JPH0571167U - A straw to be built into a beverage can - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To prevent the straw that is built into a beverage can from floating when filling the beverage and tightening the bottom lid. [Structure] A bulging portion for positioning is provided on the straw body, and a floating prevention plate or film is provided on the non-suction side end of the straw body. [Effect] When the straw is inverted and filled with a beverage, the floating prevention plate or film stays floating on the liquid surface, and thus the straw body is prevented from protruding.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[Background of the Invention]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a straw that is built into a beverage can and comes up when the can is opened. More specifically, the present invention relates to a straw with a built-in beverage can, in which the straw itself has a positioning function in the can, and preferably the floating during filling of the beverage is suppressed.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 Many attempts have been made to attach a straw to a can in order to make the canned drink drink with a straw. Among them, it is preferable to store the straw in a can, at least from the viewpoint of compatibility with conventional vending machines. However, the previously proposed straw for built-in can has many problems. For example, (a) since the opening of the can is small, the tip of the straw that has floated up often does not go out of this opening. (B) Therefore, there is a proposal to attach a positioning device to the can, but there is a proposal. It is not easy to implement because it is difficult to position and the straws need to be integrated. Beverages and straws are filled from the bottom of the can, and the bottom of the can is closed to complete the sealing, but the straw with buoyancy naturally floats during filling and winding. From the top, it becomes a shape that protrudes to the top of the can (the opening of the bottom of the can when the can is inverted), so cover the bottom plate of the can with it, and in the process of further tightening, bite the straw, Problems such as difficulty in positioning the bottom end plate occur, making high-speed filling and high-speed winding difficult.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 The purpose of this plan is to provide a solution to the problem of straw positioning difficulty described above, and to achieve this goal by providing the straw itself with a positioning function of a specific configuration. The present invention also aims to solve the problem of difficulty in filling and winding due to the protrusion of the straw during filling, and aims to achieve this objective by providing the straw with a floating adjustment function.

[0004]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 <Summary> The straw to be incorporated in the beverage can according to the present invention is characterized by having the following structure. (A) Having a stretchable straw body, (b) At least an overhanging portion for holding the straw body near the axis of the can and having an outer shape substantially the same size and shape as the inner contour of the can. One is provided at the top and one at the bottom of the straw (however, the average density of the straw body and the overhang portion is smaller than the density of the filled beverage).

According to another aspect of the present invention, a straw to be incorporated in a beverage can is characterized by further having the following configuration. (C) At the end of the straw main body that comes to the bottom of the can when opening and drinking, instead of the overhanging part (b) or separately from it, the maximum diameter that is larger than the outer diameter of the straw main body and can be accommodated in the can (However, the average density of the straw body, the overhanging portion, and the plate member is smaller than the density of the filled beverage).

[0006] Straws to be incorporated in yet another beverage can according to the present invention are characterized in that, in any of the above, the straw has the following configuration. (D) A film having a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the straw body and the largest diameter that can be accommodated in the can instead of the plate-shaped member (c), or instead of the overhanging portion provided at the bottom of the straw body. A shaped member is provided (however, the average density of the straw body, the overhanging portion, and the film-shaped member is lower than the density of the filled beverage).

<Effect> Since the straw itself has the positioning function according to the present invention, the problems of the conventional technology in which the positioning function is provided on the can side have been solved. In addition, the present proposal also relates to preventing the protrusion of the straw during filling and winding, and the structure for that purpose is simply to provide a plate-shaped member or a film member having a maximum diameter larger than the outer diameter of the straw in the non-suction portion of the straw. However, such a simple structure also solves this problem. After all, the straw according to the present invention itself can be easily made of plastic or the like, and by adding a straw throwing device to the existing equipment in the process of manufacturing a canned beverage, there is no difference from the conventional method for manufacturing a canned beverage. Beverages with a can of straw can be manufactured.

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <Straw Main Body> The straw main body of the present invention is shrinkable and is well known per se. Normally, this is a two-piece assembly with a telescopic structure, which is sufficiently longer than the diameter of the can when stored in the can, and the length when extended is, for example, 1.5 times the height of the target can. It is usually moderate. The "straw" is not necessarily made of straw, but includes plastics and is a preferable form. Since this proposal utilizes the buoyancy of the straw and the overhanging part (and the plate-shaped or film-shaped member) integrated with it (details described later), the material for the straw should have a specific gravity smaller than that of the target beverage. Is normal. Generally, a material having a density of 0.9 to 0.95 g / m3 is desirable, but polyethylene and polypropylene which are commonly used as straw materials have such a density. In this plan, the straw and the overhanging part (plate-shaped or film-shaped member) are considered as one body and the average density is smaller than the density of the filled beverage, so that the density limit for the straw itself is generally small (plate-shaped). This is especially true if the sheet or film member has a significantly lower density, such as foam). It is desirable that the straw has a thin wall thickness, usually about 0.20 to 0.35 mm.

<Positioning Mechanism> The positioning function provided in the straw itself according to the present invention has a positioning function such that at least one overhanging portion having an outer shape substantially the same as and having the same shape as the contour of the inside of the can is provided on each of the upper and lower portions of the straw. It is achieved by providing.

A specific example of such an overhang portion is as shown in FIG. That is, FIG. 1 is a perspective view for explaining an embodiment of the straw according to the present invention, in which a stretchable straw body 1 having a telescopic structure 1a and 1b has a bulge 2 on the upper side and a bulge 3 on the lower side. The figure shows the case where is provided. In this figure, the overhang portions 2 and 3 are shown as having different structures, but they may have the same structure. Further, in FIG. 1, the upper part and the lower part of the straw main body refer to the case where the can is placed upright so that the straw mouth is on the upper side.

Now, the overhanging portion 2 is a trumpet-shaped or bosh-like structure, that is, a brim having a shape corresponding to the peripheral surface of the hem of a cone, and free passage of beverage and air during filling and drinking. In order to guarantee the above, a sufficient gap is provided. In this case, the portion corresponding to the bottom of the cone has an “outer shape that is substantially the same size and shape as the internal contour of the can”, and such a protrusion causes the straw body to come close to the can axis. Will be held in. Here, "substantially the same size" is determined from the viewpoint of the size required for positioning and the ease of loading the can. Specifically, the size is, for example, about 1 to 15 mm, preferably about 3 mm smaller than the inner diameter of the can. Means

It goes without saying that, instead of such a trumpet-shaped brim, a flat plate-shaped or disc-shaped brim also has a similar positioning function, and therefore such a disc-shaped brim is also referred to in the present invention. This is one of the preferred embodiments and a preferred embodiment. It goes without saying that the disc-shaped brim should also have a sufficient opening.

Another specific example of the "overhang portion" in the present invention is that the "outer shape substantially the same size and shape as the contour of the inside of the can" is not fixed or unchanged as in the case of the above-mentioned collar. This is the case where there is no such structure, specifically, the structure shown by 3 in FIG. That is, the projecting portion of this structure is composed of a plurality of arms, and the line connecting the tips of the arms "has an outer shape that is substantially the same size and shape as the contour of the inside of the can". It will be clear that the number of arms need not be as large as the one shown, and in theory for a can with a normal circular cross section, three theoretically would be sufficient. It should be noted that, in the case where the projecting portion 3 is formed of flexible arms, it may have an outer shape larger than the contour of the inside of the can before being loaded into the can. Obviously, therefore, "having an outer shape that is substantially the same size and the same shape as the contour of the inside of the can" in the present case includes the case where the outer shape changes before and after the inside of the can. It is understood as what to do.

<Stroke Protrusion Prevention Mechanism at the Time of Filling and Winding (Part 1)> The problem of the straw being floated at the time of filling and winding and protruding to the upper part of the can is as follows. The difference in the floating state between the plate-shaped member and the straw body member + overhang member is skillfully used to solve the problem.

That is, in this embodiment, a plate-like member is provided in the lower portion of the main body of the straw with a positioning mechanism having the above-described basic structure, instead of or in addition to the above-mentioned positioning protrusion. This plate-shaped member is larger than the outer diameter of the straw body and has the largest diameter that can be accommodated in the can. Specifically, for example, a disc (straw body) shown in FIG. It goes without saying that it has a hole corresponding to 1b). Since this plate-shaped member has a lower average density between the straw body and the overhang portion than that of the filled beverage, for example, a material having a lower density than the beverage, for example, the same material or foam as the straw body is used. It was produced in.

This plate-shaped member generally has a diameter sufficiently larger than the diameter of the straw (when comparing the cross-sectional area of the straw material and the cross-sectional area of the material of the plate-shaped member, this ratio is 1:10. It is preferable that the above), and since it is a plate-shaped member, it is sufficiently thicker than the thickness of the straw wall, that is, has a sufficiently large volume as compared with the volume of the constituent material of the straw body, In addition, since the volume of the plate-shaped member occupying the straw of the present proposal is large enough (or the size of the plate-like member is determined so that it does) even if the volume of the constituent material of the overhang is included, the buoyancy of the present straw Will be dominated by that of the plate.

Therefore, since the straw of the present invention is inside the can with the plate-shaped member facing upward during filling and winding, the floating state of the straw of the present invention is the same as that of the plate-shaped member, and the protrusion of the straw body occurs. (Therefore, this plate-shaped member can be referred to as a floating prevention plate.) On the other hand, when filling and winding is completed and the can is placed in the normal position, the plate-shaped member exists near the bottom of the can, and when the can is opened during drinking, the buoyancy of the plate-shaped member, which was suppressed, is generated. In fact, the straw of the present invention rises to a position corresponding to the buoyancy of the plate-shaped member, and protrudes from the opening much longer than when the plate-shaped member is not provided on the straw body. The plate-shaped member may also serve as the positioning protrusion. FIG. 2 shows one of such specific examples. It is a disc having the dimensions as described with respect to the positioning overhanging portion and having an appropriate hole 6a for allowing the passage of beverage or air. is there. Needless to say, the plate-shaped member does not have to be circular, and even when it is used also as the overhanging portion (6 in FIG. 2), it should have a positioning function if it is a polygon of a triangle or more. Is clear. Further, in the present invention, the term "plate-shaped" means that when it is, for example, a disk-shaped, the thickness is the same in any part in any radial direction, and when the thickness is different in the radial direction, For example, it includes the case where the central portion is thicker than the circumferential portion (flat conical shape).

<Stroke Projection Prevention Mechanism at Filling and Winding (Part 2)> Another means for solving the problem of straw projection at the time of filling and winding is a straw body instead of the plate-shaped member described above. A film-like member having a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the straw and having a maximum diameter that can be accommodated in the can is provided in the lower portion of the straw body.

The plate-shaped member provided at the lower end of the straw body in the above-described mode floats on the liquid surface during filling of the beverage, and the buoyancy of the straw body underneath is suppressed to solve the problem of the straw body protruding. On the other hand, the film provided at the lower end of the straw body in this mode is in close contact with the liquid surface of the beverage at the time of filling, and suppresses the floating of the straw body located therebelow. FIG. 3 shows the film-shaped member 7 (circular in this example) provided at the lower end of the straw body 1b. Since the film-shaped member 7 is flexible, the movement of the beverage and air from one side of the film-shaped member to the other side can often be realized by the deformation of the film-shaped member, but an appropriate hole 7a is formed. It can be provided.

[0020]

【Example】

 1. Two-stage polypropylene straw (inner cylinder: outer diameter 3.7 mmφ, wall thickness 0.25 mm, length 85 mm, outer cylinder: outer diameter 4.8 mmφ, wall thickness 0.28 mm, length 70 mm, inner cylinder exposed Partial length 25 mm), trumpet-shaped polyethylene upper flange (outer diameter 49 mmφ, wall thickness 0.35 mm, with perforation) and polyethylene disc-shaped lower collar and anti-float plate (outer diameter 49 mmφ, meat) (Thickness 0.35 mm, with perforation) was attached to the outer cylinder part and put into a can having an inner diameter of 52 mmφ and a height of 133 mm. The can lid to be wrapped around this can has a hole of 8mmφ in the center, and a film made by laminating polyethylene on aluminum foil is welded to cover the hole. By peeling off this film, You can open your mouth. The floating prevention plate was set to come up at the time of insertion. This can of the present straw was filled with water as a content liquid. Although the straw of the present invention floats up as the water surface level rises, the floating prevention plate was only slightly exposed on the water surface and did not rise further, and there was no effect on filling and winding. The bottom of the can was wrapped around it, and it was laid down and vibrated. The can was erected so that the can lid faced up, the film on the can lid was peeled off and opened, and the tip of the straw rose 10 to 20 mm from the inside of the can. After pulling the straw tip upward, it was drunk, and almost all the amount could be drunk easily.

2. Two upper and lower flanges were attached to a two-stage straw outer cylinder similar to that of 1. The lowermost end of the lower collar was positioned 3 mm above the lowermost end of the straw. Furthermore, a polyethylene disc with a diameter of 14 mm and a thickness of 2 mm was attached to the bottom of the straw as a floating prevention plate. After this was filled and wound in the same manner as in 1, a drinking test was conducted. The effect was almost the same as in Example 1.

[0022]

[Effect of the device]

 The fact that it is possible to manufacture a beverage can with a built-in straw by adding an improved straw feeding device to the current equipment without changing from the conventional manufacturing method was described above in the section "Means for solving problems". By the way.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a straw according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a positioning overhanging portion / floating prevention plate of the present straw.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the floating prevention plate of the present straw.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 1a, 1b Straw body 2, 3 Positioning overhanging part 4 Floating prevention plate 6 Positioning overhanging part / floating prevention plate

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification number Reference number within the agency FI Technical display location B65D 25/02 A 6540-3E (72) Creator Yoshi Kaji Osamu 6-26, Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo No. 1 Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A structure as described below,
A straw to be built into a beverage can. (A) Having an expandable straw body, (b) For holding the straw body near the axis of the can,
At least one bulging portion having an outer shape that is substantially the same size and the same shape as the contour of the inside of the can is provided on at least one of the straw upper portion and the straw lower portion (provided that the straw body and the average density of the bulging portion are equal to each other). Is less than the density of the filled beverage). 2. A straw to be incorporated in a beverage can according to claim 1, further having the following constitution. (C) At the end of the straw body that comes to the bottom of the can when opening and drinking, in place of the overhanging part (b) or separately, it has a maximum diameter that is larger than the outer diameter of the straw body and can be accommodated in the can. A plate-shaped member is provided (however, the average density of the straw body, the overhanging portion, and the plate-shaped member is lower than the density of the filled beverage). 3. A straw to be incorporated in a beverage can according to claim 1 or 2, which further has the following constitution. (D) Instead of the plate-shaped member (c), or instead of the overhanging portion provided at the bottom of the straw body, or separately from it, a film shape having a maximum diameter larger than the outer diameter of the straw body and capable of being accommodated in the can. A member is provided (however, the average density of the straw body, the overhanging portion, and the film-shaped member is smaller than the density of the filled beverage).