The flip top box is the most common form a cigarette
hard pack takes, the other being the slide box.
It normally holds twenty cancer sticks
and is often billed as a crush proof alternative to
the soft pack. That claim happens to be a lie,
but only in its hyperbole. The hard pack usually does
a good job of protecting the little fags from damage
long enough for each one to suck its eight minutes out of you.
The flip top box is an amazing bit of industrial design.
Only a small portion of card stock is wasted (around the
lip at the top which is folded over to keep the edge
of the top from buckling, or cutting the end-user). This
example is from Parliament, but all brands use a vitually
identical design for their flip-top boxes, only altering the
incline of the angled edges and the particular proportion between
top and bottom. Parliament calls it a "FLIP-TOP® BOX" on
the pack's bottom, while Camel says "HARD PACK".
You are looking at an interior and its mirror exterior.
Thus, the edges in the middle are the same edge on the box.
: and ... indicate valley folds on the
interior and mountain folds on the exterior. , , ,
indicates the opposite fold, respectively.
| and _ indicate cut edges. Doubled lines
are used to expedite the representation, and do not indicate
anything different from single lines. A letter in parentheses
indicates a glue-spot where it is mated with its twin. A bare
single letter indicates where two panels come together but are
not glued. The text and diagonal line indicate the front of the
completed box and which end is up.
Note that the glue-spots (E) and (F) actually extend the
length of their faces. Also, this diagram will look better
using a wider font like Terminal whose slashes are closer
to 45°. To give you an idea of the distortion, the exterior flaps marked
C & D should be almost square.
I N T E R I O R E X T E R I O R
_____________ _____________
| (L) | | |
.|.............|. .|.............|.
/:: (L) ::\ /:: ::\
/ :: :: \ / :: :: \
/ :: :: \ / :: :: \
| (A) :: :: (B) | | :: :: |
|_____::.............::_____| |_____::.............::_____|
| || || | | || || |
| || C D || | | D || || C |
| || || | | || || |
|.....::.............::.....| |.....::.............::.....|
| :: :: | | :: :: |
| :: , , , , , , :: | | (B) :: , , , , , , :: (A) |
| /:: ::\ | | /:: ::\ |
| / :: :: \ | | / :: :: \ |
|/ :: :: \| |/ :: / :: \|
| :: :: | | :: LIGHTS / :: |
| (I) :: :: (H) | | :: / :: |
| :: :: | | :: / :: |
| :: :: | | :: / :: |
| :: :: | | :: / :: |
| :: :: | | :: / :: |
| :: :: | | (F) :: / :: (E) |
| :: :: | | :: / :: |
| :: :: | | :: / RECESSED :: |
| :: :: | | :: / FILTER :: |
| :: :: | | :: :: |
|.....::.............::.....| |.....::.............::.....|
| || || | | || || |
| || J K || | | K || || J |
| || || | | || || |
|_____::.............::_____| |_____::.............::_____|
| :: :: | | :: :: |
| :: :: | | :: :: |
| :: :: | | :: :: |
| :: :: | | :: :: |
| (E) :: :: (F) | | :: :: |
| :: :: | | :: :: |
| :: (G) :: | | :: :: |
| :: :: | | :: :: |
| ::_____________:: | | ::_____________:: |
| / \ | | / \ |
| / \ | | / \ |
|/ \| |/ \|
' ` ' `
The 'roll bar' adds structural stiffnes to the
top of the box where it opens. You are looking at
the front (exterior) view, and :: indicates
a mountain-fold. This component tesselates a plane
perfectly, and no waste is generated cutting it from
the sheet. It is usually mounted in the box with its
top edges almost meeting the inside top of the box
when closed. The cut tabs on the folded edges help
keep the box from opening accidentally by way of static
friction with the inside sides of the box top.
Each brand has a signature profile to the
concave shape. The example is again from Parliament,
and echoes the 'flying v' brand imagry.
R O L L B A R
E X T E R I O R
________ ________
| :: | | :: |
| | \ / | |
| | \ / | |
| | `v' | |
| :: :: |
| (I) :: :: (H) |
|_____::_ _::_____|
| |
\ (G) /
\ /
`v'
Please do not hesitate to /msg me with information about your brand of choice.
| 
