U.S. patent application number 11/468911 was filed with the patent office on 2007-03-08 for reclosable metal bottle.
This patent application is currently assigned to OMNITECH INTERNATIONAL, INC. Invention is credited to Christopher J. Olson.
Application Number | 20070051687 11/468911 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37829083 |
Filed Date | 2007-03-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070051687 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Olson; Christopher J. |
March 8, 2007 |
RECLOSABLE METAL BOTTLE
Abstract
Disclosed is an unique reclosable metal bottle in which a trim
portion of the neck can be reused and mounted on the neck as a
collar, or a separate collar provided, that has the structural
rigidity necessary to form threads or lugs for recloseability. Thin
wall metal bottles, having thicknesses on the order of thin wall
metal cans currently in use, can be made using this process with
minimal material waste since the trim neck portion is reused as a
threaded collar. Structural rigidity and strength can be added by
using fillers to backfill the indentations of the threads in the
collar. Threads or lugs can be used, including pressure release
lugs, that add both safety and convenience. Since the reclosable
metal bottle is an all-metal container, the bottle can be recycled
without introducing contaminants.
Inventors: |
Olson; Christopher J.;
(Superior, CO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
COCHRAN FREUND & YOUNG LLC
2026 CARIBOU DR
SUITE 201
FORT COLLINS
CO
80525
US
|
Assignee: |
OMNITECH INTERNATIONAL, INC
500 CORPORATE CIRCLE, SUITE O
Golden
CO
|
Family ID: |
37829083 |
Appl. No.: |
11/468911 |
Filed: |
August 31, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60715052 |
Sep 7, 2005 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
215/44 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B21D 51/38 20130101;
B65D 41/16 20130101; B65D 41/04 20130101; B29B 2911/14053 20130101;
B65D 1/48 20130101; B65D 1/0246 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
215/044 |
International
Class: |
B65B 7/28 20060101
B65B007/28 |
Claims
1. A method of making a reclosable metal bottle comprising: necking
a body portion of said reclosable metal bottle to form a neck
portion that includes an extended neck portion; trimming said
extended neck portion from said neck portion to form a collar;
working said collar to form threads and increase the diameter of
said collar; backfilling indentations formed by said threads in the
collar with a backfiller material; placing said collar over said
neck; securing said collar to said neck.
2. The method of making a reclosable metal bottle of claim 1
wherein said step of securing said collar to said neck comprises
mechanically securing said collar to said neck by forming a curl in
the top portion of said neck that engages said collar.
3. The method of making a reclosable metal bottle as set forth in
claim 1 wherein said step of securing said collar to said neck
further comprises bonding said collar to said neck using bonding
agents that comprise said backfiller material that backfills
indentations in said collar formed by said threads.
4. The method of making a reclosable metal bottle as set forth in
claim 1 wherein said step of necking a body portion to form a neck
portion comprises a drawing and ironing process.
5. A reclosable metal bottle comprising: a thin wall metal body
portion; a neck portion that has been formed from said thin wall
metal body portion; a collar trimmed from said neck portion and
secured to an outside surface of said neck portion; threads formed
in said collar; filler material that is backfilled into openings
formed by said threads on the inside surface of said collar, said
filler material providing strength and rigidity to said
threads.
6. The reclosable metal bottle of claim 5 wherein said filler
material comprises a bonding adhesive.
7. The reclosable metal bottle of claim 5 further comprising a
bonding adhesive disposed between said collar and said neck.
8. A method of making a reclosable metal bottle comprising: necking
a body portion of said reclosable metal bottle to form a neck
portion; providing a metal collar; working said collar to form
threads and increase the diameter of said collar; backfilling
indentations formed by said threads in said collar with a
backfiller material; placing said collar over said neck; securing
said collar to said neck.
9. The method of making a reclosable metal bottle of claim 8
wherein said step of securing said collar to said neck comprises
mechanically securing said collar to said neck by forming a curl in
a top portion of said neck that engages said collar.
10. The method of making a reclosable metal bottle as set forth in
claim 8 wherein said step of securing said collar to said neck
further comprises bonding said collar to said neck using bonding
agents that comprise said backfiller material that backfills
indentations in said collar formed by said threads.
11. A reclosable metal bottle comprising: a thin wall metal body
portion; a neck portion that has been formed from said thin wall
metal body portion; a metal collar that is secured to an outside
surface of said neck portion; threads formed in said collar; filler
material that is backfilled into openings formed by said threads on
the inside surface of said collar, said filler material providing
strength and rigidity to said threads.
12. The reclosable metal bottle of claim 11 wherein said filler
material comprises a bonding adhesive.
13. The reclosable metal bottle of claim 11 further comprising a
bonding adhesive disposed between said collar and said neck.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims benefit of and priority to U.S.
Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/715,052 entitled
"Reclosable Metal Bottle" by Christopher J. Olson, filed Sep. 7,
2005, the entire contents of which are specifically incorporated
herein by reference for all that it discloses and teaches.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] a. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention pertains generally to containers and
more specifically to metal containers.
[0004] b. Description of the Background
[0005] Metal containers for containing beverages have been in
existence for some time. One of the goals of the container industry
has been to fabricate a reclosable metal bottle that is capable of
withstanding the pressures that can be created by carbonated fluids
in the metal bottle that can exceed 100 pounds per square inch.
Attempts have been made to provide reclosable metal bottles that
use threaded plastic outserts that are mounted on the metal bottle
neck. The plastic outserts can provide sufficient rigidity and
strength to operate under the high pressures that can be created in
the metal bottle from carbonated fluids. An example of the use of a
plastic outsert is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,026 issued Jan.
4, 2002 to Hans H. Dickhoff and assigned to Aluminum Company of
America.
[0006] One of the problems associated with the use of plastic
outserts is that contaminants from the plastic can be introduced
during the burn off period when the metal bottles are melted for
recycling purposes. In addition, the plastic outserts can be
expensive which raises the overall price of the container. Also,
impact extruding processes that are typically used to form metal
containers can be expensive when forming a metal bottle because of
the large number of necking stages that are required to neck the
container into a bottle shape. As such, the overall cost of making
a metal bottle is high and requires a large capital investment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention may therefore comprise a method of
making a reclosable metal bottle comprising: necking a body portion
of the reclosable metal bottle to form a neck portion that includes
an extended neck portion; trimming the extended neck portion from
the neck portion to form a collar; working the collar to form
threads and increase the diameter of the collar; backfilling
indentations formed by the threads in the collar with a backfiller
material; placing the collar over the neck; securing the collar to
the neck.
[0008] The present invention may further comprise a reclosable
metal bottle comprising: a thin wall metal body portion; a neck
portion that has been formed from the thin wall metal body portion;
a collar trimmed from the neck portion and secured to an outside
surface of the neck portion; threads formed in the collar; filler
material that is backfilled into openings formed by the threads on
the inside surface of the collar, the filler material providing
strength and rigidity to the threads.
[0009] The present invention may further comprise a method of
making a reclosable metal bottle comprising: necking a body portion
of the reclosable metal bottle to form a neck portion; providing a
metal collar; working the collar to form threads and increase the
diameter of the collar; backfilling indentations formed by the
threads in the collar with a backfiller material; placing the
collar over the neck; securing the collar to the neck.
[0010] The present invention may further comprise a reclosable
metal bottle comprising: a thin wall metal body portion; a neck
portion that has been formed from the thin wall metal body portion;
a metal collar that is secured to an outside surface of the neck
portion; threads formed in the collar; filler material that is
backfilled into openings formed by the threads on the inside
surface of the collar, the filler material providing strength and
rigidity to the threads.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is one embodiment of an isometric view of a
reclosable metal bottle.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a side view of a necked bottle.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a side view of the necked bottle of FIG. 2 with a
trimmed collar.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a side view of the metal bottle of FIG. 3 and a
trimmed collar with the trimmed collar formed with threads.
[0015] FIG. 5 is a side view of the metal bottle of FIG. 4 with the
trimmed collar mounted on the neck of the trimmed bottle.
[0016] FIG. 6 is a cut-away view of the embodiment of FIG. 5.
[0017] FIG. 7 is a cut-away, close-up view of the neck portion of
the embodiment of FIG. 5.
[0018] FIG. 8 is a side view of another embodiment of a metal
bottle and a trimmed collar that has been formed with lugs.
[0019] FIG. 9 is a side view of the metal bottle of FIG. 8 with the
collar mounted on the metal bottle.
[0020] FIG. 10 is a cut-away view of the embodiment of FIG. 9.
[0021] FIG. 11 is a side view of another embodiment of a metal
bottle with the collar formed with pressure released lugs.
[0022] FIG. 12 is a side view of the metal bottle of FIG. 11 with
the collar portion mounted on the bottle.
[0023] FIG. 13 is a cut-away view of the embodiment of FIG. 12.
[0024] FIG. 14 is a cut-away view of the neck portion of the
embodiment of FIG. 13.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0025] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of a metal
bottle that is made in accordance with the present invention. As
shown in FIG. 1, the reclosable metal bottle 100 has a body portion
102 and a neck portion 104. Mounted on the neck portion is a collar
106 that has threads 108. The top of the neck portion 110 is curled
and can be crimped to hold the collar 106 in place on the neck
portion 104 and retain the collar 106 so that the collar 106 is
held on the neck portion 104 and cannot be removed from the end of
the neck portion 104. Cap 112 is a standard metal cap with threads
that engage threads 108 of the collar 106. The inside top of the
cap 112 seals against the smooth curl 110 at the top of neck
portion 104.
[0026] The process of forming a typical can body results in the mid
portion of the body 102, i.e., the mid-body of a typical aluminum
beverage can, to have a thickness of around 4 thousandths of an
inch. In some applications, the mid-body may be slightly less
thick, i.e., on the order of 3.8 or 3.6 thousandths of an inch, for
aluminum cans. For steel cans, the thickness at the mid-body can be
as low as 2.6 or 2.7 thousandths of an inch. Typically, the neck
104 has a thickness that is 2.0 to 2.5 thousandths of an inch
greater than the body portion using ironing processes. Hence, the
neck portion in a standard aluminum can have thicknesses in the
range of 6.0 to 6.5 thousandths of an inch. At least for aluminum
containers, a typical thickness in the neck portion of around 6.0
thousandsths of an inch would normally be considered to have
insufficient strength for threads that are capable of withstanding
the pressures of over 100 pounds per square inch that may be
created by a carbonated liquid in an enclosed container. Hence,
additional strength/thickness is required in the neck portion 104
to form threads for a reclosable metal bottle.
[0027] FIG. 2 is a side view of the body portion 102 which can be
made using an impact extrusion process, or can be formed using a
drawn and ironing process. The neck 104 including the extended
portion 114 can be made using the above processes or more
preferably using a linear drive metal forming machine as described
in Publication Number US 2005-0155404A1 which is specifically
incorporated herein for all that it discloses and teaches.
[0028] FIG. 3 is a side view of the metal bottle illustrated in
FIG. 2 with the extended portion 114 removed from the neck 104 to
form a collar 106. The collar 106 can be severed or cut in any
desired fashion from the neck 104 to form a separate collar 106.
The trimming of the collar 106 from the neck 104, as shown in FIG.
3, can constitute a standard trimming process that would otherwise
occur in the trimming of the neck 104. In other words, the top of
the collar 106 can be trimmed first in the standard manner in which
the neck 104 of a container would otherwise be trimmed to form an
even and flat surface. Then, the extended portion 114 that forms
the collar 106 can be trimmed from the neck 104, in the same
fashion, to form a flat and even surface at the top of the neck 104
and the bottom of the collar 106. Using this process, the number of
steps in forming the collar 106 is minimized, and there is a
minimal amount of waste associated with the process of forming the
reclosable metal bottle 100 and the collar 106.
[0029] The collar 106 of FIG. 3 can also be constructed separately
from the reclosable metal bottle 100. In other words, the
reclosable metal bottle 100 can be formed with a neck 104 such as
shown in FIG. 3 and a separate collar 106 can be formed separately
using other material. This reduces the amount of forming that is
required of the metal material in the neck 104. The collar 106 can
be sized so that it fits over the neck 104 when the collar 106 is
first formed.
[0030] FIG. 4 is a side view of the reclosable metal bottle 100 and
collar 106. As shown in FIG. 4, the metal in collar 106 has been
worked to form threads 108 in the collar 106. In the process of
working the metal in the collar 106 to form threads 108, the inner
diameter of the collar 106 can also be increased so that the collar
106 can slide over the neck 104 and fit tightly on the neck 104.
Conventional stamping techniques and other metal forming processes
can be used to form the threads 108 in the collar 106 and expand
the inner diameter of the collar so that it slides over the neck
104. For example, a standard stamping process can be used for this
purpose. The working of the metal in the collar 106 provides more
rigidity to the metal, which further assists in creating threads
108 that will not fail under the pressures that can be created
above 100 pounds per square inch within the reclosable metal bottle
100. Since the collar 106 is separated from the reclosable metal
bottle during the trimming process, there is easy access to the
inner surface of the collar 106 to form the threads 108.
[0031] The neck portion 104, including the collar 106, may have a
thickness of around 9 thousandths of an inch, resulting in a
mid-body portion of the reclosable metal bottle 100 having a
thickness of 6.5 to 7 thousandths of an inch which is not
substantially greater than the mid-body thickness of a standard
aluminum beverage can. Using thicknesses in these ranges results in
the fabrication of economical metal bottles, made from aluminum,
that do not have substantially more metal, and subsequently do not
have substantially more cost, than standard lightweight metal
beverage cans. Since the process of trimming the neck 104 must be
performed in any event, to provide a smooth and even neck 104, no
additional steps are required to form the collar 106. A combined
thickness of 18 thousandths of an inch provides sufficient strength
to create threads that allow a threaded cap to seal and hold the
high pressures that can be created by a carbonated beverage that
may exceed 100 pounds per square inch. By using the thickness of
the metal in the collar 106 together with the thickness of the
metal in the neck 104, total thicknesses in the range of 18
thousandths of an inch are created that are capable of providing
the structural rigidity that is necessary for a reclosable threaded
structure to withstand pressures in a carbonated beverage
container. In addition, and/or alternatively, bonding agents can be
used to add further strength and thickness to the structure of the
combined collar 106 and neck 104 to further reduce metal thickness,
as explained below.
[0032] FIG. 5 is a side view of the reclosable metal bottle 100
with the collar 106 mounted on the neck 104. The top edge of the
neck 104 is curled (rolled over) along the top edge of the neck 104
to hold the collar 106 in place on neck 104. The top surface of the
curl 110 forms a smooth, flat surface on which a seal can be formed
with a closure or cap. Threads 108 on the collar 106 extend
outwardly and provide a threaded surface on which to screw a cap or
other closure device. The collar 106 can be affixed to the neck 104
by strictly mechanical means such as by crimping. Alternatively, an
adhesive or other bonding agent can be used to secure the collar
106 to the neck 104. A filler material can be used, which may or
may not comprise a bonding agent, that fills the inside surfaces of
the threads 108 so as to provide additional rigidity to the
structure that forms the threaded surface. In other words, a
bonding agent (such as an adhesive), of any desired type, can be
used together with a separate filler that fills the inside surfaces
of the thread, or the bonding agent itself can function as a filler
and an adhesive bonding agent. Bonding agents such as epoxy can be
used as both a filler and as an adhesive. The curl 110 can be used
in conjunction with the adhesive to ensure that the collar 106 is
mechanically secured on the neck 104 and cannot be easily pulled
off of the end of the neck 104. If a filler/adhesive is being used
in conjunction with the collar 106, the thickness of the metal in
the neck 104 and collar 106 may be reduced even further. As
disclosed above, without the use of a filler, it may be desirable
to have a wall thickness in the neck of approximately 9
thousandths, so that a total of 18 thousandths of an inch is
achieved when the collar 106 is placed over the neck 108. However,
when a filler and/or adhesive is used that backfills the thread
indentations on the collar, it is possible that wall thicknesses as
low as 7 thousandths of an inch in the neck 104 and collar 106 can
be used that will provide sufficient rigidity and strength so that
the threads will not compress as a result of pressure from the
interior portion of the reclosable metal bottle 100. As a result,
mid-body thicknesses of 4.5 to 5 thousandths of an inch can be
achieved which is equivalent to the mid-body thicknesses of typical
lightweight aluminum beverage cans. Hence, considerable cost
savings in the materials can be obtained, resulting in a
significant savings in the overall cost of the reclosable metal
bottle. Of course, other types of metals can be used, such as
steel, which would result in different thicknesses, but would
provide similar savings.
[0033] FIG. 6 is a cut-away view of FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 6, the
body portion 102 is shown as well as the neck 104 and collar 106.
As shown in FIG. 6, the collar 106 slides over the neck 104 with
very close tolerances to form a gap 116. Boding agents and fillers
can be inserted in the gap 116 to strengthen the double-walled
structure, as disclosed above.
[0034] FIG. 7 is a cut-away view of the neck portion and the collar
of the embodiment of FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 7, the top of the
neck 104 is rolled over to form a curl 110. The curl 110 holds the
collar 106 in place on the neck 104. As disclosed above, the curl
110 forms a flat top portion 118 that is capable of creating a seal
with the threaded closure.
[0035] FIG. 7 also illustrates the filler 122 that can be used to
backfill the threads 108, which adds additional rigidity and
strength to the threads 108. As indicated above, the use of a
filler may reduce the overall thicknesses required in the neck and
collar to about 7 thousandths of inch for aluminum. As indicated
above, this would allow the construction of lightweight reclosable
bottles, such as the lightweight cans, that are currently in use.
As indicated above, the filler 122 can comprise any desired filler
type of material. As indicated above, the filler may comprise a
bonding agent such as an adhesive. Other types of fillers can also
be used. Once the collar 106 is severed from the neck portion 104,
as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the collar 106 can be sent through
a stamping or other forming operation which would properly size the
collar 106 to fit around the neck 104 and to also create the
threads 108. The collar 106 is then sent to a coating operation, or
lining operation, to apply the filler to the stamped-in features so
as to backfill the threads 108. This lining or coating that is
applied as a filler may differ from any adhesive that may be
applied when securing the collar 106 to the neck 104. Once the
filler is applied, the collar 106 may simply be mechanically
secured to the neck 104 by way of a crimp created by curl 110.
Slotting and other ways of mechanically securing the collar 106 to
the neck 104 can be used to prevent rotation of the collar 106 on
the neck 104. Since the reclosable metal bottle 100 is sealed by
way of the flat top of the curl 118 with the cap, the collar 106
does not have to be hermetically sealed to the neck 104.
[0036] Prior to the process of necking to form the extended neck
portion 114 of neck 104, an FDA coating is applied to the interior
portion of the bottle. The FDA coating is required in beverage
containers to prevent the beverage from contacting the metal and
thereby contaminating the beverage. In addition, the FDA coating
provides a certain amount of lubrication during the necking
process. To form the extended neck portion 114, the metal and the
FDA coating in the neck 104 are extensively worked. One of the
advantages of the process and structure disclosed herein is that
the portions of the neck 104, i.e., the extended portion 114, that
is worked the hardest, is removed from the bottle. The existence of
the FDA coating on the extended portion 114 is irrelevant since the
extended portion 114 constitutes the collar 106 which is placed
over the outside of the neck 104. Hence, the hardest worked
portions of the neck 104 are removed and used as the collar 106. As
such, the interior portion neck 104 does not require washing and
recoating, which is an expensive process. Another advantage of
using the collar 106 which is applied to the outside of the neck
104 is that, if threads were directly stamped into the neck 104, a
recoating process may be required to recoat the inside of the neck
with an FDA coating, which again, is an expensive process. Of
course, these processes are avoided since the neck 104 is not
stamped or otherwise reworked after the necking process.
[0037] One of the other desirable features is that once the collar
106 is removed from the can, it can be reworked and processed as
desired. For example, once the threads are formed, the outside
surface of the collar 106 can be powder coated to form a very
desirable surface from which to drink.
[0038] FIG. 8 is a side view of another embodiment of a reclosable
metal bottle 124. As shown in FIG. 8, a collar 126 is also trimmed
from the reclosable metal bottle 124 in the manner described above.
However, instead of forming threads, lugs 128 are formed in the
collar 126 using any one of the processes described above. The lugs
128 have a profile that matches the closure or cap (not shown) so
that the closure can be easily applied and engage the lugs 128. The
cap can then be sealed on the bottle 124 with a quarter turn. The
advantage of lugs over threads is that lugs allow the cap to be
opened with a simple quarter turn that eliminates the multiple
rotations that are normally required to seal a threaded closure. In
addition, threaded closures are more prone to cross-threading than
lugs, which further adds to the reliability of being able to form a
proper seal using a lug closure device.
[0039] FIG. 9 is a side view of the reclosable metal bottle 124
with the collar 126 mounted on the neck 132. Any of the processes
disclosed above for mounting the collar 126 on the neck 132 can be
used. For example, the curl 130 can be formed in the upper portion
of the neck 132 which crimps the collar 126 mechanically onto the
neck 132. The curl 130 creates a crimp above the location of the
lugs 128 so that the curl 130 does not interfere with the lugs
128.
[0040] FIG. 10 is a cut-away view of the reclosable metal bottle
124, illustrating the lugs 128 and the neck 132.
[0041] FIG. 11 illustrates another embodiment of a reclosable metal
bottle 134. As shown in FIG. 11, a collar 136 is trimmed from the
neck 140 in the manner disclosed above. The collar 136 can then be
processed, as disclosed above, to form pressure release lugs 138.
The pressure release lugs 138, as well as the collar, can be
processed and formed using any of the desired processes disclosed
above, including the backfilling and coating of the pressure
release lugs 138.
[0042] FIG. 12 is a side view of the reclosable metal bottle 134.
The collar 136 is mounted on the neck 140. Again, any of the
processes for mounting of the collar 136 on the neck 140, such as
disclosed above, can be used. The pressure release lugs 138 are
adapted to engage a closure device such as a cap that is designed
to engage the pressure release lugs 138 and form a seal with the
curl 142. The pressure release lugs 138 operate such that a small
turn of the cap allows the seal between the cap and the curl 142 to
open slightly and release pressure around the side of the cap and
between the pressure release lugs 138, while still maintaining the
cap engaged with the pressure release lugs 138 so that the cap will
not be ejected from the top of the reclosable metal bottle 134. The
cap can then be turned farther to release the cap from the pressure
release lugs 138. The pressure release lugs 138 provide a safe and
convenient type of closure.
[0043] FIG. 13 is a cut-away view of the reclosable metal bottle
134 of FIG. 12. As illustrated in FIG. 13, the pressure release
lugs 138 are disposed around the periphery of the collar 136 for
engagement with a closure device (a pressure release lug cap).
[0044] FIG. 14 is a cut-away view of the embodiment of FIGS. 12 and
13. As shown in FIG. 14, the collar 136 is fit around the neck 140
and secured in position by the curl 142. Curl 142 can also overlap
the collar 136 and crimp the collar 136 in a secure position on the
neck 140. As indicated above, notches can also be made in the edge
of the curl 142 and the top of the collar 136 to prevent rotation
of the collar 136 on the neck 140. As also shown in FIG. 14, the
pressure release lugs 138 are formed in the collar 136 and protrude
outwardly for engagement with a closure device such as a cap.
Again, all the different methods of mounting including gluing and
bonding the collar 136 to the neck 140 can be used, as well as
backfilling the pressure release lugs 138, to provide additional
strength and rigidity to the pressure release lugs 138.
[0045] The various embodiments therefore provide a unique
reclosable metal bottle in which a trimmed portion of the neck can
be reused and mounted on the neck to provide the structural
rigidity necessary to form threads or lugs for recloseability, and
result in a substantial savings in the overall cost of the
reclosable metal bottle. Thin wall metal bottles, having
thicknesses on the order of thin wall metal cans currently in use,
can be made using this process with minimal material waste since
the trimmed neck portion is being reused as a threaded collar.
Structural rigidity and strength can be added by using fillers to
backfill the indentations of the threads in the collar. Threads or
lugs can be used, including pressure release lugs, that add both
safety and convenience. Since the reclosable metal bottle is an
all-metal container, the bottle can be recycled without introducing
contaminants. Backfill and bonding agents can be chosen that do not
introduce contaminants in the melting recycling process.
[0046] The foregoing description of the invention has been
presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not
intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise
form disclosed, and other modifications and variations may be
possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiment was chosen
and described in order to best explain the principles of the
invention and its practical application to thereby enable others
skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various
embodiments and various modifications as are suited to the
particular use contemplated. It is intended that the appended
claims be construed to include other alternative embodiments of the
invention except insofar as limited by the prior art.
* * * * *