WO2006092719A1

WO2006092719A1 - Package

Info

Publication number: WO2006092719A1
Application number: PCT/IB2006/000453
Authority: WO
Inventors: Barry Clive Ross
Original assignee: Barry Clive Ross
Priority date: 2005-03-02
Filing date: 2006-03-02
Publication date: 2006-09-08

Abstract

A package (10) having a section defining a space for housing a plurality of cigarettes, wherein the section also houses an expandable container (14) for containing cigarette butts, the container (14) having a closure (17) operable between an open condition which allows insertion of the cigarette butts into the container through an opening (18) and a closed condition in which the container (14) is sealed to be substantially airtight, wherein the container (14) expands into the space in response to the insertion of the cigarette butts.

Description

PACKAGE

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a package and, more particularly but not exclusively, to a package for dispensing cigarettes which incorporates a disposal portion for cigarette butts.

Background of the Invention

The smoking of cigarettes is widespread, and there is a problem in that cigarette butts are commonly found as litter. It is particularly undesirable to have cigarette butt litter as used cigarettes have a strong, unappealing smell and contain chemicals which may be harmful to life-forms. The occurrence of cigarette butts being found as litter has in some places become more common in recent times owing to smokers being banned from many (particularly indoor) venues.

It is desirable to reduce cigarette butt litter.

Summary of the Invention

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a package having a section defining a space for housing a plurality of cigarettes, wherein the section also houses an expandable container for containing cigarette butts, the container having a closure operable between an open condition which allows insertion of the cigarette butts into the container and a closed condition in which the container is sealed to be substantially airtight, wherein the container expands into the space in response to the insertion of the cigarette butts.

More preferably, when a cigarette butt is inserted into the container, the container expands into a part of the space vacated as a result of the corresponding cigarette being removed from the package. Preferably, the opening is accessible from outside the package. More preferably, in one form the package has a flip-top lid for accessing cigarettes from the package, and the opening is able to be opened and closed independently of the flip-top lid.

Preferably, the closure is in the form of a lockable flap which covers an opening in the closed condition. More preferably, a surface is provided in the vicinity of the opening for extinguishing the cigarette butts prior to their insertion through the opening. Even more preferably, in the closed condition, the lockable flap covers the extinguishing surface.

Preferably, in its closed condition the lockable flap forms an airtight or substantially airtight seal over the opening. Advantageously, the airtight or substantially airtight seal serves to contain odour within the container, and also serves to starve burning matter within the container of oxygen.

Preferably, the container is made of foil.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention is described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of a package in accordance with an example of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side/lower perspective view of the package of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a close-up front view of a closure of an expandable container of the package of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a side/upper perspective view of the package of Figures 1 to 3; Figure 5 is a top view of the package of Figures 1 to 4, shown with a lid of the package in an open condition;

Figure 6 is a side/lower perspective view of the package of Figures 1 to 5, shown with the lid in a closed condition, and with a lockable flap of the closure over an opening of the expandable container;

Figure 7a is a diagrammatic sectional view of an alternative package;

Figure 7b is a diagrammatic rear view of an alternative package; and

Figure 7c is a diagrammatic side view of an alternative package.

Detailed Description

Figures 1 to 6 show a package 10 comprising a cardboard box 12 fitted with an expandable container 14 for containing cigarette butts. The box 12 has a section 13 which defines a space 16 for housing a plurality of cigarettes, wherein the section 13 also houses the expandable container 14. The expandable container 14 has a closure 17 which is operable between an open condition which allows insertion of the cigarette butts into the container 14 through an opening 18 and a closed condition in which the container 14 is sealed to be substantially airtight. The container 14 expands into the space 16 in response to the insertion of the cigarette butts.

The package 10 is intended to be sold with a quantity of cigarettes housed within the section 13, with a lid 20 of the box 12 in a closed condition as shown in Figure 6. At the time of sale, a sealed wrapper (not shown) encloses the package 10 in a general manner known from existing cigarette packages. Also as known from existing cigarette packages, the box 12 may be lined with a foil lining (not shown) which serves to maintain freshness of the cigarettes and to improve presentation of the product. When the package 10 is opened for the first time after purchase, the sealed wrapper is torn from around the package 10, and the lid 20 is pivoted open along a hinge 22 formed of a crease 24 in the material of the box 12. If provided, the foil lining is opened and is at least partially removed from around the tops of the cigarettes so as to expose the cigarettes for easy access by the user so they can be readily removed for smoking.

As shown in Figure 1, an inside surface of the lid 20 is printed with a message 23 to encourage the user to store cigarette butts within the package 10. The closure 17 is in the form of a lockable flap 26 mounted to a front wall 25 of the box 12. The lockable flap 26 is movable about a hinge 28 between an open condition (as shown in Figures 1 and 2) in which the opening 18 is accessible for insertion of cigarette butts into the container 14, and a closed condition in which the expandable container 14 is kept substantially airtight. It is advantageous for the expandable container 14 to be kept substantially airtight so that odour from cigarette butts stored within the container 14 is contained and does not escape into the surrounding space, which may be, for example, a pocket of the user or simply a space in which the smell of cigarette butts is undesirable. It is also desirable for the expandable container 14 to be kept substantially airtight when the lockable flap 26 is in the closed condition such that any butts within the container 14 are starved of oxygen. Accordingly, any butts which are not already completely extinguished will be extinguished once inserted and closed within the container 14.

It should be appreciated that the package 10 shown in Figures 1 to 6 is a preliminary prototype in which the lockable flap 26 may not actually form a substantially airtight seal over the expandable container 14. Nevertheless, in production versions of the package 10, known types of seals may be used in conjunction with the lockable flap 26 so as to form the substantially airtight seal discussed above.

The lockable flap 26 is provided with the label "Butts" and an arrow (as shown by reference numeral 27 in Figure 1) so as to indicate clearly to the user that cigarette butts are able be inserted by lifting the flap 26. Advantageously, the flap 26 is operable independently of the lid 20 and is accessible from outside the package 10 so that cigarette butts are able to be inserted into the expandable container 14 without opening the lid 20. As shown in Figure 2, locking of the lockable flap 26 in its closed condition may be achieved by way of the flap 26 being provided with a protrusion 28 which snaps into a corresponding indentation 30 in a rim 32 adjacent or near the opening 18.

Figure 3 shows a close-up of the opening 18 and the lockable flap 26. In the particular arrangement shown, a surface 34 is provided in the vicinity of the opening 18 for extinguishing the cigarette butts prior to their insertion through the opening 18. As the surface 34 is within the rim 32, it is also covered by the lockable flap 26 when the flap 26 is brought to its closed condition. As there may be ash left on the surface 34 from butts which have been extinguished on the surface 34, it is advantageous for the surface 34 to be covered in this way to prevent any such ash from soiling surrounding items, for example the user's clothes or the user's handbag, when brought into contact with the package 10. The surface 34 is made of a heat-resistant material such as a thin layer of metal.

With reference to Figure 4, there is shown an upper perspective view of the package 10 looking down into the space 16 which houses the plurality of cigarettes and the expandable container 14. The top view of Figure 5 shows that the expandable container 14 is in the form of a bag 36 attached to an inside surface of the front wall 25 of the box 12. The container 14 is arranged so that, when it is empty it lies collapsed against the front wall 25 so that, at the time of sale (and prior to use), a maximum proportion of the space 16 within the package 10 may be occupied by unused cigarettes. As each cigarette is smoked and the remaining cigarette butt is inserted into the container 14 through the opening 18, the container 14 expands into a part of the space 16 which has been vacated as a result of the cigarette being removed from the package 10. The expandable container 14 is made of heat-resistant material, such as foil, so as to be capable of containing cigarette butts, even if they are not yet extinguished at the time of being inserted into the container 14, or if they are still hot from being extinguished.

Figure 6 shows a side/lower perspective view of the package 10 wherein the lid 20 is closed, and the lockable flap 26 is nearing its closed condition.

Alternative examples of packages 10 are shown in Figures 7a to 7c. Figure 7a shows a diagrammatic sectional view of a wall 38 of a package 10, and shows how an expandable container 14 is adapted to be in sealed relationship with an opening 18 in the wall 38. More particularly, the opening 18 is set into a fixture 40 which is held in place in an aperture 42 in the wall 38. The expandable container 14 is in the form of a bag 36 formed integrally to the fixture 40. A closure is provided in the form of a cover 44 pivotably mounted to the fixture 40 such that it is able to be pivoted about an axis 46 between a closed condition and an open condition. Advantageously, when compared to the example package shown in Figures 1 to 6, the example shown in Figure 7 has the benefit that the cover 44 is able to be moved between its closed condition and its open condition without moving beyond its own plane.

Figure 7b shows a rear view of an example of a package wherein a pivotable cover 44 as described in the previous paragraph is located in a rear wall 48 of the package 10. Figure 7c shows yet a further alternative example wherein a pivotable cover 44, as described in the previous paragraph, is located in a side wall 50 of the package 10. In each case, an expandable container (not shown) is provided in communication with the opening 18 in a manner similar or identical to that shown in Figure 7a.

The above packages have been described by way of example only and modifications are possible within the scope of the invention. For example, although the box 12 is described as being made of cardboard, in alternative examples it may be made from other materials.

Advantageously, examples of the present invention provide a cigarette package which eliminates an excuse to drop cigarette butts on the ground by providing a convenient sealable container for disposing the butts. The sealable container eliminates unpleasant/unacceptable odour from the butts contained within by virtue of the airtight or substantially airtight seal. The seal also serves to eliminate or at least reduce fire hazard from burning butts within the container by starving the interior of the container from oxygen.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. A package having a section defining a space for housing a plurality of cigarettes, wherein the section also houses an expandable container for containing cigarette butts, the container having a closure operable between an open condition which allows insertion of the cigarette butts into the container through an opening and a closed condition in which the container is sealed to be substantially airtight, wherein the container expands into the space in response to the insertion of the cigarette butts.

2. A package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container is adapted such that, when a cigarette butt is inserted into the container, the container expands into a part of the space vacated as a result of the corresponding cigarette being removed from the package.

3. A package as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the opening is accessible from outside the package.

4. A package as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the package has a flip- top lid for accessing cigarettes from the package, and the opening is able to be opened and closed independently of the flip-top lid.

5. A package as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the closure is in the form of a lockable flap which covers the opening when in the closed condition.

6. A package as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a surface is provided in the vicinity of the opening for extinguishing the cigarette butts prior to their insertion through the opening.

7. A package as claimed in claim 6 when dependent on claim 5, wherein, in the closed condition, the lockable flap covers the extinguishing surface.

8. A package as claimed in claim 5, or claim 6 or 1 when dependent on claim 5, wherein , in its closed condition the lockable flap forms an airtight or substantially airtight seal over the opening.

9. A package as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the container is made of foil.