by state laws, could not be applied to boxes designed to hold exactly twenty smaller than standard size cigarettes in a configuration of two rows of ten using conventional tax stamping machinery. Although this problem could be solved by designing new tax stamping machinery specifically for very small cigarette boxes, it is more economical and efficient to continue to use conventional tax stamping machinery. By packaging smaller than standard size cigarettes in a larger box than is necessary to hold a bundle of such cigarettes, and placing these boxes securely in a standard size cigarette carton at known, fixed positions within that carton, existing machinery could be used to apply tax stamps.
In addition, machinery for manufacturing cigarette boxes for securely retaining a bundle of twenty standard size cigarettes in a configuration of three rows of seven, six and seven cigarettes and a bundle of fourteen standard size cigarettes in a configuration of two rows of seven already exists. It is more economical and efficient to package bundles of smaller than standard size cigarettes in larger boxes than are necessary to hold such a bundle when such packages can be manufactured on existing machinery.
Packaging bundles of smaller than standard size cigarettes in larger boxes than are necessary to hold such bundles exactly is also desirable for aesthetic reasons. It is believed that smokers would prefer the size and shape of such larger boxes.
Smaller than standard size cigarettes have previously been securely retained in larger cigarette boxes by the insertion of bulky spacer material, corrugated cardboard for example, in the back of the larger cigarette box. However, this bulky spacer material is difficult to handle and store, and requires new or significantly modified machinery for packaging the smaller than standard size cigarettes in larger cigarette boxes. Hence, a means is required for securely retaining a bundle of smaller than standard size cigarettes in a cigarette box that is larger than the exact size needed to retain such a bundle without the addition of bulky spacer material and using existing packaging machinery.
Additionally, although cigarette boxes for securely retaining a bundle of twenty standard size cigarettes in a configuration of three rows of seven, six and seven cigarettes and a bundle of fourteen standard size cigarettes in a configuration of two rows of seven already exists, it is desirable to retain securely a bundle of a smaller number of standard size cigarettes in a larger box than is necessary to hold such a cigarette bundle exactly. It is more economical and efficient to package bundles of a smaller number of standard size cigarettes in larger boxes than are necessary to hold such a bundle exactly, when such packages can be manufactured on existing machinery. Although such a bundle could be securely retained in larger cigarette boxes by the insertion of bulky spacer material, corrugated cardboard for example, in the back of the larger cigarette box, this bulky spacer material would be difficult to handle and store, and would require new or significantly modified machinery for packaging bundles of a smaller number of standard size cigarettes in larger cigarette boxes. Hence, a means is required for securely retaining a bundle of a smaller number of standard size cigarettes in a larger box than is necessary to hold such a cigarette bundle exactly without the addition of bulky spacer material and using slightly modified existing packaging machinery.