Description

The present invention relates to a container for tobacco products, preferably smokeless products and most preferably snus.

Current packaging for tobacco products such as snus and snuff comprises a container formed from a base and a lid. It is important that the contact between the lid and the base is sufficiently close so that the container remains substantially airtight so that the tobacco products retain their freshness.

A problem with conventional containers is that the contact between the lid and the base is not sufficiently close and so the contents degrade over time. Although the contact between the base and the lid may initially be sufficiently close, the contact or seal may become worn or damaged after repeated removal and replacement of the lid. It is therefore desirable to provide a container in which the tightness of the lid and base is maintained despite repeated opening of the container.

It is also known from WO 2005/016036 Al and WO 2006/096117 to provide a container for holding fresh snus with a separate compartment for temporarily receiving consumed snus. The cover may either be connected to the lid via a hinge or, be clipped onto the cover so that it is completely removable to gain access to the disposal compartment.

In containers having a separate disposal compartment, it is also desirable to maintain close contact between the cover and the lid so as to fully enclose the used snus and prevent odour or used snus from escaping from the disposal compartment. However, the contact or seal between the cover and the lid often becomes worn or damaged during repeated removal or opening of the cover.

The present invention seeks to provide a container for snus that overcomes or substantially alleviates the problems mentioned above. According to the invention, there is provided a container comprising two portions that together define a resealable compartment for holding snus, wherein the two portions are attachable to each other by non-permanent reusable adhesive to close said compartment.

Preferably, at least a region of a surface of one portion includes a layer of re-usable adhesive to allow the other portion to be resealably adhered to the other portion.

In one embodiment, one portion is flexible to enable it to be peeled from the other portion.

In an alternative embodiment, both portions are substantially rigid.

Preferably, a flexible film is disposed between the two portions and is releasably attached to one of said portions using said adhesive.

In one embodiment, the two portions comprise a base and a lid together defining a compartment for fresh snus.

In an alternative embodiment, the two portions comprise a lid and a cover defining a compartment for used snus, the container further comprises a base to which the lid is releasably attached.

The base and the lid may also be attachable to each other by a re-usable non- permanent adhesive.

In one embodiment, the base comprises a bottom and a peripheral wall with an inner surface which is lined with a plastic component extending beyond said wall.

Conveniently, the lid is retained on the base by the lid frictionally engaging with the extending part of the plastic component. In one embodiment, the two portions comprise a lid and a base defining a compartment for storing fresh snus, the container further comprises a cover- attachable to the lid to cover a second compartment for storing used snus.

Preferably, the cover is attachable to the lid by re-usable adhesive.

Conveniently, the lid comprises a central recess defining the second compartment for used snus.

In one embodiment, the central recess is encircled by lip to which the cover is releasably attached by a re-usable non-permanent adhesive.

The lip may be recessed, having a depth less than that of said central recess and configured to receive the cover flush with the surface of the lid.

In one embodiment, the second compartment comprises a plurality of compartments.

Conveniently, the cover comprises a plurality of corresponding portions so as to cover the plurality of compartments in the secondary storage space.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a snus container according to the present invention;

Figure 2 shows an exploded view of the three components of the snus container of

Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 shows the container of Figure 1 and 2 wherein a cover is partially detached from a lid to reveal a second compartment.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in Figures 1 and 2 a container 1 comprising a housing 2, a lid 3 and a cover 4. The housing 2 and the lid 3 define a main storage space 5 for holding fresh snus. The lid 3 and the cover 4 define a secondary storage space 6 for holding consumed snus.

The housing 2 comprises a base 7 having a bottom 8 and a side wall 9 which circumferentially extends upwards from the bottom 8, a plastic component or ring 10 which is provided within the base 7 and aligned with the side wall 9 of the base 7 so that the outer diameter of the ring 10 is equal to the inner diameter of the side wall 9 of the base. The ring 10 is designed to extend beyond the height of the side wall 9 of the base for reasons described below. In one embodiment, the ring 10 may be integrally formed with the side wall 9.

The lid 3 includes a side wall 12 which depends downwardly from a top surface 11 of the lid 3. The thickness of the side wall 12 and the diameter of the top 11 are of similar dimensions as the side wall 9 and bottom 8, respectively, of the base 7. The container 1 is closed as the lid 3 receives the ring 10 so that the side wall 12 overlaps the ring 10 of the base 7, thereby closing the space 5 defined therein. It is envisaged that the base 7 and the lid 3 of the container are manufactured by pressed metal or plastic. The container may rely on friction between the lid 3 and the ring 10 to maintain the seal. However, in a preferred embodiment, a non-permanent adhesive is used that retains its stickiness through repeated separations of the lid 3 from the base 7.

Although the container of the invention may have only a single compartment, in another embodiment, the container has a separate disposal compartment formed in either the lid 3 or the base 7, which is closed by a cover 4. If the disposal compartment is formed in the lid 3, the top 11 of the lid 3 further comprises a central recess 14 providing said disposal compartment and an annular recessed lip 13 for receiving the cover as seen in Figure 2. The lip 13 is of a depth similar to the thickness of the cover 4 so that by positioning the cover 4 on the lip 13 a flush outer finish of the lid 3 is produced. The diameter of the cover 4 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the lip 13 so that the cover is only contacting the lip and forms a gap between an edge of the cover and the lid 3 to assist in the removal of the cover 4. When the cover 4 is placed on the recessed lip 13 a secondary storage space 6 for holding or storing consumed snus is defined by the central recess 14 and the cover 4.

Although the cover 4 can be secured to the lid 3 in different ways, in a preferred embodiment, the cover 4 is secured on the receiving recessed lip 13 by a non- permanent re-usable adhesive. The term "re-usable" is used in the sense that the cover 4 may be repeatedly opened and closed without the adhesive losing its stickiness. In one embodiment, cover 4 may flexible and be formed from a label or film so that it is peeled off as illustrated in Figure 3. Alternatively, the cover may be rigid so that it must be pulled off the lid. In another embodiment, the cover 4 may include flexible film in addition to a rigid portion extending over the flexible film.

Although the Ud preferably has a recessed lip 13 to receive the cover 4 flush on the lid 3, the cover 4 may also sit proud of the lid 3 and so the annular recess 13 is not essential.

As mentioned above, the disposal compartment may be formed in the base 7 instead of the lid 3.

If the disposal compartment is closed by a rigid cover 4, it may additionally have a flexible film or membrane positioned beneath it which is secured using a reusable adhesive and which is peeled back after opening the cover 4.

In another un-illustrated embodiment, a resealable adhesive film or label may be attached to the top of the base beneath the lid 3. The adhesive film may then be peeled off the base 7 after removing the lid 3. It is envisaged that the film may be re-usable or immediately disposed of as the first portion of snus is retrieved. It should be realised that the adhesive film can be provided on the top of the base holding fresh snus, irrespective of whether the container has a second disposal compartment. In an alternative embodiment, the disposal compartment may be divided into a plurality of compartments or spaces and so the cover may also be divided into corresponding portions or the cover may seal all compartments.

It will be appreciated that the container may assume a wide variety of shapes or that some components of the container will be shaped differently to the remaining components. For example, the cover may assume a different shape to the lid and the recessed lip providing that the horizontal dimensions of the cover fall within the boundaries of the lip. Alternatively, the outer boundaries of the lip may correspond to a non-circular cover.

The embodiments of the present invention in combination with the material used allows for the manufacturing costs to be reduced in comparison to containers where the cover is attached to the lid via a hinge. Moreover, the adhesive properties of the container provides advantages over containers comprising a cover clipped onto a second compartment of the lid as the adhesives maintain an improved seal as the cover is repeatedly detached. The described adhesive means closing a compartment holding fresh snus also prolongs the freshness of unused snus as the seal is more airtight than conventional containers.

The present invention therefore provides a snus container in which at least one of the base and lid or cover are coupled to each other with a reusable adhesive layer that retains its stickiness despite repeated opening and closing of the container and/or the disposal compartment.

Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations may be made to the above exemplary embodiments that lie within the scope of the invention, as defined in the following claims.