GB2275249A - Container with drinking straw or prize - Google Patents

Abstract

A container body 1 comprising a side wall 2 extending from a bottom wall 3 to a mouth closed by an top end wall 10, having an off centre openable portion 12, contains a liquid in which a straw or like elongate article eg prize in envelope (Figure 14), is supported by a bouyant float 30, 76 which makes sliding contact with the side wall 2 and holds the end of the straw in axial alignment with a pitch circle passing through the openable portion. The axial extent of the boutant float prevents tilting of the straw. The float may be a cylindrical web encompassing a diametral web having slots to support the straw (Figures 4 - 6, 12) or the float may be a continuation of the straw in the form of a tubular helix 76. The straw preferably has a first portion joined to a second portion by a flexible bend 74. <IMAGE>

Description

CONTAINERS This invention relates to containers for liquid, the provision of a drinking straw or similar elongate article in the container, and more particularly but not exclusively to buoyant devices arranged to support a drinking straw or similar article in the container and cause the straw or article to rise to an accessible postion when the container is opened.

US Patent 1309994 describes a bottle having a body and neck of smaller diameter joined to the body by a shoulder. A straw is supported in liquid in this bottle with one end of the straw in the neck and other end near the bottom of the bottle. A float on the straw causes the straw to rise out of the bottle when cap is removed from the bottle. A problem with this simple arrangement is that the straw is too short to permit the user to reach liquid at the bottom of the bottle. This problem has been overcome by use of a straw having a first straight portion joined to a second straight portion by a flexible bend, which a can be unfolded to increase the straw length as desribed in US 3326695 and US 5160058.

Adaptation of buoyant straws for use in cans is made difficult because the shoulder of cans, as currently sold, does not lead directly to the openable portion of the can end which is commonly located at a position away from the central axis of the can body. US 3656654 describes a tear open can end in which a flexible straw is fixed to the openable portion can end but this arrangement makes it difficult to fit the can ends onto can bodies filled with liquid. US 4877148 describes a can body having a bracket, fixed to the interior of the side wall, which holds the straw in line with an openable portion of the can end but this alignment of the bracket straw and openable portion of the can end is not available on cannery seaming machines.

US Patent 4930652 describes a beverage can closed by a can end having a lever which is raised to push open a flap defined by a score line. Inside this can there is a threaded rod with a co-operating disc which receives pressure from the depressed flap so it rotates on the rod threads to carry a buoyant straw slidably mounted at the periphery of the disc to pass around a pitch circle passing through the opened area, until one end of the straw rises through the opened area. The straw has extendable corrugations to permit increase of its length.

This device is likely to be expensive to produce.

French Patent No. 2622874 (Foret et al) describes a much simpler device comprising a can containing a liquid in which a straw is supported by a floating guide which rises, when the top of the can is opened, to lift the straw to an accessible position. In preferred embodiments the straw has a long straight portion joined to a shorter straight portion by a flexible bend portion which is lifted out of the can when the top end is opened so that the user may straighten the bend to increase the straw to a length sufficient to reach the bottom of the can.

Embodiments are described in which the straw is held on an axis parallel to the central axis of the can body. The floating guide is in the form of a disc a little smaller in diameter than the can: the disc is provided with cut-outs to permit liquid to pass through the disc as it rises when the can is opened.

A problem arising with a floating guide in the form of a disc is that the straw and guide disc are free to tilt in the can under the influence of the "top heavy" bend portion and off-centre weight of the shorter straight portion so the straw may not find and pass through the opening.

Accordingly this invention provides a container having a body comprising a bottom wall and a side wall extending upwardly from the periphery of the bottom wall to define a mouth of the body; a can end, closing the mouth of the body, and comprising a central panel surrounded by a peripheral portion seamed to the body, said centre panel including an off centre aperture portion; and a straw or like elongate article supported to float in a liquid in the closed container, characterised in that the straw or like elongate article is supported by a buoyant guide member of girth to co-operate with the interior surface of side wall of the container to hold an extremity of the straw or like elongate article in axial alignment with a pitch circle passing through the aperture portion, said buoyant guide member having an axial length sufficient to prevent tilting of the straw or elongate article in the liquid.

In one embodiment the buoyant guide member is a cylindrical web encompassing a diametral web having a plurality of cuts or slots spaced along the height of the diametral web, to support the straw.

The cuts or slots may be staggered across the width of the diametral web to hold the straw at an angle to the cylindrical web.

In another embodiment the straw comprises a first portion joined to a shorter second portion by a flexible bend portion, and the buoyant guide means is a continuation of the first portion and in the form of a tubular helix of diameter to co-operate with the side walls of the container to guide the flexible bend portion along the pitch circle through the aperture portion after the openable portion is opened.

Preferably in both embodiments the straw has first portion joined to a second shorter portion by a flexible bend.

The benefits arising from this invention are the straw, or similar article, is inside the can during transit and storage, and is free to rise to an accessable position when the can is opened.

Various embodiments will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a known can body sectioned on a diameter; Figure 2 is a plan view of a known can end having an openable portion; Figure 3 is a sectioned side view of a known folded straw; Figure 4 is a plan view of a buoyant member according to this invention; Figure 5 is a side view of the buoyant member of sectioned on line A-A in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a general view of the blank from which the buoyant member is formed; Figure 7 is side view of the can body of Figure 1 after fitting of the buoyant device with straw, filling with liquid, and closing with the can end shown in Figure 2; Figure 8 is a like view to Figure 7, after the can end has been opened; ; Figure 9 is a like view of Figure 8, after the can body has been rotated to align the straw with the opening in the can end and allow the straw to rise to an accessible position; Figure 10 is a like view to Figure 9, after the straw has been straightened in readiness for drinking.

Figure 11 is a perspective sketch of a mandrel with a rectangular blank wound on it; Figure 12 is a cut-away view of an alternative form of support member and straw; Figure 13 is a sectioned side view of a can body and a modified straw; Figure 14, is a sectioned side view of a closed can with a prize inside.

Figure 1 shows a typical can body 1 drawn and wall ironed from a sheet metal to comprise a side wall 2 about 115mm tall closed at one end by an integral bottom wall of overall diameter about 65mm. At the other end of the side wall 2 the can body has a shoulder 4, a neck 5, and an outwardly directed flange 6 defining the mouth of the body. Typically the neck diameter is about 58mm, but various alternative neck diameters are used in the beverage trade. The bottom wall 3 comprises an inwardly convex dome 7 surrounded by a channel portion 8.

Figure 2 shows an easy opening can end 10 of the kind in which a score line 11 defines an openable portion 12, and a lever 13 fixed to the centre panel 14 of the can end by a rivet 15. The can end is opened by lifting the lever with the rivet acting as a fulcrum so the other end of the lever presses on the openable portion to progressively break the score line and push the openable portion into the can body. In this form of can end the openable portion 12 remains attached to the centre panel 14 by a hinge portion 17 between the ends of the score line 11.

Figure 3 shows a popular form of articulated straw 25 having a first straight portion 27 joined to a second straight portion 28 by a corrugated portion 29 which may be unfolded to form a long straight straw. This form of straw is particularly convenient for use in this invention because the straw may be packed in compact form to reside in the can clear of the can end and straightened to useful length after removal from the can.

Figure 4 shows buoyant member 30 comprising a cylindri-al web 31 of flexible plastics material, of relative density less than 1.0, having a diametral web 32 which defines cuts or slots through which the straight portions of the folded straw are inserted. The diameter of the circular web 31 is just less than the diameter of the can body shown in Figure 1 so that the buoyant member may be squeezed through the mouth of the can body to reside in the body with a clearance between the cylindrical web and the side wall of the can body.

The cut-away view of Figure 5 shows three horizontal cuts or slots 33, 34, 35 in the diametral web 32 and the straight portions 27, 28 of the straw 26 passing through the slots to be held substantially upright or parallel to the cylinder axis of cylindrical web 31.

Figure 6 shows a flat rectangular blank used for experimental purposes to test a variety of buoyant materials at minimum cost. The blank 40 was cut form the sheet of thin stiff plastics material compatible with drinks products. Suitable plastics materials, having a relative density less than 1.0 include low density polyethylene and polypropylene.

The rectangular blank 40 shown in Figure 6 comprises a first tab 41, a first panel 31A, a second panel 31B, a web portion 32A, and a second tab 42 which has lateral tab portions 43, 44 and a central tongue 45.

The second tab 42 is defined by a free edge of the blank 40, a pair of side.edge portions, and a first fold line 46 which terminates in upper and lower cuts 47, 48 which free the lateral tab portion 43, 44 respectively.

The web 32A is defined by the first fold line 46 with cuts 47, 48; second fold lines 51A, 51B at each end of a cut 52; and the side edges of the blank. The web portion also has three parallel cuts 33, 34, 35 located to the left of the centre of the web portion 32A as shown in Figure 6.

The second panel 31B is defined by the second fold lines 51A, 51B with cut 52; the side edges of the blank 40; and a cut line 53.

The first panel 31A is defined by the cut line 53, the side edges of the blank, and a third fold line 54 which terminates in short cut lines 55, 56. A pair of lateral cuts 57, 58 are located between the cut 53 and the side edges of the panel 31A.

The first tab 41 is defined by the third fold line 54 with cuts 55, 56; the parallel side edges of the blank; and the other free edge of the blank.

The buoyant member 30 shown in Figures 4 and 5 was formed from the blank 40 by the steps of: 1. folding the tab portion 42 at fold line 46 to a right angle to the web portion 32A; 2. folding the second panel 31B at fold lines 51A, 51B to an oppositely directed right angle to the web portion 32A.

3. bending the second panel 31B into a semi-circular arc and passing the tab portion 42 through cut 53; 4. bending the first panel 31A into a semi-circular arc and passing the tab portion 41 through cut 52; 5. passing the lateral tab portion 43 of tab 42 through cut 57; and: 6. passing the lateral tab portion 44 of tab 42 through cut 58.

The straight portions 27, 28 of the straw 26 are then inserted in the cuts 33, 34, 35 as shown in Figure 5, so that the straw is held substantially upright in the buoyant member 30 with the corrugated bend portion 29 uppermost so that any gas in the straw gives some buoyancy when the buoyant member and straw are immersed in a liquid in the can body.

Figure 7 shows the can body 1 closed by the can end 10 with the buoyant member 30 and straw 26 floating in a liquid, such as a beverage 16. In Figure 7 the straw is shown to be floating directly under the openable portion 12 of the can end. Comparing Figure 7 and 8, it will be understood that the buoyancy member 30 supports the straw in axial alignment with a pitch circle passing through the openable portion.

Figure 8 shows the can of Figure 7 after the lever 13 has been raised to push the openable portion 12 into the can body 1. As is likely to happen in practise, the straw is not under the openable portion but may be brought into alignment with the openable portion by rotating the can body in an anti-clockwise direction as arrowed, so that since the straw and liquid hardly move, the opened portion is brought to the straw which becomes free to rise through the opening as shown in Figure 9.

Figure 10 shows the straw 26 after removal from the can and straightening so the imbiber is able to reach liquid at the bottom of the can body 1 by passing the straw through the buoyant member.

Experiments have shown that it is desirable that the cuts or slots 33, 34, 35 grip the straight portions of the straw firmly enough to give reliable positioning of the straw in the buoyant member 30 but not too firmly to make removal difficult.

Whilst the buoyant member and straw assembly has been described with reference to a can having an off-centre openable portion 12 in the can end 10, the buoyant member may easily be adapted for use with a container having a central opening, such as a bottle, can or jar by relocating the cuts or slots 33, 34, 35 onto a centre line of the diametral web 32.

As the blank 40 is made from a flexible plastics material the buoyant member formed from it may be folded to a compact girth to pass through quite a small container mouth and spring back to cylindrical shape to hold the straw upright in the container.

Whilst the buoyant member, made by folding a flat blank and interlocking slots, tabs and tongue, has given useful data on the degree of buoyancy required, a buoyant member could be mass-produced in any one of several ways.

For instance, Figure 11 shows a diametral web portion 32A, of a simplified rectangular blank, placed in a diametral slot of a cylindrical mandrel 60 with a tab portion 42 projecting at one end of the slot and the rest of the blank wound around the mandrel to complete the cylindrical shape 31 of the buoyant member. The tab 42 of the diametral web and the tab 41, at the free end of the blank, are heat sealed to the cylindrical web 31 by opposed heat sealing tools 61, 62.

Figure 12 shows a modified form of the buoyant member in which the cuts 333,334 and 335 are staggered across the diametral web 32A to hold the straw 26 at an inclined angle to the cylindrical web 31. Advantages of this arrangement are that the bend portion 29 of the straw is supported in alignment with an off centre openable portion of a can end, and a slightly longer straw may have accommodated in the can.

In alternative embodiments the buoyant member may be made by other methods including vacuum forming a polymer sheet, extruding a tubular cross-section which is cut to desired length, on injection moulding, so long as a shape is made having a peripheral shape to facilitate motion of the straw, within a container, to move to alignment wiht the opened mouth of the container.

It will be understood that a straw immersed in a liquid in container experiences lift when the container is opened, not only from the inherent buoyancy of the material of the straw or buoyant member but also from air or gas trapped in the straw. If the liquid is a carbonated beverage, such as a mineral water, gas dissolved in the in the liquid is liberated as bubbles which impart useful lift to the straw.

Whilst it has been found desirable for the straw to be gripped within the slots or cuts 33, 34, 35 in the embodiments described and shown in Figures 4 to 12, an alternative embodiment is feasible in which the straw is free to slide in the support member provided the straw is kept in alignment with openable portion of the container: in this alternative embodiment it is not necessary for the support member to be buoyant so a material having a relative density greater than 1.0 may be used to make the support member.

Figure 13 shows a can body 1, closed by a can end 10, containing a liquid 71 and a modified straw 72. The modified straw 72 comprises a straight portion 73 extending up to a corrugated bend portion 74 which turns back downwards to a second straight portion 75 extending to a helical portion 76 of diameter slightly less than that of the interior surface of the side wall 2 of the can body 1. The helical portion 76 co-operates with the interior surface of the side wall to keep the straw substantially upright as the straw rises when the can is opened and keeps the straw upright during any rotation necessary to bring the straw into alignment with the opening in the can end. In the embodiment of Figure 13, we believe that additional lift may be imparted to the straw if the straw contacts the can body or can end and the direction of the helix is selected as shown in Figure 13.

In the foregoing embodiments a straw comprising two straight portions joined by a bendable portion has been used because such straws can be straightened to give a straw long enough to reach from the imbiber to the bottom of the container. However, the invention may be usefully be used to provide a sales promotion token or prize in the container.

Figure 14 shows a can body 2, filled with a liquid 16, and closed by a can end 10 having an openable portion 12, and a buoyancy device in the can body as has already been described with reference to Figures 7 to 9. In Figure 15, the straw has been replaced by an elongate envelope 90 of waterproof material which contains a rolled-up token or prize 91. If desired, the prize may be attached, or placed in a straw so that the user has the benefit of both a straw and prize.

Whilst this invention has been described with reference to a can end having an openable portion which is pushed into the can the straw and buoyant float may equally well be used in a can closed by a can end having an openable portion which is torn outwards from the can body.

Claims (6)

1. A container having a body comprising a bottom wall and a side wall extending upwardly from the periphery of the bottom wall to define a mouth of the body; a can end, closing the mouth of the body, and comprising a central panel surrounded by a peripheral portion seamed to the body, said central panel including an off centre aperture portion; and a straw or like elongate article supported to float in a liquid in the closed container, characterised in that the straw or like elongate article is supported by a bouyant guide member of girth to co-operate with the interior surface of side wall of the container to hold an extremity of the straw or like elongate article in axial alignment with a pitch circle passing through the aperture portion, said bouyant guide member having an axial length sufficient to prevent tilting of the straw or elongate article in the liquid.

2. A container according to claim 1 wherein the bouyant guide member is a cylindrical web encompassing a diametral web having a plurality of cuts or slots spaced along the height of the diametral web, to support the straw.

3. A container according a claim 2 wherein the cuts or slots are staggered across the width of the diametral web to hold the straw at an angle to the cylindrical web.

4. A container according to claim 1 wherein the straw comprises a first portion joined to a shorter second portion by a flexible bend portion, and the buoyant guide means is a continuation of the first portion and in the form of a tubular helix of diameter to co-operate with the side walls of the container to guide the flexible bend portion along the pitch circle through the aperture portion after the openable portion is opened.

5. Container according to claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein the straw has first portion joined to a second shorter portion by a flexible bend.

6. A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 7 to 10, Figure 13 or Figure 14 of the accompanying drawings.