US3527375A

US3527375A - Cover for beaded cylindrical beverage container

Info

Publication number: US3527375A
Application number: US867608A
Authority: US
Inventors: Louis M Klein
Original assignee: LOUIS M KLEIN
Current assignee: LOUIS M KLEIN
Priority date: 1969-10-20
Filing date: 1969-10-20
Publication date: 1970-09-08
Anticipated expiration: 1987-09-08

Description

Sept. 8, 1970 L. M. KLEIN 3,527,375

COVER FOR BEADED CYLINDRICAL BEVERAGE CONTAINER Filed 061:. 20, 1969 7'0 MEX United States Patent 3,527,375 COVER FOR BEADED CYLINDRICAL BEVERAGE CONTAINER Louis M. Klein, 22 Park Place, Great Neck, NY. 10020 Filed Oct. 20, 1969, Ser. No. 867,608 Int. Cl. B65d 41/00 US. Cl. 220-42 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cover of plastic material for cylindrical beverage cans from which part of the contents have been removed which comprises a hood-shaped member of truncated cone form having a tapered skirt and end wall to receive the open end of the can in generally co-axial relation within the hood, and with the tapered skirt wall being adapted to guide the leading edge of the open can end in co-axial relation to a position of nesting at a yieldable seat at the zone of juncture of the skirt and hood end wall, the seat being sized to yieldingly expand on insertion of the can and to sealingly engage the outer cylindrical surface of the can about the open end.

As is perhaps well known, beer and carbonated beverages are stored in cans which have an end wall which is adapted to be punctured to provide a pouring opening for the contents. However, quite often only part of the contents are used at one time and it is desirable, therefore, to store the remaining contents in the can. In the past this has resulted in a loss of the carbonation by reason of the escape of gas through the pouring opening and, additionally, in a loss of taste flavor and fragrance and with the result that many people discard the contents resulting in waste.

The present invention has as an object the provision of a cover for such containers to prevent the escape of gas from the contents and which is adapted to be manufactured from conventional plastic materials.

It is another object of this invention to provide a cover for beverage cans which is sized to fit most of the standard sized metal cans now in use without modification.

It is another object of this invention to provide a cover for beverage cans for use in sealing the open end of the can after part of the contents have been removed so that they do not become flat.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved cover for beverage containers of the can type which includes a cone-shaped skirt portion with the smaller end being spanned by a dome-shaped cover and which includes a seat at the zone of juncture of the dome-shaped end wall and the skirt to dilate and receive the beaded end of the can on coaxial movement of it into the cover, so that on escape of gas from the container through the open end of the can after removal of some of the contents, the resulting increase in pressure will tend to expand the dome-shaped end Wall to contract the seat into tight circumscribed relation about the beaded end of the can.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved slip type skirt cover sized to nest over the end of a conventional beaded beverage can, after it has been opened to pour some of the contents from the can and which is for the purpose of covering the remaining contents in a generally sealed condition in the can even though it has been opened, which cover is adapted to substantially prevent the influx and efilux of gas and includes a seat to snugly receive the end of the can characterized by a resilient dilatable zone at 3,527,375 Patented Sept. 8, 1970 Ice the juncture of the skirt and the can covering end wall of the cover, so that escape of gas from the contents tends to inflate the end wall bulging it outwardly with respect to the zone of juncture and away from the plane of the open end of the can, and by this action tending to contract the zone of contact of the cover and the can to grip the end of the can and thereby effect a substantially hermetic seal.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional beverage can in combination with the instant cover;

FIG. 2 is a view in cross-section of the cover and illustrating the same in position over the open end of the beverage container;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view partly in cross section illustrating the mating of the can and cover;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view in cross section of the zone of juncture of the can at the upper end and the cover;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 4 and illustrating an alternative embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 and also illustrating a second alternative embodiment;

FIG. 7 is another view similar to that of FIG. 4 and illustrating a third alternative embodiment;

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference char acters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and referring particularly to FIG. 1, the numeral 12 generally designates a cylindrical, circular can of the type conventionally employed to store beer, carbonated beverages or the like and which includes a top wall and a bottom Wall, the top wall being adapted to be punctured to pour the contents for serving. The top wall is bounded by a rim or bead 14 which in a conventional can type container is uniform and extends outwardly slightly from the surface of the can wall.

With further reference to the drawings, it is seen that the cover in each of the several embodiments comprises a symmetrical cup-shaped or hood-shaped cover of truncated cone form having a flared skirt portion 18 defining the truncated conical configuration and an end wall portion 20 spanning the narrowed or truncated end of the cover and being connected to the skirt at a circumferential zone 22 which, as will be explained, comprises a sealing seat.

The cover is of yieldable resilient plastic material preferably and the diameter of the circumferential zone 22 is, in its normal state or configuration, slightly less than the diameter of that of the head 14 and of a material such that within its elastic limit it is radially dilatable or expendable to slightly greater than the diameter of the bead 14 of the conventional, commonly used beverage can.

Thus, it is seen that the cover is adapted to mate with and to receive the end ortion 24 of the can in enshrouded relation, as seen in FIG. 2, such that when the can end portion is in co-axial relation with the cover, the radially expanded circumferential zone 22 of the sealing seat snugly engages the outer bead surface 14 and hermetically seals this relatively rigid, bead rein-forced end of the can with the end wall 20 spanning and overlaying the punctured pouring end of a can from which some of the contents have been removed.

Initially, it is seen, the spring type energy of the plastic material about the zone 22 will hold the seat in the biased sealing condition with the forces resulting from the deformation of the plastic material tending to restore itself to its normal configuration and thereby supplying holding forces. As is well known, many beverages are carbonated and tend to expel conventional can covers by an axial directed force which results from a 3 pressure buildup of released gases into the expansion chamber 21 between the end wall 20 and the open can end. It is a significant function of this invention that, because of the configuration, any such buildup of pressure will uniformly bulge the yieldable resilient material of the end wall portion into a dome-shaped, substantially more dome shaped than that shown in the cross section view of FIGS. 2 and 3 for instance. In so reacting, however, the zone 22 Will tend to more tightly and uniformly sealingly grip the bead 14, thus adjusting the seal in situ in response to any buildup of the pressure within the chamber 21. In the preferred embodiment, the end wall 20 is slightly dome-shaped in its normal state to establish the direction of bulging away from the open can end and to insure that the seat 22 is at its mini-mum diameter when in the normal condition and on initial buildup of pressure the seal tightens with the expansion of the chamber 21 as the end portion bulges further outwardly.

It is also seen that, as the can and cover are mated in relative co-axial movement of one with respect to the other, the somewhat tapered skirt will act as guide means for the advancement of the beaded can end in substantial co-axial relation with the cover. Also, this conical configuration provides an annular space 26, see FIG. 2, between the can wall 28 and the open end 30 of the skirt. This space provides a grip for the distal end of the fingers of a user whereby the skirt is adapted to be flexed outwardly and upwardly toward the covered end to break the seal so that the cover may 'be removed from the can. This lever means is of substantial help to elderly users who are quite often relatively weak and quite often do not drink a full can of a beverage but, nevertheless, desire to store the remaining contents without loss of taste, flavor or carbonation. In the preferred embodiment, the terminal end 32 of the skirt is headed and relieved as at 34 to slightly enlarge the annular finger space 26 to about thickness. The skirt is of an axial length preferably of about at least one to two inches, so as to provide a sufiicient length lever type grip area after the finger ends of a user have been inserted into the space 26.

Preferably, at the zone 22 an annular recess 36 is formed to positively define a seat nesting the head 14 of the can. Also, the end wall 20 of the cover in the preferred embodiment is provided with a yieldable liner means or pad 38, preferably of rubbery material providing one side of the seat and against which the bead of the can nestles when the can and cover are mated, for the purpose of combining with the recess to provide a positive yieldable seat means in the cover. The seat liner means 38 or pad may span the end wall of the cover as shown in the preferred embodiment.

For the purpose of brevity in this specification, the corresponding parts of the alternative embodiments of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are similarly numbered, it being suflicient to point out at this point that the outside of the cover at the zone 22 in the embodiment of FIG. is provided with a tapered annular gripping means 40 comprising a supplemental short lever for use in holding the can and cover as the seal is broken by flexing the skirt or peeling the terminal portion of the skirt outwardly. The gripping means 40 for this purpose preferably includes a shoulder area 42 of positive configuration, that is, one which extends substantially radially outwardly from the conical tapered skirt surface and a tapered edge 44 leading to the end wall surface 20, which in this embodiment is not provided with but a minimum degree of initial bias into a dome-shaped configuration. Also, in the embodiment of FIG. 5, a thin coating of friction resistant material 46, which may be the commercially available material known as Teflon may be provided for ease of mating of the cover and can. The embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7, it is seen, are each provided with an end wall portion or crown in which the dome is not of a fair curve outer surface as seen in elevation but, rather, is provided with an enlarged expansion chamber 21. The end wall portion of the cover in these two embodiments of FIGS. 6 and 7 includes a cylindrical portion 50 and an end face portion 52. FIG. 7 differs from FIG. 6 in that there is provided in FIG. 6 a liner means 38 in integral relation with the end wall portion and in abutting relation to the can. In FIG. 7 the liner means is employed to advantage and the expansion chamber 21 is divided into two portions, an upper portion and a lower portion, the latter being responsive to the expansion of gases and the liner means or pad 38 completely spanning the skirt and being yieldable to extend into the chamber.

I claim:

1. For use in combination with a can having a cylindrical wall of circular cross section and an open end with a pouring opening and a closed end and with a uniform bead at the juncture of the can wall and the open end which extends slightly outwardly of the can surface, said can being of the type conventionally employed for the storage of carbonated beverages or beer,

a cover for the open end of the can comprising,

a cup-shaped cover including a flared skirt of truncated conical configuration, which is open at the enlarged end defining a can receiving mouth, and

an end wall spanning the truncated end of the cover and defining a zone of juncture of the skirt and the end wall comprising a seat within the cover for the beaded end of the can,

said seat being of a normal diameter which is slightly less than the diameter of the outer surface of the bead, and substantially the same as the diameter of the outer surface of the head when the can is in co-axial relation within said cover and the bead of said can is in abutting relation with said end wall, said seat being adapted to receive and to nest said head with said cover in sealing relation over said open end, and

said seat including a sealing surface of dilatable material to expand on forceable axial movement of the open beaded end can into the cover to a point of engagement of said beaded end and said seat, so that the pressure of the gas from the inside of the can passing through the opening tends to expand the space between the open end of the can and the end wall of the cover and uniformly contract the seat into tight circumscribed relation against the head to eifect a substantially hermetic seal.

2. The cover as set forth in claim 1 wherein the inside diameter of the mouth of the cover is larger than the outer diameter of the beaded end of the cup-shaped memher when the member and cover are in coaxial relation and the conical surface of the skirt acts as a wedge type guide on advancing coaxial mating movement of the can cover to seat the beaded end.

3. The cover, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the skirt and wall are of yieldable resilient plastic material.

4. The cover as set forth in claim 1, wherein the normal configuration of the end wall is dome-shaped with the crown extending axially away from said skirt.

5. The cover as set forth in claim 1, wherein the terminal end of the skirt is headed.

6. The cover as set forth in claim 5, wherein the diameter of the terminal end of the skirt is greater than the diameter of said seat so that when the cover is mated over the open end of a beaded can, there is defined an annular space for gripping by the distal ends of the fingers of a user, the annular space being of a thickness of about inch and the axial length being in the order of about 1 /2 inches.

7. The cover as set forth in claim 1, wherein the zone of juncture of the skirt and end wall is recessed upwardly to nestle the end of the can and to receive the beaded end of such can therein.

8. The cover as set forth in claim 7, wherein liner pad means are provided on the end wall and extend into said recess defining one side of said seat.

9. The cover as set forth in claim 1 wherein the inner 5 surface of the skirt is of friction-resistant material of the class which concludes the commercially available material known as Teflon.

10. The cover as set forth in claim 1 wherein the end wall includes a generally cylindrical, and axially extend- 5 ing sidewall terminating at said zone of juncture at a shoulder comprising stop means limiting axial movement of the beaded end of a can being mated with said cover and said shoulder comprises one side of said seat.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,630,237 3/1953 Rosenhop. 3,372,832 3/1968 Ycater et a1. 220-60 XR GEORGE T. HALL, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.