Abstract:
Smoking articles, such as filter cigarettes, are packaged in a metal box which is curved to a shape that conforms to the curvature of the human body so that the box can be comfortably carried in a shirt or pant pocket. The metal box comprises a lid and a five-sided tray each of which has rolled lips which interengage to mechanically and slidably retain the lid to the tray. The lid covers the open front of the tray and is slidable along an arcuate path corresponding to the radius of curvature of the lid to selectively open or close the front of the tray. The metal box is sealed with a shrinkable band, further packaged in a paperboard box and overwrapped with a polymeric film having a tear tape. The package is unique and attractive and provides several product differentiation features.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to packages for smoking articles and a method for packaging and unpackaging smoking articles, such as filter cigarettes, and more particularly to a unique and aesthetically pleasing, tamperproof sliding shell package for cigarettes which can be further packaged in a paperboard box overwrapped with a polymeric film having a tear tape. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It has been known for many years to package cigarettes and other types of tobacco or smoking article products in thin sheet metal packages or boxes of a size suitable for carrying in a shirt or coat pocket. Such packages have been known as “tobacco tins” or “pocket tins” or “tobacco cans.” Typically, such cans or tins have a hinged top lid which is pivoted open to allow access to the can contents, or a sliding top lid which is slid along guides to one side or the other to allow access to the can contents, or a pressed-on top lid that is urged upwardly to remove it from the top of the can. A few examples of such known tobacco cans are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,341,295; 1,797,419; and 1,946,845. It is known that such metal cans or tins are better able to preserve the freshness of cigarettes and other tobacco products contained therein. 
     In recent years, manufacturers of cigarettes and other tobacco products have packaged cigarettes in paper and paperboard wrappers and boxes and have used foil/paper laminates, metallized paper or plastic wrappers or low permeability transparent or metallized polymeric sheet overwraps, among other types of packaging, to preserve the freshness and aroma of the packaged cigarette and tobacco products. Examples of such packages are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,852,734; 5,139,140; and 5,542,529 assigned to the assignee of the present invention. 
     Such packaging has become commonplace for most cigarette manufacturers so that, apart from strong brand names and trademarks, product packaging itself has not provided the sort of product differentiation in the marketplace for cigarettes that it has for other consumer products, many of which utilize unique forms of packaging for product differentiation or product origin purposes. It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a cigarette package and a packaging method that would improve product differentiation of cigarettes in the marketplace and still achieve appropriate preservation of the freshness and aroma of the cigarettes. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a novel cigarette package article comprising a curved metal box or tray with a metal lid slidable along an arcuate path for containing a plurality of smoking articles, such as 20 filter cigarettes, in a tamperproof and freshness preserving manner, as well as a method of packaging and unpackaging the smoking articles. Conventionally, a filter cigarette package is in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped having six sides or panels, wherein the “top” of the package is that package side or panel toward which all of the filters of the filter cigarettes are oriented, and the “bottom” of the package is the side or panel opposite the “top.” The “front” and “back” of the typical conventional cigarette package are the two sides or panels of the greatest surface area, and the remaining two opposite sides or panels extend between and connect the front and back and the top and bottom. The package of the present invention will be described using the foregoing terms, namely, top and bottom, front and back and opposite sides or panels. 
     Although the package of the invention may be configured in a number of forms that are not specifically illustrated herein, a preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a five-sided metal box or tray with an open front and a metal front lid that comprises a sixth side or panel of the tray with guides or tracks along two edges. The guides or tracks of the front lid are slidable along complementary guides or tracks on two edges of the metal tray to thereby open and close the open front of the metal tray. The bottom of the metal tray and the metal lid each have a curved or arcuate shape generally in the form of a segment of a cylinder, the radius of curvature of the bottom of the metal tray being somewhat smaller than the radius of curvature of the metal lid. Thus, when the metal lid is slid along the complementary guides relative to the metal tray, it moves along an arcuate path with a radius corresponding substantially to the radius of curvature of the metal lid. 
     The metal tray and lid are preferably formed of a thin metal, such as 1018 steel alloy or 3003 aluminum alloy, having an as-formed thickness of between about 0.005 to about 0.015 inches. The tray and lid have rounded comers and are preferably shallow drawn cans, but may be formed by other conventional metal working processes. The upper edges of the four upstanding sides of the tray are rolled over to form a smooth rolled lip around the entire periphery of the upper edge of the tray. This rolled lip advantageously eliminates any exposed sharp metal edges that might otherwise cut the consumer and also provides a track for slidably engaging a complementary rolled edge on three edges of the metal lid in substantial metal-to-metal contact. One edge of the lid and short portions of the adjacent lid edges are folded over and flattened to eliminate exposed sharp edges on the lid that could cut the consumer. The flattened portions of the lid preferably contact the rolled lip of the tray so that the lid engages the rolled lip in substantial metal-to-metal engagement around the entire periphery of the open front of the tray. The metal lid and/or metal tray may be embossed for decorative purposes or for providing additional stiffness to the metal tray or lid. 
     After the metal tray is filled with smoking articles, cigarettes, for example, and the lid is slid over the open front of the tray to close the same, a shrinkable band, preferably a heat-shrinkable polymeric band, is positioned around the engaged edges of the lid and tray and is shrunk, e.g., by application of heat, to urge the edges of the lid and the rolled lip of the tray in substantial sealing contact so as to aid in preserving the freshness and aroma of the cigarettes contained in the tray. The shrinkable band is preferably provided with one or more rows of transverse perforations or a tear strip for assisting in the removal of the band when it is desired to open the box. 
     The sealed metal cigarette box may be marketed as the final cigarette package, however, according to another aspect of the invention, the sealed metal cigarette box may be, and is preferably, further packaged in a paperboard box or label wrap overwrapped with a polymeric film, such as a transparent polypropylene film or a metallized polyethylene terephthalate film, and is provided with a tear tape for tearing off the overwrap film covering the paperboard box or label wrap. The paperboard box is preferably in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped with the front panel or lid thereof hinged at one side by a fold or crease line in the paperboard box. To enhance the attractiveness of the package when a transparent overwrap film is used, a portion of the lid of the paperboard box may be cut away to expose a portion of the curved metal box, preferably a portion of the metal lid of the box having a design or indicia embossed therein. 
     If the overwrap is a transparent polymeric film, the paperboard box is preferably printed with product indicia, logos and the like. If the overwrap is a metallized polymeric film, such as, for example, the overwrap film described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,427,235, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the printed product indicia, logos, etc., are preferably printed on the overwrap film and may or may not be duplicated on the paperboard box. 
     According to the method of the invention, a package comprising a curved metal tray containing a plurality of cigarettes is closed by a curved metal lid which is mechanically and slidably engaged to the metal tray. The metal lid is sealed in substantial metal-to-metal contact to the metal tray with a perforated shrinkable band, then the sealed metal box is packaged in a paperboard box overwrapped with a polymeric film having a tear tape. To open or unpackage the cigarettes in the metal box, the tear tape is used to tear the polymeric film away so that the metal box can be removed from the paperboard box. The shrinkable band is then ruptured along the perforations in the band and removed and the metal lid is slid along an arcuate path to open the front of the metal box and expose the cigarettes contained therein. 
    
    
     With the foregoing and other advantages and features of the invention that will become hereinafter apparent, the nature of the invention may be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description of the invention, the appended claims and the views illustrated in the drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a cigarette box package made according to the invention with a sealed metal cigarette box enclosed in a paperboard box and overwrapped with a polymeric film; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the package of FIG. 1 showing the overwrap removed and the hinged partial lid of the paperboard box open for removal of the metal cigarette box sealed with a shrinkable band; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the metal cigarette box of FIG. 2 showing the shrinkable band removed from the metal box and the slidable lid of the metal box opened to expose the cigarettes contained therein; 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the metal cigarette box of the invention with the metal lid closing the box and the shrinkable band removed; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional detail taken along line  5 - 5  of FIG. 4 showing the structure of the mechanical sliding engagement between the rolled edges of the metal lid and the metal box of the invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a plan view of the metal lid for the metal cigarette box of the invention as viewed from the underside or from the inside of the box; and 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional detail taken along line  7 - 7  of FIG. 6 showing the transition between the flattened edge of the metal lid and the rolled edge of the metal lid. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now in detail to the drawings, an embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-7 comprises a smoking article or filter cigarette package designated generally by reference numeral  10 . In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, package  10  has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and contains a metal cigarette box  12  described in more detail hereinafter. Package  10  comprises a paperboard box  14  folded from a paperboard blank (not shown) into a parallelepiped shape. The box  14  is provided with a front panel or lid  16  hinged along folded corner  18  of the box  14 . Front panel  16  only partially covers the front opening of the box so as to leave exposed a portion of the metal cigarette box  12 . 
     The free edge  20  of the lid  16  is generally S-shaped as shown, it being understood that edge  20  may have other shapes, both linear and non-linear. For instance, the edge  20  may be a straight linear edge oriented at an angle with respect to hinged comer  18 , it may have a V-shape, or it may have an rounded, generally D-shape. Preferably, however, the shape of the edge  20  provides the paperboard box with a product differentiation or recognition feature. For example, the illustrated S-shaped edge of the paperboard box makes the package  10  of the invention especially suited for packaging the Salem® brand of menthol cigarettes manufactured by the assignee of the present invention. Other shapes of the front panel  16  that provide product differentiation or recognition features will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 
     The front panel  16  of the box  14  is also typically provided with printed product information or indicia, such as a logo or other trademark, and the other panels of the box  14  may also have printed indicia thereon, such as product information. 
     The box  14  is overwrapped with an overwrap film  22  which is preferably a transparent polymeric film, such as polypropylene, but which may be a metallized polymeric film. The film  22  is folded over at the top and bottom (not shown) of the package  10  and the flaps  24 , 26  are heat sealed in a conventional manner. If the film  22  is a metallized polymeric film, the printed indicia on the paperboard box  14  is preferably printed on the film  22  instead of, or in addition to, being printed on the panels of the box. A tear tape  28  is provided on the overwrap film  22  for use in removing the overwrap film from the paperboard, thereby permitting it to be opened by the consumer. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates the package  10  with the overwrap  22  and tear tape  28  removed and the front panel  16  swung away from the box  14  to permit the metal cigarette box  12  to be removed from the paperboard box  14 . As shown in FIG. 2, the front panel  16  is provided with side tabs  30  (only one shown) folded inwardly so as to slide along the inside of the top and bottom panels of the box  14  and provide additional support for the panel  16 . 
     The metal cigarette box  12  comprises a five-sided metal tray portion  32  and a slidable metal lid portion  34  covering the front open side of the tray portion  12  as described in more detail in connection with FIGS. 3-7. The lid portion  34  is preferably embossed for purposes of stiffness and/or product differentiation or product origin information. In the illustrated embodiment, the lid  34  is embossed with a generally S-shaped ridge or bead  36  that corresponds to the S-shaped edge  20  of the paperboard front panel  16  so as to provide product differentiation or product origin information even after the paperboard box is removed and discarded. Other portions of the lid  34  may also be embossed if desired. 
     A band  38  of shrinkable polymeric material, preferably a heat-shrinkable polymer, is shrunk about the perimeter of the metal cigarette box  12  to seal the lid  34  to the tray  32  in a tamperproof manner. Perforations  40  are provided transversely of the band so as to permit the band to be torn away from the box  12  and allow the consumer to access to the cigarettes contained in the box. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 3-7, the metal cigarette box  12  of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the tray  32  and lid  34  have a curved and rounded shape. The radius of curvature R 1  of the midpoint P between the lid  34  and the bottom of the tray  32  is in the range of about 100 to 800 millimeters, preferably 200 millimeters. The designed curvature corresponds generally to the curvature of the torso of the human body so that the box will fit comfortably in, and generally conform to, the body when the box is placed, for example, in a shirt or pant pocket. The rounded corners and edges of the box are also designed to provide a more comfortable “feel” for the consumer as well as an attractive package. 
     The lid  34  is slidable in one direction, i.e., to the left as shown by the arrow  42  in FIG. 3, to open the box  12  and permit consumer access to the cigarettes C in the tray portion  32 . After a cigarette C is removed from the tray portion  32 , the lid  34  is slid in the direction opposite the arrow  42  to reclose the box  12 . The lid  34  is mechanically and slidably retained on the tray portion  32  by interengaging rolled edges or lips  44 ,  46  on the tray portion  32  and the lid portion  34 , respectively (FIG.  5 ). The rolled lip  44  of the tray portion  32  is formed around the entire perimeter of the tray portion  32 , whereas the rolled lip  46  of the lid portion  34  is formed along the entire edge  48  and a substantial portion of the edges  50 ,  52  of the lid portion (FIG.  6 ). The edge  54  of the lid portion  34  and short sections  56 ,  58  of the edges  50 ,  52  are rolled over and flattened as best shown in FIGS. 4 and 7 to permit the lid to be slid back-and-forth over the open front of the tray  32 . As will be apparent, the lid  34  cannot be slid to the right (as viewed in FIG. 3) to open the box since the rolled lip  46  along edge  48  of the lid acts as a positive stop or abutment when the lid  34  is moved in a direction to close the box  12 . 
     Preferably, there is metal-to-metal engagement between the rolled lips  44 ,  46  along the edges  48 ,  50 ,  52  of the lid and between the rolled lip  44  of the tray  32  and the flattened edges  54 ,  56 ,  58  of the lid  34 . Such metal-to-metal engagement between the lid and tray portions  32 ,  34  helps to preserve the freshness and aroma of the cigarettes C contained in the metal cigarette box  12 . To the extent the rolled lips and flattened edges of the lid  34  do not engage completely in metal-to-metal sealing contact with the rolled lip  44  of the tray  32 , the shrinkable band  38  provides an additional force that urges those lips and edges into sealing, metal-to-metal contact until the band  38  is removed from the box  12 . 
     The metal from which the cigarette box  12  is formed is preferably a metal or metal alloy, such as 1018 steel alloy, having a thickness in the range of 0.005 inch to 0.015 inch. Other metals or metal alloys, such as 3003 aluminum alloy, may also be used to manufacture the box  12 . Conventional metal working processes apparent to those skilled in the metal working art may be used to form the curved tray and lid and to roll and flatten the edges of the tray and lid. The tray preferably contains 20 cigarettes in a 2 by 10 arrangement. 
     While the box  12  of the present invention is preferably made of a thin sheet metal, it would be possible to mold the box of a polymeric material, e.g., an injection molded high density polyethylene, polycarbonate, or other suitable moldable plastic material. In such case, the interengaging lips between the tray and lid portions may be molded to sealingly engage in a manner similar to the engagement of rolled lips and edges of the metal tray and lid. 
     In addition to providing a unique package for smoking articles, it will be appreciated that the cigarette package of the invention may be used to package products other than cigarettes and that the metal cigarette box may be used after the cigarettes contained therein are consumed to contain other articles, such as, for example, jewelry, coins, paper clips, etc. 
     Although certain presently preferred embodiments of the present invention have been specifically described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains that variations and modifications of the various embodiments shown and described herein may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention be limited only to the extent required by the appended claims and the applicable rules of law.