The present invention relates generally to a substantially airtight child resistant case for storing and preserving the freshness of elongated rod shaped articles such as cigarettes. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a package including a child resistant latching closure, sealing construction and compartmentalized interior for storing elongated products.
The term cigarette, originally a French term for small cigar, is now most commonly used to refer to a tobacco cigarette. As used herein, however, the term encompasses other structurally similar products, i.e., those with a paper or leaf wrapping containing processed leaf and other substances such as tobacco or cannabis (colloquially referred to as “joints”). Cigarettes may be machine rolled or hand rolled usually using paper or whole-leaf tobacco. Tobacco wrapped in whole leaf tobacco is typically referred to as a cigar and if the product is modified to include cannabis it is colloquially referred to as a “blunt.” Regardless of the composition and wrapping, cigarettes are similar in that they have an elongated substantially cylindrical rod shape that is not designed to withstand significant bending or crushing forces. Accordingly there is a need to package cigarettes in containers that reduce bending or crushing forces. Machine rolled cigarettes are typically uniform in size and shape and are often packaged in a way that relies on adjacent cigarettes to provide structural in the package. Hand rolled and other non-uniform products cannot be as tightly packaged.
In some locations, the states of Colorado and Washington, for example, retail (non-medical) sale of marijuana products is permitted. Product is sold in a variety of forms including “joints” and “blunts,” which, as noted above, are forms of cigarette as used herein. With such products, there may be additional packaging concerns beyond structural integrity of the products. Providing a substantially airtight packaging helps preserve freshness. Also, child resistant packaging is beneficial and, in some instances, mandated by law. In Colorado, for example, child-resistant packaging is required for both recreational and medical cannabis products.
Various multiple-compartment cigarette packaging techniques are known in the prior art. Typically, such prior art packages and containers are box-shaped, made of a paper, cardstock or metallic material and contain a hinge associated with each of one or more lids. The compartments are typically sealed as a single package or are individually sealed to preserve freshness, but the seal is often a one-time seal that is destroyed when opened. U.S. Pat. No. 2,283,856 to Hoenig; U.S. Pat. No. 2,983,424 to Glass; U.S. Pat. No. 3,226,010 to Rogers; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,903 to Focke et al. disclose multi-compartment, individually sealed packages for containing more than one group, brand or type of cigarette. U.S. Pat. No. 2,983,424 to Glass and U.S. Pat. No. 3,226,010 to Rogers show two-compartment, dual-lid cigarette packages with the separate lids and hinges on the same side of the package. U.S. Pat. No. 2,163,828 to Chalmers and U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,126 to Barnard disclose two-compartment cigarette packages with a single hinged lid covering both openings on the same side of the package. U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,412 to White and U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,903 illustrate a rectangular, two-compartment cigarette package with hinged lids on opposite sides of the package. U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,444 to Bray et al., which discloses a typical hinged-lid, box-shaped container that is made from a “rigid card material.” Further examples of cigarette or tobacco packages made of a paper or cardstock material are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,496,474; 2,960,264; 5,044,550; and 5,097,948. Other materials, such as metals, woods and plastic, have also been suggested for use in multi-compartment containers for making crushproof and freshness-preserving cigarette containers. U.S. Pat. No. 2,867,369 to Cernera and U.S. Pat. No. 3,223,275 to Rice, Jr. disclose cigarette containers that may be made of various materials, such as plastic, wood, metal and cardboard. U.S. Pat. No. 7,124,883 to Thomas et al. discloses a package or container for holding two or more types or brands of smoking articles, such as cigarettes, having a generally rectangular shape with two openings on opposite sides of the container and a method of making the same is disclosed. The container has two lids, a body, and a separation member that divides the container into two or more compartments. U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,903 to Focke et al. discloses “trough-like recesses” for reducing movement of individual cigarettes and providing structural support. U.S. Pat. No. 2,491,617 describes a case in which each cigarette is held under slight spring pressure applied longitudinally to an end thereof and is partially ejected from the case when a movable band containing an opening is moved into alignment with a particular cigarette.
A container comprising a case body portion and case lid portion, a sealing structure and latching and or locking structures. The case body portion has an open box rectangular cuboid configuration and a continuous sealing surface provided on the interior of the case portion. A case lid portion is pivotally mounted in the case body portion. The case lid portion has a continuous sealing surface and includes a first storage chamber separated into at least three compartments. Latching and or locking components are provided on the case body portion and case lid portion so that the components can be moved from a latching position to a release position. The respective sealing surface of the case lid portion is substantially complementary to the sealing surface of the case body portion, but dimensioned to provide a seal space between the case body portion and the case lid portion.
A continuous elastomeric seal is provided in the seal space between the complementary sealing surfaces. The seal is configured to be compressed along the entire sealing length of the sealing surface when the case lid portion is pivoted into the latched position. The compressed elastomeric seal provides a spring force that retains the latch in the latched position and a spring force that is resolved into sealing vectors perpendicular to the sealing surface along the entire length of the sealing surface to ensure a seal along the sealing surface. In particular, parallel side walls connecting the front wall and back wall of the case lid portion have an inclined upper edge and a sealing surface defined at the upper edge and the inclined upper edge and sealing surface extends at an acute angle of inclination relative to the straight back edge and wherein the upper edge and sealing surface extend at a complementary obtuse angle of inclination relative to the straight front edge such that a portion of a sealing force applied in a direction perpendicular to the back wall is resolved into a sealing vector that is perpendicular to the inclined upper edge. The continuous sealing surface preferably extends at an angle of between 30° and 60° from one edge of the side wall toward the opposite edge of the side wall.
In the context of providing a substantially airtight child resistant case for storing and preserving the freshness of elongated rod shaped articles such as cigarettes, cigarette substitutes, vaporizers and e-cigarettes other advantageous features are described. For example, the continuous sealing surface extends along a portion of the side walls is between 30-70% of the length of the side walls to accommodate a stable yet accessible first storage chamber construction. The continuous sealing surface extends at an angle of between 30° and 60° from one edge of the side wall toward the opposite edge of the side wall to optimize the balance between sealing vector and case dimensions. Likewise, the pivot openings in the side walls are preferably provided at a location that is substantially equidistant from the front wall, the back wall and the bottom wall. The front wall of the case lid portion has height that is in the range of 30-70% of the height of the back wall and the case lid portion has height that is less than 50% of the height of the back wall to balance support and accessibility.
A pivot restriction detent may be provided on the partially cylindrical bottom wall of the case lid portion to restrict the range of pivoting from the closed position. The pivot restriction detent preferably restricts the range of pivoting from the closed position to an open position that is between 15°-30° from the closed position.
The body latch portion may be configured as an integral portion of each of the two parallel side walls that is spaced from the back, top and bottom side walls so that the body latch portions may be flexed inward by application of release force to move the body latch portion to the release position and wherein the elasticity of the side walls moves the latch portions toward the latched position when the release force is removed. The body latch portion may also be configured as an integral portion of the top wall spaced from the back and side walls so that the body latch portion may be flexed down by application of release force to move the body latch portion to the release position. The elasticity of the top wall moves the latch portion toward the latched position when the release force is removed. In addition, a closure detent may be provided to inhibit movement of the lid from the closed position to an open position so that a user must apply a moderate force to move the lid past the detent.
The case may include an integral locking pin construction having a knob portion having a locking pin extending therefrom through a hole in the case body portion and a plurality of elastic ligaments extending from the knob to the case body portion. The ligaments are configured to provide elasticity sufficient to permit displacement of the locking pin from a locking position to a release position, as well as to maintain a locked position when no forces are applied.
As noted, the embodiments described herein provide a substantially airtight enclosure for storing and preserving the freshness of elongated rod shaped product such as cigarettes, cigarette substitutes and the like. There is also a need, on occasion, to store partially smoked product. Storing a partially smoked cigarette in the same airtight enclosure as the fresh product may negatively impact the fresh product due to odor of partially smoked product.
In another embodiment of the invention, a separate storage space (second storage chamber) is provided in the case to allow for storage of partially used product in a compartment that is isolated from the compartment storing fresh product. An embodiment includes an elongated chamber provided at the bottom of the case. The elongated chamber includes four elongated walls and a chamber bottom wall that define a rectangular tube integrally formed with the remainder of the case such that one of the four elongated walls is an extension of the back wall of the case, the chamber bottom wall is an extension of one of the side walls, another of the four elongated walls is the case bottom and another of the four elongated walls is opposite the case bottom wall and serves as a pivot restriction wall to prevent the case lid portion from opening beyond a position that is about 90° from the closed position. The pivot restriction wall is braced by the other elongated walls and chamber bottom wall to resist deflection of the pivot restriction wall. Alternative shapes for the elongated separate storage space (chamber) are possible. Alternative shapes could include a circular or partially circular shape where the elongated wall may be a single cylindrical wall or a partially cylindrical wall with a flat wall.
The elongated rectangular tube chamber formed by the four elongated walls and chamber bottom wall has an open end opposite the chamber bottom wall to provide an open end of the rectangular tube chamber. Product, including partially smoked product, can be inserted into the rectangular tube chamber for storage that is entirely isolated from the first (primary) airtight enclosure of the case. The embodiment further includes an elastomeric cap for closing the open end of the rectangular tube chamber to provide a substantially airtight enclosure of the rectangular tube chamber. Thus, this embodiment includes a primary airtight enclosure and a secondary airtight enclosure that is isolated from the primary airtight enclosure.
Other embodiments include providing the secondary airtight enclosure by extending one of the five internal chambers depicted and including a lid to provide the second airtight enclosure within the main compartment. The second airtight enclosure could also be provided as a rectangular tube on the side of the case.
While the case shown is a “five pack” with five chambers, other sizes are possible such as a three pack or solo (one) pack.
In some embodiments, it is advantageous to add a top “lip” structure to aide users in pulling the lid open once they are squeezing the two tabs. The user presses both tabs at the same time, and then pulls the top lip to release the lid and open the case. This structure is preferable to an arrangement with a upper locking tab that requires the user to squeeze side tabs and push a front locking tab IN to open. In the structure shown, the user need not push the top tab IN, but instead uses the finger tab to add some leverage and a point of reference to open the lid once the sides are squeezed.
An embodiment of the elastomeric cap used to close the open end of the rectangular tube chamber is formed of a material that is different, more elastomeric, than the case material. The elasticity and shape of the cap allow the cap to be compressed into the open end of the rectangular tube chamber to ensure a substantially airtight enclosure. When, as in this embodiment, the cap is formed of a different material than the case wall it is preferable to secure the elastomeric cap to the case. To this end, the elastomeric cap is provided with an elastomeric tail that extends from a corner of the cap. The elastomeric tail has an expanded end shaped such that the end can be compressed into an opening in the, but not easily removed. The expanded end is in the form of a plug that has a shape that compresses into an opening and then expands to resist retraction from the opening. In other embodiments, the secondary chamber is provided along the top edge of the case and/or along a side edge of the case.
The first storage chamber of the case lid portion is airtight except at the opening that defines the sealing surface. A plurality of divider walls separate the chamber into at least three discrete compartments each having a length, width and depth to hold elongated product. The depth is preferable at least three times length or width of the chamber. An extended divider wall may be provided to define an extended compartment and an integral lid may be connected to the extended compartment by a living hinge. The seal is secured to the case body portion and pressed into contact with the case lid portion when the case lid portion is moved into the latched position. The seal preferably comprises an extrusion of compressible material that is a closed shape substantially polygonal shape.
In the closed position, the case is preferably substantially hermetically sealed to substantially limit airflow and provide a substantially airtight environment for preserving the freshness of stored product. While complete hermetic sealing may not be achievable, the use of a continuous compressed elastomer and or magnetic seal provides an enclosure that is water resistant, splash proof, airflow resistant to be dust tight. Water resistant as used here generally corresponds to water resistance at 3 atm, i.e., suitable for everyday use, splash/rain resistant, but not necessarily suitable for extended immersion in water or water shower. Dust tight means dust above a certain physical size cannot get in and splash proof generally means that the product could be handled and used in rainy weather for an extended period. To retain the case in the closed position a latch or similar closure is provided. In the case shown in
To substantially limit airflow and provide a substantially airtight environment in the case shown in
More specifically, the elastomer of the seal 30 is compressed as the case lid portion 10 is latched to the case body portion. Once latched, the elastomer remains in a somewhat compressed state and exerts a force along the entire perimeter of the adjacent sealing surfaces. An opposing force presses the latch 23 and lip 17 against one another to retain the latch in the closed position. Because the angled edges of the adjacent sealing surfaces (angle a), the return force of the compressed elastomer resolves into a sealing vector (a force pressing the elastomer into the adjacent sealing surface) along the entire closed three dimensional polygonal path of the seal. An additional latching force may be obtained if the top of the case is elastomeric or elastic enough that the latch 23 must be depressed to move the lip into the latching position. The “spring back” force of the top of the case will push the lip and the latch into engagement and vectors of the opposing force will resolve to sealing vectors to ensure a tighter seal. Thus, the case functions as a reusable substantially airtight child resistant cigarette container with a plurality of elongated compartments for containing individual cigarettes.
To optimize the size of the compartments 13, the front wall 18 that is smaller than back wall 16. Providing a front wall that is between 30-70% of the dimension of the back wall has been found to support cigarettes sufficiently without impeded the ability to retrieve the cigarette from the compartment. A compartment that is too short does not support items sufficiently (unless the pivot range is sufficiently limited) and a compartment that is too long can make it difficult to retrieve product. When the pivoting angle is limited (as by detent 15) a shorter wall (less than 50%) offers advantages such as ease of access. In addition, it is important to provide enough room to accommodate an angled sealing surface on the enclosure side walls. A longer sealing surface results from a more sharply angled side wall edge (meaning the complementary angle between the side wall sealing surface and the back wall sealing surface is greater) results in resolution of a greater sealing vector and better sealing.
For this reason, the parallel side walls 19 connecting the front 18 and back 16 case surfaces should have an upper edge/sealing surface that extends at an angle a to allow sufficient sealing pressure—extending at an angle) (30°-60° preferable 45° degrees. The back wall 16, front wall 18 and angled edges of the side walls 19 provide a sealing surface that is substantially complementary to the sealing surface of the case portion, but dimensioned to provide a seal space between the case body portion 20 and the case lid portion 10.
The bottom edge 11 has a shape that allows pivoting of the case lid within the case portion about a pivot pin/axle 25 located near the bottom of the case lid. The surface is preferably partial cylindrical and the pivot point 25 is located at a location that is equidistant from the front, back and bottom surfaces of the side walls. A round projection from the case lid portion 10 that extends into a complementary hole in the case body portion 20 may define the pivot point 25. As best shown in
A latch lip portion 17 that cooperatively engages latch portion 23 on case body portion to secure the case lid portion 10 in a closed position in which the elastomeric seal 30 is compressed to provide both sealing force vectors and latch closure vectors.
A continuous sealing surface 29 is provided on the interior of the case body portion 20. As shown, the continuous sealing surface 29 extends along the distal edge of the top wall 26, further extends along a portion of the side walls 22 and then extends at an angle a from one edge of the side wall 22 toward the opposite edge of the side wall and then across the back surface 21. The case body portion 20 further comprising a pivot opening 25 provided in each of the parallel side walls, the pivot openings 25 provided in the parallel side walls are being coaxial with one another and configured to receive the pivot pins of the case lid portion 10.
At least one body latch portion 23 is provided on the case body portion 20 and configured to engage a complementary lid latch portion 17. The body latch portion is located on a portion of the case body that can be moved from a latching position to a release position. In
To provide additional resistance to initial movement from the latched position, aligned bumps or supplemental detents
As an alternative to forming the case from a distinct case body portion and case lid portion may be formed as a single piece with the lid portion 110 and body portion 120 connected by a living hinge 125, i.e., a thin flexible hinge made from the same more rigid body and lid portions. Examples of such one-piece constructions are show in
The containers and case components described herein are preferably formed of a bio-degradable material such as a biopolymer that is both suitable for injection molding and has the requisite elasticity. Exemplary organic plastics or bioplastics include the following biopolymers Polyhydroxy alkanoates (PHB), Polyhydroxy fatty acids (PHF) and biopolymers from renewable resources, biodegradable, of plant origin such as derivates from starch, cellulose blend and lignin basis. Other materials may be used so long as they meet the functional requirements discussed herein.
An additional latching force may be obtained if the top of the case is elastomeric or elastic enough that the latch 23 must be depressed to move the lip into the latching position. The “spring back” force of the walls (side/top) of the case will push the lip and the latch into engagement and vectors of the opposing force will resolve to sealing vectors to ensure a tighter seal. Thus, the case functions as a reusable substantially airtight child resistant cigarette container with a plurality of elongated compartments for containing individual cigarettes.
The elongated rectangular tube chamber 313 formed by the four elongated walls and chamber bottom wall has an open end opposite the chamber bottom wall to provide an open end of the rectangular tube chamber. Product, including partially smoked product, can be inserted into the rectangular tube chamber for storage that is entirely isolated from the first (primary) airtight enclosure of the case. The embodiment further includes an elastomeric cap 316 for closing the open end of the rectangular tube chamber to provide a substantially airtight enclosure of the rectangular tube chamber. Thus, this embodiment includes a primary airtight enclosure and a secondary airtight enclosure that is isolated from the primary airtight enclosure.
Other embodiments include providing the secondary airtight enclosure by extending one of the five internal chambers, as shown in
While the case shown is a “five pack” with five chambers, other sizes are possible such as a three pack or a solo (one) pack.
An embodiment of the elastomeric cap 316 is shown in
The foregoing disclosure of the preferred embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many variations and modifications of the embodiments described herein will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the above disclosure. The scope of the invention is to be defined only by the claims appended hereto, and by their equivalents.
This application is a continuation-in-part of and claims the benefit of application Ser. No. 15/175,985 filed 7 Jun. 2016.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 15175985 | Jun 2016 | US |
Child | 16206081 | US |