Closing Device for a Food Product Container, More Particularly a Drink Container, Cover and Food Product Container
The invention relates to a closing device for a food product container, more particularly a drink container, comprising a wall part provided with an opening and a shield member sealing the opening. The invention also relates to a cover of a food product container, more particularly a drink container, with such a closing device and to a food product container of which such a cover forms part.
The invention relates to a closing device for a food product container, more particularly a drink container, comprising a wall part provided with an opening and a shield member sealing the opening. The invention also relates to a cover of a food product container, more particularly a drink container, with such a closing device and to a food product container of which such a cover forms part.
Liquid containers, and more particularly drink containers, are used on a large scale. Drink containers of the type also designated as “drinks can”, “can package” or “tin” are applied in particular for packaging and consumption of (optionally carbonated) drinks. Soft drinks and beer are for instance packaged in large quantities in such substantially cylindrical drink containers, which are particularly known in the standard sizes of 330 ml and 500 ml. The drinks cans are however also applied in other standardized dimensions (there are for instance cans with a volume, among others, of 200 ml, 225 ml, 250 ml, 300 ml, 330 ml, 350 ml, 500 ml, “slim cans”, “tall cans” and so on). The existing drink containers (at least the cylinder casing-shaped part including an integrally formed base) are generally manufactured using a stamp, whereafter a separate metal top part is then attached thereto by means of a folded seam connection. In the top part there is usually placed a tab which is surrounded by weakened portions and which can be torn loose using a ring fixed to the tab. For these cans use is made of aluminium or sheet steel as starting material, to which a coating can be applied as desired. The existing drink containers have the significant drawback that they are difficult to open and are not reclosable. There are also objections to the use of such drink containers since they are not very environmentally-friendly.
The present invention has for its object to provide an improved closure for a food product container whereby an improved functionality can be provided compared to the prior art liquid containers.
The invention provides for this purpose a closing device for a liquid container, more particularly a drink container, comprising: a wall part provided with an opening and a shield member which is displaceable between a first, closed position sealing the opening in the wall part and a second, opened position leaving the opening at least partly open, wherein the shield member is provided with a locking member securing the shield member in the first, closed position, and wherein the shield member oriented in the first, closed position can be unlocked by displacing the locking member in a direction which encloses an angle with the wall part. The advantage of such a closing device is that the operations of unlocking and opening a (drinking) opening are separated such that both operations can be optimized independently of each other. It hereby becomes possible to leave clear an opening with lesser forces than according to the prior art and with simplified movements. The device according to the invention can thus be closed in locked manner, whereby undesired and unexpected changes of the relative orientation of the shield member and the wall part from the first, closed position to the second, opened position can be prevented, or at least counteracted. The closing device can thus not be opened in uncontrolled manner by for instance a (slight) external load, but only by one or more controlled operations which are performed—in an optionally specific sequence—by a user. If the user fixes the relative orientation of the shield member and wall part, further removal of the food, more particularly liquid, from the device will thus only be possible after unlocking the locking element by displacing said locking element directly or indirectly in a direction which encloses an angle with the wall part. In the first, closed position the locking member preferably exert a bias on the wall part to stably and hence reliably secure the first, closed position of the shield member. In a preferred variant the passage opening for the food product liquid can also be reclosed by sliding back the shield member, wherein it is also possible for the locking member to secure the shield member once again in the closed position. These are examples of the possible optimization of the separate functions of locking and closing. The kind of displacement of the shield member during displacement of this member between the first position and the second position can be of various nature. This displacement may incorporate for example a sliding movement, a rotating movement, or a tilting movement. However, it is also conceivable for a person skilled in the art that shield member is adapted to undergo a combined movement to displace the shield member between the first position and the second position. It is noted that the closing device is in particularly suitable to be applied onto food product containers. These containers are adapted to contain all kind of food articles, such as for example liquid foods (beverages, oil, honey, et cetera), flavoured confetti (sprinkles), sauces, instant food products (instant soup, instant coffee, instant tea, et cetera), and dairy products (yoghurt, custard, et cetera). The cover according to the invention and the food product container are preferably adapted to be subjected to a pasteurization process step, which is in fact a heat processing of the (liquid) food product to kill pathogenic bacteria to make the food product safe to consume.
The shield member preferably engages on the opening in the wall part. A separate provision on or in the wall part hereby becomes unnecessary; use is made in simple manner of a provision which is in any case already present.
It is possible to envisage diverse variants in respect of the embodiment of the locking member. A simple variant relates to a pin pivotally connected to the shield member. Such a pivotable, preferably elastic, pin can optionally be fully integrated with the shield member. As mentioned afore the locking member is preferably adapted to co-act under bias with the wall part, more preferably with a protruding edge of the wall part, to secure the shield member in the first, closed position. In a particular preferred embodiment the locking member is initially sealed in the first, closed position thereby providing a tamper-evident closure. Tamper-evident closures are adapted to make it difficult to achieve a first time opening of the closing device according to the invention without it being detectable by subsequent users that the package seal has been breached. In a preferred embodiment the tamper-evident seal is formed by a breakable mutual connection between the locking member and another part of the closing device. The connection can for instance be formed by one or more (small) rods and/or by a hook-shaped member. The seal is more preferably visible to the user, so that the user can see at a glance whether or not the closing device has been opened at an earlier stage. In a particular preferred embodiment, the rod is initially connected to the peripheral edge of the venting opening incorporated in the operating element. The tamper-evident closure is thus visible to the user. During initial opening of the device the breakable connection(s) of the tamper-evident closure will be permanently broken, whereby the seal is thus also visibly broken.
In a preferred embodiment the shield member lies on one side of the wall part and connects to a control element which is situated at least substantially on the side of the wall part remote from the shield member. The control element and the shield member are preferably formed by separate, co-acting elements, and can be mutually connected by means of a single or multiple connection which protrudes through the opening. This connection may be either a permanent connection (wherein the control element and the shield member cannot be separated once connected) or a releasable connection (wherein the control element and the shield can be disconnected after these elements have been connected). In the case a control element is present which is separated from the shield member, it is logical to integrate the locking, or at least the control thereof, with the control element. In a particular preferred embodiment the locking member is pivotally connected to the control element, for example by means of a hinge, in particular a film hinge. It is also possible to integrate the guiding of the shield member relative to the wall part with the control element. The control element and the shield member may be mutually connected by means of a snap connection. This snap connection is preferably such that both the control element and the shield member are displaceable with respect to the wall part. This snap connection is preferably also such that the control element is adapted to limit the freedom of displacement of the shield member thereby preventing the shield member to become (accidentally) detached from the wall part and the control element. More preferably, the shield member is provided with elastic lips, said lips being adapted to co-act with the opening in the wall part. The control element will substantially prevent the lips to spring, which would, or at least could result in uncoupling of the shield member with respect to the wall part.
In yet another preferred variant, the closing device is provided with at least one first gas passage which is closed in the first, closed position of the shield member and which is opened after displacing the shield member respectively the control member from the first, closed position relative to the wall part. The kind of displacement can be of various nature and can include for example a sliding or tilting movement. However, preferably the displacement is in a direction which encloses an angle with the wall part. In this manner, the first gas passage can be opened simply for example by pushing the control element in a substantially perpendicular direction towards the wall part. A separately controllable first gas passage has the advantage that, prior to displacement of the shield member, a reduction in the pressure difference can first be realized between the internal and external pressure of a (carbonated drinks) container. After reduction in the pressure difference the shield member can be displaced with relatively little resistance. Such a closing device is particularly useful for instance for sealing a carbonated drink container. In another preferred embodiment the closing device is provided with at least one second gas passage which is closed in the first, closed position of the shield member and which is open in the second, open position. This second gas passage is preferably defined by a separate opening arranged in the wall part at distance of the (drink and/or pour) opening. Particularly in the case of liquid food products, usually drinks, a venting opening defined by the second gas passage will be advantageous, particularly during removal of the drink from the drink container. Gurgling removal of drink can thus be prevented, or at least countered.
Preferably, the shield member connects onto the wall part via a seal for realizing an improved sealing Such a seal can consist of a gasket of a flexible material, preferably an elastomer. An example of such a material is EVOH. The possibly present separate first gas passage(s) can likewise be provided with a seal (valve) of the same material, and can herein be formed integrally with the gasket of the shield member. Preferably, the wall part and the seal as a two-components-system is preferably manufactured in a single process step by particular injection moulding. To further improve sealing of the closing device in the first, closed position of the shield member, the shield member and/or the control element preferably engage on the wall part via biasing means. The biasing means can herein exert a force directed toward the wall part on the shield member. By causing the shield element, preferably provided with a seal, to engage under bias on the wall part of the closing device, a food product container can be sealed in substantially medium-tight manner. This not only prevents the possibility of the liquid and/or solid food product leaving the food product container in the first, closed position of the shield member, but also prevents gas exchange being able to take place between an atmosphere surrounding the food product container and an atmosphere prevailing in the food product container. In the case the food product is formed by a carbonated drink, the carbon dioxide will remain confined in the food product container in the closed situation, whereby it will also be possible to maintain the carbon dioxide content in the food product container, which enhances the preservation of taste and the like. Using the closing device according to the invention it is moreover possible to prevent micro-organisms being able to move, in the closed situation, from outside the food product container to a location inside the food product container. A constant composition of the food product can therefore be guaranteed with the device according to the invention in closed position, wherein the food product can also be conserved in relatively hygienic manner in the closed food product container. In the opened situation of the closing device, the shield member, and preferably a seal applied onto the shield member, is generally situated substantially at a distance from the wall part, whereby removal of food product along the shield member and via the opening in the wall part can take place freely and preferably unimpeded. After sufficient removal of the food product, the shield member can be displaced once again to the closed position, wherein a bias will be exerted directly or indirectly on the wall part in order to realize the medium-tight sealing of the closing device, and hence of the food product container. The bias exerted on the wall by the sealing element can be adjusted in discrete or continuous manner by means of the operating element for a user.
If, in addition to being displaceable parallel to the wall part, the shield member is also displaceable to a limited extent in a direction perpendicular to the wall part, the frictional resistance between the wall part and the shield member (plus seals which may be present therebetween) can thus be decreased. However, as aforementioned the displacement of the shield member, and the control element (if present), is predetermined but may be of various nature. Both the shield member and the control element may undergo a sliding movement, tilting movement, rotational movement, or any other displacing movement. It is also conceivable to apply a combination of these movements for displacing the shield member and/or the control element. To this end, it is for example imaginable that the control element must be pushed firstly, and must be slid in a first direction subsequently, as a result of which the shield member will undergo a sliding displacement in a second direction (different from the first direction).
For a controlled displacement of the shield member relative to the wall part, it is desirable that the shield member connects to the wall part via a guide running at least substantially parallel to the wall part. The guide means may be formed at least partly by an edge defining the opening of the wall part and/or one or more grooves applied to the wall part. Preferably, the guiding means comprise a one or more protruding dam elements making part of the wall part of the closing device.
Although the cover, more particularly the wall part, can be made of metal, it is particularly advantageous to manufacture the wall part at least partly from plastic. This is also the case for the shield member and an optionally present control element; these can also be advantageously manufactured from plastic. The more complex forms required for advantageous embodiment variants (such as for instance guide elements, fittings for seals, separate gas passage facilities and so on) can be manufactured easily and inexpensively from plastic, certainly in the case of production of components in larger volumes. Another major advantage of application of plastic for manufacturing the wall part (and eventually other parts of the closing device) is that a relatively solid and firm closing device can be provided which under normal circumstances will not be deformed in a substantial manner due to relatively high internal pressures within the food product container. By manufacturing the wall part (and eventually other parts of the closing device) a sealed, substantially medium-tight closing of the closing device can thus be secured. Manufacturing of the wall part out of metal, such as aluminium, will commonly result in a substantial deformation (bulging) of the wall part, as a result of which a medium-tight closing can no longer be secured. This bulging deformation of the metal wall part due to relatively high internal pressures (up to over 7 bar) is also referred to as ‘doming’. Thus, to be able to prevent, counteract and to control doming, the wall part, or at least a part thereof, is preferably made of plastic. Plastic is here also understood to mean a plastic-substitute material, such as for instance a modified cellulose. Another way of characterizing this material is as a “non-metal”; the material from which the drink containers of the “drinks can” type have heretofore been manufactured for many years. It is already clear from the term “drinks can” that the prior art teaching consists of manufacturing such a drink container from metal (tin). Specific examples of plastics to be applied are: PET, PE, PEN, PPE and HDPE. It is desirable here that the plastic-containing material is substantially form-retaining, i.e. the plastic material can fulfil a supporting function.
The invention also provides a cover of a food product container, more particularly a liquid container provided with a closing device as described above, which is preferably manufactured from plastic. Preferably, a top part of the cover according to the invention is formed such that a protruding edge arranged around the drinking opening is provided with at least one portion that protrudes less than other parts of the edge. A first recessed edge part (or even interrupted part of the protruding edge) may facilitate removal (drinking or pouring) of the food product out of the food product container. Moreover, a second recessed edge part (or even interrupted part of the protruding edge) may facilitate positioning and operating of the locking member.
The invention moreover provides a food product container, more particularly a liquid container provided with such a cover. The food product container preferably comprises cylinder casing-shaped part, wherein the food product container may be shaped as a bottle, (small) barrel, drinks can, et cetera. It is possible here for the dimensions of the food product container to fall within the standardized dimensions for drinks cans. Some important advantages of the application of plastic in the food product container according to the invention are that plastic can be relatively inexpensive, plastic (in particular when it is form-retaining) can be readily reused without having to be recycled immediately, it can be recycled in simple manner and that, depending on the application of the food product, there are options in respect of the plastic which can best be applied for this specific application. Furthermore, a plastic drink container can have a relatively low weight though high stability, a plastic drink container is not susceptible to oxidation and the plastic can function as a (thermal and electrical) insulator. It is also easier to inspect the contents of plastic drink containers by means of for instance X-radiation or other radiation. All these advantages can be realized in combination with retaining (practically) the entire infrastructure appropriate for prior art drinks cans, such as for instance filling lines, packing equipment, transport means, supply containers, cooling means, vending machines and so on.
Plastic also makes it possible however to manufacture a food product container, more particularly a liquid container with a form which differs from the standard dimensions for drinks cans. The cover usually connects onto a cylinder casing with integrally formed base part. In respect of the shape of the liquid container it is possible, partly owing to the application of plastic as the basic material, to give drink containers in particular all kinds of differing forms.
When plastic is applied as construction material, the cover and the food product container can be provided with form-fittingly co-acting contact sides. In a preferred embodiment the cover connects to food product container by means of at least one of the following connections: a sealed connection, a welded connection, a snap connection, a crimp connection, a seam connection, a bayonet connection, a labyrinth connection, and a screwed connection. However, it will be clear that a person skilled in the art may apply any other suitable connection to mutually connect the cover and the food product container. For a good sealing the cover can connect to the food product container via a sealed and/or welded connection. It is also advantageous to manufacture the cover from a material similar to the material from which the food product container is manufactured. However, it is also imaginable to apply a food product container made of metal which is connected to a cover made of plastic (or vice versa). A single material (mono-material) for all components makes a product easier and cheaper to recycle. The connection between the cover and the food product container may be a permanent connection. However, it is also conceivable that this connection is a releasable connection, wherein (eventually) the food product container and/or the cover can be reused. Separate marketing of a (sealed) food product container on one side and a cover according to the invention on the other side is imaginable.
Alternatively, the liquid container can also be manufactured from a plastic-containing material of laminar construction which is provided with one or more material layers consisting of a material other than plastic. Such a material layer other than plastic can be applied in particular as an extra barrier layer to prevent for instance oxygen exchange, odour exchange between the contents of the drink container and the environment and/or the plastic. Examples of such a layer co-acting with the plastic are metal coatings, and more particularly for instance a chrome coating, EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) and EVOH (ethylene vinyl alcohol). Such a layer can also be applied between for instance two PET layers. When two PET layers are separated by a barrier layer, the demands which can be made of the plastic situated on the outside of the drink container can differ from those made of the plastic which is situated on the inside and which comes into contact with the contents of the drink container; RPET (recycled PET) can for instance be used as plastic on the outside.
Opening of the food product container according to the invention may be realised with the successive process steps of: A) displacing the locking member in a first direction of movement, which first direction of movement encloses an angle with the wall part, thereby releasing the locking against mutual displacement of the shield member and the wall part in a second direction of movement, which second direction of movement is substantially parallel to the wall part, and B) mutually displacing the shield member and the wall part in the second direction of movement. When the shield member is displaced in the second direction of movement, the distance between the wall part and the shield member can also increase. During process step A) a first gas passage can simultaneously also be created between the interior of the liquid container and the environment. For the advantages of these methods reference is made to the advantages of the closing device and the drink container according to the present invention already described above.
The invention will be further elucidated on the basis of the non-limitative exemplary embodiments shown in the following figures. Herein:
Closing device 40 shown in
In
The opening of the cover 70 to allow drinking will be explained in the
It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. Use of the verb “comprise” and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim. The article “a” or “an” preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.
Claims
1-27. (canceled)
28. A closing device for a food product container, more particularly a drink container, comprising:
- a wall part provided with an opening, and
- a shield member which is displaceable between a first, closed position sealing the opening in the wall part and a second, opened position leaving the opening at least partly open, wherein the shield member is provided with a locking member securing the shield member in the first, closed position, and wherein the shield member oriented in the first, closed position can be unlocked by displacing the locking member in a direction which encloses an angle with the wall part, wherein the shield member connects onto the wall part via a seal.
29. The closing device as claimed in claim 28, wherein the shield member engages on the opening in the wall part.
30. The closing device as claimed in claim 28, wherein the locking member is formed by a pin pivotally connected to the shield member.
31. The closing device as claimed in claim 28, wherein the locking member is initially sealed in the first, closed position thereby providing a tamper-evident closure.
32. The closing device as claimed in claim 28, wherein the shield member lies on one side of the wall part and connects to a control element which is situated at least substantially on the side of the wall part remote from the shield member.
33. The closing device as claimed in claim 32, wherein the shield member and the control element are formed by separate, co-acting elements.
34. The closing device as claimed in claim 28, wherein the locking member is pivotally connected to the control element.
35. The closing device as claimed in claim 32, wherein the closing device is provided with at least one first gas passage which is closed in the first, closed position of the shield member and which is opened after displacing the control element from the first initial position of the control element relative to the wall part.
36. The closing device as claimed in claim 35, wherein the closing device is provided with at least one second gas passage which is closed in the first, closed position of the shield member and which is open in the second, open position.
37. The closing device as claimed in claim 35, wherein each gas passage is defined by a separate opening arranged in the wall part.
38. The closing device as claimed in claim 36, wherein at least one gas passage is provided with a valve which forms part of the seal.
39. The closing device as claimed in claim 28, wherein the shield member engages on the wall part via biasing means, which biasing means exert a force directed toward the wall part on the shield member.
40. The closing device as claimed in claim 28, wherein the shield member is displaceable in a direction perpendicular to the wall part.
41. The closing device as claimed in claim 28, wherein the shield member connects to the wall part via a guide running at least substantially parallel to the wall part.
42. The closing device as claimed in claim 28, wherein the wall part is manufactured at least partly from plastic.
43. The closing device as claimed in claim 28, wherein the shield member is manufactured at least partly from plastic.
44. A cover of a food, more particularly a liquid container provided with a closing device as claimed in claim 28.
45. The cover as claimed in claim 44, wherein the cover is manufactured from plastic.
46. A food product container, more particularly a liquid container provided with at least one cover as claimed in claim 44.
47. The food product container as claimed in claim 46, wherein the dimensions of the food product container fall within the standardized dimensions for drink cans.
48. The food product container as claimed in claim 46, wherein the form of the food product container differs from the standardized dimensions for drink cans.
49. The food product container as claimed in claim 46, wherein the top part is formed such that a protruding edge arranged around the drinking opening is provided with at least one portion that protrudes less than the other part of the edge.
50. The food product container as claimed in claim 46, wherein the cover and the food product container are provided with form-fittingly co-acting contact sides.
51. The food product container as claimed in claim 46, wherein the cover connects to food product container by means of at least one of the following connections: a sealed connection, a welded connection, a snap connection, a crimp connection, a seam connection, a bayonet connection, a labyrinth connection, and a screwed connection.
52. The food product container as claimed in claim 46, wherein the cover is manufactured from a material similar to the material from which the food product container is manufactured at least partly.
53. The food product container as claimed in claim 46, wherein the food product container is manufactured from a plastic-containing material of laminar construction which is provided with one or more material layers consisting of a material other than plastic.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 22, 2005
Publication Date: Dec 25, 2008
Applicant: Revocan B.V. (Alkmaar)
Inventor: Nicola Perra (Alkmaar)
Application Number: 11/658,212
International Classification: B65D 51/18 (20060101); B65D 51/16 (20060101); B65D 8/00 (20060101);