Front opening cigarette box

• US 6,193,060 B1
• Filed: 02/16/2000
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Philip Morris USA Incorporated (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts, David L., Evers, Donald H.
• Primary Examiner(s): BUI, LUAN KIM
• Application Number:
  US09/504,922
• Time in Patent Office: 377 Days
• Field of Search: 206/242, 206/265, 206/268, 206/271, 206/273, 206/443, 220/836, 220/837, 220/839, 229/160.1, 229/146, 229/147
• US Class Current: 206/268
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/1056 characterized by the lid

Abstract

A front opening cigarette box comprises a container portion and an integral cover portion which articulates between opened and closed positions. The container portion includes a front face, a rear face generally parallel to the front face, a bottom face, and spaced apart side walls interconnecting the front and rear faces. The cover portion includes a front face that fully covers the container portion when the cover portion is in its closed position. The cover portion also includes top and bottom faces, and a rear face contiguous with and forming a continuation of the rear face of the container portion when the cover portion is in its closed position. Spaced apart side walls on the cover portion interconnect the front and rear faces thereof. A hinge line extends between the rear faces of the container and cover portions, and the cover portion articulates about that hinge line between its opened and closed positions. Such front opening cigarette box provides easy access to the individual cigarettes within the container portion and total access to the upper ends of the individual cigarettes when the cover portion is in its opened position.

Claims

1. A front opening cigarette box comprising a container portion and an integral cover portion which articulates between opened and closed positions, the container portion including a front face, a rear face generally parallel to the front face, a bottom face, and spaced apart side walls interconnecting the front and rear faces, the cover portion including a front face fully covering the container portion when the cover portion is in its closed position, top and bottom faces, a rear face contiguous with and forming a continuation of the rear face of the container portion when the cover portion is in its closed position, and spaced apart side walls interconnecting the front and rear faces of the cover portion, and a hinge line extending between the rear faces of the container and cover portions.

2. A front opening cigarette box as in claim 1 wherein the bottom face of the cover portion extends over the bottom face of the container portion when the cover portion is in its closed position.

3. A front opening cigarette box as in claim 2 wherein the front face of the cover portion has an area approximately equal to the area of the combined rear faces of the container and cover portions.

4. A front opening cigarette box as in claim 1 wherein the side walls of the container portion extend from the bottom face of the container portion to the hinge line.

5. A front opening cigarette box as in claim 4 wherein the side walls of the container portion each have an upper inclined edge extending from the hinge line in a downward direction to the front face of the container portion.

6. A front opening cigarette box as in claim 1 wherein the side walls of the cover portion each include an upper segment that extends between the front and rear faces of the cover portion and a lower segment that partially covers the side walls of the container portion when the cover portion is in its closed position.

7. A front opening cigarette box as in claim 1 wherein the front face of the container portion includes an open area exposing cigarettes in the container portion for easy access and removal when the cover portion is in its opened position.