WO2008002279A1

WO2008002279A1 - Container for food use, made of sheet steel coated with protective material and a method for forming the container

Info

Publication number: WO2008002279A1
Application number: PCT/SM2007/000004
Authority: WO
Inventors: Francesco Amati
Original assignee: Asa San Marino S.A.
Priority date: 2006-06-30
Filing date: 2007-06-29
Publication date: 2008-01-03
Also published as: BRPI0713769B1; EP2040988B1; BRPI0713769A2; SM200600022A; ES2396760T3; SM200600022B; EP2040988A1

Abstract

A container (1) for food use, made of sheet steel coated with a suitable protective material, in particular for containing olive oil, has the shape of a bottle in which it is possible to identify a base (2), a body (3) and a top (4), connected to each other as a single, uniform whole. The top (4) comprises an extended neck (4a) and a mouth (4b). A method for forming the container (1) is also part of the invention.

Description

CONTAINER FOR FOOD USE, MADE OF SHEET STEEL COATED WITH PROTECTIVE MATERIAL AND A METHOD FOR FORMING THE CONTAINER.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a container made of sheet steel coated with a protective material, having the shape of a bottle, for food use, preferably for containing olive oil.

In the following description reference is made by way of example, without limiting the scope of the invention, to containment of a food substance with organoleptic properties which are of high value but may easily be modified as a result of unsuitable packaging technology. A typical example of such a substance is extra virgin olive oil.

Background Art

Amongst the various types of metal containers for packaging food products, widespread use is made of containers made of tinplate, that is to say, sheet steel coated with a film of tin designed to guarantee the stainlessness of the steel below and the consequent sanitariness of the container: with regard to both the corrosive potential of the outside environment and the contents of the container.

Such types of containers, in the form of tins are also used for packaging olive oil.

Tinplate containers have characteristics which make them particularly advantageous for containing food substances, even high value ones. Amongst other properties, tinplate offers opacity to light and ultraviolet radiation, and the fact that it is air-, water- and weathertight.

As an alternative to tinplate containers - and particularly for olive oil - glass containers are also used, relatively thick and dark in colour, preferably green. Polyethylene (PET) plastic containers can also be found on sale, although due to their inferior characteristics, these do not represent a true alternative to the two types of olive oil containers indicated above. Indeed, plastic containers have the fundamental disadvantage of being breathable for oxygen to a certain degree, making them unsuitable for storing olive oil and practically limiting them to containing exclusively seed oil or in any case low value oil.

Therefore, in practical terms, olive oil can only be packaged in two types of containers: made of tinplate and made of glass. The different intrinsic characteristics of the two materials therefore led to the development of two completely autonomous technologies as regards: container production technology, organisation of their filling lines, type and organisation of the container handling systems and finally also the volumetric capacity of the packaging. Tinplate containers for containing oil are used to make tins and therefore for higher containment capacities (more than 2 litres), whilst glass containers are used to make bottles with lower capacities.

Due to the very big increase in the cost of olive oil in recent years, there has been a gradual reduction in the consumption of high capacity containers in favour of lower capacity containers. The end consumer finds it hard to purchase a 5 litre tin of oil, since its sale price exceeds 30 euros. The end consumer is psychologically inclined to purchase a one litre bottle instead, since the price is rarely more than ten euros.

However, glass bottles have many disadvantages.

Glass bottles are heavy, compared with the net weight of their contents; that is to say, they have a high tare which is a disadvantage to all aspects linked to transportation of the container throughout its life cycle.

Moreover, glass containers, although produced in dark colours, are not completely impermeable to ultraviolet rays. The intrinsic fragility of such containers also means that they have important disadvantages above all in filling lines, which, in the event that a glass container is accidentally broken, must be stopped to allow recovery and removal of the glass fragments and cleansing of the oil from the systems.

Disclosure of the Invention

The aim of the present invention is therefore to overcome the above- mentioned disadvantages by providing a container with reduced capacity which combines the advantages of the two prior art container technologies, without any of the disadvantages of either type of product.

Accordingly, the invention achieves said aim with a container with reduced capacity, made of tinplate and having the shape of a bottle, which can be used without any adaptation in the same packaging lines as glass containers.

The present invention also proposes a method for the construction of such a container, for which the prior art tinplate container production technology is not directly applicable.

The technical characteristics of the present invention, in accordance with the afore-said aim, are clear from the content of the claims herein, in particular claim 1 and any of the claims directly or indirectly dependent on claim 1. The present invention also relates to a method, whose characteristics are clear from the content of claim 18 and any of the claims directly or indirectly dependent on claim 18.

Brief Description of the Drawings The advantages of the present invention are more clearly indicated in the detailed description which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings which represent preferred, non-limiting embodiments of the invention and in which: Figure 1 is a perspective assembly view of a first embodiment of a container in accordance with the invention;

Figures 2 and 3 are respectively an elevation view and a top plan view of the container from Figure 1; - Figures 4 and 5 are respectively an elevation view and a top plan view of a diagonal section of the container in accordance with the invention;

Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective assembly view of a part of the container from the previous Figures;

Figure 7 is an elevation view, partly in cross-section, of the object from Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a partial top plan view of the object from Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a diagram of several characteristics steps of a process for the production of the object from the previous Figures.

Figure 10 is an elevation view corresponding with Figure 2 and showing a different embodiment of the container as the invention;

Figure 11 is an elevation view of the container, drawn with an enlarged scale and partly in cross-section, which shows the embodiment drawn in Figure 10.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments of the Invention

With reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 denotes a container for food use made of thin mild sheet steel, coated with a suitable protective material, that is to say, coated with a thin layer of tin, thus constituting a layered material already known in the prior art with the name tinplate.

The container 1 basically has the shape of a bottle, in which it is possible to identify three separate parts: a base 2, a body 3 and a top 4. The top 4 of the bottle comprises an extended neck 4a and a mouth 4b. The three parts, that is to say, the top 4, the body 3 and the base 2 are made separately, as separate parts which are then connected to each other in a single piece to form the bottle as a whole.

The top 4, that is to say, the neck 4a which is an integral part of the top 4, has an extended ring shape, wider towards the body 3 and tapering so that it narrows away from the body 3 and towards the mouth of the bottle.

The neck 4a has an extended, substantially conical shape, preferably with a curvilinear profile, obtained by deep-drawing a metal disk cut directly from a sheet of tinplate. Figures 2 to 8 show how the above-mentioned substantially conical shape basically comprises three rings 5, 6 and 7 made in a single piece from a single cut metal disk.

A first ring 5 has a bell-shaped structure. A second ring 6, above the first ring 5, is substantially cylindrical. The third ring 7, below the first ring 5, comprises a flange 9 with two stiffening curves 8a and 8b, with respective opposite concavity.

The neck 4a has a threaded outer surface 10 so that a known closure cap 11 can be screwed onto it. For this purpose the neck 4a also has a groove 12 for closure cap 11 security fastening. According to a first embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the body 3 substantially has the shape of a parallelepiped with a quadrilateral outline, with equal sides. Said parallelepiped shape of the bottle guarantees its compatibility with most packaging lines for glass bottles.

When it has the shape of a parallelepiped, the body 3 also has two ring- shaped end portions 13.

Such a characteristic is particularly advantageous in order to avoid undulations in the tinplate during the drawing process, which could cause problems both during the subsequent assembly of the three component parts of the bottle, and above all to the effectiveness of the seal of the connections between the above-mentioned parts during use of the bottle.

Figures 1 to 7 and the diagram in Figure 9 show how the container 1 described above can advantageously be produced with a method of production basically comprising the steps of forming Hie neck 4a of the bottle by transfer deep-drawing a cut metal disk, or by drawing performed in steps on a set of gradual dies.

Obviously, during the gradual transfer forming the threading 15 can be produced which allows the cap 11 which seals in the contents to be screwed onto the neck 4a, and a projection 16 can be formed for cap 11 security fastening.

Figures 10 and 11 show that the bottle shaped container 1 may be provided with a proj ection 19 which is circumferentially shaped and made within the neck 4a. The projection 19 is placed near to the lower end of the neck 4a and projects towards the bottle axis. Such a projection 19 can be obtained during transfer shaping process in like manner of the thread 15. The aim of said projection 19 is avoiding the tops 4 can get stuck each other when they are piled, so tops 4 can evolve through vibration stacking devices of the production process without any drawbacks.

A similar advantage can be obtained also when the tops stacking is obtained by using hi the process known gravity stacking devices. In fact also if this is the case, the projection 19 allow regular tops stacking without to have recourse to known latching device which detach, as a finger, each end every top

4 from the base of their top stacking.

The bottle body 3 can be produced by cylinder rolling a sheet of tinplate followed by longitudinal welding of the opposite edges of the sheet.

The tubular body formed in this way, consisting of a ring-shaped piece of sheet metal, can be expanded in a suitable die and transversally to its longitudinal axis 14, so that it takes on the shape of a parallelepiped. During expansion - which advantageously can be achieved with the action of a hydraulic fluid - the body 3 may also be stretched longitudinally to its axis 14.

Production of the base 2 of the bottle does not present any type of technological problem, given the modest depth of the concave parts of the base 2. In this case, drawing of a base obtained with a single operation is possible, starting with a sheet or strip of tinplate. Once the three parts which make up the bottle have been obtained, they can be connected to each other by means of conventional mechanical seaming.

Relatively to the mechanical seaming phase it is to be noted that when the process uses steel sheets which are coated with a thin plastic coat (e.g. 20 μm thick), the mechanical seaming causes on said steel sheet a kind of crumpling of its plastic coat which is able to warrant water tightness between jointing parts of the bottle container.

So₅ the production of such container 1 is made cheap because the manufacture is simple and because a sealing material interposing phase between jointed parts of the bottle is not to be required.

As regards the flanging (more properly known as curling) of the neck 4a and/or the base 2, these are obviously best performed during the top 4 gradual transfer drawing process. In contrast, the flanging of the body 3 may be more suitably performed after welding and before expansion, so the body 3 is stiffer and less deformable in the subsequent processing steps.

The container 1 described above has many advantages. A first advantage is the lightness: a tinplate bottle made in accordance with the invention is approximately 1/4 of the weight of a glass bottle with equivalent capacity. A lower tare obviously means that the cost of transportation per product unit is much lower.

Another advantage of the container disclosed is that it provides low capacity containers for oil with the same protection from the sun's rays as enjoyed by high capacity containers; that is to say, it is obtained without adding any kind of outer protective screen and/or wrapping to the container.

Another advantage of the invention is the mechanical strength and unbreakable nature of the containers which, compared with the corresponding characteristics of glass, practically eliminate the probability of filling line stops due to container breakages.

Yet another advantage of the containers disclosed is the fact that they are easier to recycle. Once the used containers are placed in household waste, they can be recovered very effectively and rapidly using magnetic separators.

Therefore, sorting of the waste at its origin is not necessary, nor is the preparation of dedicated bins such as those currently used for glass, for differentiated collection with the known bell-shaped bins.

Another notable advantage for companies which fill the containers disclosed is the fact that they can be used in lines otherwise dedicated to filling glass containers, and do not require any adaptation of the pre- and post-filling handling systems, or any differentiation of the caps currently used for the closure which seals the package after Ming.

The invention described is suitable for industrial applications and may be modified and adapted without thereby departing from the scope of the inventive concept. Moreover, all details of the invention may be substituted by technically equivalent elements.

Claims

CT , ATMS

1. A container for food use, made of sheet steel coated with a suitable protective material, characterised in that it has the shape of a bottle in which it is possible to identify a base (2), a body (3) and a top (4), the top (4) comprising an extended neck (4a) and a mouth (4b).

2. The container according to claim 1 ,characterised in that at least the top (4) and the body (3) are made as separate parts, then connected to each other to form the bottle.

3. The container according to claim 2, characterised in that the base (2) and the body (3) are made as separate parts, then connected to each other to form the bottle.

4. The container according to any of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the neck (4a) has an extended, substantially tapered ring shape.

5. The container according to claim 4, characterised in that the neck (4a) has an extended substantially conical shape.

6. The container according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that the neck (4a) has an extended shape with a curvilinear profile.

7. The container according to any of the claims from 4 to 6, characterised in that the extended shape is obtained by deep-drawing a metal disk of the sheet steel coated with the relative protective material.

8. The container according to claim 7, characterised in that the substantially extended shape comprises a first, bell-shaped ring (5), a second ring (6), above the first ring (5), and a third, base ring (7) below the first ring (5); the first, second and third rings (7) being made in a single piece.

9. The container according to claim 8, characterised in that the second ring (6) has a substantially cylindrical shape.

10. The container according to claim 8, characterised in that the third ring (7) comprises a flange (9) with two opposite curves (8a,8b).

11. The container according to any of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the neck (4a) has a threaded outer surface (10) onto which a closure cap (11) can be screwed.

12. The container according to claim 11, characterised in that the neck (4a) has a groove (12) for closure cap (11) security fastening.

13. The container according to any of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the body (3) substantially has the shape of a parallelepiped.

14. The container according to claim 13, characterised in that the parallelepiped shape has a quadrilateral outline.

15. The container according to claim 14, characterised in that the outline is square.

16. The container according to claim 14 or 15, characterised in that the outline has radiused corners.

17. The container according to any of the foregoing claims, characterised in that it comprises at least one ring-shaped portion (13) for connecting the body (3) to at least one component part of the bottle, either the base (2) or the neck (4a).

18. The container according to any of the foregoing claims from 1 to 12, characterised in that the body (3) is cylindrical.

19. The container according to claim 8, characterised in that said first bell- shaped ring (5) is inside provided with a projecting element (19) which projects towards symmetry axis (14) of the bottle.

20. The container according claim 19, characterised in that said projecting element (19) has a circumferential development.

21. The container according to claim 19 or 20, characterised in that said projecting element (19) is placed near to an end (20) ofthe bell-shaped ring (5).

22. The container according to any of foregoing claim, characterised in that said sheet steel is coated with a plastic material.

23. The container according to claim 22, characterised in that said plastic material coating is about 20 μm thick.

24. A method for the production of a metal container (1) according to any of the foregoing claims, characterised in that it comprises the steps of forming a bottle neck (4a), comprising transfer deep-drawing of a cut metal disk; a bottle body (3), by expansion of a ring-shaped piece of sheet metal, transversally to a longitudinal axis (14) of the body (3); a bottle base (2), by drawing a second metal disk; the method comprising a further step of creating a sealed connection between the neck (4a) and the base (2) and the bottle body (3).

25. The method according to claim 24, characterised in that the drawing includes forming of threading (15) so that a cap (11) for sealing the contents can be screwed onto the neck (4a).

26. The method according to claim 25, characterised in that the drawing includes forming a projection (16) for cap (11) security fastening.

27. The method according to claim 24, characterised in that the expansion is accompanied by stretching longitudinally relative to the axis (14) of the body (3).

28. The method according to claim 24 or 27, characterised in that at least the expansion is achieved by means of the action of a hydraulic fluid.

29. The method according to any of the foregoing claims from 24 to 28, characterised in that it comprises a step of flanging at least the neck (4a) and/or at least the base (2).

30. The method according to any of the foregoing claims from 24 to 29, characterised in that it comprises at least a step of flanging the body (3) at least at one end (17a; 17b) facing the base (2) or facing the top (4) of the bottle.

31. The method according to claim 29 or 30 characterised in that it comprises at least a step of welding the body (3) longitudinally relative to the axis (14), said step being performed after the flanging.

32. The method according to claim 24 characterised in that said sealed connection phase comprises a step of flanging the body (3) at least at one end (17a;17b) facing the base (2) or facing the top (4) of the bottle container (1) wherein a steel sheet coated with a plastic material is shaped in such a way to ensure water tightness between jointing parts of the bottle container (1).