Patent Application
20110107878
Users of smokeless tobacco have developed a technique for removing the caps of pry-off bottle caps using the lid and container portion of tobacco tins. Though employed by a number of smokeless-tobacco users, this technique is difficult to learn and use.
In one aspect, a tobacco tin includes: a container portion including a main body and a hook member; and a lid including a major portion and an engagement member; wherein the hook member extends outwardly towards the lid, and the engagement member extends outwardly towards the container portion.
In another aspect, a tobacco tin includes: a container portion; a lid including a top surface; and a bottle opener embedded in the top surface of the lid.
Example embodiments described herein relate to tobacco tins with bottle openers that can be used to open bottles with pry-off caps, such as beer bottles or soda bottles.
Referring to
In one embodiment, the tobacco tin 2 includes a container portion 4 and a lid 6. The lid 6 is sized to fit over the container portion 4 so that the lid 6 is removably attachable to the container portion 4. The lid 6 fits snugly over the container portion 4 to prevent accidental removal of the lid 6. Tobacco or other similar products can be stored within the interior of the tobacco tin 2. The lid 6 can be removed to access the tobacco.
Container portion 4 includes a main body 8 and a hook member 10. The hook member 10 extends outwardly from the main body 8 in such a way that the outermost point of the hook member 10 is extending towards the lid 6 when the lid 6 and the container portion 4 are attached.
In one embodiment, hook member 10 can be used to engage the underside surface of a pry-off bottle cap attached to a bottle. In this way, hook member 10 provides a way to pry such a cap off the bottle, as described further below.
Lid 6 includes a major portion 12 and an engagement member 14. Engagement member 14 extends outwardly from the major portion 12 in such a way that the outermost point of the engagement member 14 is extending towards the container portion 4 when the lid 6 and the container portion 4 are attached.
In one example, lid 6 and main body 8 are keyed so that when lid 6 is coupled to main body 8, the engagement member 14 is positioned over the hook member 10. In another unkeyed example, the user can simply spin lid 6 so that the engagement member 14 is positioned over the hook member 10. In yet another embodiment, the engagement member 14 and/or the hook member 10 are formed all along the peripheries of lid 6 and main body 8. Other configurations are possible.
In one embodiment, engagement member 14 can be used to engage the top surface of a pry-off bottle cap attached to a bottle. In this way, engagement member 14 provides stabilization and pressure onto the bottle cap while the hook member 10 pries off the cap off the bottle.
Referring now to
The tobacco tin 2 described above can be any of a variety of sizes so long as the hook member 10 and the engagement member 14 can be used to remove a pry-off bottle cap.
The embodiment described above is just one of many embodiments contemplated. Other variations are also contemplated. For instance, both the hook member 10 and the engagement member 14 may be part of the lid 6 of the tobacco tin 2. Conversely, both the hook member 10 and the engagement member 14 may be part of the container portion 4.
In still further embodiments, a bottle opener may be embedded in the top surface of the lid 6 or the bottom surface of the container portion 4. For example, as shown in
For example, another embodiment of a tobacco tin 200 is shown in
Referring now to
The various embodiments described above are provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed to be limiting. Various modifications and changes may be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the true spirit and scope of the disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61260545 | Nov 2009 | US |
