WO2014161055A1

WO2014161055A1 - Can with a suspension device

Info

Publication number: WO2014161055A1
Application number: PCT/BR2014/000106
Authority: WO
Inventors: Antonio Carlos Teixeira ÀLVARES; Antonio Roberto Sene
Original assignee: Brasilata S/A Embalagens Metálicas
Priority date: 2013-04-02
Filing date: 2014-04-01
Publication date: 2014-10-09
Also published as: UY35520A; BR102013007930A2; AR095973A1

Abstract

The can comprises: a tubular body (10) having the lateral wall (11) thereof defined by a base end region (10a), a transition region (10b) and an upper region (10c) of expanded contour which ends in an upper end edge (11b) in which is incorporated an outer peripheral ridge (13); and a suspension device (20) having a retention ring (21), mounted around the tubular body (10) and having an upper retention edge (21a) seated under the outer peripheral ridge (13); and a suspension handle (22), coupled to the retention ring (21). The can comprises, in the lateral wall (11) thereof, at least one radial deformation (17) against which the retention ring (21) is retained against downward axial displacement, when in its mounted position around the tubular body (10) and having the upper retention edge (21a) thereof adjacent to the outer peripheral ridge (13).

Description

"CAN WITH A SUSPENSION DEVICE"

Field of the Invention

The present invention refers to a can, usually provided with an upper large discharge opening, which is built to prevent the axial displacement, involuntary and downwards, of a suspension handle which comprises a retention ring, adapted around the can, next to an upper edge of the latter, in order to articulate the ends of a suspension handle which is displaceable between an inoperative position, located around the can, usually in a position coplanar to the plane of the retention ring, and a vertical operational position, in order to allow the can, either in the open or closed condition, to be manually carried in a condition suspended by the handle.

Background of the Invention

There are well known in the art the containers which take the form of a can, usually cylindrical such as, for example, the one gallon cans used for storing paints, varnishes and other bulk products, normally of progressive consumption. In these cans, dimensioned to contain an amount of product which makes them heavy and makes portability difficult, there is usually the demand for providing a suspension assembly or device which usually takes the form of a suspension handle coupled to a retention ring mounted around the can. In a known construction, the handle is of metal wire, having its ends pivotably retained in respective ears externally affixed to the lateral wall of the tubular body.

Although the known construction mentioned above results in a safe suspension device, with a good axial retention of the handles, and which allows providing the can or similar container the required portability, the provision of said supports results in a difficulty in obtaining the can, since it demands further processing steps to be carried out, and also for making more complex the finishing of the can.

The complexity of the production operations of the suspension devices . makes more expensive the manufacturing of the can, not only due to the process for obtaining the latter, but also due to the losses from damaging such cans, caused by defects that occur during the fixation of the supports on the lateral wall of the can.

Besides substantially increasing the cost of the container, the fixation of the ears to the tubular body and the final assembly of the wire handle are mandatorily carried out by the container manufacturer, before filling the product to the stored. The side ears and the wire handle project outside of the contour of the container, interfering with other containers located side by side in operations of transportation and warehousing, increasing the area occupied by said containers and allowing damages to occur in varying levels in the finishing of the lateral wall of said containers.

There are also known in the art solutions in which the can carries a suspension device, comprising a retention ring and a suspension- handle, of plastic material, which is mounted in order to surround an upper peripheral portion of the can, before the shipment thereof to the filler. One example of such type of suspension device is shown in document PCT/BR2011/000175.

In these constructions, the suspension ring has the upper end edge thereof seated under a peripheral ridge provided on the upper edge of said cans and which may be defined by the double seaming of an upper ring, when provided, or also by an outer curl obtained by bending the upper edge portion of the can.

These rings are usually assembled in the cans from bottom to top, in a relatively tight manner around the can, in order to be superiorly seated against the peripheral ridge provided on the upper edge of said cans. The passage of the ring by the lower double seam of the cylindrical cans of constant diameter demands a certain elastic deformation of the ring which, even causing a certain amount of plastic deformation on the ring, still allows the upper peripheral ridge superior of these cans to also define a stop for axially and upwardly retaining the retention ring when the can is suspended by the handle, under normal operational conditions .

However, under certain handling conditions and working environment temperatures, the deformation to which the retention ring is subjected, upon passing by one of the end double seams of the can, may be sufficient to allow the retention ring to escape over the upper peripheral ridge of the can, that is, over the upper axial stop.

It should be observed that the retention rings are axially locked only in the upward direction, by the upper peripheral ridge of the can. However, in the downward direction, they are retained in their assembly position only by the friction with the lateral wall of the can.

Normally, the friction between the ring and the can is sufficient to hold the ring in its position next to the upper retention stop defined by the upper peripheral ridge, without having any means to prevent the ring from being displaced downwards, by gravity or by action of an external element, towards the lower edge of the can and even being removed from the latter, over the double seam of the lower wall on the lateral wall of the can, in the case the latter is suspended from the support surface.

In this prior construction, the ring, already carrying the suspension handle, is mounted around the can in the manufacturing site, in order for the can to be then transported, without the lid, to the site in which the filling will be carried out. During transportation, the can, already carrying the ring and the suspension handle, is subjected to intense vibrations and also, usually, to thermal expansions caused by an increase of temperature inside the cargo vehicles, or even in the warehouses in which they are stored before or after filling.

These transportation and thermal expansion conditions tend to cause the downward displacement of the ring and even its separation from the can upon unloading in the filling site.

The displacement of the ring from its original position causes the filler to carry out operations for restoring the rings to their original position, resulting in additional time and labor in relation to those required for filling the product in the cans, if these were delivered to the filler in the required condition.

Furthermore, in some cases, when there is separation of the ring from the can, said ring may be lost and not be recovered in the filling site, causing problems to the filler which are costly and difficult to overcome, and which may lead to the removal of the can from the filling line.

The problem regarding downward escape of the suspension device (retention ring + suspension handle) becomes extremely relevant in the cases in which the tubular body of the can presents an end region having a non-expanded lateral wall, followed by an expanded region of greater contour and ending in an end which generally defines the open upper end of the can and in which is incorporated the upper peripheral ridge.

In this type of expanded body construction, the retention ring may be displaced upwards along the expanded region until reaching the upper peripheral ridge, passing over the opposite lower end of the can in which is defined the non-expanded region and in which the contour of the lower double seam line is internal to the axial projection of the contour of the expanded region. Thus, the retention ring is not subjected to any elastic or plastic deformation during its sliding and tight assembly around the expanded region of the tubular body of the can. Thus, the retention ring may be dimensioned to be fitted, in a tight manner, around the tubular body of the can, substantially increasing the effectiveness of the upper axial stop defined by the upper peripheral ridge, as well as the safe retention of the suspension device to the can.

Summary of the Invention

It is thus an objective of the present invention to present a can with a suspension device which guarantees, in an easy, safe and permanent manner, the holding of the suspension device in its original assembly position in the can, ^■ even in adverse conditions caused, for example, by temperature variation and by vibrations during handling and transportation .

Another objective is to provide a can such as described above and which allows an easy and safe assembly of the suspension device to the upper portion of the can, without the need for providing additional means for retention of said upper portion, such as glue, rivets, welding, etc. These and other objectives are achieved by providing a can with a suspension device of the type comprising: a tubular body having at least one lateral wall defined by a base end region joined, by a transition region, to an upper region presenting a contour which is expanded and external in relation to the contour of the base end region and which ends, in the open end of the can, at an upper end edge which incorporates an outer peripheral ridge; and a suspension device including a retention ring, to be mounted around the tubular body, having an upper retention edge to be axially seated against the outer peripheral ridge, said retention ring carrying at least one suspension handle displaceable between a lowered rest position and a raised operational position.

According to the invention, the can comprises, externally and in its lateral wall, at least one radial deformation axially spaced in relation to the outer peripheral ridge and against which the retention ring is retained against downward axial displacement, when in its mounted position around the tubular body and with its upper retention edge adjacent to the outer peripheral ridge.

With the solution of the present invention, the cans that carry handles formed from a ring have guaranteed that even in adverse conditions, such as those previously mentioned, the can holds its suspension device, not only next to the body of the can, but also in the region thereof which was originally defined during manufacture, next to the outer peripheral ridge, with the suspension handle in its inoperative position, laterally surrounding the tubular body of the can.

Brief Description of the Drawings The invention will be described below, with reference to the enclosed drawings, given by way of example of an embodiment of the invention, and in which:

Figure 1 represents a partially cut lateral view of a can built according to the present invention and carrying a suspension device with the handle being represented, in solid lines, in the lowered rest position and, in dashed lines, in the raised operational position; and

Figure 2 represents a partial diametrical cross- sectional view of the can of figure 1, said cut being taken in order to longitudinally cut the suspension handle in the raised operational position, only partially illustrated.

Description of the Invention

As illustrated in the attached drawings, the can with a suspension handle to which the invention is applied is of the type formed in metal sheet, usually tinplate, presenting a generally circular cross section, but which may be polygonal, although such configuration is not illustrated in the drawings.

The can comprises a tubular body 10, having at least one lateral wall 11, to which lower end edge 11a is affixed, usually by double seaming, the peripheral edge 12a of a bottom wall 12, with the upper end edge lib of the lateral wall 11 incorporating an outer peripheral ridge 13.

In the construction object of the present invention, the tubular body 10 has the lateral wall 11 thereof defined by a base end region 10a, usually but not necessarily cylindrical, of reduced height and joined, by a transition region 10b, to an upper region 10c which presents a contour which is expanded and external in relation to the contour of the base end region 10a and which ends, in the open end of the can, at the upper end edge 11a to which is incorporated the outer peripheral ridge 13.

In the illustrated embodiment, the tubular body 10 carries an annular upper wall 14 having an outer peripheral edge 14a double seamed to the upper end edge lib of the lateral wall 11, said double seam being responsible for forming the outer peripheral ridge 13.

Although not illustrated, it should be understood that the outer peripheral ridge 13 may take the form of a curl having a tubular cross section, which is obtained by bending the metal sheet radially outwards, in the region of the upper end edge lib, such as described in PCT/BR2011/000166.

The annular upper wall Γ4 further presents an inner peripheral edge 14b, defining the contour of an upper opening "A" for introducing a non-illustrated lid. The annular upper wall 14 may present any known construction .

In the illustrated embodiment, the annular upper wall 14 has the inner peripheral edge 14b thereof bent upwards and radially outwards, defining a tubular rib 15, in which the radially inner portion thereof defines a closing seat having a convex arc cross section.

In the illustrated example, the tubular rib 15 presents a substantially circular cross section, however it should be understood that there is no need for the inner peripheral edge 14b of the annular upper wall 14 to be bent in order to form a tubular rib 15. It should be understood that the lid (not illustrated) may be produced in metal sheet or be molded in plastic, such as polypropylene, in different shapes and using different constructions for fitting and retention in the closing seat of the tubular body 10 of the container. The constructive solution used to provide the fitting and retention of the lid in the tubular body 10 may present different known forms, without modifying the characteristics of the can- suspension device set which is object of the invention .

For the suspension of the can being described, the latter receives a suspension device 20 formed by a retention ring 21, preferably continuous and formed in plastic material, such as polypropylene, or any other material which allows the retention ring 21 to be formed and adapted, in a relatively tight manner, around the tubular body 10 of the can or container, in order to have an upper retention edge 21a axially an upwardly seated and locked against the peripheral ridge 13. The retention ring 21 also presents a lower retention edge 21b and carries at least one suspension handle 22, which may be displaced between a lowered rest position, in a plane generally transversal to the axis of the tubular body 10 of the can, as illustrated in figure 1, and a raised operational position, illustrated in dashed lines in figure 1 and in solid lines in figure 2, in which the suspension handle 22 is in a plane generally diametrical to the tubular body 10 of the can. In the raised operational position, the suspension handle 22 is located over the tubular body 10 of the can, allowing for its easy grip by a user who wishes to carry the can suspended by the handle .

The suspension handle 22 is generally single and has the ends thereof coupled to the retention ring 21 by any adequate construction, as long as it is possible to provide the displacement of the suspension handle 22 between the lowered rest position and raised operational position thereof. In the illustrated embodiment, the ends of the suspension handle 22 are articulated in outer radial pins 23 incorporated in two diametrically opposite regions of the retention ring 21. However, it should be understood that the ends of the suspension handle 22 may be incorporated, in a single piece, to the retention ring 21, by means of junction regions which are able to allow displacing the suspension handle 22 without risk of rupture.

According to the present invention, The can comprises, externally and in the lateral wall 11 thereof, at least one radial deformation 17 axially spaced in relation to the outer peripheral ridge 13 and against which the retention ring 21 is retained against downward axial displacement, when in its position mounted around the tubular body 10 and having its upper retention edge 21a adjacent to the outer peripheral ridge 13 of the tubular body 10 of the can. In the illustrated embodiment, the radial deformation 17 takes the form of a rib portion 17a located along a peripheral alignment, contained in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body 10. Although it is possible to provide a single rib portion 17a, it is preferable to provide two or more rib portions 17a located in a coplanar manner and according to said peripheral alignment, said rib portions 17a being angularly spaced from each other. In the illustrated embodiment, the rib portions 17a are joined together in the same lateral wall portion, defining, along the entire peripheral extension of the latter, a single rib portion 17a.

When the tubular body 10 presents a cylindrical form in the region in which the radial deformation 17 is provided, the single rib portion 17a will continuously circumferentially surround the tubular body 10. However, in the case of cans having a polygonal cross section, each lateral wall portion will have the peripheral extension thereof covered by a respective single rib portion 17a.

The rib portion or portions 17a preferably present (s) a cross section in the form of a triangle, for example isosceles or right, having at least the vertex thereof radially projecting from the lateral wall 11 being shaped in a rounded manner. Other forms of cross section may be applied to the radial deformation 17, which does not mandatorily need to have the form of one or more ribs, and which may present the form of projections having a more punctual aspect, having a cylindrical, conical, etc. form, located around the same circumferential alignment and being spaced from each other.

The radial deformation or deformations 17, in the form of rib portions 17a or of punctual projections (not illustrated), may project outwards or inwards in relation to the tubular body 10.

In the preferred construction, in which said radial deformations 17 project outside from the tubular body 10, they should be axially spaced back in relation to the outer peripheral ridge 13, by a distance at least equal to the distance between the upper retention edge 21a and lower retention edge 21b of the retention ring 21, in order to retain the lower retention edge 21b of the latter against downward axial displacement.

For the assembly of the suspension device 20 around the tubular body 10 of the finished can, it is necessary that the retention ring 21 is displaced upwards, from the lower end of the tubular body 10, not being subjected to any elastic deformation when passing by the lower double seam of the can, due to the fact that the double seam of the bottom wall 12 in the lateral wall 11 is made at the base end region 10a of the tubular body 10, which presents a contour internal in relation to the contour of the upper region 10c of the tubular body 10. Thus, the retention ring 21 may be dimensioned to tightly slide along said upper region 10c of constant contour, until reaching the radial deformation 17, when it undergoes a slight elastic deformation in at least part of its extension, in order to pass to the region of the tubular body 10 defined between the radial deformation 17 and the outer peripheral ridge 13.

This construction allows the retention ring 21 to be dimensioned in order to tightly surround the contour of the upper region 10c of the tubular body 10, whereby the radial deformation 17 will be effective to retain the suspension device 20 against downward displacement, by means of a radial deformation 17 having a small radial projection in relation to the wall 11, making easy the assembly of the retention ring and demanding a minimum elastic deformation of the latter upon its passage over the radial deformation 17.

With the proposed construction, the retention ring 21 remains axially retained to the tubular body 10, both in the upward and in the downward directions, without the risk of sliding downwards, either by gravitational action or by some involuntary external interference, along the tubular body 10, or more specifically, along the expanded upper region 10c thereof, then reaching the base end region 10a of the tubular body 10 which allows the suspension device 20 to escape due to the fact that said base end region 10a presents a non- expanded contour which is reduced in relation to the transition region 10b and expanded upper region 10c of the tubular body 10. While only one possible way of carrying out the present invention has been illustrated herein, it should be understood that several changes can be made in the form and arrangement of the components parts, without departing from the constructive concept defined in the claims that accompany the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A can with a suspension device of the type comprising: a tubular body (10) having at least one lateral wall (11) defined by a base end region (10a) joined, by a transition region (10b), to an upper region (10c) presenting a contour which is expanded and external in relation to the contour of the base end region (10a) and which ends, in the open end of the can, at an upper end edge (lib) which incorporates an outer peripheral ridge (13); and a suspension device (20) including a retention ring (21), to be mounted around the tubular body (10), having an upper retention edge (21a) to be axially seated against the outer peripheral ridge (13), said retention ring (20) carrying at least one suspension handle (22), displaceable between a lowered rest position and a raised operational position, said can being characterized in that it comprises, externally and in the lateral wall (11) thereof, at least one radial deformation (17) axially spaced back in relation to the outer peripheral ridge (13) and against which the retention ring (21) is retained against downward axial displacement, in its position mounted around the tubular body (10) and having the upper retention edge (21a) thereof adjacent to the outer peripheral ridge (13) .

2. The can, as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the radial deformation (17) takes the form of a rib portion (17a) located along a peripheral alignment in a plane transversal to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body (10).

3. The can, as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of coplanar rib portions (17a), along the same peripheral alignment.

4. The can, as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that the rib portions (17a) are joined together, in the same lateral wall portion, defining, along the entire peripheral extension of the latter, a single rib portion (17a) .

5. The can, as set forth in any of the claims 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that the at least one rib portion (17a) presents a cross section in the shape of a triangle, with at least the radially projecting vertex thereof being rounded.

6. The can, as set forth in any of the claims 2, 3, 4 or 5, characterized in that the retention ring (21) presents a lower retention edge (21b) , the at least one rib portion (17a) radially projecting outside the tubular body (10) of the can and axially spaced back, in relation to the outer peripheral ridge (13), by a distance at least equal to the distance between the upper retention edge (21a) and lower retention edge (21b) of the retention ring (21), in order to retain the lower edge (21b) of the latter against downward axial displacement.