US20050051443A1

US20050051443A1 - Cigarette box having a lid that can be torn to form an opening for drawing out a cigarette stick

Info

Publication number: US20050051443A1
Application number: US10/656,820
Authority: US
Inventors: Yao-Chang Lin
Original assignee: Bechtel BWXT Idaho LLC
Current assignee: Bechtel BWXT Idaho LLC
Priority date: 2003-09-04
Filing date: 2003-09-04
Publication date: 2005-03-10
Also published as: GB2406558A; GB0322977D0

Abstract

A cigarette box includes a box body, a flip-top lid, and a cover. The box body is adapted to receive cigarette sticks therein. The lid is connected pivotally to the box body, and has a top portion formed with an opening that has a size sufficient to permit removal of no more than one of the cigarette sticks from the box body. The cover has a size corresponding to that of the opening, and has a peripheral edge that includes at least one tearable section connected to the top portion of the lid by a weakened seam such that the cover can be torn from the lid at the weakened seam to uncover the opening.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cigarette box, more particularly to a cigarette box having a lid that can be torn to form an opening for drawing out a cigarette stick.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional cigarette box 10 is shown to include a box body 11 and a flip-flop lid 12. The cigarette box 10 receives cigarette sticks 100 therein. The lid 12 is connected pivotally to the box body 11, and can be operated to cover and uncover an open top of the box body 11. When the lid 12 uncovers the box body 11, a cigarette stick 100 can be drawn out of the cigarette box 10 by handling a filter tip 101 of the cigarette stick 100.
The conventional cigarette box 10 is disadvantageous in that it is difficult to draw out a single cigarette stick 100 from the box body 11 when the cigarette sticks 100 are closely packed in the box body 11. While the cigarette box 10 maybe shaken so as to facilitate removal of the cigarette sticks 100, a bunch of the cigarette sticks 100 may fall out of the box body 11 during shaking. Moreover, when drawing out a cigarette stick 100 from the box body 11, the fingers of the user will come into contact with the filter tips 101 of the adjacent cigarette sticks 100. Thus, the filter tips 101 of the cigarette sticks 100 in the box body 11 are easily contaminated in this way. Accordingly, there is a need to provide a cigarette box that facilitates drawing of cigarette sticks therefrom in a hygienic manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a cigarette box that can overcome the aforesaid drawbacks associated with the prior art.
According to the present invention, a cigarette box comprises a box body, a flip-top lid, and a cover. The box body is adapted to receive cigarette sticks therein. The lid is connected pivotally to the box body, and has a top portion formed with an opening that has a size sufficient to permit removal of no more than one of the cigarette sticks from the box body. The cover has a size corresponding to that of the opening, and has a peripheral edge that includes at least one tearable section connected to the top portion of the lid by a weakened seam such that the cover can be torn from the lid at the weakened seam to uncover the opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view to illustrate how cigarette sticks are drawn out of a conventional cigarette box;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of a cigarette box according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary schematic top view of the first preferred embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the first preferred embodiment, taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view to illustrate how a cigarette stick can be drawn out of the cigarette box of the first preferred embodiment;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the second preferred embodiment of a cigarette box according to the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary schematic top view of the second preferred embodiment;
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of the second preferred embodiment, taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view to illustrate how a cigarette stick can be drawn out of the cigarette box of the second preferred embodiment;
FIG. 10 is a fragmentary schematic top view of the third preferred embodiment of a cigarette box according to the present invention;
FIG. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of the third preferred embodiment, illustrating how a cover can be torn from a flip-top lid of the cigarette box;
FIG. 12 is a fragmentary schematic top view of the fourth preferred embodiment of a cigarette box according to the present invention;
FIG. 13 is a fragmentary perspective view of the fourth preferred embodiment, illustrating how a cover can be torn from a flip-top lid of the cigarette box;
FIG. 14 is a fragmentary schematic top view of the fifth preferred embodiment of a cigarette box according to the present invention;
FIG. 15 is a fragmentary schematic top view of the sixth preferred embodiment of a cigarette box according to the present invention;
FIG. 16 is a perspective view to illustrate how a cigarette stick can be drawn out of the cigarette box according to either of the fifth or sixth preferred embodiments;
FIG. 17 is a fragmentary schematic top view of the seventh preferred embodiment of a cigarette box according to the present invention;
FIG. 18 is a fragmentary schematic top view of the eighth preferred embodiment of a cigarette box according to the present invention; and
FIG. 19 is a perspective view to illustrate how a cigarette stick can be drawn out of the cigarette box according to either of the seventh or eighth preferred embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.
Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, the first preferred embodiment of a cigarette box 20 according to the present invention is shown to include a box body 21, a flip-top lid 22, and a cover 30. The box body 21 is adapted to receive cigarette sticks 100 therein. The lid 22 is connected pivotally to the box body 21 in a conventional manner, and has a top wall or portion 24 formed with a generally circular opening 23 that is closed by the cover 30 and that has a size sufficient to permit removal of no more than one of the cigarette sticks 100 from the box body 21, as best shown in FIG. 3.
In this embodiment, the cover 30 has a size corresponding to that of the opening 23, and has a peripheral edge that includes a linear connecting section 32 connected foldably to the top portion 24 of the lid 22, an operating section 33 opposite to the connecting section 32, and a pair of tearable sections 31 extending between the connecting section 32 and the operating section 33. The tearable sections 31 are connected to the top portion 24 of the lid 22 by a respective weakened seam, such as a scored seam, such that the cover 30 can be torn from the lid 22 at the weakened seams to uncover the opening 23, as best shown in FIG. 5.
Preferably, the operating section 33 is disconnected from the top portion 24 of the lid 22, and has a length sufficient to facilitate operation thereof for lifting the cover 30 away from the top portion 24 of the lid 22 so as to tear the cover 30 from the lid 22 at the tearable sections 31. Moreover, the operating section 33 is preferably disposed adjacent to an edge of the top portion 24 so as to ensure adequate length allocation for the connecting section 32. In addition, the cover 30 is provided with indicia 34 to indicate position of the operating section 33.
As shown in FIG. 5, when it is desired to draw out a cigarette stick 100 from the cigarette box 20, the cover 30 is first torn from the lid 22 in the manner described beforehand. With the cover 30 lifted from the lid 22, the cigarette box 20 is then shaken so that the filter tip 101 of one of the cigarette sticks 100 in the cigarette box 20 extends out of the opening 23. Therefore, the cigarette stick 100 can be drawn out of the cigarette box 20 without requiring the user's fingers to touch the filter tips 101 of the other cigarette sticks 100 in the box body 21.
The shape of the cover of the cigarette box of this invention should not be limited to the generally circular shape of the first preferred embodiment. Referring to FIGS. 6 to 8, in the second preferred embodiment of this invention, the top portion 24 of the lid 22 is formed with a generally rectangular opening 23 that is closed by the cover 30. The cover 30 has a size corresponding to that of the opening 23, and has a peripheral edge that includes a linear connecting section 32 connected foldably to the top portion 24 of the lid 22 adjacent to a shorter edge of the latter, a linear operating section 33 opposite to the connecting section 32, and a pair of tearable sections 31 extending between the connecting section 32 and the operating section 33. The tearable sections 31 are connected to the top portion 24 of the lid 22 by a respective weakened seam, such as a scored seam, such that the cover 30 can be torn from the lid 22 at the weakened seams to uncover the opening 23, as best shown in FIG. 9. Like the previous embodiment, the operating section 33 is disconnected from the top portion 24 of the lid 22, and the cover 30 is provided with indicia 34 to indicate position of the operating section 33. The cigarette sticks 100 are drawn out of the cigarette box 20 in a manner similar to that described hereinabove in connection with the first preferred embodiment.
FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate the third preferred embodiment of this invention, which is a modification of the first preferred embodiment. Unlike the first preferred embodiment, the operating section 33 is formed by punching, thereby resulting in a slit 331 and an upward tab 332. Therefore, the user can use one of his fingernails to hook the cover 30 at the upward tab 332 so as to facilitate tearing of the cover 30.
FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate the fourth preferred embodiment of this invention, which is a modification of the second preferred embodiment. Like the embodiment of FIGS. 10 and 11, the operating section 33 is formed by punching, thereby resulting in a slit 331 and an upward tab 332, such that the user can use one of his fingernails to hook the cover 30 at the upward tab 332 so as to facilitate tearing of the cover 30.
FIG. 14 illustrates the fifth preferred embodiment of this invention, which is a modification of the first preferred embodiment. Unlike the first preferred embodiment, the peripheral edge of the cover 30 does not include a linear connecting section connected foldably to the lid 22. In other words, the peripheral edge of the cover 30 in this embodiment only includes an operating section 33 that is disconnected from the lid 22, and a tearable section 31 extending between opposite ends of the operating section 33 and connected to the lid 22 by a weakened seam, such as a scored seam.
FIG. 15 illustrates the sixth preferred embodiment of this invention, which is a modification of the fifth preferred embodiment. In this embodiment, the operating section 33 is formed by punching, thereby resulting in a slit 331 and an upward tab 332.
In either of the fifth or sixth preferred embodiments, the operating section 33 is operable to lift the cover 30 away from the lid 22 so as to tear the cover 30 from the lid 22 at the tearable section 31, and the cover 30 can be severed completely from the lid 22, as best shown in FIG. 16.
FIG. 17 illustrates the seventh preferred embodiment of this invention, which is a modification of the second preferred embodiment. Unlike the second preferred embodiment, the peripheral edge of the cover 30 does not include a linear connecting section connected foldably to the lid 22. In other words, like the embodiments of FIGS. 14 and 15, the peripheral edge of the cover 30 in this embodiment only includes a linear operating section 33 that is disconnected from the lid 22, and a U-shaped tearable section 31 extending between opposite ends of the operating section 33 and connected to the lid 22 by a weakened seam, such as a scored seam.
FIG. 18 illustrates the eighth preferred embodiment of this invention, which is a modification of the seventh preferred embodiment. In this embodiment, the operating section 33 is formed by punching, thereby resulting in a slit 331 and an upward tab 332.
In either of the seventh or eighth preferred embodiments, the operating section 33 is operable to lift the cover 30 away from the lid 22 so as to tear the cover 30 from the lid 22 at the tearable section 31, and the cover 30 can be severed completely from the lid 22, as best shown in FIG. 19.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

Claims

1. A cigarette box comprising:

a box body adapted to receive cigarette sticks therein;

a flip-top lid connected pivotally to said box body, said lid having a top portion formed with an opening, said opening having a size sufficient to permit removal of no more than one of the cigarette sticks from said box body; and

a cover having a size corresponding to that of said opening, said cover having a peripheral edge that includes at least one tearable section connected to said top portion of said lid by a weakened seam such that said cover can be torn from said lid at said weakened seam to uncover said opening.

2. The cigarette box as claimed in claim 1, wherein said peripheral edge of said cover includes a linear connecting section connected foldably to said top portion of said lid, an operating section opposite to said connecting section, and a pair of said tearable sections extending between said connecting section and said operating section,

said operating section being operable to lift said cover away from said top portion of said lid so as to tear said cover from said lid at said tearable sections.

3. The cigarette box as claimed in claim 2, wherein said operating section is disconnected from said top portion of said lid.

4. The cigarette box as claimed in claim 3, wherein said operating section is formed with an upward tab.

5. The cigarette box as claimed in claim 2, wherein said cover is provided with indicia to indicate position of said operating section.

6. The cigarette box as claimed in claim 1, wherein said peripheral edge of said cover further includes an operating section, said tearable section extending between opposite ends of said operating section, said operating section being operable to lift said cover away from said top portion of said lid so as to tear said cover from said lid at said tearable section.

7. The cigarette box as claimed in claim 6, wherein said operating section is disconnected from said top portion of said lid such that said cover can be severed completely from said lid when said cover is torn from said lid at said tearable section.

8. The cigarette box as claimed in claim 7, wherein said operating section is formed with an upward tab.

9. The cigarette box as claimed in claim 6, wherein said cover is provided with indicia to indicate position of said operating section.

10. The cigarette box as claimed in claim 1, wherein said weakened seam is a scored seam.

11. The cigarette box as claimed in claim 1, wherein said opening is generally circular.

12. The cigarette box as claimed in claim 1, wherein said opening is generally rectangular.