Many containerized beverages are carbonated and retaining the level of carbonation after the container is opened is important to the beverage's taste and use. In addition, the carbonation may have beneficial health properties to a drinker of the beverage. When the carbonation is eliminated or reduced from a beverage, such as when the pressure of the contents is reduced, such as by unsealing a seal or by allowing the contents to be exposed to the ambient air, consumers often note that they perceive that the taste of the remaining beverage changed. Over time, if the container housing the carbonated beverage is opened and some of the beverage remains in the container and the container is not sealed, the carbonation can also escape, and the remaining beverage can escape by spilling. As a result, it is preferable to have a resealable container which can keep the contents with embedded carbonation and serve as an aid to avoid spillage.
To overcome this issue of carbonation escape, some beverages are stored in bottles with sealable covers. Some drink manufacturers use tapered bottled with smaller resealable tops. The tapered opening helps in that it permits the container to lose carbonation at a slower rate and it permits the container to be easily resealable, such as by screw-on cap. But these containers have other issues. Often they are made of plastic, which is not readily degradable or reusable. Alternatively, they are made of glass, which may be costly to use and which may self-deform a bit over time, precluding a solid seal. Also, although there are benefits to a small spout, a detriment is that flow is reduced by the limited ability for air to enter to replace poured fluid.
Some consumers prefer other types of containers, including aluminum cans, for reasons such as ease of storage or transport or recyclability. Some beverages which are kept in aluminum cans (or other containers) are not presently re-sealable. It would be beneficial for there to be a device which seals an open aluminum or other metal container so that the housed beverage retains its carbonation, even when temperature changes.
Some people have attempted to solve this problem in various ways. U.S. Pat. No. 3,527,375 to Klein, for example, wraps a cover around the top and the sides of the container, such as in the form of a bonnet. However, Klein discloses a beaded cover which does not afford a fixed airtight seal, and Klein's apparatus is susceptible to changing temperature conditions, such as when the beverage is refrigerated. As such, there remains a need for a form fitting cover which is easy to use and seals in the carbonation in beverage remaining in a container after only some of the beverage is consumed or poured out.
Further, it would be preferable to have a container inclusive of an attached cover for re-sealing the container and confining the carbonation in the beverage.
The present invention is directed to a cover for a beverage container and alternatively to a beverage container inclusive of a cover whereby the cover can be used to reseal the container after the container is initially opened. The resealing is such that any carbonated beverage inside retains its carbonation even when the container is stored in varying atmospheric conditions, such as different temperatures.
In an embodiment of the present invention, a cover is used to seal an open beverage container, such as an aluminum can. In the embodiments of the present invention, the cover of the present invention fits over the entire top of the can or a portion of the top of the can and attaches to the can by extending over an opening and/or an encircling the rim. In at least one embodiment, the cover is at least initially connected to the can.
The benefits of the present invention not only include preservation of embedded carbonation, but also the ability to retard the possibility of spillage. Further, because of the stretchiness of the present invention and its tautness at and below the can rim, the overlay cover remains taut and retains an air tight seal, even as the can changes size and shape, such as contraction in a cold environment.
Further, the present invention is easy to use, inexpensive, and potentially reusable.
The present invention is directed to a container, such as an aluminum beverage container or can, with a form-fitting cover for resealing the container. In some embodiments the form-fitting cover always remains attached to the container. In other embodiments, the cover may be separable from the container. Although other containers are applicable to the various embodiments of the present invention described herein, for the purpose of this application the term “can” or “container” is intended to apply to any such container, including but not limited to an aluminum can.
The present invention is available in numerous embodiments in a variety of forms, all of which serve purposes including retaining carbonation in a beverage after the container has been opened. In general, the present invention is directed to a covering for a container which is usable for re-sealing the opening of a previously sealed container after it has been opened. The present invention is usable to form an air tight and leak proof seal. In at least some embodiments, the present invention includes one or more elements which have elastomeric properties such that the element or elements can easily be stretched over an opening and/or a rim to create an air tight seal. In at least some embodiments, the present invention includes a material on the underside of the border of a cover which is compressible so as to form an air tight seal with the container.
Traditional aluminum beverage containers are opened using a flip top opener or “tab”. See
The present invention is directed to, at least in part, an apparatus which fits over an open can and create an air tight seal. Further, the present invention is not limited to a traditional cylindrical can. The top of the beverage container applicable to the present invention may be round or some other shape such as square, elliptical, rectangular, or some irregular shape.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a can comes equipped with a portion which is usable to re-seal the can when the can is opened. Any of several alternate approaches may be used to meet the purpose of a container with an element for sealing the container after opening.
In one embodiment of the present invention, shown in
Extra cover 500 may be permanently or temporarily attached to can 100. That is, the cover may be permanently attached, such as by rivet, and its position may be adjusted for use in re-sealing the can, such as by rotation. Alternatively, extra cover 500 may initially be stored on or with the can, such as affixed to the tab or the side of the can and removed and repositioned for use in re-sealing.
In the method of an embodiment, the consumer would open the can in the traditional way, by lifting the pull tab to force a portion of the can cover into the can. To reseal, the consumer can position extra cover 500 in place, which can be form fit to seal. Extra cover 500 may be formed entirely of aluminum, may be formed of aluminum which is bordered on its underside by a plastic or rubber (or a combination of plastic and rubber) member to allow for a form fit seal, or may entirely be formed of a plastic, rubber or other pliable material. That is, the plastic or rubber member may be more pliable than aluminum alone and forms an air tight seal with the can, either by bordering (and potentially partially being inserted in) the opening or surrounding the opening.
In a variation of the embodiment shown in
In at least some of the embodiments, the tab of the can needs to be attached to the cover using known techniques such that the tab is rotatable without breaking.
In still another embodiment, the tab and cover arrangement differ from that commonly used today. In this embodiment, the cover includes a different form of a tab, referred to herein as a “puller”. The puller and the can cover are formed at least in part of aluminum or other similar metals or other material. A consumer can lift the puller, which is attached to the cover and which opens some or all of the cover to allow the consumer to safely drink some of the beverage. The cover may only partially open or fully open and may be hinged. The puller can then be pushed down to put the original cover back in its original position, thereby re-forming the air tight seal. The cover may be made entirely of aluminum or may have some border which can act as a gasket and form the seal upon closure.
Other embodiments relate to a cover which is not affixed to the can or rim, and are described below.
In other embodiments, the cover can be included with the can but not affixed to the can in any permanent or semi-permanent way. In some embodiments, the cover may be stored on the can's side when not in use.
Cover 200 may have a shape to be conformant with the can cover, including the pull tab and opening, and can have adequate flexibility for a consumer to push a portion into the can to create a seal with the edges of the opening (in addition to the seal with the can's rim).
In another variation of the embodiment of the present invention shown in
In yet another embodiment of the present invention a plastic cover is used which is sized to the rim and snaps onto and around the rim.
In still a further embodiment of the present invention, any of the described apparatus includes a tab along an outer edge to be used by a consumer for aiding in forming a seal or undoing a seal. Further, with the presence of a tab, the apparatus may be “burped” to let air out thereby forming an even tighter seal.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, the cover may be entirely circumferential and form fitting around the entire can cover. In another embodiment, a portion of the cover may be physically and permanently attached to a portion of the cover and the remainder may cover the opening. See
In at least one variation, the cover can include an embedded handle for lifting a portion of the cover.
In another embodiment, the can's opening may also act as the resealing cover. See
In this case, a consumer opens a can by lifting a covering top, such as with a tab. To do so, the orientation of the tab may need to be reversed from the orientation should in
In yet another embodiment, the cover of the present invention includes both a handle attached to the exterior of the opening unit, such as the handle formed as or as a part of the tab assembly, and a hook or hooking device 700. The handle of the opening unit can be secured to the can when the can is opened using hook 700. In one such use, the hook can also serve as the traditional tab in that the tab may have a device to “lock” to the can's rim, and the handle can be formed of a pliable material and secured to the hook (such as by folding or rolling) when not in use.
As shown in
In an alternative embodiment to that shown in
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/045,351, filed on Sep. 3, 2014, and is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62045351 | Sep 2014 | US |