Receptacles – Closures – Combined or convertible
Patent
1998-12-28
2000-03-07
Cronin, Stephen K.
Receptacles
Closures
Combined or convertible
220258, 220269, 220284, B65D 4156
Patent
active
060328169
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a device for closing receptacles with a permanent opening, particularly such as soft drink or similar cans, in accordance with the preamble in the first claim. The invention also relates to a specific use of the device as a means of communication and more particularly as an advertising medium.
A device for reclosing a receptacle is already known, consisting of a cylindrical body, a bottom and a top, in which an opening smaller than the top can be formed by means of a frangible closing device inside the receptacle by means of a lever formed by a pulling tab held in place at the center and above the said top by a rivet, which beneficially replaces earlier solutions such as other tops arranged on the top of some cans of preserves or some pharmaceutical products that are to be reclosed after initial opening, or replacement of other systems including a device essentially composed of a metal or plastic sector that tops the orifice in the receptacle by pressure, by forcing an overthickness into the said orifice.
This closing device is characterized in that it is composed of a cover removably mounted on or around the pulling tab before or after the receptacle is opened, to form a mobile cleat pivoting about the rivet on the upper part of the top, the said cover being fixed firstly on the said pulling tab and secondly, due to suitably shaped outside peripheral edges, clipping around the peripheral hem crimping the top on the receptacle body, this hem acting as an outside rail for circular displacements of the cover.
A European patent EP.0558422 was filed for this device on 26.02.1993 in the applicant's name, with a major disadvantage essentially related to its manufacturing process.
The top view of the outside edge of the cover is in the shape of an angular sector in order to clip onto the hem of the receptacle; furthermore for correct clipping, it was necessary that the transverse section of the said edge should generally cover more than half an arc of a circle, i.e. the angular sector should exceed 180.degree.; these two conditions were essential to operation of the device according to the patent, although this configuration is practically and above all economically incompatible with molding in two parts without a moving part except for a slide to form the housing in which the pulling tab will be located. Under these conditions, the mold removal operation after injection of the plastic material into the mold cavities cannot be done without forcing, i.e. by taking advantage of the material resilience to release the device from its cavity; due to the sector shape, and the need for the sector to occupy more than a half of a circle, it is almost impossible to remove it from the mold by forcing without going beyond the resilient limits of the material, i.e. without irreversibly modifying its modulus of resilience which is detrimental to correct subsequent operation expected from the product.
As it was not reasonable to economically consider molding in several directions, or to provide molds with slides or half-slides following the arc of a circle which would unacceptably increase the cost, it became necessary to make a substantial modification to the locking technique related to the device to permanently overcome the disadvantages mentioned above.
In this respect, and in accordance with the main purpose of the invention, a reclosing cover for a receptacle consisting of a cylindrical body, a bottom and a crimped top is provided, in which an opening may be formed smaller than the said top itself, by means of a frangible closing device known per se, that can be pushed inside the receptacle by the lever effect of a pulling tab fixed in the center and above the said top by a rivet, the said cover being installed removably on or around the said pulling tab before or after opening the receptacle, to form a mobile cleat pivoting around the said rivet on the upper part of the top which firstly fits on the said pulling tab and secondly, through external peripheral means, clips around the peripheral cri
REFERENCES:
patent: 4387826 (1983-06-01), Heubl
patent: 4511057 (1985-04-01), Tontarelli
patent: 4917258 (1990-04-01), Boyd et al.
patent: 5285924 (1994-02-01), Morris
patent: 5351853 (1994-10-01), Shock
patent: 5842594 (1998-12-01), Ibara
Akline
Cronin Stephen K.
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