Tin box

A tin box, or tin for short, is a metal container with a re-closeable lid. Despite its name, a tin box seldom involves more tin than a thin plated layer whose purpose is to inhibit corrosion.

Construction

The lid, which sometimes is hinged to the rest of the box, is often held in place when closed by friction. In other cases, two protruding parts can pass each other only when the lid and the rest of the box are deformed slightly: pressure from the user's hands is sufficient to produce this deformation, while the parts resist this somewhat, and are flexible enough to recover their normal shape when released.

Usage

Modern tin boxes have been used to hold items such as breath mints, throat lozenges, instant coffee, cocoa and even CD-ROMs for an internet service provider. In the past even more products were stored in tins, many highly decorated. Businesses tried to encourage the re-use of tins they provided, with the effect of the tins advertising them. One common use of the tin was as a children's lunchbox and in the UK as biscuit tins.

Highly decorated "holiday tins", usually containing cookies, candy, or popcorn, are sold during the holiday season and are popular gifts. Similar festive containers are used in Europe for sweets, biscuits, cakes and chocolates, mainly at Christmas, rather than in the summer holidays and in countries with British associations, they are usually called biscuit tins.