SEALED CONTAINER FOR DISPENSING CONSUMER GOODS

Abstract

A container for consumer goods is provided, including a housing to receive a plurality of consumer goods and including an aperture to dispense consumer goods from the housing. First and second sealing flaps extend across the aperture and are biased towards each other to form a seal across the aperture for sealing the plurality of consumer goods within the housing. The container includes a dispensing mechanism to dispense the plurality of consumer goods through the aperture when activated by a consumer, the dispensing mechanism configured so that actuation of the dispensing mechanism advances one of the consumer goods between the first and second sealing flaps and through the aperture. The first and second sealing flaps are configured so that they are biased towards each other after each of the consumer goods is dispensed so that the consumer goods remaining in the housing are re-sealed within the container.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A container for consumer goods, the container comprising: a housing configured to receive a plurality of consumer goods, the housing comprising an aperture configured to dispense the plurality of consumer goods from the housing; a first sealing flap comprising a first edge secured to the housing adjacent a first side of the aperture and a second edge extending across a first part of the aperture; a second sealing flap comprising a first edge secured to the housing adjacent a second side of the aperture and a second edge extending across a second part of the aperture, wherein the second edges of the first and second flaps are biased towards each other to form a seal across the aperture configured to seal the plurality of consumer goods within the housing; and a dispensing mechanism configured to dispense the plurality of consumer goods through the aperture when activated by a consumer, the dispensing mechanism being further configured so that actuation of the dispensing mechanism advances one of the consumer goods between the second edges of the first and second sealing flaps and through the aperture, and the first and second sealing flaps being configured so that the second edges of the first and second sealing flaps are biased towards each other after each of the consumer goods is dispensed so that the consumer goods remaining in the housing are re-sealed within the container.

17. The container according to claim 16, wherein the aperture is an elongate aperture having a ratio of length to width of at least 2 to 1.

18. The container according to claim 16, wherein the first and second sealing flaps are formed from a resilient material.

19. The container according to claim 18, wherein each of the first and second sealing flaps has a curved shape so that the second edges of the sealing flaps are biased together.

20. The container according to claim 16, further comprising an inner liner configured to receive the plurality of consumer goods and being contained within the housing, the inner liner comprising an opening adjacent the aperture, wherein the first and second sealing flaps cooperate with the inner liner to form a continuous seal between the sealing flaps and the edge of the inner liner opening.

21. The container according to claim 20, wherein the inner liner further comprises first and second portions biased towards each other, the inner liner opening extending between the first and second portions, and wherein each of the first and second portions comprises a protrusion spaced apart from the aperture so that the protrusions on the first and second end portions form a restriction that is configured to facilitate step-wise dispensing of the consumer goods through the aperture.

22. The container according to claim 16, wherein the dispensing mechanism comprises a piston arranged to slide within the housing and towards the aperture, and wherein the container is configured to receive the plurality of consumer goods between the aperture and the piston.

23. The container according to claim 22, wherein the housing further comprises an elongate slot extending along a first wall of the housing, wherein the dispensing mechanism further comprises a button disposed outside of the housing and a shaft extending through the elongate slot, and wherein the shaft comprises a first end connected to the button and a second end connected to the piston.

24. The container according to claim 23, further comprising: a plurality of ratchet teeth disposed on an inner surface of the first wall and extending parallel to the elongate slot; and a pawl extending between the shaft and the piston and being configured to connect the second end of the shaft to the piston, wherein the pawl is biased towards the plurality of ratchet teeth, and wherein the pawl engages successive ratchet teeth as the piston is advanced towards the aperture.

25. The container according to claim 24, wherein the pawl is a flexible pawl, and wherein the dispensing mechanism is further configured so that pushing the button towards the first wall disengages the flexible pawl from the ratchet teeth to permit sliding movement of the piston away from the aperture.

26. The container according to claim 16, further comprising a moveable panel moveable between a closed position for sealing a plurality of consumer goods within the container and an open position in which one or more consumer goods can be inserted into the container.

27. The container according to claim 16, further comprising the plurality of consumer goods received within the container.

28. The container according to claim 27, wherein the plurality of consumer goods is a plurality of elongate consumer goods each having a ratio of length to width of at least 2 to 1.

29. The container according to claim 28, wherein each of the consumer goods comprises a first end and a second end, wherein the plurality of elongate consumer goods is arranged within the container so that a length of each of the consumer goods is substantially parallel to the aperture, and wherein the first and second ends of each of the consumer goods are advanced through the aperture substantially simultaneously each time one of the consumer goods is dispensed from the container.

30. The container according to claim 28, wherein the plurality of consumer goods is a plurality of aerosol-generating articles.

Description

[0068] The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0069] FIG. 1 shows a perspective cross-sectional view of a container in accordance with the present invention;

[0070] FIG. 2 shows a top view of the container of FIG. 1;

[0071] FIG. 3 shows a front view of the container of FIG. 1;

[0072] FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of the container of FIG. 1;

[0073] FIG. 5 shows a side view of the container of FIG. 1;

[0074] FIGS. 6 and 7 are detailed cross-sectional views of the dispensing mechanism of the container of FIG. 1; and

[0075] FIGS. 8 and 9 show partial cross-sectional views of the container of FIG. 1 and illustrating the dispensing of a consumer good from the container.

[0076] FIGS. 1 to 5 show a container 10 of consumer goods according to the present invention. The container 10 comprises a housing 12 and an inner liner 14 received within the housing 12. A plurality of consumer goods 16 comprising a plurality of aerosol-generating articles is received within the inner liner 12. An aperture 18 is provided at the top of the housing 12, the container 10 configured to dispense the consumer goods 16 through the aperture 18. Optionally, a removable cover 19 can be attached to the top of the housing 12 to protect the aperture 18.

[0077] A first sealing flap 20 and a second sealing flap 22 are connected to the housing 12 adjacent the aperture 18, each sealing flap 20, 22 connected along a first edge to the housing 12. A first portion 24 of the inner liner 14 is connected to a second edge of the first sealing flap 20 and a second portion 26 of the inner liner 14 is connected to a second edge of the second sealing flap 22. The first and second sealing flaps 20, 22 are curved and formed from a resilient material so that they are biased towards each other. Similarly, the first and second portions 24, 26 of the inner liner 14 are curved and formed from a resilient material so that they are biased towards each other. Therefore, when none of the consumer goods 16 are being dispensed through the aperture 18, the first sealing flap 20 and the first portion 24 of the inner liner 14 are biased towards the second sealing flap 22 and the second portion 26 of the inner liner 14 so that the first and second sealing flaps 20, 22 and the first and second portions 24, 26 of the inner liner 14 cover the aperture 18 and seal the consumer goods 16 within the container, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0078] To facilitate dispensing of the consumer goods 16 through the aperture 18, the container 10 comprises a dispensing mechanism 28 for advancing the consumer goods 16 towards the aperture 18. As shown most clearly in FIGS. 3, 6 and 7, the dispensing mechanism 28 comprises a piston 30 slidably received within the housing 12 and a button 32 positioned outside the housing 12. The button 32 is connected to a shaft 34 that extends through an elongate slot 36 in a wall of the housing 12. The shaft 34 is connected to the piston 30 by a flexible pawl 38, the flexible pawl 38 engaging a series of ratchet teeth 40 provided on an inner surface of the housing 12 and extending parallel to the elongate slot 36. A low friction material 42, such as polytetrafluoroethylene, may be provided between the piston 30 and the inner surface of the housing 12.

[0079] To dispense a consumer good 16 from the container 10, a consumer can push the button 32 along the elongate slot 36 to advance the piston 30 and the consumer goods 16 towards the aperture 18. As the dispensing mechanism 28 advances towards the aperture 18 and each consumer good 16 is dispensed, the flexible pawl 38 engages successive ratchet teeth 40 so that the dispensing mechanism 28 remains in position and ready to dispense the next consumer good 16.

[0080] During dispensing of each consumer good 16, the piston 30 pushes the plurality of consumer goods 16 towards the aperture 18 so that the consumer good 16 positioned closest to the aperture 18 is advanced between the first and second sealing flaps 20, 22 and the first and second portions 24, 26 of the inner liner 14, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 (for illustrative purposes, only the top and bottom portions of the container 10 are shown in FIGS. 8 and 9).

[0081] The first and second portions 24, 26 of the inner liner 14 may each be provided with a protrusion 44, the protrusions 44 on the first and second portions 24, 26 forming a restriction in the opening at the top of the inner liner 14. During dispensing of a consumer good 16, the next consumer good 16 in the container 10 is received in the restriction and grasped between the protrusions 44 so that the consumer good 16 remains adjacent the aperture 18 for dispensing during a subsequent actuation of the dispensing mechanism 28.

[0082] Once all of the consumer goods 16 have been dispensed from the container 10, the dispensing mechanism 28 can be reset and the container 10 refilled with a further plurality of consumer goods 16. To reset the dispensing mechanism 28, a consumer can push the button 32 towards the housing 12 to deflect the flexible pawl 38 and disengage the flexible pawl 38 from the ratchet teeth 40. With the flexible pawl 38 disengaged from the ratchet teeth 40, the piston 30 can be returned to the bottom of the housing 12 by sliding the button 32 along the elongate slot 36 away from the aperture 18.

[0083] After resetting the dispensing mechanism 28, the container can be refilled by opening a moveable panel 46 connected to the piston 30 by a hinge. Specifically, the moveable panel 46 is pivotable about the hinge between a closed position in which the moveable panel 46 covers an opening extending through the piston 30 and an open position in which consumer goods 16 can be inserted into the housing 12 through the opening extending through the piston 30. To retain the moveable panel 46 in the closed position a locking mechanism 48 is provided on the moveable panel 46. The locking mechanism 48, the moveable panel 46 and the opening extending through the piston 30 are accessible via an opening 50 in the bottom of the housing 12.