GB2342917A

GB2342917A - Can sealer

Info

Publication number: GB2342917A
Application number: GB9823255A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Surjit Singh Olk
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-10-24
Filing date: 1998-10-24
Publication date: 2000-04-26
Also published as: GB9823255D0

Abstract

A can sealer (32, 132, 232) for sealing a can (10) provided with a ring pull (12) includes a seal member for insertion into a hole (30) formed in the can (10) on operation of the ring pull (12). The can sealer may be so shaped that when the seal member is inserted in the hole (30) rotation of a tab (14) of the ring pull (12) over the hole (30) causes the tab (14) to engage the can sealer and exert a force pushing the seal member more firmly into the hole (30). In a alternative embodiment, the can sealer may have two parts: a base portion with an opening which is closed by a lid portion.

Description

Can Sealer The invention relates to a can sealer, particularly for drinks cans.

Drinks cans are very widely used for soft drinks, beers, lagers and cider.

Such drinks cans are usually made of aluminium or a similar metal and are generally opened by means of a ring pull arrangement. The ring pull includes a tab which may be pulled upwards to force the top of the can to tear along an arcuate weakened zone, thereby producing a substantially circular hole in the top of the can. Early ring pulls resulted in the separation of the torn circle of metal and the tab from the can. More recent ring pulls are designed such that the torn circle of metal remains attached to the can but folds down into the can to allow drink to pass through the circular hole.

A drawback of drinks cans, as compared to bottles, is that they are not resealable. Once opened the whole can must generally be consume relatively quickly. This can be a particular problem on car journeys where the contents of the can may spill if not consumed immediately. It also causes difficulties with children who may not wish to consume a whole can of drink.

According to the invention there is provided a can sealer for sealing a can opened by means of a ring pull arrangement, the can sealer including a seal member for insertion into a hole formed in the can on operation of the ring pull arrangement.

A"ring pull arrangement"is intended to cover any means of opening a can which results in a relatively small hole (of less than about 4cm2) in the can.

The hole formed in the can may be substantially circular. Preferably the seal member includes a portion of complementary shape to the hole in the can; the portion may be substantially circular. Preferably the seal member includes a portion which tapers in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the hole, in use.

Preferably the seal member includes a lip portion which overlies the rim of the hole in use thereby to prevent the seal member passing through the hole.

The lip portion may be extended in a region adjacent to a tab of the ring pull, in use. The extension may comprise two protrusions which seal the base of the tab in use.

Operation of the ring pull arrangement may produce a flap of metal which is attached to the can but folded through approximately 90 to lie inside the can. The location of the fold in the metal may distort the substantially circular shape of the hole. The seal member preferably includes a flap portion or protrusion shaped to cover the distortion in the hole.

The seal member may include a first portion for insertion into the hole, the first portion including an opening for the passage of liquid, and a second portion attachable to the first portion so as to form a seal therewith, thereby to seal the can. The second portion is preferably attached to the first portion by means of a hinge which may be a plastics hinge. The second portion may snap into engagement with the first portion.

Operation of the ring pull arrangement may be effected by pulling a tab upwardly. Once the can is open, the tab may remain attached to the can. The tab may be rotatable from a position substantially opposite the hole to a position where it overlies the hole. The tab may be attached to the can resiliently such that it resists pivotal movement about its attachment away from the can, particularly when the tab overlies the hole. The can sealer may include means for urging the tab to pivot about its attachment away from the hole, such that the tab exerts a force on the can sealer in a direction towards the hole.

The can sealer may be so shaped that when the seal member is in the hole, rotation of the tab towards and over the hole causes the tab to engage the can sealer and exert a force pushing the seal member more firmly into the hole. The can sealer may include a portion which slopes upwardly away from the hole in use, such that rotation of the tab into engagement with this portion causes the tab to exert a gradually increasing force on the can sealer.

The seal member is preferably made from a plastics material which preferably has some resilience.

The invention will be described for the purpose of illustration only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of an opened drinks can, viewed from above; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the upper surface of the can of Fig. 1, viewed in perspective from inside the can; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of a can sealer according to the invention; Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic side view of the can sealer of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic side view of an alternative embodiment of a can sealer according to the invention ; Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an opened drinks can viewed from above; and Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic cross section through a drinks can fitted with a can sealer according to a further alternative embodiment of the invention.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a drinks can 10 is provided with a ring pull 12 for opening the can. The ring pull 12 includes a tab 14 attached to a top 16 of the can 10. The tab 14 is pivotally attached to the top 16 of the can by means of a connection 18 which joins a portion 20 of the tab 14 to the top 16.

When the tab 14 is lifted upwardly away from the top 16 of the can, it pivots about the connection 18. Thus, as a ring portion 22 of the tab moves up away from the top 16, a base portion 24 of the tab 14 is forced down against the top 16 of the can 10.

The downward force of the base portion 24 causes the top 16 of the can 10 to tear along an arcuate weakened line 26, producing a flap 28 of metal.

The flap 28 of metal is bent into the can 10, leaning a substantially circular hole 30.

Fig. 2 shows the opened can viewed from the underside and illustrates the flap 28 of material bent into the can 10, leaving a hole 30.

Fig. 3 shows in plan view a can sealer 32 according to the invention and Fig. 4 shows the same can sealer in side view. The can sealer is solid and is made of a plastics material having some resilience.

The can sealer 32 is generally circular in plan view and tapers from its top surface 34 to its bottom surface 36. The can sealer 32 has a somewhat flattened portion 35 which complements a flattened portion 36 of the hole (see Fig. 2) and a protrusion 38 which fits into a recess 40 formed by the bending back of the flap 28 (see Fig. 2).

To seal a can using the can sealer 32, the can sealer is inserted into the hole 30 in the can. The tapered sides 42 of the can sealer allow it to be pushed into the hole 30 and to fit a variety of different hole sizes. A recess 44 in the top surface 34 of the can sealer may receive a push member 46 (shown schematically in Fig. 4) which may be used to force the can sealer 32 into firm engagement with the hole 30.

Fig. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of can sealer 132 according to the invention. this can sealer includes a base portion 148, of similar external shape to the can sealer 32. However, the base portion 148 has an opening 149 passing therethrough. A lid portion 150 is attached to the base portion 148 by a plastics hinge 152, and is a snap fit with the base portion 148. The base portion 148 may be inserted into a hole 30 in a can in the same manner as the can sealer 32. However, the lid portion 150 may be either snapped into engagement with the base portion 148 or pivoted away from the base portion 148 to allow drink to be removed from the can.

Fig. 6 shows the top 16 of a can 10 after opening, in order to illustrate the function of a further embodiment of can sealer 232, shown in Fig. 7.

Referring to Fig. 6, once the can 10 has been opened, the tab 14 remains attached to the top 16. The tab 14 is attached to the top by a connection 18, which allows the tab to rotate from the position illustrated in Fig. 1 to the position illustrated in Fig. 6. In the position of Fig. 1, the ring portion 22 of the tab 14 may be pivoted about the connection 18 away from the top 16. The tab 14 offers little resistance to such pivotal movement because the base portion 24 is able to move into the hole 30. However, in the position of Fig. 6, lifting of the ring portion 22 upwards forces the metal of the tab 14 to bend, because there is no hole for the base portion 24 to enter.

Thus, in the position of Fig. 6, the tab 14 offers significant resistance against upward movement of its ring portion 22. This resistance is utilised to form a robust seal according to a third embodiment of the invention, as shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 7 shows a can sealer 232 inserted into the hole 30 in the can 10 of Fig. 6. The can 10 is viewed from the direction of the arrow A in Fig. 6. The can sealer 232 includes a sloping top surface 234. The can sealer 232 is inserted into the hole 30 with the tab in the Fig. 1 position. the tab is then rotated around towards the Fig. 6 position. As the ring portion 22 of the tab is rotated over the can sealer 232, it first comes into engagement with a low edge 252 of the can sealer 232. As the tab 14 is rotated further to the left as shown in Fig.

7, it is forced by the sloping top surface 234 to gradually lift upwardly away from the can. The tab 14 resists this lifting movement as previously described and consequently exerts a downward force in the can sealer 232. The tab 14 may be rotated until it exerts a significant downward force on the can sealer 232, thereby keeping the can sealer in place in the can.

There is thus provided a can sealer which may be used to seal a drinks can once it has been opened. The can sealer is easy to use and may be economically produced.

Various modifications may be made to the above described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. The can sealer may be made from a variety of different materials, with plastics or rubbery materials being preferred. The can sealer may be made in a variety of different shapes, provided that it has a portion which fits snugly into the hole. Various means may be provided for pushing the can sealer into the hole. For example, the push member illustrated in Fig. 4 could be made in the shape of, for example, a pint of beer to act as an advertising gimmick.

Referring to Fig. 3, the can sealer may include protrusions extending from its flattened portion 35, the protrusions sealing around the base of the tab of the ring pull.

Instead of the sloping edge of the can sealer of Fig. 7, an intermediary member may be provided for insertion between the top of the can sealer and the ring portion of the tab. Such an intermediary member could be used to force the can sealer more firmly into the hole by utilising the resilience of the tab.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

Claims 1. A can sealer for sealing a can opened by means of a ring pull arrangement, the can sealer including a seal member for insertion into a hole formed in the can on operation of the ring pull arrangement.
2. A can sealer according to claim 1 wherein the seal member includes a portion of substantially circular shape, for insertion into a substantially circular hole in a drinks can.
3. A can sealer according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the seal member includes a portion which tapers in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the hole, in use.
4. A can sealer according to any preceding claim wherein the seal member includes a lip portion which overlies the rim of the hole in use thereby to prevent the seal member passing through the hole.
5. A can sealer according to claim 4 wherein the lip portion is extended in a region adjacent to a tab of the ring pull, in use.
6. A can sealer according to claim 5 wherein the extension comprises two protrusions which seal the base of the tab in use.
7. A can sealer according to any preceding claim wherein the seal member includes a flap portion or protrusion shaped to cover a distortion in the substantially circular hole formed in the can by operation of the ring pull arrangement.
8. A can sealer according to any preceding claim, wherein the seal member includes a first portion for insertion into the hole, the first portion including an opening for the passage of liquid, and a second portion attachable to the first portion so as to form a seal therewith, thereby to seal the can.
9. A can sealer according to claim 8 wherein the second portion is attached to the first portion by means of a hinge.
10. A can sealer according to claim 8 or claim 9 wherein the second portion snaps into engagement with the first portion.
11. A can sealer according to any preceding claim wherein the can sealer includes means for urging a tab of a drinks can ring-pull arrangement to pivot about its attachment away from the hole formed in the can, such that the tab exerts a force on the can sealer in a direction towards the hole.
12. A can sealer according to claim 11 wherein the can sealer is so shaped that when the seal member is in the hole, rotation of the tab towards and over the hole causes the tab to engage the can sealer and exert a force pushing the seal member more firmly into the hole.
13. A can sealer according to claim 12 wherein the can sealer includes a portion which slopes upwardly away from the hole in use, such that rotation of the tab into engagement with this portion causes the tab to exert a gradually increasing force on the can sealer.
14. A can sealer according to any preceding claim wherein the seal member is made from a plastics material which has some resilience.
15. A can sealer substantially as herein described with reference to any of Figs. 3 to 7 of the drawings.
16. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed herein, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.