Package with tray enclosure

Abstract

Provided is a pocket-sized container for holding a smokeless tobacco tray enclosure in an outer housing, including a front and a back. At least one locator fin is located on the bottom of the tray. At least one locator groove is located on the inside of the back. Preferably, one or more locator fins position and secure the tray within the back. Pins on the front fit into sockets in the back to secure the front and back together.

1 . A pocket-size hand-held container for containing a supply of consumer items comprising:
 an outer housing including a front portion and a back portion;   a lid attached to the front portion, which when opened reveals an access opening in the outer housing;   a tray received within the outer housing, the tray including a storage compartment formed by a bottom wall and sidewalls of the tray; and at least one locator fin on an outside surface of said tray; and   at least one locator groove on an inside surface of said back portion;   wherein said at least one locator fin fits within said at least one locator groove to position and hold said tray within said outer housing.   
   
   
       2 . The pocket-size hand-held container of  claim 1 , wherein said lid is slideable linearly in the longitudinal direction between closed and open positions and wherein in its fully closed position, the first lid overlying the access opening, and in its fully open position, the first lid exposing the access opening and situated within the footprint of the container. 
   
   
       3 . The pocket-size hand-held container of  claim 1 , wherein said lid is hingedly connected to said front portion. 
   
   
       4 . The pocket-size hand-held container of  claim 1 , wherein said locator fin is located on an end of said outside surface of said tray 
   
   
       5 . The pocket-size hand-held container of  claim 1 , wherein the tray is hermetically sealed by a membrane. 
   
   
       6 . The pocket-size hand-held container of  claim 5 , wherein said membrane includes a manually openable window disposed beneath the access opening. 
   
   
       7 . The pocket-size hand-held container of  claim 6 , wherein the openable window is resealable. 
   
   
       8 . The pocket-size hand-held container of  claim 5 , wherein said membrane is a poly-laminated membrane. 
   
   
       9 . The pocket-size hand-held container of  claim 1 , wherein said tray contains a plurality of smokeless tobacco pouch products. 
   
   
       10 . The pocket-size hand-held container of  claim 1 , wherein said container is about 30 mm to about 60 mm wide, about 70 mm to about 100 mm long, and about 15 mm to about 40 mm deep. 
   
   
       11 . The pocket-size hand-held container of  claim 1 , wherein said front portion includes at least one pin and said back portion includes at least one socket receiving said at least one pin so as to secure said front portion to said back portion. 
   
   
       12 . The pocket-size hand-held container of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one locator fin comprises two fins, each fin located closer to the sidewall of the tray than the middle of the tray. 
   
   
       13 . The pocket-size hand-held container of  claim 1 , wherein said tray is of rigid plastic. 
   
   
       14 . The pocket-size hand-held container of  claim 1 , wherein said tray is injection molded. 
   
   
       15 . The pocket-size hand-held container of  claim 14 , wherein said tray is injection molded of a material selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, nylon, polysulfone, polyester, polyurethane, and combinations thereof 
   
   
       16 . The pocket-size hand-held container of  claim 11 , wherein said front portion includes pins on opposite sides thereof and said tray is shaped to fit around said pins of the front portion to avoid interfering with the assembly of the outer housing. 
   
   
       17 . The pocket-size hand-held container of  claim 1 , wherein said locator fin includes a portion which is straight and/or flared. 
   
   
       18 . A method of packaging smokeless tobacco products comprising:
 filling a tray with smokeless tobacco products;   hermetically sealing said tray with a membrane;   lining up a locator fin on said tray with a locator groove on a back portion;   fitting said tray into said back portion;   positioning a front portion over said back portion so as to line up pins in the front portion with sockets in the back portion; and   inserting said pins in the front portion into the sockets in the back portion to form a pocket-sized container.