Cigarettes are packaged in primarily two types of packaging units, known in the industry as the ‘soft pack’ or ‘hard pack’. Both packages provide limited product protection from damage through end use and offer little ability to maintain freshness. Additionally limited ability exists to produce unique shapes that enable the product to be distinguished from other paper or paperboard packages that are folded into a rectangular shape. The current hard and soft packs also create a post consumer waste issue, since the cigarettes are generally packaged within three layers, and internal foil wrap, the paper or paperboard package, and a cellophane overwrap. Conventionally, after cigarettes have been manufactured they are accumulated and separated into a three-row stack of 20, which has a “7-6-7” configuration. This 7-6-7 stack is then wrapped with foil and next mechanically transferred to a station in which paper, for a softpack, or paperboard, for a hardpack, is folded around the foil wrapped cigarettes. A cellophane wrap is then applied around either the soft or hard pack.
One of the first attempts to provide a protective metal case for cigarettes was by Schulze in U.S. Pat. No. 1,711,971, which issued in 1929. There a flat-sided metal container having a rectangular internal area and a hinged top lid was used to contain a standard pack of cigarettes. This construction allowed cigarettes to be removed using the standard industry test whereby the case could be grasped with one hand, and the thumb of the same hand used for flipping open the cover, whereby a cigarette could be readily grasped at its protruding end and removed and the cover snapped closed by the index finger of the same hand, by which is had been opened. A particular advantage of this case allowed ease of opening by pressing against diagonally opposite corners of the box. In this action the upper edge of the box was deformed slightly from rectangular to an oblique parallelogram form so that the forward rim of the box drew inward away from a flange of the cover, and the indentation receded from the cover indentation releasing the lock. The pressure of the forward edge of the lateral rim of the box against the rim of the cover flange caused the latter automatically to snap upward about its hinge to open position. The box immediately resumed its rectangular form by reason of the resiliency of the thin metal of which it was made. This design also contemplated a humidor pad in the top of the lid. This box was, however, completely separate from the standard cigarette package, acting as a holder for the cigarette package, and the hard square edges did not provide ease of carrying.
Standard cigarette packages are usually made from three wrappings: an inner foil liner made from a metal foil laminated to a paper substrate or a metallized paper, which is wrapped about the cigarettes and folded, but not sealed, at the ends of the cigarettes; a “soft” or “hard” paper or paperboard package that is usually imprinted with a brand name and other information; and an exterior clear overwrap of a heat sealable polymeric film, usually polypropylene, which is heat sealed. A strip of polymeric material known as a “tear tape” is usually provided for easy opening of the polymeric overwrap films. The tear tape is positioned adjacent and parallel to the top edge of the package.
The foil inner liner is only folded over the top and bottom of the cigarettes and provides a minimal barrier to oxygen in surrounding air. The heat sealed overwrap slows the loss of moisture, freshness, and flavor only over a period of weeks. Hein, III et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,529 partially solved the moisture and freshness problem by providing a heat sealable high barrier packaging material made from a base layer of either oriented polypropylene, nylon, or biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate film that was metallized by vacuum deposition techniques. This barrier can then be printed with brand and other information followed by application of inner and outer heat seal film. This protective packaging could have as many as five separate layers.
Recently a flask-shaped cigarette pack made of recyclable plastic that is water-resistant and crushproof, named the Evo Flask was introduced in the United States. It has a 2-by-10 cigarette configuration, is slim and curved and was marketed by R.J. Reynolds in April to June of 2002, as described on http://tobaccos.com/backissues/Apr2002/story4.asp and http:/adage.com/news.cms new Id=33939. This product was advertised by at least September 2002 in for example Newsweek, Sep. 30, 2002, sandwiching p. 38p. Other R.J.R. packaging efforts are described in http://www.rjipackaging.com/frtobaccopack.html and http://www.rjrt.com/IN/COpurch_flax_packaging.asp. However, by using a design with an altered width, which enables a 2×10 configuration, the design does not take advantage of the nesting associated with a 7-6-7 configuration and could result in looser packing of the cigarettes and may contribute to a flattening of the cigarette sides. The altered dimensions also require modification to the point of sale dispensers. The design as shown is not directly transferable to a drawn aluminum package due to the sharp square corners at the bottom of the package. Bottom corners must be rounded to enable deep drawing the package without fracturing. Another feature of the package, is that package lid is attached using two small semicircular connector straps, one positioned at each of the back corners, to prevent interference between the lid and body upon opening. This method would likely be less durable upon repeated opening and closing of the package than a continuous hinge as to be described in this patent.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,526,559 and 5,934,461 (both Fleenor et al.) recognized disposal problems associated with standard paper-plastic film wrapped cigarette packages and taught an aluminum, cigarette package having improved crush resistance and recyclability made by a seamless aluminum drawing method where the body and a stamped or punched lid were independently formed and then joined at inherently sealed edges. This provided a sole metal cigarette holder having flat surfaces, which are rounded at the edges, a front panel shorter than the back panel allowing for ease of closing the lid, and a rectangular shape. This did away altogether with the standard paper cigarette holder and inner foil liner. The lid design used, would require adhesively backed tape to attach the lid and body, which also serves as the hinge.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,916 (Ortner) extended the use of metal or plastic packaging units to contain rod shaped perfume bottles. The packaging unit had flat surfaces, a rectangular shape and front panels shorter than the back panels allowing ease of closing the lid.
What is still needed is a body hugging, reclosable packaging unit with a simple lid design that addresses the post-consumer waste issue. It is a main object of this invention to provide such a reclosable packaging unit with a simple lid design that is capable of being hermetically sealed in order to improve content freshness.