Tobacco Product Container

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to tobacco product containers.

BACKGROUND

A number of tobacco products are available to consumers. These tobacco products generally contain tobacco in chopped, particulate or pulverised form, sometimes with additional substances, such as an aroma or flavourant. Some of the tobacco products are intended for combustion, while others are intended for use without combustion. Combustible products include cigarettes, cigars, and loose tobacco for pipes or for making cigarettes. Products for use without combustion include "smokeless" tobacco products, such as chewing tobacco and snuff. Chewing tobacco is typically provided in moist form and may contain humectants. Snuff can be provided in moist or dry form. One style of snuff is called snus, which broadly encompasses tobacco treated in a pasteurisation-like reaction, during which flavourants and moisturisers such as water are blended with the tobacco. The mixture is subsequently heated. Often, portions of the treated and flavoured tobacco which make up the snus product are inserted into permeable wrappers

(pouches). In use, the snus, whether loose or in pouch form, is placed in the mouth, typically under the upper lip.

As tobacco products are derived from a natural, organic product, they can be prone to deteriorate with time, for example due to organisms naturally occurring in the tobacco and/or oxidation processes. In addition, moisture may evaporate from the product, and this drying out can lead to a loss of flavour. Another problem is that the product may absorb aromas from the external environment, which can have a detrimental effect on the taste and aroma of the tobacco product. Accordingly, tobacco products are typically provided to consumers in an airtight container. Moist snus products are particularly sensitive to microbial attack; they are therefore usually stored under refrigeration to reduce contamination and deterioration and to extend product lifetime.

It is sometimes desirable to offer tobacco products to consumers in bulk, re- sealeable form, since this can be more cost-effective and convenient for consumers. However, it is difficult to adopt this approach with all smokeless tobacco products, given the limited lifetime of some such products (even if refrigerated).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, one embodiment of the invention provides a container for a tobacco product such as snus. The container comprises a housing of substantially impermeable material. The container housing incorporates a one-way valve which prevents gas from entering into the container, but which permits gas to pass out of the container if the pressure within the container is higher than the pressure outside the container. The container is adapted to allow a user to raise the pressure within the container by reducing the volume within the container.

If the user raises the pressure within the container, air flows out of the container through the one-way valve. Consequently, the user can arrange for the container to have little or no air inside, thereby helping to preserve the freshness of the tobacco product contained therein. For example, lowering the amount of oxygen within the container helps to prevent oxidation, as well as making the environment less favourable for certain naturally occurring organisms that might otherwise degrade the tobacco product over time. In addition, the impermeable housing (which may include a metallic film as a barrier layer) and the one-way valve protect the tobacco product in the container from the ingress of outside contaminants, for example, unwanted aromas. Such a container can therefore help to increase the storage lifetime of the tobacco product in the container - i.e. the container increases the time over which a tobacco product housed within the container retains acceptable product characteristics such as flavour, moisture content, etc.

In one embodiment, the container housing is deformable, for example being made (at least in part) of a flexible plastic laminate. The container housing can therefore be squeezed to raise the pressure within the container. Another possibility is that a mechanical actuator is used to raise the pressure within the container (the mechanical actuator may drive a wall of the container housing). The mechanical actuator may include a screw arrangement for the user to operate the actuator.

In one embodiment, the container has an opening for removing the tobacco product from the container. The opening is re-sealable, for example using a magnetic

lock or a zip lock. Such a container can be used to house a bulk quantity of tobacco product. The tobacco product is removed from the container in small quantities as required by the user. The remaining tobacco product is then re-sealed in the container and any excess air in the container is removed, for example by squeezing the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings where like parts are provided with corresponding reference numerals and in which:

Figure 1 provides a schematic diagram of a container according to one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2A provides a schematic diagram of an open container according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2B provides a schematic diagram of a re-sealed container according to one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2C provides a schematic diagram of a re-sealed and compressed container according to one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 A provides a schematic diagram of a container according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3B provides a schematic diagram of the container of Figure 3 A after being (partly) emptied;

Figure 4A provides a schematic diagram of a mechanical one-way valve in a closed position; and Figure 4B provides a schematic diagram of a mechanical one-way valve in an open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figure 1 illustrates a tobacco product container in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The tobacco product container is particularly suited to housing portion snus, but can also be used for other tobacco products such as loose chewing tobacco. In one particular embodiment, the container volume is between 350 and 400 ml, thereby allowing the container to hold up to approximately

100 discreet pouches of snus (compared with 20 snus pouches for a typical known container).

The tobacco product container of Figure 1 comprises a deformable wall or housing 1 which includes a valve 2. The housing is substantially impermeable to air and vapours, both for flowing into the container and also for flowing out of the container. The impermeable nature of the housing 1 prevents the escape of moisture and flavourants from the product housed in the container. The impermeable nature of the housing 1 also prevents the entry of vapours into the housing (such vapours might otherwise be absorbed by, and hence contaminate, the product housed in the container).

In one embodiment, the deformable housing 1 is formed from a flexible laminate material such as polypropylene. The deformable housing material may also include a metallic film layer. The metallic film layer forms a barrier layer that is particularly effective at preventing the transmission of fluids from outside the container to inside (and vice versa). The precise material of the housing can be selected depending upon the volatiles produced by any given tobacco product.

The valve 2 included in the container is a one-way valve which permits the flow of air or gas from one side of the valve to the other, but which inhibits the flow of air or gas in the opposite direction. The valve 2 is arranged so that air and/or other gases can exit from within the deformable container, but air and/or other gases cannot enter into the container from outside.

The tobacco product container is deformable and can be compressed by a user. Such compression raises the pressure of the air and/or other gases within the container, causing them to flow out of the container through the valve 2. A user can therefore remove substantially all of the air and other gases from within the container by compression of the housing 1. This removal of air helps to preserve the tobacco product within the container.

Furthermore, the inside of the container may contain vapours or gases from the tobacco product itself (moist snus in particular releases vapours during storage). Accordingly, these aromas from the tobacco product inside the container may be sampled by a consumer by squeezing the container, thereby causing the vapours and/or gases to exit the container through the one-way valve, but without breaking any seal on the container. In addition, the valve also helps to prevent the build-up of

pressure within the container caused by the release of vapours from the product during storage, thereby helping to reduce strain on the packaging materials.

In the embodiment of Figure 1 it is assumed that all the sides of the container housing 1 can be compressed. In other embodiments however, some portions of the container housing may not be deformable. The air can still be removed from such a container assuming that at least some of the container housing can be moved or deformed in order to reduce the volume available inside the container. The non- deformable portions may be made of metal, (rigid) plastic, paper, cardboard, or any other suitable material. The non-deformable portions may be multi-layered and/or coated or otherwise treated to form a suitable barrier and seal.

The air and/or other gases are removed from the container through valve 2 by compression and deformation of the container (rather than by applying suction to the valve 2). Accordingly, the air and/or other gases are removed rather than evacuated from the container. In particular, rather than creating low pressure on the outside of the valve 2, e.g. by pumping, the removal proceeds by creating high pressure on the inside of the valve 2 through compression of the housing 1. As the user compresses the container, air flows out of the container through the one-way valve 2 due to the pressure difference across the valve. When the user has finished compressing the container, the pressure equalises across the one-way valve (by air leaving the container), so that there is no pressure difference between inside the container and outside the container. Consequently, there is no further flow of gas through the valve 2 (in either direction).

In some embodiments, the container housing may be permanently breached in order to obtain access to the tobacco product inside the container. For example, a portion of the container may be torn or cut away. In other embodiments however, the container may be re-sealable using a reversible airtight seal. This allows the container to be opened to access the tobacco product inside the container, and then re-sealed again to maintain product quality.

Figures 2A to 2C illustrate the operation of a re-sealable container in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. Figure 2 A shows the container provided with an opening 4 for removing tobacco product from the container. The opening is defined by lips or edges 3. Note that opening 4 may itself have been created by removing a portion of the container (e.g. by cutting away), but it is still possible to re-seal the container using lips 3.

Figure 2B shows the container of Figure 2 A having been resealed by folding or closing together lips 3. The container is provided with some mechanism for ensuring that the lips stay closed together in a sealed arrangement. The skilled person will be aware of various possibilities for such a mechanism, such as a zip arrangement, a magnetic closure involving opposing magnetic strips, or providing a ridge on one lip which is then received into a channel on an opposing lip by an interference fit. A further possibility is to provide the container with a screw top that opens and closes. In this case the portion of the container housing immediately surrounding the screw top may not be deformable, but other portions of the container are.

Figure 2C illustrates the operation of the valve 2 to remove air from the container after the lips or edges 3 have been (re)sealed. Thus the container 1 is deformed or compressed as indicated by arrows 4. Since the container is now closed and lips 3 are sealed together, the compression raises the pressure within the container. This increase in pressure causes air or other gas 5 within the container to be expelled through the valve 2.

In the embodiment of Figure 2C it is assumed that the container is compressed to expel air from within the container by a user squeezing the container. However, in other embodiments, some form of mechanical actuator may be provided to help the user expel air from the container.

Figures 3A and 3B illustrate a container in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. The container has a rigid, cylindrical wall IA which defines a region 1OA for holding the tobacco product. The bottom of the container (or more accurately, the bottom of the product region 1OA of the container) is provided by flexible membrane IB that can move up or down to adjust the volume of product region 1OA.

At the top of the container is a screw top 8. The screw lid 8 can be opened to obtain access to the contents of the container stored within region 1OA, and closed to re-seal the container. The one-way valve 2 is provided in the screw lid 8 and operates as described above in relation to Figure 1. At the bottom of the container is a cylindrical sleeve 11 which is supported on a screw thread (not shown in Figure 1) on the outside of the cylindrical wall IA. The sleeve 11 supports an actuator 12 that moves up and down inside the cylindrical wall IA of the container as the sleeve 11 is moved up and down the screw thread.

In Figure 3 A, it is assumed that the container is full with tobacco product. Thus sleeve 11 is withdrawn as much as possible from cylindrical wall IA. This in turn allows membrane IB to be located as far from lid 8 as possible, thereby maximising the current volume of region 1OA for holding tobacco product. In Figure 3B, it is assumed that the user has now removed a substantial amount of the tobacco product from region 1OA. After product items are removed, the user rotates sleeve 11. This raises sleeve 11 on the outside of container wall IA, and concomitantly raises actuator 12 within the container wall IA. This latter motion lifts the flexible membrane IB forming the bottom of region 1OA, thereby reducing the volume of region 1OA (and expelling air through valve 2). Note that it may be easier for some users to compress the container using a mechanical device such as sleeve 11 and actuator 12 rather than by directly squeezing the container.

It will be appreciated that there are a range of potential mechanisms for reducing the volume of the product region 1OA within a container. In some cases this may be achieved by having some or all of the housing deformable. In other cases, the housing may be substantially rigid, but nevertheless certain parts of the housing are movable in relation to other parts. For example, rather than having a flexible membrane IB, a sleeve 11, and an actuator 12, as shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the inside of cylindrical walls IA may be provided with a screw thread. The screw thread can then be used to support a disk which forms the base of the product storage region 1OA. As product is removed from the container, the disk is screwed further up the inside of cylindrical walls IA in order to reduce the volume of product region 1OA. This movement increases the pressure within the product region 1OA, thereby causing air to be expelled through valve 2. (It is assumed here that the screw interface between the disk and the inside of cylindrical walls IA is airtight).

Other mechanical actuators for altering the volume of the product region 1OA within the container may be based on rotary or linear motion. In some cases, the mechanical actuator may be combined with a dispensing unit for releasing, e.g., a pouch of snus or a piece of tobacco gum from within the container. In other words, as the dispensing unit is operated, it firstly provides a desired product item from within the container, and it secondly acts to compress the container to compensate for the reduced volume of the product remaining in the container. In such a container, the current volume available inside the container is therefore arranged to track the amount

of product remaining in the container in order to reduce or eliminate the presence of air in the container.

Figure 4A and Figure 4B provide a schematic illustration of a mechanical oneway valve 2 for use with a container such as described above. The valve has an inlet port 54 and an outlet port 56. Plate 53 is supported by springs 57 on plate 55, which in turn is mounted to the body of the valve. The springs bias plate 53 against towards the bottom of the valve (for the orientation of Figures 4A and 4B), so that plate 53 shuts off inlet port 54, thereby closing the valve (see Figure 3A).

However, if a pressure difference is created across the valve, for example by squeezing or compressing the container, then the pressure on side 52 (inside the container) may become sufficiently greater than the pressure on side 51 (outside the container) to overcome the resilient bias of springs 57. As a result, the plate 53 moves away from, and hence opens, inlet port 54 (see Figure 3B), thereby allowing the flow of air through the container. This flow is one-way, since it is driven by the higher pressure on side 52 than on side 51. Conversely, once pressure inside the container has subsided back to atmospheric, plate 53 returns to contacting and closing the inlet port 54.

It will be appreciated that suitable devices for one-way valve 2 are already known for products such as coffee which have a tendency to degas after packaging. Such existing one-way valves include the Amcor Softvalve (see www.amcor.com) and the PIi- VaIv (see www.plitek.com), and see also www.fresco.com/valves.html. Note that such valves may be flexible for direct incorporation into a plastic laminate material. In some cases the one-way valves are mechanical (such as illustrated in Figures 4A and 4B), while other known one-way valves are oil-based. Various modifications from the embodiments described herein will be apparent to the skilled person without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the container may include multiple one-way valves configured to permit egress of gas from the container. In addition, the (each) valve may incorporate or be used in conjunction with a screen or other barrier to prevent the contents of the container from contaminating or jamming the valve, especially if the product housed in the container comprises very fine particles. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and equivalents.