Cigarette tin with internal ramp

Abstract

A container for smoking articles is provided. The container includes a slidable lid with an abutment to limit its opening distance and a ramped internal surface to ease a user's access to smoking articles therein. The container may also include a tamper-resistant sealing member and an outer paperboard container.

1 . A package for packaging articles such as cigarettes, the package comprising:
 an inner package portion including
 a tray portion including a tray rear wall and four continuous tray side walls extending upward and generally perpendicular from the rear wall, wherein an upper edge of each of the tray side walls is rolled over to form a first rolled lip around an outer periphery of the tray walls; 
 a lid portion configured to engage the tray portion, the lid having a lid front wall with a front surface and a rear surface, and three continuous lid side walls extending generally perpendicular from the rear surface of the lid front wall, the lid side walls extending approximately perpendicularly downwardly from three edges of the lid front wall, wherein the lid side walls each include a second rolled lip that extends generally continuously along an inner periphery of the lid side walls, the second rolled lip configured to engage the first rolled lip of the tray portion; 
   the lid portion including an abutment protruding downwardly from the rear surface of the lid portion sufficient to engage a tray side wall of the body to restrain movement of the lid portion in one direction relative thereto; and   the tray portion including a ramped portion near one end, the ramped portion being generally continuous with the rear tray wall and extending therefrom in the same direction as and to a height about the same as that of the tray side walls.   
   
   
       2 . The package of  claim 1 , further comprising a band of polymeric material disposed about the inner package portion, wherein the band urges the tray portion and the lid portion together into a sealing contact. 
   
   
       3 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the lid includes an abutment protruding downwardly from a rear surface thereof such that, when the lid is slid to an open position, the abutment will contact a tray side wall. 
   
   
       4 . The package of  claim 1 , further comprising
 an outer paperboard package portion disposed about the inner package portion and including
 a rectangular parallelepiped box; 
 a polymeric overwrap film overwrapping the box; 
   five sides of the box forming substantial complete rectangular faces and a sixth side of the box including a hingedly connected panel, the panel being attached along a fold line and covering only a portion of either a front lid surface of the inner package portion or a rear surface of the inner package portion.   
   
   
       5 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein
 the tray rear wall is curved convexly along a length thereof on a rear side opposite the tray side walls, the tray side walls uniformly following the curve of the tray rear wall;   the lid is curved convexly along a length thereof on a side including the lid side walls, the lid side walls uniformly following the curve of the lid front wall such that the first and second rolled lips are also curved in a manner configured to provide for sliding engagement between the lip side walls and the tray side walls.   
   
   
       6 . The package of  claim 5 , further comprising a band of polymeric material disposed about the inner package portion, wherein the band urges the tray portion and the lid portion together into a sealing contact. 
   
   
       7 . The package of  claim 5 , wherein the lid includes an abutment protruding downwardly from a back surface thereof such that, when the lid is slid to an open position, the abutment will contact a tray side wall. 
   
   
       8 . The package of  claim 5 , further comprising
 an outer paperboard package portion disposed about the inner package portion and including
 a rectangular parallelepiped box; 
 a polymeric overwrap film overwrapping the box; 
   five sides of the box forming substantial complete rectangular faces and a sixth side of the box including a hingedly connected panel, the panel being attached along a fold line and covering only a portion of either a front lid surface of the package portion or a rear surface of the package portion.   
   
   
       9 . The package of  claim 5 , wherein the convexly curving rear wall and the concavely curving lid length each have a radius of curvature about 100 to about 800 millimeters. 
   
   
       10 . The package of  claim 5 , wherein the rear wall of the body and the lid length each have generally co-centric curved surfaces. 
   
   
       11 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the lid portion and the tray portion is formed from a material selected from a polymer and a metal alloy. 
   
   
       12 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the lid portion includes product differentiation indicia on a front surface. 
   
   
       13 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the ramp is formed from the same material as and is formed continuously with the tray portion. 
   
   
       14 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the ramp comprises a separate member that is attached to the tray. 
   
   
       15 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the ramp is stamped into the tray rear wall. 
   
   
       16 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the ramp is molded into the tray rear wall. 
   
   
       17 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the ramp includes a curved surface between the tray rear wall and a tray side wall. 
   
   
       18 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the ramp includes a generally planar surface between the tray rear wall and a tray side wall. 
   
   
       19 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the ramp is parallel with and substantially the same length as one of the tray side walls. 
   
   
       20 . A smoking article package comprising:
 an inner package portion including
 a tray portion including a rear wall and four continuous tray walls extending upward and generally perpendicular from the rear wall, wherein an upper edge of each of the tray walls is configured as a generally continuous first rolled lip around an outer periphery of the tray walls; 
 a lid portion configured to engage the tray portion, the lid having a front surface, a rear surface, and three continuous lid walls extending generally perpendicular from the rear surface, the lid walls extending approximately perpendicularly downwardly from three edges of the lid, wherein the lid walls each include a generally continuous second rolled lip that extends along an inner periphery of the lid walls, the second rolled lip configured to engage the first rolled lip of the tray portion; 
   the lid portion including an abutment protruding downwardly from the rear wall of the lid portion sufficient to engage a tray wall of the body to restrain movement of the lid portion in one direction relative thereto; and   the tray portion including a ramped portion near one end, the ramped portion being continuous with the rear wall and extending therefrom in the same direction as and to a height about the same as that of the tray walls, wherein a major surface of the ramped portion is curved to form a partial cylinder surface configured to aid user access to a smoking article;   wherein the rear wall is curved convexly along a length thereof on a rear side opposite the tray walls, wherein top and bottom tray walls uniformly follow the curve of the rear wall, and the lid is curved convexly along a length thereof on a side including the lid walls, top and bottom lid walls uniformly following the curve of the lid wall such that the first and second rolled lips are also curved in a manner configured to provide for sliding engagement between the lip walls and the tray walls; and   an outer paperboard package generally disposed about the inner package portion.