Flask-shaped cigarette container and method of packaging cigarettes

Abstract

A flask-shaped package or container for packaging smoking articles, such as cigarettes, has a generally parallelepiped shape with slightly curved front and back body panels. The container comprises a body and a lid integrally molded in one-piece of a plastic material with an open bottom having an internal peripheral shoulder and a base made of a separate plastic/metal foil laminate that is bonded to the shoulder by induction heating a heat-activated adhesive covering the metal foil of the base. The body has a central internal front-to-back stiffening rib and an access opening in its top and front panels with a surrounding ledge to which is adhesively bonded a removable foil closure. After the access opening is closed with the foil closure, cigarettes are inserted into the container body through the open bottom thereof. A protective paperboard liner that prevents adherence between the heat-activated adhesive and the cigarettes is inserted into the open bottom and supported by the central rib and the cigarettes. The base laminate is then inserted into the open bottom and bears on the shoulder so that when the adhesive is activated by induction heating, the base bonds to the shoulder and seals the container. An adhesive-backed label wrap with brand specific indicia is applied to the outer surfaces of the container.