Cigarette package

Abstract

An assembled container for cigarettes possesses an outer body portion that possesses a front wall, a back wall, a right side wall and a left side wall; with each wall outer surface being vertically extending, and generally curved when viewed from the top of the container. The container also possesses an associated outer lid portion. An inner sleeve is positioned within the outer body portion and connected at opposite inner faces of that outer body portion so as to provide a central, vertically extending region whereby the front wall of the outer body portion is connected to the back wall of the outer body portion. The assembled container has the minimum depth in the central, vertically extending region; and the maximum depth being located on each side of that region. The assembled container also has a width that is greater than the maximum depth. As such, the outer container possesses two vertically extending hollow regions or compartments (e.g., one on the left side and one on the right side), and a generally cylindrical packet of smoking articles can be positioned within each respective compartment.

1 . An assembled container for smoking articles, the container comprising:
 an outer body portion including a front wall outer surface, a back wall outer surface, right side wall outer surface and left side wall outer surface, and a width between the right side wall and the left side wall; each wall outer surface being vertically extending, and generally curved when viewed from the top or bottom of the container;   an inner dividing wall positioned within the outer body portion and connected at opposite inner faces of the outer body portion so as to provide a central, vertically extending region between the front wall of the outer body portion and the back wall of the outer body portion;   the assembled container having a minimum depth between the front wall and the back wall in the central, vertically extending region; and a maximum depth between the front wall and the back wall being located on each side of that central region, the width being greater than the maximum depth; and   an outer lid portion including a horizontal top wall having a generally curved perimeter when viewed from the top of the container, a front wall outer surface, a back wall outer surface, right side wall outer surface and left side wall outer surface; each wall outer surface being generally vertically extending from the perimeter of the top wall.   
   
   
       2 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the wall outer surfaces of the lid portion fit snugly around the wall outer surfaces of the outer body portion. 
   
   
       3 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the top wall of the outer lid portion includes a plurality of tabs folded downwardly and coupled to inside surfaces of the vertically extending walls. 
   
   
       4 . The container of  claim 1  wherein the outer lid portion is hingedly connected to the back wall of the outer body portion. 
   
   
       5 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the outer body portion comprises a substantially rectangular paperboard rolled with overlapping edges, and the inner dividing wall maintaining the minimum depth of the outer body portion. 
   
   
       6 . The container of  claim 5 , wherein the inner dividing wall is paperboard and contiguous with an overlapping edge of the outer body portion. 
   
   
       7 . The container of  claim 1  further comprising a cylindrical packet for receiving smoking articles slidingly received within each compartment formed on either side of the inner dividing wall. 
   
   
       8 . The container of  claim 7  wherein the cylindrical packet includes a notch at an upper end of the cylindrical side wall, the notch having a size sufficient to aid withdrawal of a smoking article from within the packet. 
   
   
       9 . The container of  claim 7  wherein the cylindrical packet includes a semi-circular top wall covering a portion of the top of the cylindrical packet and defining a semi-circular opening between in the upper end adjacent the notch. 
   
   
       10 . An assembled container for smoking articles, the container comprising:
 an outer sleeve comprising vertical side walls forming a cavity having a cross-sectional shape generally conforming to the outline of two conjoined circles and a top opening;   a lid assembly adapted to cover at least a portion of the top opening of the outer sleeve; and   two cylindrically-shaped packets slidably disposed side-by-side in the outer sleeve.   
   
   
       11 . The container of  claim 10  further comprising a vertical dividing wall inside the cavity of the outer sleeve, the dividing wall bisecting the cavity into two generally rounded compartments having a straight wall section where the compartments adjoin each other at the dividing wall. 
   
   
       12 . The container of  claim 10  wherein the outer sleeve is comprised of a paperboard blank folded to conform to the outline of two parallel aligned conjoined cylinders, wherein the outer sleeve has a concave curvature around the opposite distal sides of the conjoined cylinders and has a convex curvature proximate to the conjoined portions of the cylinders, and the outer sleeve has a vertical wall extending between and coupled to the portions of the outer sleeve having the convex curvature. 
   
   
       13 . The container of  claim 10  wherein the outer sleeve has a cross-section shape with a left lobe and a right lobe and a medial portion therebetween, the outer sleeve forming a substantially cylindrical portion around at least half of each of the distal portions of the left lobe and right lobe, and having a substantially concave portion connecting between the cylindrical portions on each of a front wall and back wall of the outer sleeve, and
 the container further comprising a vertically extending wall coupled to the medial portion of the front wall and the medial portion of the back wall thereby separating the left lobe from the right lobe.   
   
   
       14 . The container of  claim 10  wherein the lid comprises a top wall having a shape similar to the shape of the cavity cross-section, and a vertical sidewall depending from the perimeter of the top wall, the lid vertical sidewalls dimensioned to form a friction fit around the vertical side walls of the outer sleeve. 
   
   
       15 . The container of  claim 14  wherein the top wall comprises a plurality of outwardly extending tabs folded down and adhered to an inside face of the lid sidewall. 
   
   
       16 . The container of  claim 10  wherein the lid comprises two substantially round disks hingedly couple to a rear wall of the outer sleeve and a tab extending from the disks at a position on the disk opposite the rear wall. 
   
   
       17 . The container of  claim 10  wherein the packet cylindrical side wall includes a top end having a notch defined therein. 
   
   
       18 . The container of  claim 10  wherein the cylindrical packet includes a semi-circular top wall covering a portion of the top of the cylindrical packet and defining a semi-circular opening between in the top end adjacent the notch in the cylindrical side wall.