US3182851A - Container - Google Patents

Description

, stares Patent one@ fj f 3,182,8 Patented May 1,1, 19t

3,182,851 CONTAINER William Edward Taylor, Fairfield, Conn., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New .ersey Filed Dec. 28, 1962, Ser. No. 247,983 11 Claims. '(Cl. 220-53) This invention relates to hermetically sealed cans or containers which may be readily opened without the use of an opening key or other` opening tool and has particular reference to a can having a friction closure which is sealed in place by a thin fiexible sealing ring which may be easily peeled from the can to permit removal of the closure.

There is today in the packaging field a definite-desire for a hermetically sealed, tamperproof can which cank be easily opened without recourse to tools such as can openers or opening keys. n

The present invention contemplates the fulfillment of this desire by providing a can having a friction closure -which is formed lwith a top panel having a smooth, outer frictionalv contact between the closure and the ring tov provide a tamperproof, hermetic seal for'the can. In order to provide for removal of the sealing ring, it is cylindrical can which may be formed of thin sheet mel such as tin plate, aluminum plate, or the like. The c` includes a tubular body 12 which is closed and seal at its bottom end by a conventional double seamedbotto end member, which is not shown.

The body 12 is closed at its uppery end by a frictii ring 13 and a friction closure 14Vwhich;is-frictional seated therein. Themarginal edge portionof the frictin ring 13 preferably is interlocked with the'upper end the can body 12 in a conventional hermeticdouble sea 15. The closure ring 13 (FIG. 2) also comprises countersink wall 16 which forms the Ainnermost layer the double seam 15, an inwardly extending smooth ann lar step wall 17, a dependingverticalfriction wall18, a1 an inwardly extending annular horizontal` flange 19, t inner edge of which is reversely bent ina hem 20`a1 defines a central opening 21 through which the can m; be filled or emptied.

The friction closure 14 (FIG. 2) preferebly is formt from a fiat metal blank, and comprises a flat annul `panel25 having an outer marginal edge portionI there bent downwardly, into a peripheral depending friction'w: 26 which frictionally engages the annular friction w:

' 18 of the friction ring 13 for frictionally retainingy t closure 14 in position in the friction ring 13. At .t lower end of the friction wall 26, the terminal edgevportit of the closure 14 is bent inwardly and upwardly into hollow -curl 27 which provides'a smooth, relatively rigi formed with a projecting pull tab which permits the consumer to -easily strip the ring from its scatto thereby release the friction closure, which thereafter serves as a reclosure for the can.

An object of the present invention, therefore, -is the provision of a hermetically sealed container'which may be readily opened without thc use of an opening key or other tool by merely peelingoff a lsealing ring.

Another object is the provision of a friction reclosure can provided with a readily peelable sealing ring which Numerous other objects and advantages of the'invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings: FIGURE l is a top plan view of a embodying the present invention;

. FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the upper part of the instant container drawn to an enlarged scale, the view being taken along the line 2-2 in FIG. l; v

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top'plan view showinga modified form of the invention on the container shown in FIG. l;and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the upper part ofthe container shown in FIG. 3, drawn to an enlarged scale, the view being taken along the line 4.-4 in FIG. 3.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the invention, FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings illustrate a reinformed outer kedge for the reclosure 14.

In order to facilitate'the application of the closure I `into seated position in the friction ringl 13 and' to pern its removal therefrom, the reclosure 14 is provided wi a raised finger engaging knob 28 which is located central of the panel Z5 and which preferably does notextei above the top edge of the top double seam 1.5.

The friction closure 14, when in closed positionin-tl friction ring 13 (FIG. 2), is disposed in a recess or se 30 -which is defined 'by the friction wall 18v and the su rounding annular tiange 19. The depth of the seat i preferably is Vsuch that the upper surface of the step wt 17 of the friction ring 13 is in the same plane as tl upper surface of thel annular panel 25 of the frctit closure 14 (FIG, 2), thus providing a substantially co tinuous, flush annular sealing surface, generally desi nated by thev numeral 31 which includesv the adjace;

-annular surfaces of the step 17 and the panel 25'.l

The can is hermetically sealed by means of a tampe proof annular sealing ring 32 which is adhesively secure to the flush sealing surface 31 of the can in such mann that it bridges the friction ring 13 and the friction closu: 14 and is sealed to both of these parts to form a hermet liquid'proof seal which completely seals the can and pr vents any leakage of any fluid between the friction wal 18 and 26.

As exemplary of a suitable sealing ring constructie] the drawings disclose it as being formed of a laminate material which comprises an upper layer 33 formed c a thin flexible metal foil such as` aluminum foily and bottom layer 34 formed ofY a thin film of a suitable the moplastic resin which is heat sealed to the sealing sui-fac 31` and which is sufficiently low in peelfres'istanceto perm it to be stripped'cleanly from the sealing surface-31 witl out requiring the use of opening tools of any type.

The layerv 34l comprises a random copolymer of ethy ene and acrylic acid having a copolymerized acrylic aci content in the neighborhood of 3% (plus or minus 0.5% by weight, based on copolymer weight, and a melt inde of 8, plus or minus 1.

3 en measured at 23 C., this material has the follow proximate physical properties:

.y .923 e strength p.s.i- 1720 e, impact p.s.i 1500 strength p,s.i 1345 ition percent 520 ty p.s.i 1.5 X104 ess (Shore C) 80 l tests with this ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer `n vtwo strips of tin plate, each 3A wide, whiei are :d to each other by an interposed layer of this coer are pulled apart at an 1809 angle at a speed of per minute and a temperature of 77 F. indicate strength of about 2.4 lbs. per .3AV lineal inch.

i resin is particularly desirable since it is impervious water, grease, and all other uids to which the exand interiorof the can l is normally exposed, has sired. low peel strength, and forms a self-sustaining hich strengthens the aluminum foil layer.

ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer is preferably exdirectly onto the aluminum foil layer 33 while in a 1 state. The most practical way of accomplishing to extrude the resin onto a large web orsheet of minum foil and to then cut the sealing ring 32 from sultant aluminum foil-resin lamination.l It has )und that a sealing ring 32 of sutiicient strength and ity to meet the normal requirements of the instant 1er is produced When the aluminum foil layer 33 is 0.003 inch thick and lthe resin layer 34 is about 3 lick. These thicknesses can of course be varied to vaeciic can requirements. l j

ill be understood. that adhesive. materials differing :position from the above described .thermoplastic lay be utilized as thel layer 3d. The particular comly by internal pressure great enough to overcome the friction between the friction walls 18 and 26, thc conically disposed adhesive bond between the sealing ring 32 and the step wall 17 will be subjected to more of a shearing stress and less of a peeling stress than in the form of the invention disclosed in FIGS. l and 2. Thus, because the bond between the thermoplastic resin 34 and the sealing surface 31 is much more resistant to shearing stresses than to peeling stresses, the can of FIGS. 3 and V4 is capable of holding higher internal pressures than is the can of FIGS. 1 and 2. It will be noted, however, that even'in FIGS. 3 and 4, the panel 25 of the friction closure forms a smooth continuation of the step wall 17, and the two still combine to provide a sealing surface 31 for the reception of the sealing ring.

The ein of FIGS. 3 and 4 also differs from that of FIGS. 1 and 2 in that the sealing ring 32 is provided with a free, non-adhered pull tab 38 which extends from the outer peripheral edge of the sealing ring 32 and is reversely folded back over the ring so that it extends radially of the can.

In this modified form, the sealing ring 32 may be easily y removedby merely lifting the pull tab 38 upwardly and thereafter peeling ot the sealing rin-g 32 from its sealed position on the upwardly sloping step wall 17 and the substantially at panel wall 25 of the reclosure` 14. In this peeling operation, the sealing ring 32 is not torn across, as in FIGS. 1 and 2, but instead the peel-ing action begins at the pull tab 385 and progresses around the top a used will depend to great extent on the particular ler requirements.

'der to provide for easy opening of the can without of an opening key or other tool, a pull tab 35 is :d (see FIG. l), which is not adhered to the underanel wall 25. The pull tab 3S is formed as an inpart of the sealing ring 32 and extends angularly i ly from the inner periphery of the sealing ring 32v t chordal center line so that when the pull tab 35 .and pulled upwardly and circumferentially around of the can, the sealing ring 32 is torn across, along ginary line which is generally indicated by the dot sh line 36 in FIG. l, andthen stripped from the surface 3l in a clockwise direction, as indicated arrow in FIG. 1. tearing across of the sealing ring 32 is facilitated :oniiguration of the pull tab 35, as viewed in FIG. one of the side edges of this pull tab 35 and the ripheral edge of the sealing ring 31 define an acute 7 which serves to initiate the tear in such manner s directed across the sealing ring 32. It is obvious ler shapes of pull tabs may be used, and that the ring 32 may be partially slit,I or provided with a perforations which extend partially or completely le line 36 to more positively direct the tear across ing ring 32.

the sealing ring 32 has been peeled off, the friction I4 may be removed to permitremoval of part or e container contents. If all of the contents are not mediately, the closure 31.4 thereafter may be reo its original position on the can for the purpose 1g it and protecting the remaining portion of the ation so that when the closure l@ iS Urged Upward' of the can in both directions, as indicated by the arrows iny FIG. 3. All other parts of this modified form of instant container not herein differentiated are substantially identical to the pants hereinbefore described in connection with the preferred embodiment of this invention.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will lbe understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of lthe parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, t-he form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim: l

1. A hermeticallysealed container comprising a tubular body, a ring secured to an end of said body, said ring comprising an annular wall .and a recessed annular seat, a closure disposed in said sea-t and having a substantially horizonztal annular wall which is substantially-ush with the adjoining inner edge portion of said annular ring Wall and disposed radially inwardly thereof, and a peelable annular seal-ing `mem-ber bridging and adhesively bonded to adjoining portions of said annularring wall and said annular closure wall to provide a hermetic, tamperproof seal for said container.

l 2. The container of claim 1, wherein said sealing memi ber comprises an annular tiexible sealing ring which is bonded to said adjoining pontions of said annular ring Wall and said annular closure Wall by an adhesive which has low peel resistance.

3. The container-ofclaim 2 wherein said annular sealing ning comprises a layer of flexible aluminum foil and a layer of an adhesive.

4. The container of claim 3 wherein said adhesive cornprises a layer of a thermoplastic resin which is heat sealed to said ring and closure.

5. The container of claim 4 wherein said thermoplastic resin comprises a copolymer of ethylene and acrylic acid.

6. A hermetically sealed container comprising a tubular body, a friction ring secured to an end of said body, said ring comprising an annular substantially horizontal wall and a vertical friction wall, a friction closure for said container, said closure having a peripheral friction 5 t ing an annular wall portion which is substantially ush with the adjacent inner edge portion of said annular ring wall, an annular sealing ring bonded to adjoining portions of said annular ring wall and said annular' closure wall by an adhesive which has low peel resistance, and

a pull tab extending from said sealing ring to facilitate the peeling of said sealing ring from said adjoining ring and closure portions.

7. The container of claim 6 wherein the annular wall of said friction ring inclines upwardly and inwardly.

8. The container of claim 6 wherein said-closure includes nger engaging means which extend above said annular closure wail within said annular sealing ring to facilitate handling of said closure.

extends from the outer periphery of sa-id annular seal ring.

10. The container of claim 6 wherein said pull extends from the inner periphery of said annular seal ring. y

11. The container ofvclaim 10 wherein said pull extends an-gularly from said sealing ring.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,655,111 1/28 Taliaferro er a1. 220;- 2,443 ,984 6/48 Hills 22o- 2,777,601 -1/57 Cheeiey 229- 9. The container of claim 6 wherein said pull tab 15 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A HERMETICALLY SEALED CONTAINER COMPRISING A TUBULAR BODY, A RING SECURED TO AN END OF SAID BODY, SAID RING COMPRISING AN ANNULAR WALL AND A RECESSED ANNULAR SEAT, A CLOSURE DISPOSED IN SAID SEAT AND HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL ANNULAR WALL WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH WITH THE ADJOINING INNER EDGE PORTION OF SAID ANNULAR RING WALL AND DISPOSED RADIALLY INWARDLY THEREOF, AND A PEELABLE ANNULAR SEALING MEMBER BRIDGING AND ADHESIVELY BONDED TO ADJOINING PORTIONS OF SAID ANNULAR RING WALL AND SAID ANNULAR CLOSURE WALL TO PROVIDE A HERMETIC, TAMPERPROOF SEAL FOR SAID CONTAINER.

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