AU601439B2

AU601439B2 - Cooling assembly for a beverage can or like container

Info

Publication number: AU601439B2
Application number: AU74704/87A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Kin-Shen Huang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-04-10
Filing date: 1987-06-25
Publication date: 1990-09-13
Anticipated expiration: 2007-06-25
Also published as: GB2203226A; GB8708641D0; AU7470487A

Description

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR OFFICE USE Form Short Title: Int. Cl: Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Lapsed: Published: 4O 5 0 1 a i

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Priority: Related Art: F1.h~isdocuflelt containls the ar. indri ts nidc un~r I ,cction and is correct for prin ting.

TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: KIN-SHEN HUANG No. 116, Shuang-Fu Village, Min-Hsiung Hsiang, Chia-I Hsien, TAIWAN, R.O.C.

Kin-Shen Huang GRIFFITH HASSEL FRAZER 71 YORK STREET SYDNEY NSW 2000

AUSTRALIA

4 4 4' I 44 Complete Specification for the invention entitled: COOLING ASSEMBLY FOR A BEVERAGE CAN OR LIKE CONTAINER The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 9019A:rk 1 ii This invention relates to a cooling assembly for a beverage can or like container, which may be used to cool the contents of the can.

Canned beverages are usually placed inside a refrigerator or a container filled with ice, in order to lower its temperature and to improve its taste before consumption. However, on some occasions, a refrigerator or ice may not be available and the canned beverages cannot therefore be cooled as desired. Thus, it would be convenient if canned beverages could be cooled by a simple, compact arrangement which is readily provided as part of the can.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cooling assembly for a beverage can or like container, which is easily operable to cool the beverage contained in the can before consumption.

According to the present invention, there is provided a beverage can or like container, having, at one end, a metallic end panel including an integrally formed closure member protruding inwardly from a central part of said metallic end panel; said closure having a closed inner end for containing therein a cooling substance in compressed form, said cooling substance being capable of absorbing heat from its surroundings when allowed to expand and evaporate; a cover for sealing said cooling substance in said closure member; an operating cover comprising a unitary plastics cap having an upstanding wall around its periphery to engage around the periphery of said cover and position the furnished with several webs extending inwardly from the wall to engage between the operating cover and the cover to resist deformation of the operating cover during handling and storage, the operating cover is also furnished with several orifices, and the center portion of the operating cover is provided with a piercing spike seat in which is 7 o 0718s/EM -2 fitted a piercing spike, such that the sharp tip of the said piercing spike faces a small dome on said cover; wherein in use, pressure is applied to the central portion of the operating cover to deform it such that the tip of the spike pierces the dome and the cooling substance escapes from the closure member, through the dome and orifices, absorbing heat to cool the contents of the beverage can.

The coolant may be compressed within the closure member, for instance, when difluoromethane, dichloromethane or fluorotrichloromethane is used as the coolant.

The invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a partly sectioned, partly cut-away perspective view of a beverage can incorporating a known cooling assembly; Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the cooling assembly of Figure 1, showing a form of closure with I" ~an associated operating lever; Figure 3 is a bottom view of the can of Figures 1 and 2, showing the operating lever in further detail; Figure 4 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of a tr beverage can incorporating a cooling assembly embodying the present invention; and Figure 5 is a top view of an operable cover used in the embodiment of Figure 4.

In Figure 1 of the drawings, a generally cylindrical closure 10 is formied integrally with a metallic bottom end panel 22 of a bever'ge can 20 which has an opposite, top end panel 21 provided with a conventional pull tab 23 arranged closure 10 is so formed as to protrude inwardly of the can Sbody 20 by a suitable distance from the bottom end panel 22, i with its inner end 11 closed. When the can body 20 is filled with a beverage, the closure 10 is surrounded by the beverage.

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aa a a os As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the closure 10 is provided with a cover 12 for sealing the open-ended closure to form a sealed compartment 13 therewithin. The cover 12 is securely fixed on to the bottom end panel 22 of the can body 20 and is provided with an operating lever 14 which is secured to the cover 12 by a stud 17 and which has a first end 15 extending freely from the stud 17 and an opposed, second end 16 formed with a sharp point disposed against the generally central part of the cover 12. A small dome 16A is optionally formed at the central part of the cover 12, to correspond with the sharp pointed second end 16 of the operating lever 14.

The first end 15 of the operating lever 14 is preferably slightly inclined away from the cover 12, to facilitate its manipulation by a user. The second end 16 of the operating lever 16 is preferably bent towards the cover 12, or formed into a hook shape, to facilitate the piercing operation.

A suitable coolant, such as difluoromethane, dichloromethane or fluorotrichloromethane, in a pressurised state, is charged into the compartment 13. In use, the can is first placed upside down with the bottom end panel 22 'pp facing upwards and then the first end 15 of the operating lever 14 is pulled or jerked, to cause the second end 16 of the lever 14, to piercr the central part of the cover 12, a° thereby forming an orifice therein. The pressurised coolant S in compartment 13 is thus allowed to evaporate and/or expand through the orifice so-formed, the resulting expansion of coolant absorbing heat from the surroundings, particularly 30 from the contents of the can, so as to cool the beverage contents therein.

aAs soon as the beverage in the can is cooled, the can may then be turned upright, so that the top end panel 21 faces upwards and the coaled beverage is ready to be served by pulling the tab 23, to open the hole in the top end panel 21.

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a aPo aa 0718s/EM -4 L 1~~ _r A cooling assembly embodying the present invention, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, has an operating cover 30 which is used in conjunction with the bottom end panel of the can body 20 instead of the stud 17 and operating lever 14. The operating cover 30 is a unitary plastics moulding having an upstanding wall 31 around its edge for gripping the rim of the can body 20 and cover 12. In this way, the operating cover 30 can be firmly attached to the can. Also, around the inner peripheral edge of the operating cover 30 are provided several webs 32, for absorbing ordinary impact forces. The centre portion of the operating cover 30 is provided with a seat 33 in which is fitted a piercing member, such as, a spike 34 made of hard metal and having a 0, sharp tip which faces the small dome 16A on the cover 12.

In use, the outer side of the cover 30, at or adjacent the 0, seat 33, is pushed inwardly, such that the small dome 16A is pierced by the spike 34, whereby the evaporating coolant in the compartment 13 expands through orifices 35 in the cover 12, to cool the beverage, or other contents, contained in the can.

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Claims

2. A beverage can substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings. DATED this 5th day of June 1990 KIN-SHENG HUANG By his Patent Attorneys ~GRIFFITH HACK CO. 0718s/EM 6