GB2147875A - Tobacco container - Google Patents

Abstract

A tobacco container (1) having at least one inwardly formed portion (14) which is provided in a wall - e.g. lid (3) - of the container and in which a tobacco pipe can be engaged. The portion (14) is preferably pear shaped. Two such portions (14) may be provided or one pear shaped portion (14) and a second, trough shaped, portion (21) for ash and including a cork plug member (22) for knocking out the the pipe. The lid may be screwed onto a sheet metal container, the lid being of metal or plastics with an optional, inner, tear off closure. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Tobacco container The invention relates to a substantially inherently stable tobacco container, e.g. a tobacco tin made of sheet metal.

Tobacco containers for packaging and storing tobacco are known in a wide range of different configurations. Where the tobacco involved is what is known as pipe tobacco, the containers are predominantly of an inherently stable nature, more specifically generally being in the form of metal tins with a screw lid. In addition, a considerable amount of the pipe tobacco consumed is packaged and stored in what are referred to as soft packs which essentially ccmprise welded plastics foil portions and which are of a pouch-like nature, wherein the tobacco can be substantially air-tightly sealed off with respect to the ambient atmosphere, as in the case of tobacco tins or the like, even after a tobacco container has been opened, by multiple overlapping of a closure flap.

In order also to have a supply of tobacco, when away from home, a pipe smoker either takes a given amount of tobacco from a commercially available tobacco container, of the kind indicated above, which is marketed in different sizes (for example 50 and 100 grams), and puts the tobacco that he takes from the container into what is referred to as a tobacco pouch, or he carries for example a 50 gram tin with him. The latter situation has the considerable advantage that the tobacco does not dry out as quickly, does not lose in aroma upon being transferred from one container to another, etc.

At any event, a pipe smoker is very frequently faced with a problem when he wants to put his pipe down briefly or for a longer period of time.

First of all, that is basically because the quite predominant number of pipes do not have a surface on which the pipe can stand and is therefore not such that it can stand in a stable position but would tip over laterally if the pipe is not supported or held in a suitable manner. For example, although in principle there is the option in restaurants or the like of putting a pipe down in an ashtray, nonetheless an ashtray is not infrequently at least partially filled with ash, cigarette butts and the like, so that the pipe is fouled from the outside when it is put down in that case. Particularly on other occasions, there is very frequently no possibility at all of putting down a pipe in a suitable manner and thus also in a secure fashion so that it does not tip over and in so doing make the area around it dirty or even give rise to burn spots.

As already indicated above, that difficulty occurs in particular when a pipe smoker who would like to put his pipe down briefly or for a prolonged period of time does not even have an ashtray or the like in his vicinity this being particularly disadvantageous when the pipe smoker would like to empty the ash out of his pipe.

The present invention is based on the problem of improving the known tobacco containers, eliminating the above-mentioned and other disadvantages, and provides a tobacco container of the general kind set forth in the opening part of this specification, in which not only is tobacco to be stored in a suitable manner, as is known, but which in addition provides the possibility of holding or supporting a tobacco pipe; optionally it may also provide the possibility of permitting a smoked pipe to be emptied or cleaned.

According to the invention, the solution to that problem is characterised by at least one inwardly shaped portion or recess which is formed in the wall of the container and in or on which a tobacco pipe can be form-lockingly held or deposited.

When, hereinbefore or hereinafter, reference is made to the wall of the container, that basically means the entire wall of the container. Although, in a tobacco container having a lid, the shaped portion is preferably formed in the lid, nonetheless it could also be formed in the side wall.

Having regard to the configuration of tobacco pipes, it has been found to be particularly desirable if the shaped portion is substantially pear-shaped in plan view, wherein the wider end portion of the shaping can be substantially circular or elliptical in plan and, from a three-dimensional point of view, can be in the shape of a part-spherical bowl, while the narrower end portion of the shaped portion is preferably triangular or wedge shaped in plan view, and accordingly therefore tapers towards its free end, more specifically to a smallest end width which is somewhat wider than a pipe stem.

Just for aesthetic reasons, it has been found to be particularly desirable if the wider end portion of the shaping in the wall of the container merges with a substantially uniform configuration into the narrower end portion, while that arrangement also ensures that a pipe which is put down in a shaped portion in a tobacco container according to the invention is not scratched on a sharp edge (as that has been eliminated).

The depth of a shaped portion in the wall of a container is preferably greater at its wider end than at its narrower end in order to provide a position in which the pipe in question can be held in a stable condition against tipping.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a shaped portion in accordance with the invention can bedisposed centrally in the lid, but, and for various reasons, it may also be arranged eccentrically; more specifically, in such a configuration, in accordance with an alternative form, it is possible also to provide a further inwardly shaped portion in the lid or the like so that two pipes can be put down at the same time.However, the eccentric arrangement of a shaped portion may also be very advantageously used in a modified form wherein at least a part of the central portion of the lid is displaced downwardly relative to the rim portion thereof, thereby forming a trough configuration which provides an ashtray into which the pipe smoker can temporarily empty the ash out of the pipe in order then to shake the ash into an ash bucket or the like, at a suitable opportunity.

The invention is illustrated in greater detail, by way of example only, in the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to a drawing in which; Figure I shows a side view of an embodiment of a tobacco tin according to the invention, partly in cross section taken along line I-I in Figure 2; Figure 2 shows a plan view of the tobacco tin shown in Figure 1, viewing in the direction of the arrow II in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a somewhat diagrammatic plan view of an alternative form of a tobacco tin (on a reduced scale) with a recess or shaped portion for receiving a pipe and with an ash trough; and Figure 4 shows a view in section through the lid of the tobacco tin shown in Figure 3, in the direction of the arrow IV-IV in Figure 3.

Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing show a tobacco tin which is generally indicated by reference numeral 1 and which essentially comprises a pot-like bottom portion 2 and a lid 3. In the present case, the tobacco tin 1 comprises sheet metal but it will beappreciated that it could also comprise one or more other inherently stable materials; thus for example the lid 3 could comprise plastics material, as is the case with tobacco tins which do not have a screw lid but, in the storage condition, have an additional lid which can be removed for example by a tear-off closure.

At its flange 6 which extends at the rim of the lid 3 at rightangles to the top surface 4 thereof, the lid 3 has a kind of knurling 7 so that for example it can be unscrewed from and screwed onto the bottom portion 2, even with wet and greasy fingers.

In addition, provided in the flange 6 are six screwthread portions 8 which are disposed at a spacing from each other and which are of the same screw pitch and which engage into corresponding screw-thread portions 9 of the bottom portion 2. In the rim region of its underside 11, the lid 3 is provided with a layer 12 of plastics material which serves as a seal in the closed condition so that, in the closed condition, the tobacco tin 1 remains as tightly closed as possible and the tobacco 13 neither loses its aroma nor dries out.

Provided in the lid 3 at a certain spacing from the rim and thus from the flange 6 thereof is a recess or inwardly shaped portion 14 which is substantially pear-shaped in plan view and in which a tobacco pipe (not shown) is to be form-lockingly held or deposited. The wider end portion 16 of the shaping 14 is substantially circular in plan view, more specifically with a largest diameter of about 4 cm, and, in three-dimensional terms, is substantially a part-spherical bowl, while the lower wall portion 17 of the wider end portion 16 of the shaping 14 extends centrally in the manner of a ramp towards the narrow end portion 18 of the shaping 14, as can be seen from Figure 1.

Figure 2 in particular shows that the narrower end portion 18 of the shaping 14 is of a substantially triangular configuration, wherein of course the tip of the triangle is rounded off, just like the transitional portions between the wider end portion 16 and the narrower end portion 18 of the shaping 14,so that overall the shaping 14 has substantially round soft edges which prevent a pipe from being scratched or scraped.

While, in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the shaping 14 is arranged generally centrally or symmetrically, an eccentric arrangement may also be particularly advantageous in certain situations, more specifically for example when two recesses or shaped portions 14 are provided in the lid 3, as shown in dash-dotted lines in Figure 2 (reference numeral 14' therein). The shapings 14 are then desirably displaced relative to each other through 180-, as shown in Figure 2, although it will be appreciated that that is not obligatory.

A further, at least as significant aspect of an eccentric arrangement of a recess 14 arises in the embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4, wherein approximateiy half of the central portion 4' of the lid 3 or the top side 4 thereof, being the portion that is remote from the rim thereof, is displaced downwardly relative to the rim portion 19 thereof, forming a trough configuration at 21, and the shaped portion 14 is then desirably disposed outside the trough configuration 21, as can be seen from Figure 3. The trough configuration 21 accordingly provides a recess for receiving ash when a pipe is emptied out, while the operation of emptying or knocking out the pipe is further facilitated by a plug member 22, e.g. cork, secured by adhesive in the trough configuration 21, which can be used for knocking out a pipe without thereby damaging the edge thereof.

Although the tobacco container according to the invention can be produced with little or no increase in cost in comparison with conventional tins, it affords the pipe smoker, from many points of view, a degree of comfort which has been lacking for time immemorial, namely the possibility of being able to put his pipe down so that it is held in a form-locking or positive manner in a non-tipping and stable position in a resess 14, while in addition, in an embodiment of the invention, it is also possible for the pipe to be knocked out on the cork plug 22 and for the ash to be temporarily accommodated in the trough configuration 21 so that it can then be emptied at the next opportunity into an ash bucket, a garden or the like.

Claims (16)

1. A substantially inherently stable tobacco container having at least one inwardly shaped portion which is formed in a wall of the container and in which a tobacco pipe can rest or engage.

2. A tobacco container according to claim 1 in which the shaped portion is substantially pearshaped in plan view.

3. A tobacco container according to claim 2 in which the wider end portion of the shaped portion is substantially circular in plan view.

4. A tobacco container according to claim 3 in which the wider end portion of the shaped portion is substantially in the form of a spherical bowl.

5. A tobacco container according to one or more of claims 2 to 4 in which the narrower end portion of the shaped portion is of substantially triangular configuration.

6. A tobacco container according to one or more of claims 2 to 5 in which the wider end portion of the shaped portion merges in a substantially constant progression into the narrower end portion thereof.

7. A tobacco container according to one or more of claims 2 to 6 in which the depth of the shaped portion is larger at its wider end than at its narrower end.

8. A tobacco container according to one or more of the preceding claims in the form of a tobacco tin with a lid in which the inwardly shaped portion is provided.

9. A tobacco container according to claim 8 in which the shaped portion is disposed centrally in the lid.

10. A tobacco container according to claim 8 in which the shaped portion is disposed eccentrically in the lid.

11. A tobacco container according to claim 10 in which there are two inwardly shaped portions spaced from each other.

12. A tobacco container according to claim 10 in which at least a part of the central portion of the lid or the top thereof is displaced downwardly relative to the rim portion thereof.

13. A tobacco container according to claim 12 in which the shaped portion is disposed outside the portion of the lid which is displaced downwardly.

14. A tobacco container according to claim 12 or 13 in which a plug of cork or the like is arranged in the downwardly displaced portion of the lid.

15. A tobacco container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs.1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

16. A tobacco container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs.3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.