MX2008005300A - Can for beverages comprising a protective lid - Google Patents

Abstract

The inventionconcerns a can for beverages comprising a protective lid. The can is provided with a protective lid (3) capable of being nested on the upper edge of the can (1, 2), said protective lid (3) being connected to the can (1, 2) via a pull-tab (4) integral with the lid (3). The inventive can is characterized in that the lid (3) and the pull-tab (4) constitute a single-piece unit made of the same metal of metal alloy as the can (1, 2), the end of the pull-tab opposite the lid (3) being fixed on the can (1, 2). The invention is useful for making protected reclosable cans for aerated and non-aerated beverages.

Description

BEVERAGE CAN THAT INCLUDES A PROTECTIVE COVER DESCRIPTIVE MEMORY The present invention relates to a beverage can comprising a protective cap. The cans for beverages, in steel or in aluminum, present an increasing commercial development for the drinks with gas or without gas, because of their quality in the conservation of these liquids and their convenience in the storage, transport and use. The development of opening lids arranged in the upper part of the can, whether detached or, more recently, collapsible, has increased its success, allowing, in particular, direct consumption by bringing the can to the mouth. These cans, however, present some drawbacks. While the cans are filled and closed in a sterile atmosphere, their storage and transport are done in conditions of limited protection, for example, through the packing of a set of cans using a thermo-retractable film, generally on a pallet. Said superficial protection disappears when the cans are located individually or in cardboard packages for several cans, in the sale hangers. As a consequence, drinking the beverage directly from the can exposes the consumer to a contamination that could be hazardous to their health.

Another drawback of these cans is found in the difficulty of keeping the rest of the drink from a can where a part has been taken; the remaining liquid has a tendency to spill and, for carbonated beverages, quickly lose the contained gas. In an attempt to mitigate all or part of these drawbacks, it was proposed to provide the can with a lid arranged on top (see for example WO-98/54 061) which protects the upper edge of the can during storage and transportation. and that is removed to open the can and consume the drink that it contains. This cap, restored after a partial ingestion, can prevent the loss of liquid and, in some cases, limit the leakage of your gas. These caps, generally plastic, can be connected to the can by a ring fixed on it; the lid being connected to this ring by a tongue. The manufacture and assembly of this set are complicated and expensive, even when the lid, tongue and ring are in one piece; and its assembly on the filled and sealed cans again brings the problems of hygiene. The major drawback of these cited caps is that they are made of a synthetic material that requires a separate recycling, consequently very expensive, of the metal can. The object of the present invention is to mitigate these drawbacks of metal cans with said protective cap, while preserving a minimum cost price.

For this purpose, the invention has as its object a metal beverage can comprising a protective cap that can be fitted on the upper edge of the can, said protection cap being connected to the can by a one piece tongue with the lid, characterized due to the fact that the lid and the tongue are of a single piece in the same metal or metal alloy as the can, with the end of the tongue opposite the lid, fixed on the can Because of the similarity in the constitution of the can and its lid, in this integrated way, the recycling of empty cans with this lid does not pose any problem, thus allowing to reduce the overall cost of the system The fixing of the tab on the can can, according to the integration method, be done after filling and closing the can without any modification in relation to the techniques and facilities used for that purpose. In this way, in one embodiment of the invention, the tip of the tongue is provided with fissures providing between them joint means shared with the upper edge of the can According to a vanante, the end of the tongue is adhered on the can According to another variant of the invention, the end of the tongue is welded on the can Also, according to a variant that allows a fixation possibly after filling and closing the can, the end of the tongue is fixed on the can by means of an adhesive or self-adhesive strip, preferably based on the same metal or metallic alloy of the can and lid with the tongue. According to an embodiment of the invention which provides for a fixing of the tongue during the closing of the can, after being filled, the end of the tongue is set between the upper surface of the can and the upper body of the can. According to a variant, the tongue is in one piece with the upper surface of the can. The invention may be better understood from reading the description followed by examples of embodiment with reference to the attached design: Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective schematic view of a can, for a first embodiment of the invention, Figure 2 is similar to Figure 1, for a variant of the invention, Figure 3 is similar to Figure 1, for another variant of the invention, and Figure 4 is similar to Figure 1, likewise for another variant. The embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2 refer to the embodiments of the invention which allows a fixing of the tab on the can after being filled and closed. In the drawings, the same references indicate the same components.

The can, according to the invention, is constituted by a body 1 closed by an upper surface 2 generally comprising an opening cover 10. A cover 3, of the same metal or metal alloy as the body 1 and the upper surface 2 of the can is in one piece with a tongue 4 whose end opposite the lid 3 is fixed to the can 1, 2. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the end of the tongue 4 is cut out in three articulation means 5, the outer articulation means being bent in one direction and the central articulation means bent in the opposite direction, in such a way that allow a fixation on the upper edge of the can, forming a rotating hinge of the lid 3. It will be noted that the lid 3 has a peripheral groove 6 allowing the fitting of an identical can to reduce the hindrance in storage and transportation or in the vending machines, as well as a support appendix 7 facilitating the manipulation for opening the lid. It should also be borne in mind that when the upper surface 2 of the can comprises an opening cover 10, the axis of the tongue 4 does not align with the axis of said cover, but moves angularly in relation to the latter, preferably at an angle of approximately 140 degrees, so that the lid 3 does not come close to the eyes of the person who is drinking after opening and tearing, or sinking, of the operculum 10. The lid 3 can advantageously be shaped to break on the upper edge of the can 1-2, for example, by means of radial fissures (not shown) on its bent outer edge, these fissures form elastically deformable legs between them. It is likewise advantageous to provide that a sealing gasket (not shown) is interposed between the lid 3 and the can, for example, in the form of a thin layer of elastomer deposited on the lid at the contact site with the can. Such a joint, very little voluminous, does not harm the recycling of the whole forming a practically insignificant impurity. On the other hand, it is possible to provide that the central surface of the cover 3 is convex towards the upper surface 2 of the can so as to be able, after the opening of the cover 10 of a can containing a gaseous drink and to lower the lid 3 , deforming in the opposite direction under the pressure of the released gas, without the loss of this gas. Among the variants represented simultaneously in Figure 2, the free end 8a is bent upwards so that it can be adhered or welded on the upper end of the body 1 of the can, or, the end 8b is bent downwards in order to be adhered ( glued) or welded down on the body 1. Within another variant not represented of the invention, the free end 8a or 8b is fixed on the body 1 of the can by an adhesive or self-adhesive strip, preferably on the basis of same metal or metallic alloy of the body 1, of the upper surface 2 and of the cover 3 with its tongue 4.

Figures 3 and 4 refer to the embodiments of the invention in which the fixing of the lid takes place during the filling-closing process of the can. In the case of the can of Figure 3, the end of the tongue 4 opposite the lid 3 is set between the upper edge 1 1 of the body 1 and the crimping edge 12 of the upper surface 2 of the can. It can be envisaged that the free end of the tongue 4 is adhered or welded on the upper surface 2 of the can to be integrated before crimping. In the variant of figure 4, the upper surface 2 of the can is in one piece with the tongue 4 and, therefore, with the lid 3. The hygiene can also be reinforced by enclosing the joint between the lid and the can inside a crown, for example, a thermo-retractable plastic sleeve, being able to be torn off before consumption, said sleeve offers, on the other hand, the complementary advantage of constituting a guarantee that the lid has not been opened.

Claims (17)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. A metal can (1, 2) for beverages comprising a protective cover (3) that fits on the upper edge of the can (1, 2), said protective cover (3) connected to the can (1, 2) by a tongue (4) in one piece with the lid (3), characterized in that the lid (3) and the tongue (4) are in one piece in the same metal or metal alloy as the can (1, 2) , the end of the tongue (4) opposite the lid (3), fixed on the can (1, 2).

2. The metal can according to claim 1, further characterized in that the end of the tongue (4) opposite the cover (3) is provided with fissures providing between them articulation means (5) shared with the upper edge of the can (1, 2).

3. The metal can according to claim 1, further characterized in that the free end of the tongue (4) is adhered to the can (1, 2).

4. The metal can according to claim 1, further characterized in that the free end of the tongue (4) is welded onto the can (1, 2).

5. The metal can according to claim 1, further characterized in that the free end of the tongue (4) is fixed on the can (1, 2) by means of an adhesive or self-adhesive strip, preferably based thereon. metal or metallic alloy of tin (1, 2) and lid (3) with tongue (4).

6. The metal can according to claim 1, further characterized in that the free end of the tongue (4) is crimped between the upper surface (2) of the can (1, 2) and the upper edge (11) of the can (1, 2).

The metal can according to claim 1, further characterized in that the tongue (4) is in one piece with the upper surface (2) of the can (1, 2).

The metal can according to one of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the lid (3) has a peripheral groove (6) allowing the fitting of an identical can 9.

The metal can according to one of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the lid has a support appendage (7).

The metal can according to one of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the upper surface of the can has an opening cover (10), wherein the axis of the tongue (4) is angularly offset relative to the axis of the can. opening operculum (10).

11. The metal can according to claim 10, further characterized in that the axis of the tongue (4) and the axis of the opening cover (10) form between them an angle of plus or minus 140 degrees.

12. The metal can according to one of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the lid (3) is shaped so as to be able to break on the upper edge of the can.

The metal can according to one of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the lid (3) is provided with cracks on its outer edge, forming elastically deformable legs between them

14. The metal can according to one of the preceding claims , further characterized in that a sealing gasket is interposed between the lid (3) and the can (1, 2).

15. The can according to claim 14, further characterized in that the sealing gasket is constituted by a thin layer of elastomer deposited on the lid at the contact site with the can.

16. The metal can according to one of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the central surface of the lid (3) is convex towards the can (1, 2) so as to be able to deform in the opposite direction under the pressure of the gas in the container. inside the can after its opening.

17. The metal can according to one of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the seal between the lid and the body of the can is enclosed within a hermetic crown, for example a sleeve of thermo-retractable plastic material.