Flask-shaped cigarette container and method of packaging cigarettes

A package for cigarettes comprising a generally rectangularly-shaped parallelepiped container having an internal space for containing the cigarettes, the container comprising a lid, a body and a base, each of which is made of a plastic material;

• the body having a top end with a recessed portion an access opening, a ledge surrounding the access opening wherein a foil sheet is adhesively adhered to the ledge and covering the access opening, a convexly curved front panel, a concavely curved back panel, two side panels and an open bottom end having an internal perimetrical shoulder and a corresponding internal perimetrical shape;
• the lid of the container being movable between an open position exposing the recessed portion and access opening of the body and a closed position covering the recessed portion and access opening of the body,;
• the base being sealed in the open bottom end of the body, the base comprising a plastic/metal foil laminate having a perimetrical shape corresponding to the internal perimetrical shape of the bottom end of the body and being supported by the internal perimetrical shoulder, wherein a heat-activated adhesive layer is applied to the metal foil of the base for bonding the base to the shoulder when the adhesive is activated by heat, and
• a central rib in the internal space of the container extending between the front and back panels of the body for stiffening the container and dividing the internal space of the container into two chambers, each chamber being dimensioned to contain ten cigarettes in two rows of five cigarettes each, the rib having an L-shaped upper end for facilitating access to the cigarettes.

A package for cigarettes comprising:

• a generally parallelepiped-shaped container having a curved profile and an internal space for containing the cigarettes, the container comprising a container lid, a container body, and a container base, the lid and body being integrally molded from a polymeric material with the lid in an open position and being connected together by hinges molded integrally with the lid and body;
• the body comprising a top panel, a curved front panel, a curved back panel, two side panels, an open bottom, and a central rib in the internal space of the container body extending between the front and back panels of the body and dividing the internal space of the container into two chambers, each chamber being dimensioned to contain ten cigarettes in two rows of five cigarettes each, the rib having an L-shaped upper portion for facilitating access to the cigarettes;
• the lid of the container being hingedly movable from the open position to a closed position in which the lid covers the top panel and a portion of the front panel of the body;
• and
• the base being affixed in the open bottom of the body.