GB2342083A

GB2342083A - Drink can with a protruding spout

Info

Publication number: GB2342083A
Application number: GB9821386A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Michael Dameon Grogan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-10-01
Filing date: 1998-10-01
Publication date: 2000-04-05
Also published as: GB9821386D0

Abstract

A drink can 10 has a top wall with a rupturable line of weakness 21 which defines an opening tab 20 that can be removed to form an orifice, and a drink conduit 30 within the can, the conduit being adapted to protrude through the orifice when the can is opened to permit drinking from the conduit without lip contact with an exterior surface of the can. The conduit may be biased to protrude through the orifice, and may comprise a resilient sheet member (114, fig 4) with a relatively rigid spine (116, fig 3) that is biased to turn the conduit inside out when the can is opened. The conduit may be a relatively rigid portion upstanding from a flexible plastics membrane 14. The conduit may be a U-section spout or a tubular hose with a cut away portion 31 for venting air.

Description

2342083 Improvement to Drink Can Hygiene The present invention concerns

the field of containers for drinks, and in particular relates to drink cans sold with individual servings of drinks such as soft drinks or alcoholic beverages.

It is well known to serve soft drinks, beers and the like in sealed cans having an upper wall provided with a line of weakness which, once ruptured, defines an orifice through which drink inside the can may be poured. The classic arr angement is one in with a ring pull is attached to a tab defined by the line or weakness and the consumer lifts and pulls the ring pull to rupture the line of weakness and detach the tab and ring pull from the upper wall of the can.

In recent years another arrangement which is more environmentally friendly has been put onto the market.

In this arrangement a horse-shoe shaped line of weakness is provided. A ring stub is provided adjacent the tab defined by the line of weakness. The user lifts one end of the stub causing another end of the stub to be levered down against a top surface of the tab, causing rupture of the line of weakness. The tab bends about its root to depend inside the can. The advantage of this arrangement 2 is that the stub and tab remain attached to the can after opening so facilitating recycling of the complete can including stub and tab.

Drinks contained within these cans may conveniently be drunk straight from the can by the consumer placing his or her lips over the open orifice. This can however be rather unhygienic where the top of the can has been handled or contaminated before purchase. Some users prefer to pour the contents of the can into a separate glass, or may wash the top of the can before consuming the contents. Needless to say these options require the user to have access to a suitable drinking vessel or washing materials. Often cans are bought as convenience food for consumption away from home and without access to a drinking vessel or washing materials. In such cases there is a hygiene risk from consuming straight from the can.

It is an object of the present invention is to provide a more hygienic drink can.

According to the present invention there is provided a drink can of the type comprising a top wall formed with a rupturable line of weakness which on rupturing defines a tab and an orifice for the egress of a drinkable fluid 3 accommodated within the can, characterised by a drink conduit accommodated within the can adjacent the line of weakness and adapted, on opening of the can, to protrude through the orifice and permit drinking from the conduit without lip contact with an exterior surface of the can.

In one embodiment the conduit is biased against the unruptured tab of the can the arrangement being such that, on rupturing of the line of weakness and displacement of the tab, the conduit is urged to protrude through the orifice.

In one aspect of the invention the conduit is carried by a flexible resilient plastics membrane attached to an interior surface of the can. The hose may be formed as a relatively rigid portion of the flexible resilient membrane. In a preferred arrangement the membrane extends across an upper cross section of the can and thereby serves to funnel the fluid to the hose for egress from hose when the can is tipped.

In another aspect of the invention the conduit comprises a resilient sheet member depending from a top wall surface of the can and urged to turn itself inside out upon release of the tab to protrude through the orifice. The resilient member may be formed with a spine of 4 relatively rigid material, which spine is urged upwardly towards the tab and which spine drags the remainder of the member through the orifice on release of the tab.

The drink conduit may comprise, for example, a hose or a Usection spout.

If the conduit is a hose, the can may be provided with pressure equalising means for permitting air to enter the can as the drink leaves the can through the hose. For example, the hose may be conf igured with a cut away upper wall region which permits air to pass into the hose while a lower wall region of the hose is in contact with the lips of the consumer.

In the drawings:- Following is a description by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings of methods of putting the present invention into effect.

Figure 1 is sectional view from one side of the top region of an unopened can according to a first 25 embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the can of figure 1 after having been opened.

Figure 3 is a sectional view from one side of the top region of a can according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the can of figure 2 after having been opened.

First embodiment In figure 1 the top end region of a drink can is indicated as 10. The can is generally cylindrical in configuration and made from extruded aluminium. The can has top 11 and bottom (not shown) circular end walls. A rounded segment of the top wall is formed as a tab 20 defined by line of weakness corresponding to a thin pinched border 21 to the tab. An inner end 22 of the tab is provided with a raised button rivet 23 which holds a ring pull 24 (shown partially in dashed lines).

The can is shown filled with a carbonated drink 12. The region between the level of the drink and the top end wall 11 is a chamber 13 filled with pressurized carbon dioxide.

6 Ln this chamber a generally circular dished resilient plastics membrane 14 is adhered to the inner wall surface 15 of the cylindrical side wall 16 of the can. The membrane is formed with a collar portion 17 which lies against the wall, parallel thereto, to provide surface area for adhesion of the membrane to the inner wall surface. A segment of the membrane is formed from relatively rigid plastics material configured as a tubular hose 30. The hose is formed with a cut-away portion at an inner side 31 thereof. The cut away portion forms a slanted lip 32 to the hose. The membrane 'Local to the hose portion is shown resiliently deformed and urging the hose against an underside 33 of the tab 20.

In use, the consumer pulls the ring pull up and away from the end wall of the can thereby to detach the tab from the end wall. The hose is then urged out of the can by its resilient membrane base so that it protrudes through the orifice 34 left by the detached tab 20, as shown in f igure 2. The consumer can then drink f rom the can by bringing the hose to his or her lips. The cut-away inner side of the lip al lows air to enter the can during drinking so that free flow out of the car. is maintained.

In this way the consumer is automatically provided with an hygienic, convenient hose tnrough which drink can be 7 consumed as soon as the can is opened.

Second embodiment In figure 3 the top end region of a drink can is indicated as 110. The can is generally cylindrical in configuration and made from extruded aluminium. The can has top 111 and bottom (not shown) circular end walls. A rounded segment of the top wall is formed as a tab 120 defined by line of weakness corresponding to a thin pinched border 121 to the tab. An inner end 122 of the tab is provided with a raised button rivet 123 which connects a ring pull 124 (shown partially in dashed lines).

1 The can is shown filled with a carbonated drink 112. The region between the level of the drink and the top end wall 111 is a chamber 113 filled with pressurized carbon dioxide.

A resilient plastics material webbing 114 is joined to the underside 115 of the top wall 111. The webbing is attached by gluing around a can wall end portion of the perimeter portion of the wall adjacent the tab, so that the webbing is attached along a generally horseshoe- shaped path around the tab. A central portion of the webbing is formed as a relatively rigid spine 116 to the 8 webbing. The spine 116 is attached a-- a base portion 117 thereof to a region of the can top wall inside surface 118 adjacent the side wall. The base of the spine is preformed with a hairpin bend, which hairpin bend is resiliently unbent for the spine to depend from the can top wall, yet be urged up towards the tab (as shown in figure 3). In the depending configuration, cheek portions 125 and 126 offer sufficient constraint to prevent the spine from bending upwardly until the tab is moved out of the way.

By arranging the webbing member to depend in the can, when the can is opened by rupturing the line of weakness, the tab is able to be enter into the orifice without preventing movement of the webbing member upwardly through the orifice. The can is shown opened in figure 4, in which the webbing member 114 now stands upright through the orifice to form a spout. The tab 120 (dashed line) has been permanently bent inside the can. In this way cans of the type with a permanently attached ring pull may be adapted for use according to the present invention.

Claims

9 Claims

1. A drink can of the type comprising a top wall formed with a rupturable line of weakness which on rupturing defines a tab and an orifice for the egress of a drinkable fluid accommodated within the can, characterised by a drink conduit accommodated within the can adjacent the line of weakness and adapted, on opening of the can, to protrude through the orifice and permit drinking from the conduit without lip contact with an exterior surface of the can.

2. A drink can as claimed in claim 1 wherein the conduit is biased towards the un-ruptured tab, the arrangemen.

being such that on rupturing of the line of weakness anq displacement of the tab, the conduit protrudes throug the orifice.

3. A drink can as claimed in claim 2 wherein the conduit comprises a resilient sheet member depending from a top wall surface of the can and biased to turn itself inside out upon release of the tab thereby to protrude through the orifice.

4. A drink can as claimed in claim 3 wherein the resilient sheet member is formed with a spine ot relatively rigid material, which spine is biased upwardly towards the tab and which spine drags the remainder of the member through the orifice on release of the tab.

5. A drink can as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the conduit is carried by a flexible resilient plastics membrane attached to an interior surface of the can.

6. A drink can as claimed in claim 5 wherein the conduit is formed as a relatively rigid portion upstanding portion of the flexible resilient membrane.

7. A drink can as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the membrane extends across an upper cross section of the can and thereby serves to funnel the fluid to the conduit for egress from hose when the can is tipped.

8. A drink can as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the conduit is configured to protrude as a generally U- section spout.

9. A drink can as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7 wherein the conduit is configured to protrude as a tubular hose.

10. A drink can as claimed in claim 9 wherein the hose is configured with a cut away inner wall region which 11 permits air to pass into the hose while an outer wall region of the hose is in contact with the lips of the consumer.

11. A drink can substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A drink can substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.