GB2208847A

GB2208847A - Lidded containers holding packages

Info

Publication number: GB2208847A
Application number: GB8719763A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Adrian Roy Stewart-Cox
Original assignee: British American Tobacco Co Ltd
Current assignee: British American Tobacco Investments Ltd
Priority date: 1987-08-21
Filing date: 1987-08-21
Publication date: 1989-04-19
Also published as: GB8719763D0

Abstract

A container comprising a container portion 1 and a lid 2 holds a package 8, of cigarettes for example, there being provided resilient means, preferably a leaf spring 10, 11, 12, which tilts the package 8 outwardly when the lid 2 is opened, thereby facilitating removal of the package contents. The lid 2 may be hinged to the container portion 1 and may carry a protrusion which engages a recess in the container portion to hold the container closed against the resilience of the leaf spring. A part 10 of the leaf spring may be adhered to the package 8. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO PACKAGES The invention the subject of this application relates to packages. The invention is relevant to the packaging of cigarettes and similar smoking articles.

It is an object of the subject invention to provide new and improved package assemblies.

The present invention provides a package assembly comprising S container, which container comprises a container portion and lid means, a package located at said container portion and resilient means acting to urge said package in a direction from a storage position of said package, said lid means, when in a container closure position thereof, serving to maintain said package in said storage position thereof.

The package may be received in a recess of the container portion of the container, in which case the resilient means acts to urge the package in a direction outwardly of the recess from the storage position of the package in the recess.

The resilient means may be attached to the package and/or to the container portion. Alternatively, the resilient means may be free of attachment to another member.

Suitably, retaining means is provided, which retaining acts to limit the movement of the package from the storage means when the lid means is moved from the closure position thereof.

The lid means suitably comprises a lid dimensioned to be co-terminous, or generally co-terminous, with the container portion. The lid means may be hingedly attached to said container portion. Means should be provided for ensuring that the lid means can be held in the closure position thereof against the resilient force of the resilient means acting on the package.

In order that the subject invention will be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a cigarette container in an open condition thereof, and a cigarette package received by the container; Figure 2 shows a sectional side elevation of the container of Figure 1 in a closed condition thereof; Figure 3 shows a view corresponding to that of Figure 2, but with the container in an open condition; and Figure 4 shows, to an enlarged scale, a perspective view of resilient means associated with the container.

The cigarette container shown in Figures 1-3 comprises a container portion 1 and a lid portion 2 hingedly attached to the container portion 1. Each of the container portion 1 and the lid portion 2 comprises a rectangular recess, the respective recesses being designated by reference numerals 3 and 4. When the lid portion 2 is in the closure position thereof, the recesses 3 and 4 are coterminous and together define a containment space 5, as is indicated in Figure 2.

At the side thereof remote the attachment thereof to the container portion 1, the lid portion 2 comprises an elongate protrusion 6 (see Figure 1), which protrusion 6, when the lid portion 2 is in the closure position thereof, is received as a close fit in an elongate recess 7 of the container portion 1.

Base portions of a cigarette package 8 are received in the recess 3 of the container portion 1. To under panel 9 of the package 8 is attached, by use of an adhesive7 a first portion 10 of a leaf spring 11, which leaf spring further comprises a second portion 12 which bears at the distal end thereof on bottom surface 14 of a relieved portion 13 of the recess 3.

The leaf spring 11, which may, for example, be formed of a portion of sheet PVC or other plastics material is creased to a configuration as shown in Figure 3.

As is indicated in Figure 2, when the lid portion 2 is in the closure position, the package 8 is in a storage position coincident with the containment space 5. The close fit of the protusion 6 in the recess 7 ensures that the lid portion 2 is held in the closure position notwithstanding the upward force which is exerted on the package 8 by the leaf spring 11.

When the cigarette container is opened in order to remove a cigarette, the lid portion 2 is moved from the closure position, whereupon the leaf spring 11 assumes the angular configuration thereof as indicated in Figure 3 and, in doing so, causes the package 8 to be tilted upwardly. When flap 15 of the package 8 is now moved to an open position, end panel 16, to which flap 15 is attached, can be rotated to increase the included angle between panel 16 and panel 9 (see Figure 3). In this manner the panel 16 is moved away from end faces of cigarettes 17 (see Figure 1) and the consumer can then remove easily a cigarette from the package 8.

The cigarette package 8 is preferably a close fit widthwise in the recess 3 of the container portion 1, but is located with a clearance fit widthwise and lengthwise in the recess 4 of the lid portion 2.

Forms and arrangements of resilient means alternative to the leaf spring 11 will readily occur to those skilled in the packaging art. The resilient means may, for example, take the form of a body of resilient foamed plastics material, in which case the body may be adhered to both the package 8 and the surface 14 of relieved portion 13 of the recess 3.

As an alternative to there being provided closure maintaining means, as exemplified above by protrusion 6 and recess 7, it may be arranged with a package assembly similar to that illustrated in the drawings for the cigarette package to be a close fit in both the lid portion recess and the container portion recess. In such case, the lid portion will be maintained in the closure position without the necessity for the provision of separate closure means.

Claims

1. A package assembly comprising a container, which container comprises a container portion and lid means, a package located at said container portion, and resilient means acting to urge said package in a direction from a storage position of said package, said lid means, when in a container closure portions thereof, serving to maintain said package in said storage position thereof.

2. A package assembly as claimed in Claim 1, in which said package is received in a recess of said container portion and said resilient means acts to urge said package in a direction outwardly of said recess from said storage position.

3. A package assembly as claimed in Claims 1 or 2, in which said resilient means is attached to said package and/or to said container portion.

4. A package assembly as claimed in Claim 1,2 or 3, and further comprising closure means by which said lid means can be held in said closure position against the resilient force of said resilient means.

5. A package assembly as claimed in any one of the preceeding claims, in which the moving of said package from said storage position enables a panel of said package to be moved in a direction away from contents of said package.

6. A package assembly substantially as hereinabove described with reference to the drawings hereof.