Receptacles – Closures – Superposed closures for common opening
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-30
2001-06-05
Newhouse, Nathan J. (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Closures
Superposed closures for common opening
C220S258500, C220S781000, C220S906000, C215S227000, C215S230000, C206S459500, C206S508000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241114
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is the 35 USC 371 national stage of International application PCT/FR98/01046 filed on May 26, 1998, which designated the United States of America.
The present invention relates to a closure cap for a metallic cylindrical can for beverages, said can comprising an upper surface provided with an opening lid that can be torn off or pushed in and surrounded by an upper ring of circular cross-section projecting outside the can, a bottom comprising a lower ring of circular section permitting nesting identical cans, said lower ring surrounding an inwardly convex surface of the can. The cans can have upper and lower rings of the same diameter or different diameters.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The metallic cans for beverages, of steel or aluminum, have undergone important development because of the qualities they possess for the preservation and commercialization of the beverages they contain.
They have however certain drawbacks or faults which should be overcome.
The principal drawback of these cans is connected to the manner of opening them, namely the use of a detachable lid, or more recently, one that can be pushed in. This lid, which cannot be returned to its original position, does not permit consuming only a portion of the contents, then transporting the can partly empty at the risk of spilling the remaining contents. This is particularly disadvantageous in the course of a sport or recreational event, such as skiing, hiking, boating, etc. or during transport in a vehicle (automobile, motorcycle, motorbike, train, plane, etc.), such that the consumer is obliged to consume all at once all the contents of the can or to throw away the partially empty can, with in this latter case pollution of the environment by the contents.
Another drawback of metallic cans in that, although they are filled under very strict hygienic conditions, they are then subjected to atmospheric pollution in the course of their storage and transportation, such that the consumption of their contents is far from satisfactory as to the most elementary conditions of hygiene.
There was proposed in DE-U-7 723 959, a cover adapted to re-close a can with an opening that can be torn off, after partial consumption of the contents of this can. This cover has either a totally flat surface or a totally curved surface. Such a cover therefore permits re-closing the can when the latter is partially empty, but it is not possible to stack the cans for storage.
Moreover, this type of cover is proposed in the form in which it is connected to other covers by a tearing tongue. The presence of such a tearing tongue between at least two covers give rise to the risk of destruction of the cover upon their separation by tearing off and is not a very easy manipulation. A seller would have the tendency to separate the can from the cover when selling it, as often as selling it with the cover.
There is known from FR-A-1 365 481, covers for a receptacle, such as a jar of cream, of the type comprising a skirt extending to the periphery of a flat surface and permitting stacking said receptacles, the flat surface of the cover having on its upper surface a rib in relief which permits ensuring the centering of another receptacle disposed on said receptacle provided with the cover. However, such a cover does not permit a real stacking of the receptacles against particularly lateral displacement of the receptacles stacked on each other.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To this end, the cap according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises a peripheral skirt adapted to clip on the external periphery of the upper ring of a can, as well as a central surface bordered by a shoulder connected to the upper edge of said peripheral skirt, said shoulder being arranged to coact with the internal and/or external edge of the lower ring of another can.
Thus, preferably, with a cap according to the invention, said other can is laterally locked in a pile of stacked cans.
The cap according to the invention therefore permits closing the can in the course of use, without interfering with stacking by piling the cans in a package or in a refrigerator or a refrigerated case, whilst ensuring the protection of the regions of the can adapted to come into contact with the mouth of the consumer.
The protection of the can against pollution can also be improved by applying a plastic film which can be adhesive or maintained under vacuum. Such a film can be transparent, or opaque, provided with an advertising message or a decoration.
Preferably, the central surface extends at least into the plane defined by the upper edge of said shoulder or is located above said plane. The stacking of the cans is thus improved.
Preferably, the upper edge of the shoulder is inscribed at least in the plane defined by the upper edge of the peripheral skirt, which is the edge of the skirt opposed to its free edge, or is located above said plane.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the central surface can be a curved surface, hence above the upper edge of the shoulder, but it can also be inverted when desired, for example, to limit the size.
According to a first embodiment of the invention, the connection between the shoulder bordering the central surface and the upper edge of the peripheral skirt, opposite the free edge of said skirt, comprises a small flat annular collar on opposite sides of which extend the peripheral skirt and the shoulder bordering the central surface.
Thus, this embodiment permits preferably providing an annular surface on which comes to rest the lower ring of another can whilst the shoulder comes into contact against the internal edge of said lower ring of said other can.
The central surface bordered by the shoulder can be curved and thus located above the plane defined by the upper edge of the shoulder. This curved surface can be used to nest below the lower curved surface of another can, which promotes lateral locking of the stacked cans and the last can of the stack can have a cap whose central surface is reversed to limit the size of said can as to its height.
According to a modification, the central surface is curved and extends above the plane defined by the upper edge of the shoulder, this curved surface being thus reversed such that the shoulder forms a crown which can be disposed against the external peripheral edge of the lower crown of another can.
Preferably, the cap according to the invention thus comprises a protection constituted by the central surface bordered by the shoulder, said projection being arranged to be received within the lower crown of another can or to surround said lower crown.
According to a second embodiment, the connection between the shoulder bordering the central surface and the upper edge of the peripheral skirt comprises a shoulder which is concentric and opposed to the shoulder bordering the central surface, said shoulders defining a groove adjacent the peripheral skirt.
The capsule according to this embodiment is thus provided with a groove in which can nest the lower crown of another can. And, even if this groove is less steep, the two opposed shoulders will lock the lower crown of said other can such that said other can is prevented from moving laterally relative to the can with which it is nested.
Preferably, the central surface is flat and inscribed in the plane defined by the upper edge of the shoulder bordering said central surface such that there is obtained a nesting by reliable interfitting with the help of a cap having a limited height.
According to a modification of this embodiment, the central surface, the shoulder bordering said central surface and the shoulder which is opposite and concentric, defining between them the groove adjacent the peripheral skirt, are constituted, at the time of nesting the cans, by the deformation of the bottom of the cap, under the effect of pressure exerted upon engagement of the lower ring of a can within the upper ring of the can carrying the cap.
Thus, the cap comprises a peripheral skirt adapted to clip over the external p
Pernikoff Nicolas
Savino Alain
Newhouse Nathan J.
Young & Thompson
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