US3583595A - Reinforcement insert for container plug - Google Patents
Reinforcement insert for container plug Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US3583595A US3583595A US799622A US3583595DA US3583595A US 3583595 A US3583595 A US 3583595A US 799622 A US799622 A US 799622A US 3583595D A US3583595D A US 3583595DA US 3583595 A US3583595 A US 3583595A
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- opening
- bottom wall
- sidewall
- wall
- container
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D17/00—Rigid or semi-rigid containers specially constructed to be opened by cutting or piercing, or by tearing of frangible members or portions
- B65D17/50—Non-integral frangible members applied to, or inserted in, preformed openings, e.g. tearable strips or plastic plugs
- B65D17/506—Rigid or semi-rigid members, e.g. plugs
Definitions
- a container component including a panel with an opening and a plastic opening tab having a recessed plug portion which fits into the opening and which is reinforced against upward bulging due to the internal pressure of the container.
- the bottom wall of the recess is reinforced by a flat insert which is placed within the recession to engage at its peripheral edge the sidewall of the recession and be over the bottom wall of the recession.
- Such cans which can be opened without openers or other implements have become popular because of their convenience.
- Such cans generally have an end closure with a removable area defined by a score line.
- a rivet integral with the removable area secures an opening tab to the area so that the user can manipulate the tab to detach the removable area from the rest of the end closure.
- the contents of the can are then accessible to the user and in the case of a can used to package beverages or other liquids, the opening caused by the removal of the removable section serves as a pour opening.
- Still another disadvantage of such cans is that once opened, they cannot be reclosed. Thus, in the case of carbonated beverage, the consumer would normally use all of the product once the can is opened because no option is given the consumer to preserve the carbonation of any unused product.
- a can end with an opening which is closed by an opening tab of resilient material such as plastic and with a plug portion which fits into the opening.
- a severable patch which is of a material which is substantially impervious to the product and the atmosphere such as metallic foil, plastic or plastic laminate, is generally adhered to the bottom of the plug portion and to the underside of the panel on the area thereof surrounding and adjacent to the opening. An upward pull on the tab will cause the patch to sever and the plug portion to be lifted out of the opening to provide a dispensing orifice.
- the patch is usually heat sealed to the bottom of the plug portion by heat which is transmitted through the bottom wall of the plug portion and therefore the bottom wall is usually quite thin to facilitate the transmission of heat.
- the patch should also be thin (preferably 4 mils or less) so as to be easily severable during the opening operation. This combination of thin materials can cause the plug portion to bulge upwardly when the internal pressure of the can is high. Internal pressures reach very high values when the product is heat treated and this is especially true when the product is beer or carbonated beverage. The canning processes can, therefore, result in a container having an opening tab which bulges upwardly to be susceptible to inadvertent detachment during rough handling which will occur during storage and shipment.
- the upward bulge of the plug portion caused by a pressure buildup tends to pull the sidewall of the plug portion inwardly so that the plug portion loses all or some of its frictional grip at the edge of the opening under the action of the internal pressure. This adds to the tendency of the opening tab to become detached inadvertently.
- a rigid, substantially flat insert is placed on or in the plug portion so that it reinforces the plug portion against upward bulging and resists transmission of gases through the plug portion.
- FIG. I is a fragmentary view in perspective of the upper portion ofa can made in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 2 is a view, partly in section, and in an enlarged scale taken substantially along the line 2-2;
- FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, showing the engagement between the plastic plug of FIG. I and the opening in an end closure in a scale larger than that of FIG. 2;
- FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3, but showing another embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 5 is a view similar in that of FIG. 4 but showing still another embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 1 shows a container indicated generally as 10, having a can body 12, and an end closure 14 which may be joined to the can body 12 in a conventional end double seam 16.
- the bottom of the can which is not shown, can be closed with any kind of end closure which may also be secured to the can body 12 in a conventional double seam.
- the end closure 14 includes a flat central panel 18 and an opening tab 20, having a handle portion 22 which may be pulled by the user to open the can 10.
- the central panel 18 has an opening which is rimmed by an upwardly projecting bead 24, which as shown in FIG. 2, has a friction wall 26 having on its bottom a downwardly facing raw edge 28.
- the friction wall 26 is engaged by a sidewall 30 of a plug or recessed portion 32 of the opening tab 20.
- the recessed portion 32 is defined by an annular upwardly projecting bead 34 which rims the recessed portion 32 and by a horizontal bottom wall 35.
- the bead 34 includes the sidewall 30 which extends upwardly from the periphery of the bottom wall 35, a horizontal wall 36 which extends outwardly from the top of the sidewall 30 and an outer wall 38 which extends downwardly from the outer periphery of the horizontal wall 36.
- the horizontal wall 36 engages the top of the bead 24 when the recessed portion 32 of the opening tab 20 is fully inserted into the opening defined by the bead 24.
- the upwardly extending bead 34 is joined at its periphery, more particularly at the bottom of the outer wall 38, to a flat web portion 40 which is integral with the handle portion 22.
- a patch 42 which is substantially impervious to gas and the product, is adhered to the bottom wall 35 and to the underside of the central panel 18 in the area thereof adjacent to the bead 24.
- the patch 42 also serves to shield the raw edge 28 from the product. Since the edge 28 is the only part of the underside of the end closure 14 which is not likely to be coated to prevent chemical reaction with the product it is desirable that it be shielded from the product and the patch 42 does this.
- the present container is opened by pulling upwardly on the handle portion 22 of the opening tab 20 to pull upwardly on the bottom wall 35 and the portion of the patch 42 which is adhered to it.
- the patch 42 is thereby forced against the raw edge 28 so that the patch severs at the edge 28 and the opening tab 20 is freed from the can 10.
- the internal pressure of the can tends to bulge the bottom wall 35 upwardly. This has the effect of pulling the sidewall 30 inwardly so that it is not frictionally engaged at the friction wall 26. If high enough, the internal pressure can then force the plug upwardly far enough that the patch 42 will engage and be severed by the raw edge 28 of the bead 24. Even if the internal pressure is not high enough to cause the tab 20 to become detached from the can, it may be high enough to bulge the bottom wall 35 upwardly far enough to lessen the frictional retaining force between the sidewall 30 and the friction wall 26. This will make the opening tab 20 susceptible to an inadvertent detachment during shipment or storage.
- a rigid plate 50 is provided as shown in FIG. 3.
- the plate 50 is positioned in the recession 32 so that peripheral edge 52 thereof is force fitted within the sidewall 30.
- the plate 5t] lies on the top of the bottom wall 35 so that pressure on that wall will be directly transmitted to the plate 50 which, because of the tight fit between the peripheral edge 52 thereof and the sidewall 30, will not move upwardly.
- the tight fit between the edge 52 and the sidewall 30 also prevents that wall from being distorted inwardly because of a bulge in the bottom wall 35.
- the plate 50 reinforces in two ways. it strengthens the bottom wall 35 against upward bulging and it reinforces the sidewall 30 against inward displacement. Providing an adhesive between the plate 50 and the bottom wall 35 will also aid in holding the plate 50 down on the wall 35 during an upward bulge thereof but it has been found that a tight fit between the edge 52 and the sidewall 30 can obviate the use of adhesive.
- PK]. 4 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. It is similar to the embodiment of H6. 3, the essential difference being that the plate 50 has a peripheral marginal portion 53 which is bent upwardly as at 54 so that the edge 52 faces outwardly and upwardly and an upward movement of the plate 50 will be resisted by the sidewall 30 acting downwardly on the edge 52.
- the upward bend of the peripheral marginal portion 53 of the plate 50 reinforces against an upward bulging for the additional reason that an upward force on the plate 50 will tend to flatten the peripheral marginal portion 53 and urge the edge 52 outwardly and into the vertical wall 30.
- the vertical wall 30 and friction wall 28 will resist an outward movement of the edge 52 and thereby act against an upward bulge of the plate 50.
- Still another advantage to the embodiment of FIG. 4 is realized because an upward pressure on the plate 50, in flattening the peripheral marginal portion 53 of the plate 50, will urge the vertical wall 30 outwardly against the friction surface 28. The frictional engagement between the wall 28 and sidewall 30 will therefore become tighter with an increase in internal pressure.
- FIG. 5 A third embodiment is shown in FIG. 5.
- the vertical wall 30 includes a beveled portion 56 which merges at its bottom portion with an annular bead 58.
- the annular bead 58 and the bottom wall 35 define the top and bottom respectively of an annular groove 60 in the sidewall 30.
- the peripheral portion of the plate 50 fits within the groove 60 and is secured from upward movement by the bead 58.
- the bevel 56 permits the plate 50 to be pressed down into the recessed portion 32 because the wall 30 is gradually compressed until the plate 50 passes below the bead 58 and the bead 58 then snaps inwardly to secure the plate 50 in position as shown in FIG. 5.
- the metal plate 50 resists gas transmission which would otherwise be possible through the bottom wall 35.
- Plastic of course, is not as fluid impervious as is metal and gas transmission can be a problem in the ease of certain products.
- One method by which all of the embodiments shown can be produced economically is to use the piece of metal removed when the opening is punched out of the end closure 14 for the plate 50. This is possible as long as the upwardly projecting bead 24 and the sidewall 30 of the recessed portion 32 are appropriately dimensioned.
- a container component comprising:
- said opening tab comprising a recessed portion having a bottom wall and a sidewall extending upwardly from said bottom wall, the outside surface of said sidewall engaging said friction wall and the lower portion of the inside surface of said sidewall having an annular groove defined therein;
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Closures For Containers (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims (1)
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US79962269A | 1969-02-17 | 1969-02-17 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US3583595A true US3583595A (en) | 1971-06-08 |
Family
ID=25176366
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US799622A Expired - Lifetime US3583595A (en) | 1969-02-17 | 1969-02-17 | Reinforcement insert for container plug |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US3583595A (en) |
CA (1) | CA928251A (en) |
Cited By (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3704804A (en) * | 1971-07-19 | 1972-12-05 | American Can Co | Plastic film for container end closures |
US3804287A (en) * | 1972-07-10 | 1974-04-16 | American Can Co | End closure for an easy opening resealable container |
US3833144A (en) * | 1972-07-10 | 1974-09-03 | American Can Co | Two position pull tab easy-open container component |
US4083471A (en) * | 1976-12-01 | 1978-04-11 | Interfrange Ltd. | Resealable frangible top for containers |
US4205759A (en) * | 1977-08-30 | 1980-06-03 | Josef Koller | Closure having vent means for liquids under pressure |
US20090255929A1 (en) * | 2003-11-10 | 2009-10-15 | Inoflate, Llc | Method and device for pressurizing containers |
US20110011868A1 (en) * | 2009-07-14 | 2011-01-20 | Steve Manne | Reclosable Container End |
Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3326403A (en) * | 1966-01-05 | 1967-06-20 | Glass Sidney | Two-piece stopper |
US3415405A (en) * | 1965-11-09 | 1968-12-10 | Sobrefina Sa | Cap |
US3441167A (en) * | 1967-10-20 | 1969-04-29 | American Can Co | Easy opening container |
US3472416A (en) * | 1968-05-29 | 1969-10-14 | Harvey Aluminum Inc | Pressure compensating resealable plug |
-
1969
- 1969-02-17 US US799622A patent/US3583595A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1969-12-15 CA CA069871A patent/CA928251A/en not_active Expired
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3415405A (en) * | 1965-11-09 | 1968-12-10 | Sobrefina Sa | Cap |
US3326403A (en) * | 1966-01-05 | 1967-06-20 | Glass Sidney | Two-piece stopper |
US3441167A (en) * | 1967-10-20 | 1969-04-29 | American Can Co | Easy opening container |
US3472416A (en) * | 1968-05-29 | 1969-10-14 | Harvey Aluminum Inc | Pressure compensating resealable plug |
Cited By (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3704804A (en) * | 1971-07-19 | 1972-12-05 | American Can Co | Plastic film for container end closures |
US3804287A (en) * | 1972-07-10 | 1974-04-16 | American Can Co | End closure for an easy opening resealable container |
US3833144A (en) * | 1972-07-10 | 1974-09-03 | American Can Co | Two position pull tab easy-open container component |
US4083471A (en) * | 1976-12-01 | 1978-04-11 | Interfrange Ltd. | Resealable frangible top for containers |
US4205759A (en) * | 1977-08-30 | 1980-06-03 | Josef Koller | Closure having vent means for liquids under pressure |
US20090255929A1 (en) * | 2003-11-10 | 2009-10-15 | Inoflate, Llc | Method and device for pressurizing containers |
US20110011868A1 (en) * | 2009-07-14 | 2011-01-20 | Steve Manne | Reclosable Container End |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
CA928251A (en) | 1973-06-12 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: AMERICAN NATIONAL CAN COMPANY, STATELESS Free format text: MERGER;ASSIGNORS:AMERICAN CAN PACKAGING INC.;TRAFALGAR INDUSTRIES, INC. (MERGED INTO);NATIONAL CAN CORPORATION (CHANGED TO);REEL/FRAME:004835/0354 Effective date: 19870430 Owner name: AMERICAN NATIONAL CAN COMPANY Free format text: MERGER;ASSIGNORS:AMERICAN CAN PACKAGING INC.;TRAFALGAR INDUSTRIES, INC. (MERGED INTO);NATIONAL CAN CORPORATION (CHANGED TO);REEL/FRAME:004835/0354 Effective date: 19870430 Owner name: AMERICAN CAN PACKAGING INC., CONNECTICUT Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:AMERICAN CAN COMPANY, A NJ CORP.;REEL/FRAME:004835/0338 Effective date: 19861107 Owner name: AMERICAN CAN PACKAGING INC., AMERICAN LANE, GREENW Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:AMERICAN CAN COMPANY, A NJ CORP.;REEL/FRAME:004835/0338 Effective date: 19861107 |