Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Container
Description
The present invention relates to a container for storing smoking articles.
Smoking articles such as cigarettes are typically provided in simple paper or
thin cardboard
packages which may be wrapped in thin plastic or foil films. Although these
packages are
easily manufactured and cost effective, they can provide limited protection to
the contents
from being squashed or otherwise damaged. Furthermore, they are not generally
able to
stably stand upright on a table or other flat surface so as to encourage
sharing. Additionally,
the rectangular configuration of these packages results in sharp corners,
which may cause
discomfort to the user if the package is kept in a pocket adjacent to the skin
or damage the
lining of a pocket or a bag.
It is known from W00156411 to provide a rigid container for storing smoking
articles such
as cigarettes, to prevent the cigarettes from being deformed. However, the
container of
WOO156411 has thick walls to provide sufficient strength to the container
requiring a
larger amount of material and making the container relatively heavy.
Furthermore, the
container of WOO156411 has an unsatisfactory configuration making it
susceptible to
accidental opening.
The present invention seeks to provide an alternative container for smoking
articles, which
may overcome or substantially alleviate the problems mentioned above.
According to the present invention there is provided a container formed from a
rigid
material comprising an inner base defining a space for storing smoking
articles,
configured to stand vertically on a flat surface, and a cover that fits over
the inner
base to extend over a major portion of the inner base, wherein the inner base
includes an enlarged lower end such that the cover abuts said lower end when
the
cover is fitted over the inner base when the container is closed.
Preferably, the cover and the enlarged lower end form a flush outer surface of
the
container when the cover is fitted over the inner base when the container is
closed.
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Conveniently, the inner base comprises a bottom wall for standing on a flat
surface,
and a peripheral side wall upstanding from the bottom wall, said cover
extending
over a major portion of the peripheral side wall when fitted over the inner
base
when the container is closed.
In one embodiment, the enlarged lower end comprises an outwardly enlarged
portion of the end of the peripheral side wall adjacent to the bottom wall.
The peripheral side wall of the inner base distal to the bottom wall may
comprise a
slit for providing easier access to the content of the container.
The brim of the peripheral side wall of the inner base may be angled so as to
provide easier access to the content of the container.
Preferably, the cover comprises a top wall having a peripheral side wall
depending
from the perimeter edge thereof.
Conveniently, the inner base and the cover include cooperating securing means
to
secure the cover to the inner base when the cover is fitted over the inner
base to
hold the container closed.
In one embodiment, the cooperating securing means comprises a lip formed on an
inner surface of the peripheral side wall of the cover.
Preferably, the cooperating securing means further comprises a bead formed on
the
outer surface of the peripheral side wall of the inner base adjacent to the
enlarged
lower end configured to engage with the lip of the cover so as to secure said
cover
to the inner base.
The container described hereinbefore may be cylindrical in shape.
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In one embodiment, the container is substantially cylindrical and the enlarged
lower
end comprises a circumferentially enlarged portion of the end of the
peripheral side
wall of the inner base adjacent to the bottom wall.
In a preferred embodiment, the container is cuboidal in shape.
Preferably, the container is substantially cuboidal and the enlarged lower end
comprises an outwardly enlarged portion of the end of the peripheral side wall
of
the inner base adjacent to the bottom wall.
In one embodiment, an outer cross-section of the inner base defined by an
outer
surface of the side wall of the inner base is of a different shape to an inner
cross-
section of the inner base defined by an inner surface of the side wall of the
inner
base.
In an alternative embodiment, an outer cross-section of the inner base defined
by
an outer surface of the side wall of the inner base is of a similar shape to
an inner
cross-section of the inner base defined by an inner surface of the side wall
of the
inner base.
An insert may be received in the space of the inner base to collate smoking
articles
contained within the inner base, the insert forming an inner cross-section
differing
from an outer cross-section of the inner base defined by an outer surface of
the side
wall of the inner base.
Preferably, the container has a substantially square outer cross-section.
In an alternative embodiment, the container has a substantially rectangular
outer
cross-section.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example
only, and
with reference to the following drawings, in which:
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Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a closed container according to the
present invention;
Figure 2 shows a perspective view of an inner base of the container of Figure
1;
Figure 3 shows a top view of the inner base of Figure 2;
Figure 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the inner base from a perspective
view;
Figure 5 shows the inner base of Figure 4 from a front view;
Figure 6 shows another alternative embodiment of the inner base;
Figure 7 shows a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the
container;
Figure 8 shows a perspective view of the inner base of the container of Figure
7; and
Figure 9 shows a cross-sectional view of an alternative configuration of the
inner base.
/0
Referring now to the drawings, it is shown in Figures 1 to 3 a container 1
according to the
present invention comprising an inner base 2 and a releasably attachable cover
3 defining a
space 4 for storing smoking articles such as cigarettes in an up right
position as the
container stands on its end.
The inner base 2 comprises a circular bottom wall 5 having an upstanding
peripheral side
wall 6 extending perpendicularly from the edge of the bottom wall 5, such that
the inner
base 2 has a generally cylindrical shape. The cover 3 includes a circular top
wall 7 having a
peripheral side wall 8 depending perpendicularly from the edge thereof. The
inner diameter
of the side wall 8 of the cover 3 is of a slightly greater circumference than
the outer
diameter of the side wall 6 of the inner base 2 so that the cover 3 extends
over the side wall
6 of said inner base 2 when the container 1 is closed. A lower portion 9 of
the inner base 2
is citcurnfetentially enlarged, as seen in Figures 2 and 3, so that as the
cover 3 is fitted over
the side wall 6 of the inner base 2, the cover 3 and the enlarged portion 9
abut to form a
flush outer surface. Above the circumferentially enlarged lower portion 9 of
the inner base
2 are two beads 1 Oa, 10b configured to engage with a corresponding lip (not
shown)
disposed on an inner surface of the cover 3 so as to secure the cover 3 to the
inner base 2.
As seen in Figure 2 the brim 11 of the inner base 2 is planar, however it
should be
appreciated that the brim 11 can be formed into different shapes so as to
facilitate the user
in retrieving a cigarette. An alternative embodiment of the inner base is
illustrated in
Figures 4 and 5 in which a slit 22 extends from the brim 21 downwards through
the side
wall, wherein the corners 23a, 23b of the slit 22 are arcuately shaped. One of
the corners
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23b has a greater radius which creates a side opening 24 for easy retrieval of
cigarettes. In
another alternative embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, the brim 31 is angled to
provide
easy access to the contained cigarettes.
The container according to the present invention can be made from either metal
or plastic
depending on the desired quality and design details required. The double layer
of the
container formed by the overlap of the side wall 8 of the cover 3 extending
over a major
portion of the side wall 6 of the inner base 2, provide enhanced rigidity and
robustness
compared to a single walled container. Moreover, accidental opening of the
container is
reduced as the cover 3 substantially extends over the major portion of the
side wall 6 of the
inner base 2, whereby the cover has to slide further relative to the inner
base 2 to reveal the
content compared to containers wherein the cover only encloses a small portion
of the
base. The secure closure of the container is further enhanced by the
cooperation of the
beads 23a, 23b and the lip which reassures the user that the cover is securely
attached to
the base 2. This configuration can also be modified to give a snapping noise
as the lip rides
over the beads 23a, 23b to further ensure the user that the container is
properly sealed.
In the embodiments shown and described, the cover extends over approximately
90% of
the total height of the inner base, This provides the advantages described
above. However,
the cover may alternatively extend over at least 50% of the total height of
the inner base or
indeed, over more than 90% of the total height of the inner base within the
scope of the
invention.
The configuration of the bottom wall 5 of the inner base 2 enables the
container 1 to stand
stably in a vertical position, hence it can be used for sharing between users
on a table or the
like and thereby offers a social point of focus which is currently not
provided by
rectangular paper or cardboard packages. Furthermore, disadvantages of
conventional
cigarette packages caused by sharp corners, such as discomfort to the user
when kept in a
pocket adjacent to the skin or damage to the lining of a bag are reduced due
to the
cylindrical shape of the present container.
It will be appreciated that although the container has been described as
cylindrical, it may
be of other shapes, for example, its cross-section as viewed perpendicular to
the
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longitudinal axis of the container, may be oval, square or rectangular. Figure
7 illustrates a
container 31 according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention
having a
substantially square cross-section as viewed perpendicular to the longitudinal
axis of the
container, wherein the inner base 32 and cover 33 are configured to close in a
similar
manner to the previously described embodiments. It is envisaged that the brim
of the inner
base 32 of the container 31 having a square cross-section, or a container of
any other shape
not previously described, can be of the alternative configurations as
described for the
cylindrical embodiment. For example, as seen in Figure 8, the inner base 32 of
the square
container 31 has a slit 35 which extends from the brim 36 downwards through
the side
>0 wall, wherein the corners 37a, 37b of the slit 35 are arcuately shaped. One
of the corners
37b having a greater radius creating a side opening 38 for easy retrieval of
cigarettes.
Alternatively, the inner base 32 may have a level planar brim, or an angled
planar brim, as
shown in Figures 2 and 6 for the cylindrical embodiment.
It is also envisaged that the outer shape of the container 1, 31 may differ
from the shape of
the space 4 defined by the inner base 2, 32 in `which the smoking articles
such as cigarettes
are stored in order that the smoking articles within the inner base 2, 32 can
be arranged
into a variety of configurations. In other words, the outer cross-section
defined as the outer
surface of the side wall of the inner base when viewed perpendicular to the
longitudinal
axis of the container may be of a shape similar to the cross-section of the
cover but
different to the inner cross-section defined as the inner surface of the side
wall of the inner
base. For example, the cover 3, 33 and the outer surface 40 of the side wall
of the inner
base 2, 32 may be cylindrical such that the cover and the inner base close in
a mariner
similat to the previous embodiments, however the inner surface 41 of the side
wall of the
inner base 2, 32 may be formed with a square cross-section as viewed
perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis of the container so that the smoking atticles are collated
into a square
configuration. Such an exemplary configuration of the inner base is shown in
Figure 9. The
internal profile of the inner base 2, 32 which defines the shape of the
collation of smoking
articles may be formed as an integral part of the inner base 2, 32 or
alternatively, may be an
additional shaped insert provided within the inner base 2, 32. Thereby the
collation of
smoking articles may comprise citcular, square, rectangular or any other
configuration,
regardless of the outer shape of the inner base 2, 32.
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Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will
be
appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations may be made to the
above
exemplary embodiments that lie within the scope of the invention, as defined
in the
following claims.
