U.S. patent application number 10/241963 was filed with the patent office on 2004-03-11 for reclosable metal beverage can.
Invention is credited to Becker, Gordon P., Sorensen, John.
Application Number | 20040045967 10/241963 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 31991296 |
Filed Date | 2004-03-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040045967 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Becker, Gordon P. ; et
al. |
March 11, 2004 |
Reclosable metal beverage can
Abstract
A thin wall metal beverage can is described having a converging
shoulder portion merging into a neck portion, the top edge of which
is folded to form a flange providing an annular abutment and with a
threaded sleeve sliding into the neck portion, the sleeve having an
annular rib or catch which snaps over the flange abutment holding
the sleeve and can neck portion against relative axial
movement.
Inventors: |
Becker, Gordon P.;
(Bentleyville, OH) ; Sorensen, John; (Gananoque,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
COOPER & DUNHAM LLP
1185 Ave. of the Americas
New York
NY
10036
US
|
Family ID: |
31991296 |
Appl. No.: |
10/241963 |
Filed: |
September 11, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/288 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 1/0246 20130101;
B65D 41/08 20130101; B65D 47/122 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/288 |
International
Class: |
B65D 041/04 |
Claims
1. A reclosable metal beverage can made from a thin gauge metal,
comprising a sidewall, a bottom wall, a converging shoulder portion
extending upwardly and inwardly from said sidewall, a neck on top
of said shoulder portion, said neck having a top edge portion
turned downwardly to form a flange with a lower edge providing an
abutment, and a threaded plastic sleeve mounted within or around
said neck, said sleeve comprising an open-ended tubular member
having an annular ledge projecting laterally from a mid-region of
the tubular member, with at least a portion of the outer face
comprising a threaded portion adapted to receive an internally
threaded closure cap and the portion of the tubular member below
the projecting ledge having a plurality of axially spaced annular
gripping ribs which securely engage a face of the can neck.
2. A reclosable can according to claim 1, wherein said outwardly
projecting ledge includes at the outer edge thereof a downwardly
projecting skirt which extends downwardly and in engagement with
the outer face of the can neck.
3. A reclosable can according to claim 1, wherein the lower most
rib comprises an annular catch adapted to slide downwardly over the
flange and latch over the flange abutment against axial
movement.
4. A reclosable can according to claim 3, wherein the gripping ribs
are angled upwardly and are adapt to slide downwardly along the
flange while gripping the flange face against upward movement
relative thereto.
5. A reclosable can according to claim 4, wherein the gripping ribs
are generally triangular in cross-section with projecting sharp
edges.
6. A reclosable can according to claim 4, wherein the threaded
plastic sleeve is adapted to be joined with the can neck by being
pushed axially into the open end of the neck.
7. A reclosable can according to claim 6, wherein a bonding agent
is provided between the engaging faces of the sleeve and the can
neck.
8. A reclosable can according to claim 4, wherein the thin gauge
metal is an aluminum alloy having a thickness of about 0.006 to
0.016 inch.
9. A reclosable can according to claim 2, wherein the downwardly
projecting lip of the annular ledge includes an inward projection
which engages the adjacent can neck.
10. A reclosable can according to claim 9, wherein the can neck is
provided with a deformation which engages the inward projection of
the lip against relative axial movement.
11. A reclosable can according to claim 1, wherein the threaded
plastic sleeve is mounted within said neck and said gripping ribs
engaging an inside face of the neck.
12. A reclosable can according to claim 1, wherein the threaded
plastic sleeve is mounted around the outside of said neck and the
gripping ribs are mounted on the inside face of a threaded plastic
sleeve.
13. A reclosable can according to claim 1, wherein the neck has a
top edge portion which is turned inwardly and downwardly.
14. A reclosable can according to claim 1, wherein the neck has a
top edge portion which is turned outwardly and downwardly.
15. A reclosable can according to claim 10, wherein the neck
deformation is a rounded portion providing stiffening to the
neck.
16. A reclosable can according to claim 11, the outer face of a
closure cap mounted on the can, the outer face of the tubular
member below the ledge and the outer face of the can neck are
axially aligned.
17. A reclosable metal beverage can made from a thin gauge metal,
comprising a sidewall, a bottom wall, a converging shoulder portion
extending upwardly and inwardly from said sidewall, a neck
extending upwardly from the top of said shoulder portion, said neck
having a top edge portion turned outwardly and downwardly to form a
flange with a lower edge providing an abutment, and a threaded
plastic sleeve mounted in said neck, said sleeve comprising an
open-ended tubular member having an annular ledge projecting
outwardly from a mid-region of its face, with the outer face above
the projecting ledge comprising a threaded portion adapted to
receive an internally threaded closure cap and the outer face below
the projecting ledge having a plurality of axially spaced annular
gripping ribs which securely engage the inner face of the can neck,
said projecting ledge having a downwardly projecting lip which
extends downwardly and in engagement with the outer face of the can
neck, and said lip having an inwardly directed catch which engages
said flange abutment to hold the sleeve against axial movement
relative to the can neck.
18. A reclosable metal beverage can made from a thin gauge metal,
comprising a sidewall, a bottom wall, a converging shoulder portion
extending inwardly from said sidewall, said shoulder having a top
edge portion turned downwardly to form a flange with a lower edge
providing an abutment, and a threaded plastic sleeve mounted within
said flange, said sleeve comprising an open-ended tubular member
having an annular ledge projecting laterally from a mid-region of
the tubular member, with at least a portion of the outer face
comprising a threaded portion adapted to receive an internally
threaded closure cap and the portion of the tubular member below
the projecting ledge having a plurality of axially spaced annular
gripping ribs which securely engage a face of the said flange.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to thin wall metal beverage cans, and
in particular to aluminum beverage cans having a threaded neck
portion for receiving a threaded closure cap to seal the contents
of the container.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] Aluminum cans are now widely used in the packaging of beer,
soft drinks, etc. and these are typically adapted to be closed with
relatively flat lids or ends. Although the standard aluminum cans
offer a number of advantages for the beverage suppliers, such as
low cost, excellent barrier properties, recyclability, etc., there
is at present a significant interest in reclosable/resealable cans
for certain market segments. As an example, beverages supplied at
gas stations or convenience stores, are preferably supplied in a
reclosable (and preferably resealable) format. As a result, cans
are rarely the container of choice at these outlets.
[0005] There have been many attempts to design a reclosable can,
but so far, market penetration has been very limited. Generally the
added cost of such modifications means that the package can only be
considered for what are generally referred to as "highend"
beverages. For instance, a type of bottle can has recently been
developed for use in the sale of premium beers. Such cans have,
however, not penetrated the low cost soft drink market.
[0006] In order to be successful, a reclosable can must offer a
number of benefits. It must, for instance, provide a shelf life
comparable or better than that of the PET bottles. The closure must
be easy to use and, ideally, after closing the seal should prevent
any further loss of carbonation. Finally, the cost of the package
must be acceptable in being no more than only slightly higher than
current can costs.
[0007] One attempt to provide a can which may be reclosed and
resealed is shown in Roth U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,368 issued Jun. 5,
1984. This design has a central plug which is pushed into a pour
opening.
[0008] Another form of closable beverage can is shown in laid open
German Application DE 198 02 953 A 1, published Jul. 29, 1999. This
design includes punching a hole in the center of the top of the can
and fitting into this hole a resealable closure system with a screw
cap.
[0009] PCT Publication No. WO 99/10242 published Mar. 4, 1999 shows
yet another form of resealable can closure making use of a screw
cap.
[0010] Dickhoff et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,026 issued Jan. 4, 2000
shows a reclosable can that can be produced in a variety of
different shapes, all with a threaded top for receiving a threaded
closure cap.
[0011] It is an object of the present invention to provide an
improved form of reclosable and resealable metal can design which
functions well while being easy and inexpensive to produce.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The present invention provides a reclosable metal beverage
can made from a thin gauge metal, e.g., an aluminum alloy. The can
has a sidewall, a bottom wall, a converging shoulder portion
extending upwardly and inwardly from the sidewall and a neck
extending upwardly from the top of the shoulder portion. This neck
has a top edge portion which is turned either inwardly or outwardly
and downwardly to form a flange with a lower edge providing an
abutment. A threaded plastic sleeve is mounted in or over the neck.
This sleeve is in the form of an open ended tubular member having
an annular ledge projecting outwardly from a mid-region of its
outer face. The outer face above the projecting ledge is in the
form of a threaded portion adapted to receive an internally
threaded closure cap. For a sleeve mounted within the neck, the
outer face below the projecting ledge has a plurality of axially
spaced annular gripping ribs which securely engage the inner face
of the can neck. It may also include a lowermost annular catch
which engages the flange abutment to hold the sleeve against axial
movement relative to the can neck when the can is pressurized.
[0013] It has been found to be particularly advantageous to provide
at the outer edge of the outwardly projecting ledge a downwardly
projecting lip or skirt which extends downwardly and in engagement
with the outer face of the can neck. The skirt may optionally
engage an abutment surface in the can neck to prevent any expansion
of the top portion of the neck when under pressure. In either
arrangement, the skirt provides a place to grip the can when the
cap is screwed off, preventing the tubular sleeve from possibly
rotating in the neck of the can during opening.
[0014] The ledge has two possible functions. It firstly acts as a
stop when the threaded tubular member is inserted into the neck. It
can also act as a rim for engagement with a tamper evident ring
around the base of the cap. The ring is adapted to detach from the
cap the first time the cap is opened.
[0015] The annular gripping ribs are preferably angled in an upward
direction so that the threaded plastic sleeve will easily slide
down into the open end of the can neck while firmly gripping the
inner face of the neck against upward axial movement when under
pressure and create a gas tight seal. This may be used together
with a bonding agent which is preferably applied to the gripping
ribs before inserting the threaded sleeve. The threaded cap may be
attached to the threaded sleeve before the sleeve is connected to
the can neck.
[0016] It is also advantageous to form the top edge of the
downwardly turned neck portion into a rounded, e.g. annular, rim
which serves as a stiffener for the top end of the neck.
[0017] When the threaded sleeve is designed to be mounted over the
projecting neck, the annular gripping ribs are on the inside face
of the downwardly projecting sleeve and grip the outer face of the
neck. The downwardly turned neck portion may be outwardly and
downwardly turned and the bottom of the sleeve may optionally
include a catch to engage the bottom edge of the downwardly turned
portion. With this design, there may be both an outward and an
inward projecting ledge, the inward ledge engaging the top of the
neck and the outward ledge being adapted to provide tamper evidence
as described above.
[0018] In any of the above designs, it is also possible to provide
a plurality of ribs or projections in the longitudinal (axial)
direction on the inner face of the threaded tubular member skirt to
bite into the neck or engage with mating ribs or projections on the
neck to resist rotation of the threaded tubular member during
opening of the can.
[0019] The can, including the shoulder and neck portions, may have
a variety of cross-sectional shapes. Any shape may be used that is
typically produced by procedures such as drawing, redrawing,
drawing and ironing, impact extrusion, etc.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] In the drawings which represent the present invention:
[0021] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross section of a typical beverage can
according to the invention;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross section of one embodiment of the
can neck and threaded sleeve;
[0023] FIG. 3 is a further vertical cross section of the can neck
and plastic sleeve;
[0024] FIG. 4 is a still further vertical cross section of another
embodiment of the can neck and threaded plastic sleeve.
[0025] FIG. 5 is a vertical cross section of an embodiment in which
the plastic sleeve is flush with the can neck; and
[0026] FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-section of an embodiment in which
the threaded sleeve fits over the can neck.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0027] FIG. 1 shows a metal can having a cylindrical sidewall 10, a
bottom wall 11, a top shoulder portion 12 and a neck portion 13.
The metal used to form the can body is preferably an aluminum alloy
in the 3000 series having an initial thickness of about 0.006-0.020
inch, preferably 0.010-0.014 inch.
[0028] The top portion of the can of FIG. 1 is shown in greater
detail in FIG. 2. Thus, the top edge portion of the neck 13 is
turned inwardly and downwardly to form a flange portion 15 with a
lower edge 26 providing an abutment.
[0029] A threaded plastic sleeve 14 is mounted in the neck 13, this
sleeve being in the form of an open ended tubular member 20 having
an annular ledge 21 projecting outwardly from a mid-region of its
outer face. The outer face above the projecting ledge 21 comprises
a threaded portion 22 adapted to receive the internal threading 31
of closure cap 30. The outer face of tubular member 20 below the
projecting annular ledge 21 comprises a plurality of axially spaced
annular gripping ribs which securely engage the inner face of the
flange 15 and also included is a lowermost catch 24 which engages
the flange abutment 26 to hold the sleeve 20 against axial movement
relative to the can neck 13.
[0030] An alternative embodiment is shown in FIG. 3. In this
arrangement, a skirt portion 27 extends downwardly from the annular
ledge 21 outside the can neck 13, such that the top end of the neck
is held in an annular groove. The folding of the neck 13 to form
flange 15 includes an outwardly rounded rim portion 17. This
rounded rim portion provides stiffening for the neck as well as an
abutment to engage the inwardly directed lip 25 at the bottom edge
of skirt portion 27. This helps to prevent elongation growth of
neck 13 caused by the flange 15 unfurling as the internal pressure
pushes against the closure cap 30.
[0031] In the same manner as FIG. 2, the ribs 23 bite into the
adjacent can metal to provide a gas-tight seal, and the catches 24
engage the abutments 26 to prevent the plastic sleeve from being
ejected under gas pressure. The combination of the gripping ribs
23, the catches 24 and the skirt portion 27 engaging the rounded
rim 17 of the can neck provide an overall secure attachment of the
threaded plastic sleeve 14 to the can neck 13.
[0032] FIG. 4 is a modification of the design of FIG. 3 with a
different gripping arrangement between the annular ledge skirt 27
and the neck portion 13. In this embodiment, the neck portion has
an annular indentation 16 which engages a mating annular projection
28 on the inner face of the skirt portion 27.
[0033] It is desirable for customer appeal to have a bottle shape
with clean lines where the outer surface of the cap and sleeve are
flush with the outer surface of the neck portion. An example of
this can be seen in FIG. 5, where the bottle neck has an indented
upper portion 35, such that skirt portion 36 mates with the
indented portion 35 with the outer face 37 of skirt portion 36
flush with the outer face of neck portion 13. The remainder of this
design is similar to FIGS. 3 and 4.
[0034] FIG. 6 shows a design in which the threaded plastic sleeve
is mounted over the projecting neck. In this design, a portion 40
of the can neck is turned outwardly and downwardly providing an
abutment 41. The threaded sleeve has a lower tubular portion 42,
with a plurality of axially spaced annular gripping ribs 43
extending inwardly from the inner face of tubular portion 42. These
grip the face of the neck in the same manner as described
hereinbefore. At the top of the lower tubular portion is a ledge 44
which projects both inwardly and outwardly. Extending up from ledge
44 is an upper tubular portion 45 with external threads 46, adapted
to receive the internal threading 31 of closure cap 30.
* * * * *