ES2355084T3 - TOBACCO PACK - Google Patents

Abstract

A package of tobacco, comprising: a parallelepiped receptacle (12) for receiving tobacco (24), the receptacle (12) having a height, width and depth, the height and width being greater than the depth, the receptacle having (12) ): a front face (16) extending at the height of the receptacle (12), top and bottom end faces extending at the depth of the receptacle (12); a hinge line (26) that runs along a width of the receptacle (12); and an opening (22) in a face of the receptacle (12) through which access to a compartment is obtained, the opening (22) having an edge defined by the hinge line (26); and a tray part (14) comprising at least one main face (28) having a width substantially equal to the width of the receptacle (12) and a height, the tray part (14) being connected to the receptacle (12 ) along the hinge line (26), and the tray part (14) being able to rotate around the hinge line (26) between a closed position in which the tray part (14) covers the opening (22) to prevent access to said compartment, and the main face (28) overlaps with a front face (16) of the receptacle (12) having the height and width of the receptacle (12), and an open position in which the tobacco (24) can be dispensed from said compartment through the opening (22), characterized by a dividing wall (34) inside the receptacle (12) parallel to the front face (16) and dividing the inside of the receptacle (12) in a front compartment and a rear compartment, each compartment being adapted for receiving tobacco (24) separated by said dividing wall (34) and a cover part (40) is connected to the receptacle (12) by a second hinge line, said cover part (40) forming the upper end face of the receptacle (12) and being able to rotate around said second hinge line to an open position to allow access to said other compartment.

Description

The present invention relates to a pack of tobacco, especially for tobacco bites. Such packages are known from DE 7921550 and DE 19836940.

Tobacco can be supplied to consumers as a tobacco sting, either to make hand-rolled cigarettes or as pipe tobacco. Traditionally, the tobacco bite of this type is packaged in flasks, which comprise a bag part containing the tobacco and a flap part that extends from the top of the bag, which can be folded over the opening of the bag and sometimes wrapped around the bag before being glued to close the flask. The flask is usually made of paper or a thin laminated cardboard or covered by a layer of transparent plastic material through which you can see the label printed on the paper or cardboard, or of plastic material only on which it can be made an impression. 10

Traditional flasks of this type are soft and lack stiffness, and therefore it can be difficult to pack them in boxes in an amount for shipping. For the same reasons, they are difficult to handle by vending machines, and for a retailer they are difficult to stack on a shelf. They can also be difficult to handle while rolling a cigarette.

The present invention aims to solve some of these issues. fifteen

From DE 79215500 it is known how to provide a tobacco package comprising a parallelepiped receptacle for receiving tobacco, the receptacle having a height, width and depth, the height and width being greater than the depth, the receptacle having a face front that extends at the height of the receptacle and also extends the upper and bottom end faces at the depth of the receptacle; a hinge line running along a width of the receptacle and an opening in a face of the receptacle through which access to the compartment is obtained, the opening having an edge defined by the hinge line and a tray part comprising at least one main face having a width substantially equal to the width of the receptacle and a height, the tray part being connected to the receptacle by the hinge line, and the tray part being able to rotate around the hinge line between a closed position in which the tray part covers the opening to prevent access to said compartment, and the main face overlaps with a front face of the receptacle, which has the height and width of the receptacle, and a position open in which the tobacco can be supplied from said compartment through the opening. The present invention is characterized by a dividing wall inside the receptacle parallel to the front face and dividing the inside of the receptacle into a front compartment and a rear compartment, each compartment being adapted to receive tobacco separated by said dividing wall, and a part being of cover connected to the receptacle by a second hinge line, said cover part 30 forming the upper end face of the receptacle and being able to rotate around said second hinge line to an open position to allow access to said other compartment.

The tray part may have a height that is at least half the height of the receptacle.

This provides a packet of tobacco that is sturdy and rigid or partially rigid and with a shape that can be conveniently handled by packaging and vending machines, and which also incorporates a tray that can be used to roll cigarettes and to receive tobacco that is Remove from package, so that it can be easily returned to the package without spillage losses. This reduces tobacco losses.

The tray part may further comprise two side faces of the tray part each having a height substantially equal to the height of the main face and a depth not greater than the depth of the receptacle, and attached to the main face in a manner that when the tray part is in the closed position the side faces 40 overlap with the side faces of the receptacle, which have the height and depth of the receptacle. These side faces help keep the tobacco in the tray part, further reducing tobacco spillage, and can also be used to provide a tight fit to keep the tray part in its closed position against the receptacle, the side faces of the tray part gripping the side faces of the receptacle.

The opening may be on the front face of the receptacle, or alternatively, the opening may be on the bottom face of the receptacle, the bottom face having the width and depth of the receptacle, and the tray part further comprises a face of bottom of the tray part having a width and depth substantially equal to the width and depth of the receptacle and which is connected to the hinge line and attached to the main face, so that when the tray part is in the closed position the bottom face of the tray part overlaps the bottom face of the receptacle. fifty

The height of the receptacle may be greater than the width of the receptacle. This allows the package to have the appearance of a conventional cigarette pack. Also, rectangular packages sized to fit the size of conventional cigarette packages can be handled by existing packaging and selling machines, thereby reducing production and marketing costs.

As mentioned before, the package comprises a dividing wall arranged inside the receptacle, the dividing wall divides the interior of the receptacle into a first compartment to receive the tobacco and from which the tobacco can be dispensed through the opening, and a second compartment to receive hand rolled cigarettes. Cigarettes can be pre-rolled when the smoker can do it, and conveniently stored together with tobacco for later use.

The dividing wall may be arranged parallel to the front face of the receptacle.

The upper face of the lid part has the width and depth of the receptacle, and the lid part can rotate around the second hinge line between a closed position in which the upper face is positioned opposite a bottom face of the receptacle, and an open position in which the interior of the second compartment can be accessed. The two compartments are therefore accessible from the opposite ends of the package, so that the cigarettes in the second compartment remain securely stored when the tray part moves to the open position, and does not fall outside when the tobacco is removed from the receptacle. 10

The open position of the lid part may not give access to the interior of the first compartment. This allows access to the second receptacle while the first receptacle remains closed, keeping the tobacco fresh while using the second receptacle.

The lid portion may comprise a front face of the lid portion connected to the top face of the receptacle, the front face of the lid portion overlapping with the front face of the receptacle when the lid portion is in the closed position. The front face of the lid part may have a height such that the height of the front face of the lid part and the height of the main face of the tray part as a whole are substantially equal to the height of the receptacle. Alternatively, the front face of the lid part has a height such that it overlaps with an upper part of the main face of the tray part when the lid part and the tray part are both in their closed positions. The second hinge line may be located on a rear face of the receptacle opposite the front face, and arranged parallel to an edge in the width of the rear face. These features can be used to produce a package that looks like a conventional cigarette pack.

In addition, the tray part may also comprise two side faces of the tray part, each having a height substantially equal to the height of the main face and a depth not greater than the depth of said receptacle, and attached to the main face so that when the tray part is in the closed position, the side faces overlap with the side faces of said receptacle, which have the height and depth of said receptacle.

The package may comprise one or more ears extending from the front face of the receptacle in the width direction, and one or more grooves in the tray part located so that the ears can extend through one or more grooves when the tray part is in the closed position, so they retain the tray part in the closed position.

A second aspect of the invention is directed to a package for tobacco comprising a parallelepiped receptacle having a first end and a second end; a dividing wall located within the receptacle that divides the interior of the receptacle into a first open compartment at the first end of the receptacle and closed 35 at the second end of the receptacle, and a second open compartment at the second end of the receptacle and closed at the first receptacle end; a first cover provided with a hinge at the first end of the receptacle, which can rotate between an open position in which the interior of the first compartment can be accessed, and a closed position in which the interior of the first compartment cannot be accessed; and a second cover provided with a hinge at the second end of the receptacle that can rotate between an open position in which the interior of the second compartment can be accessed and a closed position in which the interior of the second compartment cannot be accessed. The first compartment may be for receiving tobacco and the second compartment may be for receiving hand-rolled cigarettes.

The receptacle can have height, width and depth, the height and width being greater than the depth, the receptacle having a front face, a rear face and two side faces, each extending between the first end and the second end. , the front face and the rear face having a height and a width, and the dividing wall being arranged parallel to the front face and the rear face.

One or both of the hinged covers may be provided with a closing device to keep them releasably in their closed position.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how it can be carried out, reference is now made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1A and 1B show perspective views of a package according to a first embodiment, with a tray part respectively in the open and closed positions;

Figure 2 shows a partial perspective view of a package according to a subsequent embodiment, the tray part being in an open position; 55

Figure 3 shows a partial perspective view of a package according to another subsequent embodiment, the tray part being in an open position;

Figure 4 shows a partial perspective view of a package according to another further embodiment, the tray part being in an open position;

Figures 5A and 5B show perspective views of a package according to another embodiment, with a 5 part of the tray respectively in the open and closed positions; Y

Figures 6A and 6B show perspective views of a package according to a subsequent embodiment, with a portion of the tray of reduced size respectively in the open and closed positions.

In the following description terms such as top, bottom, top, bottom, front and rear are used in conjunction with all figures regardless of the orientation of the packages in them, and 10 should be understood to refer to the parts properly oriented when a package is in the orientation shown in Figure 1A. These terms are not intended to be limiting with respect to a package in use, which could be maintained in many different orientations.

Figure 1A shows a first perspective view of a package according to a first embodiment of the invention. fifteen

The package 10 has a main receptacle 12 and a tray part 14 hingedly attached to the receptacle 12. The receptacle 12 has a parallelepiped shape defined by a front face 16, a rear face (not visible) opposite the front face 16, a first side face 18 and a second side face (not visible) opposite the first side face 18, the side faces extending between the front face 12 and the back face, and finally a bottom face 20 and an upper face (not visible ) opposite to the bottom face 20, the top and bottom faces 20 extending between the front and rear faces and between the side faces. In this example the receptacle 10 has a height H, a width W and a depth D. Therefore, the front face 16 and the rear face have the height and width of the receptacle, the side faces have the height and depth of the receptacle, and the top face and the bottom face 20 have the width and depth of the receptacle. The depth is less than the height and width, and in this example the height is greater than the width, to give rise to a rectangular package. In other examples the height and width could be equal to give rise to a square package, or a rectangular package with a width greater than its height could be produced. A rectangular package may be preferred since it can be made to substantially reproduce the dimensions of a conventional cigarette package that can therefore be placed in existing vending machines and in the packaging cartons, and manipulated by the packaging and wrapping machines. Additionally, a rectangular package with the dimensions of a conventional package 30 in which the height is greater than the width may be especially desirable since it can then reproduce not only the size of a conventional package but also its exterior appearance, which may be Preferred by smokers. The example package in Figures 1A and 1B has such an external appearance.

The receptacle 12 forms a volume in which tobacco can be accommodated. To allow the tobacco to be extracted from the receptacle 12, the bottom face 20 of the receptacle 12 has an opening 22 therein, through which the tobacco can be removed 24. The opening has edges, one of which coincides with an edge of dimension the width of the bottom face 20, in this case the edge of the bottom face 20, which is shared with the back face. In this example the opening extends along the entire width of the bottom face, and about two thirds of its depth from the common edge.

The common edge has created in it a hinge line 26 that runs along the width of the bottom face 40 20. The tray part 14 is attached to the receptacle 12 by the hinge line 26, along the entire the length of the hinge line 26. The part 14 of the tray has the same width as the receptacle 12.

In this example the tray part 14 (which is only partially shown in Figure 1A) has a main face 28 of approximately the same width as the receptacle 12. In the height direction the main face 28 has a dimension that is sufficient to give rise to a tray that provides a convenient area and easily accessible to retain the tobacco that has been extracted from the receptacle, and in addition the tray may be large enough to provide an appropriate rigid or semi-rigid surface on which to roll cigarettes. Advantageously, the height of the main face can be at least half the height of the receptacle. If desired, other heights such as one third, two thirds, seven eighths of the height of the receptacle can be chosen, up to a height that matches that of the receptacle. fifty

Also in this example, the tray part 14 comprises a bottom face 30 of the tray part. This has a height and width substantially the same as that of the bottom face 20 of the receptacle 12. Furthermore, the bottom face 30 of the tray part is connected, along an edge of the width, with the line hinge 26 on the edge of the bottom face 20 of the receptacle. The edge of the opposite width of the bottom face 30 of the tray part is attached to the main face 28 at right angles. In addition, the tray part comprises two walls or 55 side faces 32, each having a depth substantially equal to the depth of the receptacle 12 and a height substantially equal to that of the main face 28. These are attached to the main face 28 at right angles, and also at the bottom face 30 of the part of the tray at right angles. Together these various faces form a tray that has a large flat surface provided by the main face surrounded on three sides by perpendicular walls.

By means of hinge line 26, part 14 of the tray can rotate with respect to receptacle 12 so that it can move between a closed position and an open position. In the open position, as shown in Figure 1A, the tray part bends outwardly away from the receptacle, and the opening 22 is visible. The tobacco 24 can be shaken or extracted out of the inner volume of the receptacle 12 to the tray part 14, wherein the flat surface of the main face 28 offers a useful surface on which to roll a cigarette.

Once a cigarette has been rolled into the tray part 14 and access to tobacco is no longer needed, the tray part can be rotated around the hinge line 26 to its closed position by folding it into the receptacle 12. In the closed position the bottom face 30 of the tray part overlaps the bottom face 20 of the receptacle to cover the opening and retain the tobacco inside the receptacle 12, the main face 28 overlaps the front face 16 of the receptacle 12, and the side walls 32 of the tray part 14 overlap with the side faces of the receptacle 12. In this way the receptacle 12 is partially enclosed by the tray part 14. This arrangement allows the tray part to be conveniently folded out when not in use 15 to a position where it occupies no more space than the receptacle, while at the same time closing the package to keep the tobacco safe and fresh. Making the corresponding faces of the receptacle 12 and the tray part 14 of substantially the same dimensions, the tray part 14 wraps the receptacle 12 with a tight fit, so that the tobacco remains closed until a user grabs and rotates the tray part 14 towards the open position. In addition, a configuration in which the tray part 14 has side walls helps retain 20 the tobacco in the main face 28 to reduce spillage and losses thereof. Also the side walls help to close the opening when the tray part is in the closed position.

In addition, the combination of an opening formed with a common edge with an edge of the receptacle and a tray part extending from the same edge (as a hinge line) especially facilitates the use of tobacco. The position of the opening in one edge of the receptacle means that there is no lid or barrier to prevent the exit of tobacco from the receptacle. The tobacco that is on the adjoining face of the receptacle, on the far side of the hinge line, can simply slide out of the receptacle when it is shaken, or when pushed without difficulty outward. Likewise, any excess of tobacco left in the part of the tray after rolling cigarettes can be quickly returned to the receptacle, either tapping and tilting the package to make the tobacco slide in, or simply closing the tray part, so that the tobacco is directed 30 backwards through the opening simply by a tilt and turn movement of the tray part. In this way, tobacco is preserved with minimal losses or disorder.

Figure 1B shows the package 10 of Figure 1A in an upright position, with the tray part 14 in the closed position. From this figure an additional feature of the package 10 is appreciated. The interior of the receptacle 14 is provided with a dividing wall 34. This is arranged parallel to the front face 12 and the rear face, and extends substantially along the entire length of the width and height of the interior of the receptacle 12 to divide the interior into a first volume or compartment and into a second volume or compartment. The first compartment is at the rear of the receptacle 12 and contains the tobacco 24, is accessible through the opening 22 in the bottom face of the receptacle 12 when the tray part 14 is in the open position. The first compartment is closed on the top face of the receptacle 12. 40

The second compartment 35 is in the front of the receptacle 12 and is closed in the bottom face 20 of the receptacle 12, so that it cannot be accessed through the open position of the tray part 14. Figure 1A shows the bottom wall 38 of the second compartment. On the contrary, the second compartment 35 is open on the top face of the receptacle 12. To provide access to this second compartment 35 the package is provided with a lid portion 40 which in this example is of a type of hinged hinged lid of a package of 45 conventional crushproof cigarettes. The part 40 of the cover comprises a rear face (not visible) of the cover part formed by an upper part of the rear face of the receptacle 12 and connected thereto by a second hinge line (not visible), an upper face (not visible) of the cover part that forms the upper face of the receptacle 12, two side faces 42 of the cover part, and a front face 44 of the cover part. The various faces are joined together at right angles, so that when they are in the closed position, as shown in Figure 1A, the front face, the top face and the side faces of the lid part overlap with the front face, the top face and the side faces of the receptacle. The faces of the lid part are sized to substantially have the width and depth dimensions of the receptacle, so that the portion 40 of the lid remains in the closed position by a tight fit.

The part 40 of the lid can be rotated around the second hinge line to an open position in which access to the second compartment 35 is given, as shown in Figure 1B. The second compartment 35 is provided for the storage of cigarettes 36 previously bundled by the smoker, perhaps at a time conducive to doing so before the time when the smoker knows that he will want cigarettes but that rolling them may not be convenient or inappropriate. The second compartment can also be used for storing cigarettes, papers, filters, matches, a lighter, etc. When the package 10 is offered for sale the second compartment 60 may contain one or more cigarette rolling papers, matches, a lighter and filters to provide an appropriate all-in-one set for making hand-rolled cigarettes, which includes the retention and bundling surface of tobacco offered by tray part 14.

In the example of Figures 1A and 1B the front face 44 of the part 40 of the lid and the main face 28 of the tray part 28 have dimensions in the height direction so that they have a joint height 5 basically the same as the height of the receptacle 12. Thus, when both parts are in the closed position the outer front surface of the package is basically continuous with a single interruption therein where the front face 44 and the main face 28 meet, and due at an appropriate two-sided sizing the package 10 may have the appearance of a conventional cigarette pack. However, other shapes and sizes of the lid part may be used if preferred, and the lid part need not be configured in the style of a conventional cigarette pack lid.

For example, the front face 44 of the part 40 of the lid may have a dimension in the height direction such that it overlaps an upper part of the main face 28 of the tray part 14 when the tray part 14 is closed . In this way part 40 of the lid when closed will keep part 14 of the tray in its closed position. The overlap can be any size, according to the preferences. A larger overlap 15 will more reliably keep the tray part 14 in the closed position, but a smaller overlap will reduce the amount by which the part 40 of the lid has to be opened to release the tray part 14 and to allow it to move to its open position.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment of Figures 1A and 1B. A range of alternative configurations can be used to provide a tobacco package that has a tray portion deployed out to receive tobacco, roll cigarettes and return unused tobacco to the package.

Figure 2 shows a partial perspective view of a package 50 according to a second embodiment, with the tray part in the open position. In this case the receptacle 12 is divided by a dividing wall 34 (indicated by the dotted line) in a first rear compartment containing tobacco 24 and a second front compartment for storing previously rolled cigarettes, as in the embodiment of Figures 1A and 1 B. 25 The tobacco 24 is again accessible through an opening 22 in the bottom face 20 of the receptacle, with a tray part 14 connected along a hinge line 26 with the edge of the bottom face 20 which is common with the edge of the opening 22. In this example, however, the tray part 14 comprises only a main face 28 and a bottom face 30 of the tray part, disposed between the main face 28 and the hinge line 26 The tray part 14 has no side walls. When in the closed position, the main face 28 overlaps 30 with the front face 16 of the receptacle, and the bottom face 30 of the tray part overlaps with the bottom face 20 of the receptacle and covers the opening 22. This configuration offers a tray part 14 with the same functionality as the realization of Figures 1A and 1B, but using less material. The absence of side walls in the tray part 14 does not allow a tight fit to be used to keep the tray part in the closed position, but alternative closing devices, such as a tongue at the end of the main part, can be used, which folds under the lid portion of the package or into a groove formed in the front face of the receptacle, or a releasable adhesive tab.

Figure 3 shows a partial perspective view of an embodiment having an opening in the front face. The package 70 has an opening 22 located on the front face 16 of the receptacle 12, such that a lower edge of the opening 22 is aligned with the lower edge of the front face 16, thus being on this edge 40 where the hinge line 26. A very simple tray part 14 can thus be arranged, which only comprises a main face 28. The connection of the tray part 14 with the leading edge of the bottom face of the receptacle (which is the same on the lower edge of the front face) eliminates the need for a bottom face of the tray part. The tray part 14 can rotate around the hinge line 26 between the closed and open positions as before, in which in the closed position the main face 28 overlaps the front face 45 of the receptacle and covers the opening 22. In this example a dividing wall and a cover part are included. The rear compartment will be for storing rolled cigarettes, and the front compartment, accessible through the opening 22 on the front face 16, will contain tobacco.

Package configurations in which the opening is on the front face of the receptacle may be preferred in circumstances where a large opening is desired. An opening in the front face may be larger if an amount greater than the depth of the receptacle is extended to the front face.

Figure 4 shows a partial perspective view of a later embodiment having an opening in the front face. The package 80 includes the characteristics of the package 70 of Figure 3, so that the opening 22 is contiguous to the lower edge of the front face 16, this edge being also where the hinge line 26 is located. In addition, the part 14 of tray includes side walls 32 similar to side walls 32 shown in Figure 1A. As before, these side walls 32 help retain the tobacco dispensed in the tray part 14 to reduce spillage, and overlap with the side faces of the receptacle 12 when the tray part 14 is in the closed position. If the side walls 32 and the main face 28 can be made sufficiently rigid as a whole, a tight fit can be used to keep the tray part in the closed position, with the side walls 32 of the tray part 14 gripping the side faces 18 of the receptacle. Alternatively, the closure can be achieved using methods such as those described with respect to the embodiment of Figure 2. This example includes a partition wall 34 to provide a second rear compartment for storing rolled cigarettes. Therefore, the package should preferably also include a lid portion at the top end through which the second compartment can be accessed. 5

Figures 5A and 5B show perspective views of a package 100 according to a subsequent embodiment, which materialize an example of a closure arrangement to keep the tray part 14 in its closed position. Figure 5A shows a pair of ears 102; these being small projections extending from the sides of the front face 16 of the receptacle 12 outward in the width direction. The part 14 of the tray is provided with a corresponding pair of grooves 104, located along the side edges of the main face 10 of the tray part 14, in which the main face 28 joins the side walls 32. The grooves 104 and the ears 102 are located at the same height above the bottom face 20 of the package 100, and the grooves have a shape and dimensions so that the ears 102 can be received in the grooves 104. Ears are elastic. When the part 14 of the tray moves to its closed position the ears flex inwards and slide on the inner surface of the side walls 32 of the tray part 14. When the tray part 14 15 reaches its closed position, the ears 102 fit the slots 104 and flex outwardly to extend through the slots 104, thereby keeping the tray part 14 closed. Figure 5B shows the package 100 with the tray part 14 in this position, with the ears 102 having passed through the slots 104. To open the tray part 14 the smoker grabs the part 14 of the tray and moves it away from the receptacle 12 causing that, due to the elastic nature of the ears, these are deformed and disengaged from the 20 slots 104.

Although this example shows a pair of ears and a pair of grooves, an ear and a groove on each side of the package, although more ears and grooves can be used if desired. On the contrary, it can be found that a single ear and groove are sufficient to keep the lid part closed.

The ear and groove closure device can be applied to any package in which the tray part 25 has side walls.

The invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. The described features can be combined in a combination not shown or described, and various features can be modified.

An opening of smaller width before the side edges of the face on which it is placed may be useful in conjunction with a tray part that lacks side walls, since the tray part then offers a better coverage of the opening when It is in the closed position.

The possibility of having a tray part with side walls that extend less than the entire depth of the package / receptacle is applied to the packages according to the invention in general. In any embodiment with the side walls of the tray part, the side walls do not need to extend the entire depth of the receptacle / package. 35

Any package according to the invention may be provided with rounded or chamfered square corners or edges.

The dividing wall may be arranged in a different way than parallel to the front and rear faces of the receptacle. For example, it may be arranged parallel to the side walls of the receptacle. In addition, the compartments may have the same or different size. More than two compartments can be arranged, for example 40 to provide separate storage spaces for previously rolled cigarettes and cigarette papers, matches, etc. The dividing walls that divide the receptacle into more than two compartments need not be parallel to each other. Alternatively, two or more receptacles may be combined with dividing walls that divide one or more of the receptacles into compartments.

The concept of a package with two independently accessible compartments can also be applied to 45 packages that do not include a large tray part. If the main face of the tray part is on a reduced scale in height, the tray part becomes like a lid that closes over the opening. While a smaller main face may be less useful in providing a surface for rolling cigarettes, the reduced tray / lid portion may also provide a useful surface for receiving tobacco that has been removed from the receptacle. This is especially true for embodiments in which the tray / lid part includes the side faces 50 (and possibly also a bottom face), therefore the tray part acting as an open container that confines and retains the tobacco to reduce the losses and that also provides easy access to the tobacco extracted for the smoker who seeks to gather a desired amount of tobacco to make a cigarette. Also, a tray portion that is small in size will also act to properly return unused tobacco into the receptacle when it is moved to the closed position. 55

A small tray / lid portion may have any of the configurations set forth above for larger trays, for example designed to cover an opening in the bottom face of the receptacle or in the front face, and with or without side faces. Alternatively, it may be more configured as a conventional cigarette pack lid, such as the lid portion 40 shown in Figures 1A and 1B, in which the hinge line is located on a face of the package receptacle instead of along an edge.

In this way a package can have a lid provided with a hinge at each end, in which a lid gives access to a first compartment of the receptacle containing tobacco, only this compartment 5 being accessible from this end of the package, and the other lid gives access to a second compartment of the receptacle to contain previously rolled cigarettes, papers, matches, etc., which can only be accessed from that end of the package. In this way, each compartment can be accessed individually while the content of the other compartment is securely retained.

Each lid can have any desired configuration, including the reduced size versions of any of the parts of the tray of the example described above, of conventional upwardly folding cigarette pack lids, or other devices.

Figure 6A shows a perspective view of a package according to this embodiment. The package 110 comprises a receptacle 12 divided into a front and rear compartment by a dividing wall parallel to the front and rear faces of the package 110, as in the embodiment of Figures 1A and 1B. The rear compartment 15 contains tobacco 24, as before, which can be extracted through an opening 22 in the bottom face of the receptacle 12, again as before. A bottom cover 112 is arranged, connected to the receptacle 12 along a hinge line 26 that runs along the rear edge of the bottom face. The bottom cover 112 comprises a bottom face 30 attached to the hinge line 26, a front face 114 connected to the bottom face 30 at right angles, and two side walls 32 joined at right angles to the front face 114 and the bottom face 30. In Figure 6A the bottom cover 112 is shown in an open position, in which the opening 22 is uncovered and the tobacco 24 can be taken from the receptacle. The bottom cover 112 can rotate around the hinge line 26 to a closed position in which the bottom face 30 overlaps with the bottom face of the receptacle 12 to cover the opening 22, the front face 114 overlaps with the front face 16 of the receptacle 12, and the side faces 32 overlap with the side faces 18 of the receptacle. The bottom cover 112 is thus similar to the tray part 14 of the embodiment of Figures 25 1A and 1B, but having a very reduced height so that it functions substantially as a cover for closing the rear compartment of the receptacle 12, without offering a lot or little functionality as a tray.

The package 110 further includes an upper lid 116 that is connected to the receptacle 12 along a hinge line that runs along the width of the receptacle portion down the back wall, and comprises a wall of Above, side walls and a front wall similar to a conventional 30-pack cigarette cover. The top cover 116, shown in its closed position in Figure 8B, gives access to the front compartment of the receptacle when it rotates around the hinge line to its open position. The front compartment is open at the top end of the package but closed at the bottom end of the package, so that it can be accessed through the top cover 116. Similarly, the rear compartment is open at the bottom end. of the package by means of the opening 22 but closed at the top end of the package so that it can only be accessed by the bottom cover 112.

Figure 6B shows a further perspective view of the package 110, with the bottom cover 112 in the closed position so that the rear compartment is not accessible, and the top cover 116 in the open position so that the access to the front compartment.

If desired, the covers may be provided with any devices to keep them in the closed position 40. These may include any of the exposed locking mechanisms with respect to the above embodiments, such as tightening adjustments, ears and grooves of mutual fit, insertable tabs, or adhesive peelable tabs. The two covers can have different closing devices, or one cover can only have one closing device.

Claims (19)

1. A packet of tobacco, comprising:

a parallelepiped receptacle (12) for receiving tobacco (24), the receptacle (12) having a height, width and depth, the height and width being greater than the depth, the receptacle (12) having: a front face (16) extending at the height of the receptacle (12), top and bottom end faces extending at the depth of the receptacle (12); 5 a hinge line (26) that runs along a width of the receptacle (12); Y an opening (22) on a face of the receptacle (12) through which access to a compartment is obtained, the opening (22) having an edge defined by the hinge line (26); Y a tray part (14) comprising at least one main face (28) having a width substantially equal to the width of the receptacle (12) and a height, the tray part (14) being connected to the receptacle (12) ) along the hinge line (26), and the tray part (14) being able to rotate around the hinge line (26) between a closed position in which the tray part (14) covers the opening (22) to prevent access to said compartment, and the main face (28) overlaps with a front face (16) of the receptacle (12) having the height and width of the receptacle (12), and an open position in which the tobacco (24) can be dispensed from said compartment through the opening (22), characterized by a dividing wall (34) inside the receptacle (12) 15 parallel to the front face (16) and dividing the interior of the receptacle (12 ) in a front compartment and a rear compartment, each compartment being adapted p To receive tobacco (24) separated by said dividing wall (34) and a cover part (40) is connected to the receptacle (12) by a second hinge line, said cover part (40) forming the upper end face of the receptacle (12) and being able to rotate around said second hinge line to an open position to allow access to said other compartment. twenty 2. A package according to claim 1, wherein the tray part (14) has a height that is at least half the height of the receptacle (12). 3. A package according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the tray part (14) further comprises two side faces (32) of the tray part, each having a height substantially equal to the of the main face (28) and a depth not greater than the depth of the receptacle (12), 25 and attached to the main face (28) so that when the tray part (14) is in the closed position the side faces (32) overlap with the side faces of the receptacle (12) having the height and depth of the receptacle (12). 4. A package according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the opening (22) is on the front face (16) of the receptacle (12). 30 5. A package according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the opening (22) is on a bottom face (20) of the receptacle (12), the bottom face (20) having the width and the depth of the receptacle (12), and the tray part (14) further comprises a bottom face (30) of the tray part having a width and depth substantially equal to the width and depth of the receptacle (12) and which it is connected to the hinge line (26) and attached to the main face (28), so that when the tray part (14) is in the closed position 35 the bottom face (30) of the tray part is flap with the bottom face (20) of the receptacle (12). 6. A package according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the height of the receptacle (12) is greater than the width of the receptacle (12). 7. A package according to any preceding claim, wherein the lid portion (40) comprises a front face (44) of the lid portion connected to the top face of the receptacle (12), overlapping with the face 40 front (44) of the cover part on the front face (16) of the receptacle (12) when the cover part (40) is in the closed position. A package according to claim 7, wherein the front face (44) of the cover part has a height such that the height of the front face (44) of the cover part and the height of the face Main (28) of the tray part (14) together are substantially equal to the height of the receptacle (12). Four. Five 9. A package according to claim 7, wherein the front face (44) of the cover part has a height such that it overlaps with a top part of the main face (28) of the part (14) of tray when the cover part (40) and the tray part (14) are both in their closed positions. 10. A package according to any preceding claim, wherein the second hinge line is located on a rear face of the receptacle (12) opposite the front face and arranged parallel to an edge 50 width of the rear face. 11. A package according to claim 1, wherein the rear compartment has a depth, and a height and width substantially equal to the height and width of the front compartment (35), the rear compartment being arranged behind the compartment front such that a rear face of said front compartment, which has the height and width of said receptacle (12), is common with a front face of the rear compartment, which has the height and width of said receptacle, the rear compartment to receive 5 cigarettes bundled by hand. 12. A package according to claim 11, wherein the opening (22) is on a bottom face (20) of said receptacle (12), the bottom face (20) having the width and depth of said receptacle (12), and further comprising the tray part (14) a bottom face (30) of the tray part having a width and depth substantially equal to the width and depth of said receptacle (12) and which 10 is connected to the hinge line (26) and attached to the main face (28), so that when the tray part (14) is in the closed part the bottom face (30) of the tray part is flap with the bottom face (20) of the receptacle (12). 13. A package according to claim 12, wherein the tray part (14) further comprises two side faces (32) of the tray part each having a height substantially equal to the height of the main face and a depth not greater than the depth of said receptacle (12), and attached to the main face (28) 15 so that when the tray part (14) is in the closed position the side faces (32) overlap with the lateral faces (18) of said receptacle (12), which has the height and depth of said receptacle (12). 14. A package according to any preceding claim, wherein the open position of the part (40) of the lid does not give access to the interior of the rear compartment. 15. A package according to claim 3 or claim 13 or any subordinate claim 20 of claim 3 or claim 13, comprising one or more ears (102) extending from the front face (16) of the receptacle ( 12) in the width direction, and one or more corresponding grooves (104) in the tray part (14) positioned such that one or more ears (102) can extend through one or more grooves (104) when the tray part (14) is in the closed position, which thus retains the tray part (14) in the closed position. 25 16. A package for tobacco comprising: a parallelepiped receptacle (12) having first and second ends; a dividing wall (34) located inside the receptacle (12) and a first cover (116) provided with a hinge at the first end of the receptacle (12) that can rotate between an open position in which the interior of the first compartment can be accessed , and a closed position in which the interior of the first compartment cannot be accessed, and 30 a second cover (112) provided with a hinge at the second end of the receptacle that can rotate between an open position in which the interior of the second compartment can be accessed, and a closed position in which the interior of the second compartment cannot be accessed , characterized in that the dividing wall (34) extends between said first and second ends and divides the interior of the receptacle (12) into a first compartment open at the first end of the receptacle (12) and closed at the second end of the receptacle (12 ), and a second compartment 35 open at the second end of the receptacle (12) and closed at the first end of the receptacle (12). 17. A tobacco package according to claim 16, wherein the first compartment is for receiving tobacco (24) and the second compartment is for receiving hand-rolled cigarettes. 18. A tobacco package according to claim 16 or claim 17, wherein the receptacle (12) has a height, width and depth, the height and width being greater than the depth, the receptacle having (40) ) a front face (16), a rear face and two side faces (18) each extending between the first end and the second end, the front face (16) and the rear face having a height and a width, and the wall dividing (34) being arranged parallel to the front face (16) and the rear face. 19. A tobacco package according to any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein one or both of the caps (112, 116) having a hinge are provided with a closure device to keep them releasably in position. closed.