CAN END FOR USER-FRIENDLY RECLOSING CAN
A can end (2) is described for a metal beverage can, the can end comprising a cap top (3), arranged in connection to a pull tab (4) configured to remove the cap top from the can end to thereby create a drinking or pouring aperture; a shut-off valve (6), configured to close the drinking or pouring aperture after drinking or pouring; an elastic resilient element (10) for operating the shut-off valve (6); fixing means (50) for attaching the pull tab to the can end; holding means (21) for holding the shut-off valve (6) in an opened position for the drinking or pouring; wherein the cap top (3) is configured to remain located, after the removal, on top of the shut-off valve (6); and wherein the holding means (21) is configured to release the shut-off valve (6), when in the opened position, by exertion of a force by a user of the can, in a direction of the interior of the can, on the fixing means (50), so as to close the drinking or pouring aperture. Further, a can including such a can end and a method for opening such a can are described, as well as a method for producing such a can.
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The present invention relates to a container such as a can for a food product, especially a beverage, as well as a method of manufacturing the container or can. The container or can is especially suitable for carbonated beverages or drinks. The container or can can be provided with means for easily reclosing after the first opening.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTIONTraditional metal beverage cans usually have a pull tab (working as a lever mechanism) to allow for the opening of the can along a pre-determined shallow groove or score. This design allows venting the excess pressure in the can when it is opened. As the tab is lifted, first a vent score is severed, allowing the gases in the can to be released, and then the aperture score is ruptured, which defines an aperture through which the contents of the beverage can may be dispensed. The groove has the shape of a non-closed loop, so that when pressure is applied by the lever to rip the metal along the groove, the metal tab that is ripped off remains attached to the top of the can, even when the lever is returned to its original position.
With existing cans, a permanent opening is formed by these manipulations, so that the contents of the can may be drunk, but on the other hand carbon dioxide may escape and spills may occur.
WO 2012/028694 A1 discloses a reclosing can for a food product, i.e. a can wherein the drinking or pouring aperture can be reclosed after the can is opened for the first time. WO 2014/124992 A1 discloses an intermediate element that may be used in the reclosing can of WO 2012/028694 A1. The intermediate element of WO 2012/028694 A1 comprises a shut-off valve for sealing a drinking or pouring aperture of the can and an elastic resilient element for resiliently operating the shut-off valve; i.e., both the shut-off valve and the elastic resilient element are attached to the intermediate element on the side that contacts the contents of the can.
PCT/EP2015/054328, “Reliable opening can end for reclosing can”, filed on 2 Mar. 2015, discloses a very reliable means and a corresponding method to create the drinking or pouring aperture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides an alternative container, e.g. a can for food products, especially beverages such as carbonated drinks. The container according to the present invention is reclosing and comprises improvements over the container disclosed in WO 2012/028694, “Reclosing can for food product”, which is included herein by reference, in its entirety. The container according to the present invention does not rely on an intermediate element as disclosed in WO 2014/124992 A1 for holding the elastic resilient element that operates the shut-off valve. Surprisingly, the container according to the present invention is easier to open than a container having an intermediate element as disclosed in WO 2014/124992 A1, while providing an equally good sealing of the drinking/pouring opening.
A means and a method to create the drinking or pouring aperture as disclosed in PCT/EP2015/054328, filed on 2 Mar. 2015, may be used in a container according to the present invention. WO 2014/124992, “Intermediate element for reclosing can”, and PCT/EP2015/054328, “Reliable opening can end for reclosing can”, filed on 2 Mar. 2015, mentioned above, are also included herein by reference, in their entirety.
An advantage of embodiments of the present invention is their user-friendliness, particularly when opening and reclosing the container or can. In embodiments of the present invention, the user can simply push on the central part of the can end to close the can again. Another advantage of embodiments of the present invention is their simplicity.
One advantage of a container or can according to the invention is that it can easily be produced, and that it is suitable for mass production. In comparison with a traditional can, only the can end is different. Thus, a traditional production line of cans can be modified to produce the container or can, e.g. by replacing the production steps for the traditional can end by the production steps for the can end according to the invention; e.g. by adaptation of the tooling for the production line. The production steps and tooling for the can body and for attaching the can end to the can body can remain unchanged. A can end according to the invention may be made from a sheet of metal; parts such as a pull tab are added. An advantage of a can end in accordance with the invention is that it requires only a small number of parts.
An advantage of embodiments in accordance with the invention is that the can ends are very well stackable. The can ends may be stacked one on top of the other, so that a stack of can ends requires only little space, just as stacked can ends of traditional cans do.
Another advantage of embodiments of the present invention is that, before it is opened for the first time, the can is closed in the same way as a traditional can. It is opened by making a rupture through metal, as is the case for a traditional can, and it is thus as tamper-proof and leak-proof as a traditional can. Many other existing re-sealable cans rely on other opening mechanisms, e.g. on opening by a rotation, and they are often not at all as tamper-proof and leak-proof.
Yet another advantage is that embodiments of the invention can easily and successfully be applied to different types and sizes of can ends as known in the art, such as so-called SuperEnd (SE) can ends, Container Development Limited (CDL) can ends, etc. Embodiments of the invention can easily and successfully be applied to small can ends and to small can ends having large drinking apertures. All embodiments shown in the drawings were tested successfully.
Still another advantage is related to very good pourability and drinkability of the contents of the can. Compared to a traditional can, in embodiments of cans in accordance with the invention the contents of the can flows more smoothly and also faster out of the can. This is an important advantage, since recently quite some modifications to cans are proposed to improve drinkability and pourability.
One advantage of embodiments of the invention, when used for carbonated beverages, is that means may be provided for relieving the internal pressure in the can. In a carbonated beverage can, pressure is built up in the can because of the gases. If means are provided for relieving the internal pressure before opening, then the can is opened easily since no large force needs to be counteracted.
Another advantage of embodiments of the invention is that, even if used in large beverage cans of e.g. 0.5 l, an opened can remains opened when the contents is drunk or poured very fast; i.e. the reclosing mechanism does not close the can even if a very large flow of beverage is drunk or poured.
Yet another advantage of embodiments of the invention is that, if the can is dropped from a table or from a height of about 1 m or more, the can recloses automatically, so that the contents is not spilled.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides in one embodiment a can end for a metal beverage can, the can end comprising a cap top, arranged in connection to a pull tab configured to remove the cap top from the can end to thereby create a drinking or pouring aperture; a shut-off valve, configured to close the drinking or pouring aperture after drinking or pouring; an elastic resilient element for operating the shut-off valve; fixing means for attaching the pull tab to the can end; and holding means for holding the shut-off valve in an opened position for the drinking or pouring; wherein the cap top is configured to remain located, after the removal, on top of the shut-off valve; wherein the holding means is configured to release the shut-off valve, when in the opened position, by exertion of a force by a user of the can, in a direction of the interior of the can, on the fixing means, so as to close the drinking or pouring aperture, and wherein the elastic resilient element (10) is directly attached to said can end.
The can end may comprise an engaging means, wherein the holding means is configured to engage with the engaging means in the opened position and to disengage from the engaging means upon exertion of the force by the user of the can.
The holding means may have a location such that the exertion of the force by the user causes a deformation of the can end at that location, to disengage the holding means from the engaging means.
The elastic resilient element may comprise the engaging means.
The cap top may be arranged in connection to a pull tab configured to remove the cap top from the can end along a pre-defined groove.
The shut-off valve may be configured to seal the drinking or pouring aperture after drinking or pouring.
The metal beverage can may be configured for containing a carbonated drink, and the can end may comprise a shut-off valve that includes a first plate-like element, the first plate-like element having a first cut through it and having a first portion adjacent to the first cut, the first cut being configured to form a seal in the shut-off valve in the absence of a force, in a direction of the interior of the can, on the first portion of the first plate-like element, and being configured to form an opening in the shut-off valve, for relieving the gas pressure originating from the carbonated drink, upon exertion of a force, in the direction of the interior of the can, on the first portion. The can end may further comprise an elastic resilient element that includes a second plate-like element, the second plate-like element having a second cut through it and having a second portion adjacent to the second cut, the second cut being configured to form an opening in the elastic resilient element, for relieving the gas pressure originating from the carbonated drink, upon exertion of the force, in the direction of the interior of the can, on the second portion of the second plate-like element. It is noted that the inventor has found that the features disclosed herein for relieving the gas pressure originating from a carbonated drink can also be applied with the same technical effect to a can end wherein the elastic resilient element is not directly attached to said can end; in such a configuration, the elastic resilient element may be attached to an intermediate element, such as the intermediate element disclosed in WO 2014/124992 A1.
The cap top may comprise means, such as an approximately wedge-shaped embossment below the plane of the can end, for restraining the movement, in a direction away from the interior of the can, of the first portion of the first plate-like element of the shut-off valve and of the second portion of the second plate-like element of the elastic resilient element.
The cap top may comprise means for weakening its rigidity near the location where the pull tab touches the cap top when the can is opened; these means for weakening may comprise an interruption of an embossed ridge on the cap top.
The can end may comprise a supporting element for increasing the resilience of the elastic resilient element.
The can end may comprise an intermediate element for shielding the can end circumferentially from the interior of the can.
The can end may have a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, wherein the second side is adapted for receiving a first side of an identical can end for forming a stack of can ends.
The present invention also includes a metal beverage can comprising a can body and a can end in accordance with the invention.
The present invention further includes a method for producing a can, embodiments of the method comprising producing a can end in accordance with the invention, producing a can body, and attaching the can end to the can body.
Embodiments of the present invention also include a method for opening and reclosing a metal beverage can, the can comprising a can body and a can end, the method comprising the steps of actuating a pull tab of the can end, thus removing a cap top of the can end, thereby creating a drinking or pouring aperture; resiliently opening, by the actuating the pull tab, a shut-off valve configured to close and seal the drinking or pouring aperture after drinking or pouring; holding the shut-off valve in an opened position for the drinking or pouring; and exerting a force by a user of the can, in a direction of the interior of the can, on a fixing means for attaching the pull tab to the can end, so as to close the drinking or pouring aperture. The can end comprises an elastic resilient element for operating the shut-off valve, the elastic resilient element being directly attached to said can end.
In an embodiment wherein the metal beverage can is configured for containing a carbonated drink, the method may further comprise the steps of exerting a force, by actuating the pull tab, on a portion of a plate-like element of the shut-off valve, wherein the portion is adjacent to a cut through the plate-like element;
and forming an opening in the shut-off valve for relieving gas pressure originating from the carbonated drink.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides in one embodiment a can end for a metal beverage can for a carbonated drink, the can end comprising means for creating a drinking or pouring aperture; and a shut-off valve, configured to close the drinking or pouring aperture after drinking or pouring; wherein the shut-off valve comprises a first plate-like element, the first plate-like element having a first cut through it and having a first portion adjacent to the first cut, the first cut being configured to form a seal in the shut-off valve in the absence of a force, in a direction of the interior of the can, on the first portion of the first plate-like element, and being configured to form an opening in the shut-off valve, for relieving the gas pressure originating from the carbonated drink, upon exertion of a force, in the direction of the interior of the can, on the first portion. The can end may further comprise an elastic resilient element for operating the shut-off valve, wherein the elastic resilient element includes a second plate-like element, the second plate-like element having a second cut through it and having a second portion adjacent to the second cut, the second cut being configured to form an opening in the elastic resilient element, for the relieving the gas pressure originating from the carbonated drink, upon exertion of the force, in the direction of the interior of the can, on the second portion of the second plate-like element. The can end may comprise means for restraining the movement, in a direction away from the interior of the can, of the first portion of the first plate-like element of the shut-off valve and of the second portion of the second plate-like element of the elastic resilient element. It is again noted that the inventor has found that the features disclosed herein for relieving the gas pressure originating from a carbonated drink can also be applied with the same technical effect to a can end wherein the elastic resilient element is not directly attached to said can end; in such a configuration, the elastic resilient element may be attached to an intermediate element, such as the intermediate element disclosed in WO 2014/124992 A1.
In accordance with this other aspect of the present invention, embodiments of the present invention also include a metal beverage can comprising a can body and a can end in accordance with the invention; and embodiments of the present invention further include a method for producing a can, embodiments of the method comprising producing a can end in accordance with the invention, producing a can body, and attaching the can end to the can body.
In accordance with this other aspect of the present invention, embodiments of the present invention also include a method for opening a metal beverage can configured for containing a carbonated drink, the can comprising a can body and a can end, the method comprising exerting a force on a portion of a plate-like element of a shut-off valve of the can end, wherein the portion is adjacent to a cut through the plate-like element; and thereby forming an opening in the shut-off valve for relieving the gas pressure originating from the carbonated drink. The force may be exerted by actuating a pull tab of the can end. The method may further comprise operating the shut-off valve resiliently by an elastic resilient element of the can end; exerting the force on another portion of another plate-like element of the elastic resilient element, wherein the other portion is adjacent to another cut through the other plate-like element; and thereby forming another opening in the elastic resilient element for relieving the gas pressure originating from the carbonated drink.
In this document, that an element is at least substantially made of at least one specified material, e.g. of at least one metal, or e.g. of at least one plastic material, means that the element is made of at least 70% of the specified material, preferably of at least 80% of the specified material, more preferably of at least 90% of the specified material and most preferably of at least 95% of the specified material, wherein the percentages are percentages by volume.
Further, in this document a plate-like element means a thin, flat piece of metal, of plastic, or of another material.
A cut means, in this document, a thin opening as if made by a sharp knife; starting point and endpoint of the cut are different from each other, i.e. a cut is not a hole. A cut passes completely through the material in which the cut is made, in this document.
The container or can will be described below especially when used for beverages, particularly carbonated drinks. It will be clear from the description however that the can may also be used for other food products, such as instant soup, instant coffee, oil, honey, sauces, dairy products such as milk or yoghurt, et cetera.
The invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The present invention will be described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to certain drawings but the invention is not limited thereto but only by the claims. The drawings described are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn to scale for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and the relative dimensions do not correspond to actual reductions to practice of the invention.
Furthermore, the terms first, second, third and the like in the description and in the claims, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that the embodiments of the invention described herein are capable of operation in other sequences than described or illustrated herein.
Moreover, the terms top, bottom, over, under and the like in the description and the claims are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that the embodiments of the invention described herein are capable of operation in other orientations than described or illustrated herein.
It is to be noticed that the term “comprising”, used in the claims, should not be interpreted as being restricted to the means listed thereafter; it does not exclude other elements or steps. It is thus to be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features, integers, steps or components as referred to, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps or components, or groups thereof. Thus, the scope of the expression “a device comprising means A and B” should not be limited to devices consisting only of components A and B. It means that with respect to the present invention, the only relevant components of the device are A and B.
Shut-off valve 6 is resiliently operated by elastic resilient element 10, directly attached to the can end 2. In the opened position shown in
As in a traditional can, the central part of the can end 2 has a tear panel or cap top 3. In the embodiment shown in
In
When pull tab 4 is actuated further, cap top 3 is removed along its entire circumference from can end 2, as is shown in
The can is now opened completely and a drinking or pouring aperture is formed;
Holding means 21 (see
In the embodiment illustrated by
The embodiment shown in
An additional safety measure is shown in the embodiment of
This may be useful e.g. if the can is taken away in a bag and another object in the bag could, without this safety measure, cause the cap top 3 to open so that the contents of the can would be spilled. In one embodiment, disclosed in WO 2012/028694, “Reclosing can for food product”, mentioned hereinbefore, can end 2 has al least one small groove, and pull tab 4 has at least one protuberance fitting in this at least one groove, so that pull tab 4 is firmly locked in its rotated position shown in
In the embodiment of
When the can is opened, the cap top is removed along its entire circumference from the can end and remains attached to elastic resilient element 10 (as shown e.g. in
After reclosing the can, the internal pressure in the can builds up again due to the carbonated beverage remaining in the can. Since embossment 14 no longer restrains the movement of elastic resilient element 10 and of shut-off valve 6, the internal pressure causes the shut-off valve and the elastic resilient element to move upwards, both at the left-hand side and at the right-hand side of cut 42 and of cut 43, and no openings will be formed near these cuts, so that the shut-off valve closes and seals the can.
When reopening the can, by actuating pull tab 4, embossment 14 no longer plays a role in relieving the pressure in the can. The internal pressure is now relieved because openings are formed at the location of cuts 42 and 43 due to the local deformation of the can end at the location where pull tab 4 contacts the can end (and, specifically, the cap top) when it is actuated. This is discussed in detail further below, in connection with
While in the embodiment of
This embodiment of a means for relieving a pressure in the can was discussed here as part of an embodiment of a can end based on a CDL can end, but this embodiment may also be used in an embodiment of a can end based on a SuperEnd can end. Vice versa, the embodiment of a means for relieving a pressure in the can discussed further above in connection with
In the embodiment illustrated by
In one embodiment, shut-off valve 6 is a plate-like element that comprises cut 42. In another embodiment, the shut-off valve comprises a plate-like element comprising cut 42, and cut 42 is configured to form a seal in the shut-off valve in the absence of a force, in the direction of the interior of the can, on the portion of the plate-like element of the shut-off valve at the left-hand side of cut 42 (in
The force may be caused by the user actuating the pull tab of the can.
These embodiments of a means for relieving the pressure in the can may also be applied to other embodiments of cans than the ones discussed above. The drinking or pouring aperture may be created by other means than a pull tab and a cap top, arranged in connection to the pull tab configured to remove the cap top from the can end.
In another embodiment, a can end, for a metal beverage can for a carbonated drink, comprises means for creating a drinking or pouring aperture; and a shut-off valve, configured to close the drinking or pouring aperture after drinking or pouring; wherein the shut-off valve (6) comprises a first plate-like element, the first plate-like element having a first cut (42) through it and having a first portion adjacent to the first cut (42), the first cut (42) being configured to form a seal in the shut-off valve in the absence of a force, in a direction of the interior of the can, on the first portion of the first plate-like element, and being configured to form an opening in the shut-off valve (6), for relieving the gas pressure originating from the carbonated drink, upon exertion of a force, in the direction of the interior of the can, on the first portion.
The intermediate element may be at least substantially made of at least one plastic material, e.g. polyacetal. In another embodiment, the intermediate element is at least substantially made of at least one metal, e.g. aluminum. The aluminum may have a thickness of less than 0.2 mm.
Because of the improved rigidity of the can end, in this embodiment another embodiment of a shut-off valve may be used, namely a shut-off valve that does not abut along its circumference against the edge of can end 2, as in the embodiment illustrated by
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Further, while advantages of embodiments of the present invention have been described above, not all embodiments need necessarily exhibit such advantages to fall within the scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A can end for a metal beverage can, said can end comprising:
- a cap top, arranged in connection to a pull tab configured to remove said cap top from said can end to thereby create a drinking or pouring aperture;
- a shut-off valve, configured to close the drinking or pouring aperture after drinking or pouring;
- an elastic resilient element for operating said shut-off valve;
- fixing means for attaching said pull tab to said can end;
- holding means for holding said shut-off valve in an opened position for said drinking or pouring;
- wherein said cap top is configured to remain located, after said removal, on top of said shut-off valve;
- wherein said holding means is configured to release said shut-off valve, when in said opened position, by exertion of a force by a user of the can, in a direction of the interior of the can, on said fixing means, so as to close said drinking or pouring aperture,
- wherein the elastic resilient element is directly attached to said can end.
2. The can according to claim 1, wherein the metal beverage can is configured for containing a carbonated drink, and wherein said shut-off valve comprises a first plate-like element, said first plate-like element having a first cut through it and having a first portion adjacent to said first cut, said first cut being configured to form a seal in said shut-off valve in the absence of a force, in a direction of the interior of the can, on said first portion of said first plate-like element, and being configured to form an opening in said shut-off valve, for relieving gas pressure originating from said carbonated drink, upon exertion of a force, in said direction of the interior of the can, on said first portion.
3. The can end according to claim 2 wherein said elastic resilient element comprises a second plate-like element, said second plate-like element having a second cut through it and having a second portion adjacent to said second cut, said second cut being configured to form an opening in said elastic resilient element, for said relieving said gas pressure originating from said carbonated drink, upon exertion of said force, in said direction of the interior of the can, on said second portion of said second plate-like element.
4. The can end according to claim 3 comprising means for restraining a movement, in a direction away from the interior of the can, of said first portion of said first plate-like element of said shut-off valve and of said second portion of said second plate-like element of said elastic resilient element.
5. The can end according to claim 1, further comprising an engaging means and wherein said holding means is configured to engage with said engaging means in said opened position and to disengage from said engaging means upon said exertion of said force.
6. The can end according to claim 5 wherein said holding means has a location and wherein said location is such that said exertion of said force causes a deformation of said can end at said location, to disengage said holding means from said engaging means.
7. The can end according to claim 5 wherein said elastic resilient element comprises said engaging means.
8. The can end according to claim 1 further comprising a supporting element for increasing a resilience of said elastic resilient element.
9. The can end according to claim 1 wherein said cap top comprises means for weakening a rigidity of said cap top at a location where said pull tab touches said cap top upon opening of said can.
10. The can end according to claim 1 further comprising an intermediate element for shielding said can end circumferentially from the interior of said can.
11. The can end according to claim 1 wherein said can end has a first side and a second side opposite to said first side, wherein said second side is adapted for receiving a first side of an identical can end for forming a stack of can ends.
12. A metal beverage can comprising a can body and a can end according to claim 1.
13. A method comprising the steps of:
- producing a can end comprising a cap top with a pull tab connected with fixing means; a shut-off valve with holding means for holding said shut-off valve in an opened position for said drinking or pouring and configured to release the shut-off valve, when in said opened position, by exertion of a force by a user of the can, in a direction of the interior of the can, on said fixing means, so as to close said drinking or pouring aperture; and an elastic resilient element directly attached to the can for operating said shut-off valve; wherein said cap top is configured to remain located, after said removal, on top of said shut-off valve;
- producing a can body; and
- attaching the can end to the can body.
14. A method for opening and reclosing a metal beverage can, said can comprising a can body and a can end, the method comprising the steps of:
- actuating a pull tab of said can end, thus removing a cap top of said can end, thereby creating a drinking or pouring aperture;
- resiliently opening, by said actuating said pull tab, a shut-off valve configured to close and seal said drinking or pouring aperture after drinking or pouring;
- holding said shut-off valve in an opened position for said drinking or pouring; wherein in the method further comprises exerting a force by a user of the can, in a direction of the interior of the can, on a fixing means for attaching said pull tab to said can end, so as to close said drinking or pouring aperture, and
- wherein the can end comprises an elastic resilient element for operating said shut-off valve, the elastic resilient element being directly attached to said can end.
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the metal beverage can is configured for containing a carbonated drink, the method further comprising the steps of:
- exerting a force, by said actuating said pull tab, on a portion of a plate-like element of said shut-off valve, wherein said portion is adjacent to a cut through said plate-like element;
- thereby forming an opening in said shut-off valve for relieving gas pressure originating from said carbonated drink.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 22, 2016
Publication Date: Dec 20, 2018
Applicant: E.V.D.S. bvba (Gentbrugge)
Inventor: Erwin Vanderstraeten (Gentbrugge)
Application Number: 15/753,191