Receptacles – Closures – Closure members having alignable openings
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-25
2001-04-17
Cronin, Stephen K. (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Closures
Closure members having alignable openings
C220S821000, C220S824000, C220S906000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216904
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
a) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a drink can comprising a lid that is fastened to the cylindrical can body by means of a flanged rim, an off-center opening and a closure cap that covers over the entire lid and is mounted on the flanged rim in a rotatable but non-removable fashion, by means of a marginal bead.
b) Description of the Related Art
Drink cans of this type, which are provided for beer and the widest possible range of non-alcoholic refreshments, have in the lid a pre-stamped, tear-open region and a tear-open tab that is riveted to this region and with which the pre-stamped region can be separated out. The fact that a can, once opened, cannot be closed again is disadvantageous in the case of such drink cans.
A drink can of the type explained at the beginning, but having a pre-stamped, tear-open region in the lid, and a tear-open tab riveted to this region, is known from DE 82 30 293.6 U1. In the case of this known drink can, which corresponds to the previously usual drink cans, after the tear-out opening has been opened, a closure cap having a marginal bead is clipped onto the flanged rim, this closure cap having an opening that can be brought into a position aligning with the removal opening. This configuration makes it possible, after the closure cap has been clipped on, either to protect the still unopened can better against accidental opening, or to close the already opened can.
This clipped-on closure cap, which does not have any additional sealing surfaces around the removal opening, is not able to dose an already opened can so that nothing can run out, since the content of the drink can may get between the can lid and the clipped-on closure cap and there can emerge from the opening in the closure cap, even when the latter is offset with respect to the removal opening in the lid by rotating the closure cap. This closure cap is able only to offer protection against penetrating insects or against running out immediately in the event of the can being turned over briefly, but a leaktight closure for transport, during which the cans are under certain circumstances turned upside down, is not possible. In addition, at the time of the disposal of the empty can, attention must be paid to the fact that the closure cap, which consists of soft plastic must be disposed of separately. The separate manufacture of a closure cap consisting of soft plastic, which is subsequently applied by the consumer, is cumbersome to handle, since it has to be carried along in addition to the can. If such a closure cap is already applied by the manufacturer, then it has to be removed first before the opening of the can and then clipped on again, which is cumbersome. In addition, the manufacture of a closure cap consisting of soft plastic is expensive in relation to the drink cans which are efficiently produced in large-scale mass production and consist of aluminium sheet.
GB 607 139 discloses a closure for containers in which, between the lid of the container and the rotatably mounted closure cap, a soft elastic inlay is provided, which likewise has an opening aligning with the opening in the closure cap and, in this position, is retained by an inwardly drawn rim of the closure cap. Such a closure is well suited for a granular or powdery content and, even in the case of liquid contents, largely prevents them running out, but is not suitable to be applied to the can in the original state for drink cans which are under pressure, such as is the case in beer or cola cans, since this seal would not withstand the pressure. Such a closure can also be applied subsequently to drink cans, which once more is associated with the disadvantages described further above.
FR 23 44 465 discloses a container for powdery or granular contents, for example for herbs or spices, in which a container lid consisting of plastic and having a cylindrical attachment can be pressed into a cylindrical container and can be fixed there, the container lid having a rim that is turned up and has a groove in which a closure lid, which rests on the container lid, is rotatably held. The container lid has an off-center opening which is surrounded by a sealing lip, the latter projecting slightly beyond the upper surface of the container lid and thus being pressed against the inner surface of the closure lid. Although this closure is suitable for powdery media, it is not suitable for liquid media under pressure, since the connection between container lid and container body is not designed for a pressure-tight connection. In addition, such a closure lid could not be applied subsequently in the case of the usual tear-open drink cans, since the latter have a lid which is permanently connected to the can body by a flanged connection.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide a drink can which, with low manufacturing costs, provides significant advantages in use with respect to opening and re-dosing, this can being absolutely secure against the contents running out, in particular in the re-closed state, not needing any subsequent closure cap that can be applied and also managing without a tear-open tab for the opening of the can.
In order to achieve this object, on the basis of a drink can corresponding to the type explained at the beginning, two possibilities are provided.
The first possibility is that the opening in the lid is surrounded by an annular bead having essentially conical bead flanks, that the closure cap has an off-center opening that can be brought into alignment with the opening in the lid, that the closure cap has at least one off-center annular bead that is directed towards the lid and has essentially conical bead flanks, surrounds a sealing ring and projects with respect to the latter in the direction of the lid, that, given an appropriate rotational position of the closure cap, the sealing ring rests in a leaktight manner and under pretension on the apex of the annular bead that surrounds the opening in the lid, that, in the event of only one annular bead being constructed, this surrounds the sealing ring and a closed region placed within the sealing ring, and, in the closed position of the closure cap (
8
), the sealing ring (
16
) rests in a leaktight manner and under pretension on the apex of the annular bead (
5
) that surrounds the opening (
4
) in the lid (
1
), that in the central region of the closure cap there is constructed a latching cam that engages in a latching hollow in the lid, and that, when the closure cap is rotated, the latching cam cooperates with the latching hollow and, in so doing, moves the inner region of the closure cap that is surrounded by the fixed marginal bead into a position in which the said region is resiliently bowed outwards and in which the sealing ring comes free from the annular bead that surrounds the opening.
In the case of this solution, at the beginning of the rotation of the closure cap, because of the arrangement of the latching cam, which engages in the latching hollow and is controlled upwards on the latter, the closure cap is bowed outwards, as a result of which the region that closes the opening in the lid, in particular the sealing ring, is lifted off the annular bead that surrounds the opening in the lid, specifically to such a great extent that the annular bead that surrounds the opening in the lid and the annular bead that surrounds the closed region and the sealing ring in the closure cap do not abut one another, that is to say do not rub on one another with their bead flanks. This is particularly important when both the lid and the closure cap consist of metal. A mutual rubbing movement without lifting the closure cap could cause a metallic taste in the drink. The annular bead around the opening in the lid and the annular bead around the sealing surface of the closure cap are used to reinforce these regions, in order that the annular bead of the lid can be pressed with great force against the sealing ring, on account of the internal pressure in the drink can, without any bulging of the
Cagan Michael N.
Cronin Stephen K.
Reed Smith LLP
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