KR20140127327A - Metal beverage container with improved finish geometry - Google Patents

Abstract

The metal beverage container may include a body portion, a neck portion connected to the body portion, and a finish portion. The finishing portion may include a threaded portion, a lip portion, and a transition portion coupled between the threaded portion and the lip portion. The transition portion may include an outwardly convex shape.

Description

[0001] METAL BEVERAGE CONTAINER WITH IMPROVED FINISH GEOMETRY [0002]

Related application

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 600,074, filed February 17, 2012, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The invention relates to a metal beverage container, and more particularly but not exclusively, to a finish of a metal beverage container.

The bottle-shaped metal beverage container may include an opening that is sealed at one end by a closure member such as a stopper. Bottle plugs are typically installed by a machine and, in certain embodiments, are twisted or pressed onto the beverage container. This twisting or pressing operation generally causes a predetermined amount of force so that the stopper is properly seated. This force can result in axial load of the beverage container and damage to the beverage container. In order to reduce the material cost and the transportation cost, a beverage container having a configuration for reducing material consumption and weight while maintaining the ability to withstand the applied load is desirable.

In order to minimize or prevent axial force, compressive force, and damage to the beverage container due to other forces applied during the cap forming process, for example, the disclosure described below includes an outwardly convex arc structure beneath the lip region of the beverage container . The shape of the arc can be determined based on the wall thickness of the beverage container, the material of the beverage container, the amount of force or force to be applied, and possibly other factors. When the beverage container is molded into a bottle, the shape of the arc may vary depending on the radius that sets the angle at the transition below the lip at the top of the beverage container.

In particular, the finish of the metal beverage container includes a lip portion and a thread portion. The finishing portion also includes a transition portion. The transition portion may include an outward convex portion connecting the lip portion and the screw portion. The lip portion may define a sealing surface sealing the closure member. The threaded portion can engage with the threads of the closing member. The outward convex may have a thickness of about 0.125 mm to about 0.75 mm. The outward convex may have a radius of curvature of about 1.0 mm to about 6.0 mm. The outward convex may have an arc length of about 1.0 mm to about 5.0 mm. The transition part may comprise aluminum, steel, or an alloy thereof. The shape of the outward convex portion can be determined so that the transition portion can withstand an axial load of about 100 N to about 3000 N, depending on the manufacturing process and the shape and configuration of the beverage container, without plastic deformation. Other thicknesses, curvature radii, and arc lengths are also contemplated and may vary depending on the material, manufacturing process, or other factors.

The metal beverage container includes a body portion, a neck portion connected to the body portion, and a finish portion connected to the neck portion. The closure includes a lip portion defining a sealing surface sealing the closure member (e.g., a cap), a transition portion, and a threaded portion engaging the threads of the closure member. The transition portion may include an outward convex portion connecting the lip portion and the screw portion. The finishing portion may comprise aluminum, steel, or an alloy thereof. The finishing portion may have a maximum diameter of 20 mm to 42 mm. The shape of the outward convex portions can be determined so that the transition portion can withstand an axial compressive load of, for example, about 800N to about 1000N without plastic deformation. Higher loads are also possible because the container top load profile of the beverage container may be greater than 350 lbs or about 1560 N or greater. The shape of the outward convexes may also provide some compliance or resilient deformation to absorb a certain level of axial force and other forces. In this way, the convex portions can resist permanent plastic deformation and yielding and allow for wider manufacturing tolerances. Other higher or lower axial loads are also considered.

One embodiment of the metallic beverage container may include a body portion, a neck portion connected to the body portion, and a finish portion. The finishing portion may include a threaded portion, a lip portion, and a transition portion coupled between the threaded portion and the lip portion. The transition portion may include an outwardly convex shape.

One method of manufacturing the metal beverage container may include forming a body portion, forming a neck portion connected to the body portion, and forming a finish portion connected to the neck portion. Forming a threaded portion, forming a lip portion, and forming a transition portion coupled between the threaded portion and the lip portion. The transition portion may include an outwardly convex shape.

1 is a side view of an exemplary embodiment of a metal beverage container.
Figures 2 to 5 are side cross-sectional views of exemplary embodiments of the top portion of the metal beverage container.
Figure 6 is a flow diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a process for making a metal beverage container in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

The axial load of the bottle-shaped metal beverage container may cause deformation of the beverage container. Certain modifications (e.g., firing or permanent deformation) may not be desirable. However, the metal beverage container can be designed to withstand a certain amount of axial load. For example, the thickness of the metal used to form the beverage container can affect the ability of the vessel to withstand axial loads (e.g., generally speaking, the thicker the metal for a given vessel design, the greater the axial load The ability of the courage to endure is greater).

Metals are often purchased in weight units. The increase in the thickness of the beverage container may be associated with an increase in material cost and shipping cost. Therefore, relatively thin (and / or lightweight) metal beverage containers that can withstand axial loads sufficient to properly seat a closure member (e.g., a twist or pop-off cap) may be desirable .

1, a metallic beverage container 100 may include a body portion 102, a neck portion 104, and a closure portion 106, as generally referred to in the art. The closure 106 includes an opening (not shown) which may be used to access the interior of the beverage container 100 and may include a closure member 110 having threads 110 to seal the beverage container 100, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > 108 < / RTI > The centerline of the beverage container 100 is also shown. The cap forming operation may result in a load of the beverage container 110 approximately in the direction of the centerline.

By way of example, and not by way of limitation, the total height of the beverage container 100 may be about 185 mm, the overall height of the finish 106 may be about 20 mm, The outer diameter may be about 53 mm, and the outer diameter of the finishing portion 106 at the widest portion may be 20 mm to 42 mm. Of course, other dimensions and / or shapes are also contemplated.

In the embodiment of Fig. 1, the metal forming the beverage container 100 is aluminum. However, other suitable metals such as steel and certain alloys (e.g., aluminum-steel alloys) may also be used. In one embodiment, 3000 series aluminum may be used. In particular, a 3104 series aluminum can be used. Aluminum may not be annealed or annealed. The thickness of the metal may vary depending on the body portion 102, the neck portion 104, and the finish portion 106 or may vary depending on whether the body portion 102, the neck portion 104, . In one example, the average thickness of the neck 104 may be about 0.23 mm, and the average thickness of the finish 106 may be about 0.33 mm. The thickness of the neck portion 104 adjacent to the body portion 102 may be 0.20 mm and the thickness of the neck portion 104 adjacent the finishing portion 106 may be approximately 0.28 mm or the like. These thicknesses are exemplary and alternative thicknesses may be used.

2, the finishing portion 106 of the metallic beverage container 100 of FIG. 1 includes a lip portion 202, a thread portion 204, a transition portion 206 connecting the lip portion 202 and the thread portion 204, A unsealing indication bead 208, and a unsealing display band receiving portion 210. [ In this embodiment, the lip portion 202 includes a curl defining a sealing surface 212 for the closure member. The threaded portion 204 includes threads 214 that can receive the corresponding threads of the closure member. The unsealing confirmation bead 208 receives the unsealing confirmation band during application of the closure member. As is known in the art, the unsealing confirmation band is seated on the unsealing band receiving portion 218 after being separated from the closing member.

A line 216 through the transition 206 connecting the lip 202 and the threaded portion 204 is shown. As is evident in Fig. 2, the transition 206 is aligned with the line 216. As shown in Fig. In other words, the transition 206 is straight.

It has been found that the axial load applied during the cap forming operation can cause deformation of the finishing portion 106. For example, a hinge point 218 may be formed at the interface between the transition portion 206 and the threaded portion 204. Transition 206 is shown as being at an angle of &thetas; from the horizontal line. The length SL between the centerline 220 of the sealing surface 212 (curl) and the hinge point 218 may be about 3.3 mm to 6.1 mm. The larger the length SL, the stronger in the axial direction because the transition portion 206 is more vertical. Stresses associated with the axial loads may be concentrated at these hinge points 218 and may cause deformation near the threads 214 and hinge points 218. [ Such deformation may result in (i) improper sealing between the closure 106 and the closure and / or (ii) an increase in open torque. In addition, the height and / or shape modification (e.g., non-uniformity) of the lip portion 202 may allow different axial compressive forces to be applied to the different portions of the lip portion 202 and hence of the transition portion 206, The inclusion of a call at portion 206 helps explain and accommodate changes in the manufacture of the lip portion 202. As discussed above, the thickness of the finishing portion 106 and the hinge point 218 or transition can be increased to reduce the tendency to deform under axial loading. However, an increase in the thickness of such a transition can result in an increase in the weight and cost of the beverage container.

Modifying the shape of the transition to have a convex or outward radial profile (see FIGS. 3-5) has been found to improve the ability of the transition to distribute or withstand axial loads without firing (or permanent) deformation. Therefore, a finishing portion of a given thickness with a convex shaped transition can be less prone to plastic deformation under a given axial load, as compared to a finishing portion of the same thickness with a linear or concave shaped transition. Similarly, a thinner convex transition can exhibit the same performance as a thicker, linear or concave transition under a given axial load.

According to the simulation, for a given metal thickness, the convex shaped transition can improve the permanent deformation resistance compared to the linear or concave shaped transition. One of the reasons for this improvement is that the substantial linearity of the linear transition provides a linear spring response while the transition of the convex shape (Figure 3) or the complex curve shape (Figures 4 and 5) has a non-linear shape, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > non-linear < / RTI > For example, if an axial load of 800 N associated with a filling or plugging operation is routinely used in a vessel with a linear or concave shaped transition, the same or higher axial load associated with the filling or plugging operation may be applied to a convexly shaped (The metal thickness is the same), because the convex shaped transition can be adapted to offset some of the load. The inclusion of outwardly convex or composite transitions may enable an increase in the load used to form the threads of the closure that is applied, which may make the threading formation more repeatable during this operation. It should be appreciated that alternative transition designs may provide higher, and possibly sufficiently high, axial strength in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

The transition of the convex shape may be particularly suitable for a finish having a diameter of, for example, 26 mm to 40 mm. However, such a convex shape may be used with any suitable diameter of the finishing portion.

3, the exemplary closure 300 of the container includes a lip 302, a threaded portion 304, a transition portion 306 connecting the lip 302 and the threaded portion 304, a release indication bead 308, , And a unsealing display band receiving portion (310). In this embodiment, the lip portion 302 includes a curl defining a sealing surface 312 configured to seal a closure member, such as the closure member 108 of FIG. The threaded portion 304 includes a thread 314 that can receive a corresponding thread of the closure member 108, for example. The unsealing confirmation bead 308 receives a unsealing confirmation band (not shown) during the closure member application. The unsealing confirmation band is seated on the unsealing band receiving portion 310 after being separated from the closing member.

A straight line 316 is shown for the transition 306 connecting the lip 302 and the threaded portion 304. As is evident in Fig. 3, the transition 306 has a convex shape or an outward radial profile. In other words, the transition portion 306 is outwardly convex from the inside of the container. As a result, the angle [theta] of the transition portion 306 may be greater than the angle of the linear transition portion 206 of FIG. In addition, the transition 306 is longer than the linear transition, such as transition 206 in FIG. 2, because it includes a call.

4, another exemplary finish 400 includes a lip portion 402, a threaded portion 404, a transition portion 406 connecting the lip portion 402 and the threaded portion 404, . The lip portion 402 may include a curl that defines the sealing surface 410. The threaded portion 404 includes a thread 412. In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the opening confirmation bead 408 may have a diameter of 20 mm to 42 mm. However, other diameters are also considered.

A straight line 414 is shown for the transition portion 406 connecting the lip portion 402 and the threaded portion 404. As shown, the transition portion 406 has a convex shape or an outward radial profile. In the embodiment of Figure 4, the transition can have a thickness of about 0.125 mm to about 0.75 mm, a radius of curvature of about 1.0 mm to about 6.0 mm, and an arc length of about 1.0 mm to about 5.0 mm. However, other thicknesses, curvature radii, and arc lengths are also contemplated.

5, another exemplary finish 500 includes a lip portion 502, a threaded portion 504, and a transition portion 506 that connects the lip portion 502 and the threaded portion 504. The lip portion 502 includes a curl that defines the sealing surface 508. The threaded portion 504 includes threads 510.

A straight line 512 is shown for the transition 506 connecting the lip 502 and the threaded portion 504. As shown, the transition 506 has a convex shape or an outward radial profile. In addition, the composite transition portion may have a portion extending away from and inside the beverage container.

As can be seen in Figures 3, 4 and 5, the radius defined by the transitions 306, 406, 506 may be different. By changing the radius of the transition 306, the angle at which the transition 306 meets both the thread 304 and the lip 302 is changed. The more vertical the transition 306, the greater the axial strength. As shown, Figure 5 shows the most vertical transition 506 as illustrated by line 512, while the transition portions 506 (as illustrated by lines 413 and 316, respectively) 406, 306 are more horizontal. The angle of the transition portion 506 may be between about 10 degrees and about 45 degrees from the vertical (or between about 45 degrees and about 80 degrees from the horizontal). When setting the radius of the transition 306, factors including shape, stiffness, length, applied force, compliance, etc. may be considered. The radius and length of the transition portion 306 together with the thickness and material of the finishing portion 300, the curl shape and configuration of the lip portion 302, and other aspects of the finishing portion 300, Configuration, closure member, lip displacement, and manufacturing process.

As an example of optimizing the finish, a number of design options are presented in Table 1, where the arc radius and finishing thickness of the transition are changed.

Optimization of design parameters Design Options Arc radius Closing thickness Peak force and displacement One 1 mm 0.125 mm 146.8 N @ 0.37 mm 2 6 mm 0.125 mm 189.8 N @ 0.53 mm 3 Straight 0.125 mm 205.6 N @ 0.61 mm 4 1 mm 0.500 mm 196 N @ 0.43 mm 5 6 mm 0.500 mm 2133N @ 0.44 mm 6 Straight 0.500 mm 2200N @ 0.55 mm

As shown in these results, the larger the arc radius of the transition portion 306, the greater the peak force and displacement. This is partly a result of the transitions 306 being more vertical. Likewise, the greater the finishing thickness, the greater the peak force capability, the peak force and displacement indicating the force and displacement at which the transition 306 fails or is permanently deformed. According to the finite element analysis, a linear transition has a higher peak force and displacement than a transition with a radius configured with a radius, while using a linear transition results in a stress concentrating on the hinge point, as shown in FIG. The transition can be susceptible to plastic deformation, especially when the finish thickness of the transition is reduced to reduce the weight and cost of the metal beverage container. The transition portion at least partially includes outwardly convex arcs, thereby balancing strength and conformability or elasticity to provide a metal beverage container that is less susceptible to problems that may arise from manufacturing defects during cap formation.

Figure 6 illustrates a flow diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a process 60 of manufacturing a metal beverage container in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The process 600 may begin at step 602, which may form the body of the metal beverage container. The body part can be molded into a bottle. In step 604, a neck of the metal beverage container may be formed. In forming the neck, the neck can be formed using the same material as the body. The neck and body may be formed of a single material part, or may be formed of separate parts and connected together. In step 606, a finish can be formed. Upon formation of the finishing portion, the finishing portion may be formed of the same material as the neck portion and the body portion or a separate material. The finishing portion may be connected to the neck when formed of a separate material. The three parts of the material may have the same composition or different compositions. Upon formation of the finishing portion, the finishing portion may include a threaded portion, a lip portion, and a transition portion including an outwardly convex shape coupled between the threaded portion and the lip portion. In one embodiment, the transition can be a convex and concave or a complex shape using an "S" shape curve. The thickness of the material, the shape of the transition, and other parameters of the transition may be as provided herein.

Although exemplary implementations have been described above, these implementations are not intended to illustrate all possible forms. It is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. As described above, features of various implementations may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention, which may or may not be explicitly described. While various implementations may have been described as being preferred or advantageous over other implementations or prior implementations of one or more desired features, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the desired overall system attributes It is recognized that one or more features or characteristics may be compromised to achieve. These attributes may include, but are not limited to, cost, strength, durability, life cycle cost, marketability, appearance, packaging, size, availability, weight, composition, ease of assembly, and the like. Thus, implementations described as being less desirable than other implementations or implementations of the prior art for one or more features are outside the scope of this disclosure, and may be desirable for particular applications.

In addition, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Some features may be exaggerated or reduced to show details of particular components. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the principles of the invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various features shown and described with reference to any one of the figures may be combined with features shown in one or more of the other figures to form embodiments that are not explicitly shown or described. The combination of features shown provides exemplary implementations for typical applications. However, for specific applications or implementations, various combinations and modifications of features consistent with the teachings of the present disclosure may be desirable.

The foregoing detailed description is made by a small number of implementations for implementing the invention and is not intended to limit the scope. Those skilled in the art will be able to envision methods and modifications that are used to implement the principles of the invention in the areas other than those detailed herein.

Claims (22)

A body portion;
A neck portion connected to the body portion; And
And a finish portion having a threaded portion, a lip portion, and a transition portion coupled between the threaded portion and the lip portion, the transition portion including an outwardly convex shape. The metal beverage container of claim 1, wherein the body portion, the neck portion, and the finish portion comprise aluminum. The metal beverage container according to claim 2, wherein the aluminum is 3000-series aluminum. 2. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the outwardly convex shape has a radius of about 1 mm to about 6 mm. 5. The beverage container of claim 4, wherein the finish has a thickness of about 0.125 mm to about 0.600 mm. 5. The beverage container of claim 4, wherein the finish has a thickness of about 0.33 mm. The metal beverage container according to claim 1, wherein the transition portion has a length larger than that of the end portion having a straight line. 2. The metal beverage container of claim 1, wherein the transition is configured to support an axial load of about 1250N to about 1750N. 2. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the lip portion has a substantially circular shape. The metal beverage container of claim 1, wherein the transition portion has an angle of about 45 degrees to about 80 degrees from a horizontal line. The metal beverage container according to claim 1, wherein the transition portion is a complex curve. 2. The metal beverage container of claim 1, wherein the transition portion exhibits a nonlinear response to a load because it has a nonlinear shape. A method for producing a metal beverage container,
Forming a body portion;
Forming a neck portion connected to the body portion; And
Forming a finishing portion connected to the neck, the method comprising: forming a threaded portion; forming a lip portion; and forming a transition portion coupled between the threaded portion and the lip portion, the transition portion including an outwardly convex shape, ≪ / RTI > 14. The method of claim 13, wherein forming the body portion, the neck portion, and the finish portion comprises forming the body portion, the neck portion, and the finish portion with aluminum. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the body portion, the neck portion, and the finish portion with aluminum comprises forming the body portion, the neck portion, and the finish portion using 3000 series aluminum. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein forming the transition comprises forming a transition having an outwardly convex shape with a radius of about 1 mm to about 6 mm. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein forming the finishing portion comprises forming a finishing portion having a thickness of about 0.125 mm to about 0.600 mm. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein forming the finishing portion comprises forming a finishing portion having a thickness of about 0.33 mm. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein forming the transition comprises forming a transition having a length greater than the linear finish. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein forming the transition comprises forming a transition having a configuration supporting an axial load of about 1250N to about 1750N. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein forming the lip portion comprises forming a lip portion having a substantially circular shape. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein forming the transition comprises forming a transition having an angle from about 45 degrees to about 80 degrees from a horizontal line.

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