FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present disclosure generally relates to beverage containers and methods for producing beverage containers. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to beverage containers with inverted curls and an inverted curling method for producing metal beverage bottles and beverage containers with inverted curls.
BACKGROUND
Beverage containers such as, for example, beverage bottles made from metals (e.g., steel or aluminum), can include a curl at an opening of the bottle. The curl may be used as an attachment point for a bottle cap, or as a finishing detail to remove any sharp edges that may cut or injure a user of the bottle. To construct the curl, the bottle body is generally formed with a finished inner diameter and an upper portion of excess material around the bottle opening. The upper portion of excess material is then rolled outward to produce a curl around the bottle opening, which also defines a finished outer diameter of the bottle opening.
However, rolling the upper portion outward to produce the curl as described above can pose a number of challenges in the production of large numbers of beverage bottles. For example, rolling the upper portion of excess material outward around the bottle opening can impart additional tensile stress on the bottle material, which can cause damage to the bottle. As an example, at the point in the bottle production process when an upper portion of a bottle opening is curled outward to produce a curl around the bottle opening, the bottle material may have already been through many forming operations and the material may be at, or near, a formability limit in tension (e.g., a threshold amount of tension at which the bottle may undesirably deform by splitting, cracking, or other failure in the material). As a result, outward curls at the bottle opening may impose additional tensile stress on the bottle, which can cause damage to the bottle such as for example, splitting of the bottle material at or near the curl. Curl splits can be common defects in bottle production and can cause high rates of spoilage, which can increase production cost and reduce efficiency. Outward curls can also leave an abutment between the edge of the bottle material and the exterior surface of the bottle. For crown cap closure bottles, especially in the case of a crown cap closure beverage bottle, removing the cap with a prying tool may damage and/or unroll the outward curl, exposing a sharp edge that may potentially harm a user. Any damage or forming irregularities in the curl abutment may also cause problems with proper sealing of the bottle cap, or may provide a space for the collection of dirt, debris, or bacteria. Consequently, higher rates of product loss or contamination may occur as a result of outwardly rolling an upper portion of a beverage bottle to produce a curl.
SUMMARY
The term embodiment and like terms are intended to refer broadly to all of the subject matter of this disclosure and the claims below. Statements containing these terms should be understood not to limit the subject matter described herein or to limit the meaning or scope of the claims below. Embodiments of the present disclosure covered herein are defined by the claims below, not this summary. This summary is a high-level overview of various aspects of the disclosure and introduces some of the concepts that are further described in the Detailed Description section below. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by reference to appropriate portions of the entire specification of this disclosure, any or all drawings, and each claim.
Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to a bottle with an inward or inverted curl at an opening of the bottle and the methods and means for producing the bottle. In some examples, inward curling of the bottle opening may impart a compressive stress state in the upper portion of the bottle during manufacture, which can increase a threshold amount of pressure, force, or stress that the bottle can withstand before the upper portion of the bottle begins to deform in an undesirable way (e.g., by splitting, cracking, or other failure in the material) as compared to outward curling of the bottle opening. The imparted compressive stress state in the upper portion can lower or eliminate an incidence of curl splitting, which can result in improved process efficiency and reduce spoilage rates.
In some examples, an uncurled portion of the bottle, including, for example, the body, neck, or any other features such as threads or other cap or sealing structures, may be formed using traditional production methods. Once the uncurled portion of the bottle is formed, an outer diameter of the bottle opening may be finished with an upper portion of excess material extending beyond what will become the top of the finished bottle. The upper portion of excess material may then be curled inward, imparting compressive stress into the upper portion material and the inward curl. The inward curl may define an inner diameter of the bottle opening and may be used to hold other devices or structures in the bottle opening (e.g., a cap of the bottle).
In some examples, one or more rollers can be designed such that the rollers may be used to incrementally curl the upper portion of excess material and seat an edge of the upper portion on an inside surface of the neck of the bottle. A shape, size, or configuration of the one or more rollers may include or be defined by an entry radius, a straight support land, a work radius, and an exit radius. In some examples, the entry radius and/or support land of the roller may be configured to align with the outer diameter of the bottle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Illustrative examples of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the following drawing figures:
FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a bottle with an inward curl, according to one example of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a bottle with an inward curl and an insert, according to one example of the present disclosure.
FIGS. 3A-G are schematic sectional views of a bottle with an inward curl at various stages of manufacture, according to one example of the present disclosure.
FIGS. 4A-G are schematic sectional views of a bottle with an inward curl at various stages of manufacture, according to another example of the present disclosure.
FIG. 5A is a schematic sectional view of an exemplary roller for inward curling of a bottle neck, according to one example of the present disclosure.
FIG. 5B is a detail view of the roller of FIG. 5A, according to one example of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The subject matter of embodiments of the present invention is described here with specificity to meet statutory requirements, but this description is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of the claims. The claimed subject matter may be embodied in other ways, may include different elements or steps, and may be used in conjunction with other existing or future technologies. This description should not be interpreted as implying any particular order or arrangement among or between various steps or elements except when the order of individual steps or arrangement of elements is explicitly described.
FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of an exemplary bottle 100 with an inverted or inward curl 110. The bottle 100 can be made of any material. For example, the inward curl 110 may be used on bottles made from aluminum, steel, any other metal or metallic alloy, or any other material that can be selected based on suitability in a particular application. As an example, the bottle 100 with the inward curl 110 can be formed from aluminum alloy 3104 or any related or similar aluminum alloys. The bottle 100 also includes a neck 102 that includes an opening 118 at a first end (e.g., a top end) of the bottle 100, an outer surface 104, and an inner surface 106. The bottle opening 118 can have an outer diameter 114 and an inner diameter 116. The outer diameter 114 or the inner diameter 116 can be of any length or size. In some examples, the bottle 100 may also include a lip 108 below the first end of the bottle (e.g., below the bottle opening 118).
The inward curl 110 can be of any suitable size. For example, the inward curl 110 can have a constant radius through the curl. As another example, the inward curl 110 can have a variable radius (e.g., a radius of the curl may vary along the inward curl 110). In some examples, the inward curl 110 may comprise a 360 degree inward curl. In another example, the inward curl can be a curl of any angle (e.g., 180 degrees or any other suitable angle). In some examples, a portion of the material of the bottle 100 can be deformed, bent, or otherwise curled to form the inward curl 110. In the example depicted in FIG. 1, the material of the bottle 100 (e.g., the material at the top end of the bottle) is deformed, bent, or otherwise curled from the outer diameter 114 of the bottle opening 118 to form the inward curl 110 such that an edge 122 of the inward curl 110 is displaced towards the inner surface 106 of the bottle 100. In this example, the edge 122 of the inward curl 110 may approach or meet the inner surface 106 of the bottle 100 at a point or an abutment 112. The abutment 112 may be a point of contact between the edge 122 and the inner surface 106 of the bottle 100. In another example, the abutment 112 may be a region or an area where the edge 122 of the inward curl 110 is in close proximity to the inner surface 106 of the bottle 100. In some examples, the inward curl 110 can extend from the outer surface 104 of the bottle to the inner surface 106 and into the opening 118 and to the abutment 112. In some such examples, the inward curl can extend to the inner surface 106 such that that the edge 122 may be adjacent or near the inner surface 106. In some examples, the edge 122 may be glued, welded, or otherwise attached to the inner surface 106 of the bottle 100 at the abutment 112, although it need not be. In the example depicted in FIG. 1, the inner diameter 116 of the bottle opening 118 may be defined by the innermost point of the inward curl 110 (e.g., the innermost point of the inward curl 110 relative to the inner surface 106) or may otherwise correspond to the innermost point of the inward curl 110.
In some examples, any type of bottle 100 can include the inward curl 110. For example, the inward curl 110 may be used on bottles with a crown-type closure (e.g., a bottle that includes features corresponding to a crown-type closure such that the bottle can be sealed with a crown cap), a screw-type closure (e.g., a bottle that can be sealed with a threaded screw cap), or any bottle that can include any other type of closure, cap, or sealing mechanism. As an example, for a screw-type closure, the bottle neck 102 may include one or more threads (e.g., below the top end of the bottle 100 or below the opening 118) or molded-in depressions (not shown) configured to accept a screw-on or roll-on pilfer proof type cap. As another example, for a crown-type closure, the bottle neck 102 may include one or more depressions, protrusions, or other features (e.g., below the top end of the bottle 100 or below the opening 118) configured to accept the crown-type closure to couple the bottle 100 to the crown-type closure. In some examples, the screw-type closure or the crown-type closure may be used to seal the bottle 100.
In some examples, the bottle 100 with the inward curl 110 at the opening 118 may offer a number of advantages over bottle configurations having an outward curl. For example, a process of manufacturing a bottle may include blow molding, deep drawing, ironing, die necking, incremental forming, or any other material forming process. During the manufacturing process, the material of the bottle can be subjected to a large degree of deformation (e.g., a change in a shape, size, or volume of the bottle), which can result in a buildup of stress and strain throughout the bottle. In some examples, during some conventional methods of manufacturing a bottle, an upper portion around an opening of the bottle is curled outwards, which can expand and stretch the material of the bottle circumferentially and impart additional tensile stress and deformation on the bottle. The additional tensile stress and deformation can cause cracking or splitting of the material of the bottle in and around the outward curl.
In contrast, the inward curl 110 of the bottle 100 can compress the material around the opening 118 of the bottle 100. In some examples, compressive stresses imparted by the inward curl 110 can reduce a likelihood of cracking or splitting of the material of the bottle 100 because they do not add additional tensile stresses and deformation to the bottle 100. In some examples, such as, for example, with blow molded bottles, the compressive stresses imparted by the inward curl 110 may relieve tensile stresses that may be present in the material at, or around, the opening 118 of the bottle 100, which can reduce the likelihood of cracking or splitting in and around the inward curl 110. In some examples, reducing the likelihood of splitting or cracking may increase production efficiency by reducing the amount of spoilage of bottles 100 during production.
In some examples, the inward curl 110 at the opening 118 of the bottle 100 may offer additional benefits. For example, the inward curl 110 may provide advantages in cleanliness, improved sealing, and user safety. As an example, the abutment 112 and the edge 122 of the inward curl 110 can be located on or near the inner surface 106 of the bottle 100, which can protect the edge of the inward curl 110 from damage. If a bottle is struck or otherwise subjected to abuse during manufacture, storage, filling, capping, shipment, or, in the case of consumer products, on display or during use, the weakest and most likely area for damage is the free end of the curl. In some examples, having the abutment 112 and the edge 122 of the inward curl 110 near the inner surface 106 can prevent a free end of the bottle 100 from exposure to being struck or otherwise damaged, which can prevent damage to inward curl 110 during manufacture, storage, filing, capping, shipment or while on display or during use. In another example, such as with a bottle with a crown type closure, opening the bottle with a prying tool may damage and/or unroll an outward curl, exposing a user to a potentially dangerous sharp edge because the free end of the outward curl is unsupported, and therefore requires the least amount of force to bend or otherwise deform. By contrast, in the case of the bottle 100 having an inward curl 110, the edge 122 of the inward curl 110 is located inside the opening 118 of the bottle 100 and can be less likely to encounter a direct strike and/or damage during bottle opening. In some examples, the inward curl 110 at the opening 118 may offer further additional benefits or may allow incorporation of additional features onto the bottle 100. In some examples, the inward curl 110 may be formed to a greater or lesser extent as described above, so long as the final inward curl 110 provides adequate axial support to the bottle 100 through geometry and/or strain hardening of a material of the bottle 100.
FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of a bottle 200 with an inward curl 210 and an insert 230, according to one example of the present disclosure. In the example depicted in FIG. 2, the bottle 200 can include a neck 202 that includes an opening 218, an outer surface 204, an inner surface 206, a lip 208 below the opening 218, an outer diameter 214, and an inner diameter 216. The neck 202, opening 218, outer surface 204, inner surface 206, lip 208, outer diameter 214, and inner diameter 216 can each be configured in substantially the same manner as the respective neck 102, opening 118, outer surface 104, inner surface 106, lip 108, outer diameter 114, and inner diameter 116 of the bottle 100 of FIG. 1, although it need not be. In the example depicted in FIG. 2, a material of the bottle 200 is deformed, bent, or otherwise curled from the outer diameter 114 of the opening 218 such that an edge 222 of the inward curl 210 is displaced toward the inner surface 206. In this example, the insert 230 can be positioned at or near the opening 218 and the edge 222 of the inward curl 210 can approach or meet the insert 230 at a point or an abutment 212. The abutment 212 can be a point of contact between the edge 222 and the insert 230. In another example, the abutment 212 can be a region where the edge 222 of the inward curl 210 is in close proximity to the insert 230 of the bottle 200. In some examples, the edge 222 may be glued, welded, or otherwise attached to the insert 230 at the abutment 212, although it need not be.
In some examples, the insert 230 can be a liquid flow modifier (e.g., a device for modifying a flow of a fluid in the bottle 200). In another example, the insert 230 can be part of a closure mechanism or device (e.g., part of a device for sealing the contents of the bottle 200). In some examples, the insert 230 may be more securely located at or near the opening 218 of the bottle 200 by taking advantage of the inward curl 210 and the lip 208. For example, in the example depicted in FIG. 2, the insert 230 rests on the lip 208 and is confined at the top by the edge 222 of the inward curl 210 at the abutment 212. In this position, the insert 230 may provide support to the bottle opening 218 and/or bottle neck 202. In some examples, the insert 230 or a portion of the insert 230 may be confined, crimped, or pinched between the inward curl 210 and the inner surface 206 of the bottle 200. As an example, the insert 230 may be snapped into place between the inward curl 210 and the inner surface 206 of the bottle 200. As another example, the insert 230 or a portion of the insert 230 may be confined, crimped or pinched between the inward curl 210 and a constriction of the bottle 200 (e.g., a narrow inner portion of the bottle 200). For example, and referring to FIG. 1, in some examples, an insert (e.g., the insert 230) may also be snapped in the abutment 112. In another example, the bottle 100 includes the lip 108 and the insert may be snapped in or confined in a space 126 between the lip 108 and the lower boundary of the inward curl 110 below the abutment 112. In any of the above mentioned examples, an insert may be inserted prior to or after the formation of the inward curl 110, 210, lip 108, 208, and/or any other features of the bottle 100, 200.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in the case of damage to the inward curl 110, 210, or if the manufacturing process does not properly position or seat the edge 122, 222 on or about the inner surface 106 and/or an insert 230, there can be a reduced likelihood of damage or injury, collection of debris, bacterial growth, and/or loss of sealing performance. For example, the edge 122, 222 of the inward curl 110, 210, which may be very sharp due to the manufacturing process or due to the thin gauge (e.g., thickness) of the bottle material, can be less likely to come into contact with a user as a result of the inward curl 110, 210, which can prevent the sharp edge 122, 222 from causing cuts or other injuries to the user. As another example, the space within the inward curl 110, 210 can be within a sealed portion of the bottle 100, 200, which can cause the space to be less likely to collect debris or provide an area for bacterial growth, as compared to an outward curl. As still another example, bottle sealing points, such as, for example, at the outer diameter 114, 214, inner diameter 116, 216, lip 108, 208, or any another point at or about the opening 118, 218 of the bottle 100, 200, can be further away from the edge 122, 222 of the inward curl 110, 210 and less likely to be affected by any damage or distortion to the edge 122, 222 of the inward curl 110, 210.
FIGS. 3A-G are schematic sectional views of an exemplary crown closure bottle 300 with an inward curl 310 at various stages of manufacture, according to one example of the present disclosure. FIGS. 3A-G depict an example of various stages of manufacture from an uncurled bottle 300 (e.g., in FIG. 3A) to a finished bottle 300 (e.g., in FIG. 3G). In the example depicted in FIGS. 3A-G, sectional views are shown such that a right portion of the bottle 300 is sectioned with respect to the vertical axis 324. In this example, the bottle 300 includes a neck 302, an outer surface 304, and an inner surface 306. The neck 302 includes an opening 318 at the top of the bottle 300.
In this example, the bottle 300 may begin a process of imparting an inward curl 310 as an uncurled bottle 300 (e.g., in FIG. 3A), which has already been molded or otherwise formed to produce features and a geometry of the bottle body (not shown) and neck 302 below the opening 318. The uncurled bottle 300, as depicted in FIG. 3A, may include an upper portion 320 at or near the opening 318 and an edge 322. The upper portion 320 may be formed into the inward curl 310 in the finished bottle 300 (e.g., in FIG. 3G) and, in some examples, the upper portion 320 includes all or substantially all of the material of the bottle 300 that can be used to form the inward curl 310. In some examples, a material of the upper portion 320 may be thicker than, for example, other portions of the uncurled bottle 300. For example, the material of the upper portion 320 can be a material that has a higher gauge or thickness than other portions of the uncurled bottle 300. As another example, production of the uncurled bottle 300 can be tailored such that the upper portion 320 has a thicker residual material gauge or thickness than another portion of the uncurled bottle 300. In some examples, a thicker upper portion 320 may tolerate or bear an amount of compressive stress used to form an inward curl 310 without buckling, undesirably deforming (e.g., by splitting, cracking, or other failure in the material) or other undesirable effects.
In some examples, the uncurled bottle 300 depicted in FIG. 3A may undergo one or more processes (e.g., manufacturing processes for forming the bottle 300 or the inward curl 310). For example, the uncurled bottle 300 of FIG. 3A may undergo processing to form a lip 308, as depicted in FIG. 3B. The lip 308 may be formed at a position on the neck 302 that is sufficiently low such that the upper portion 320 can maintain sufficient material to be formed into the inward curl 310 at a subsequent stage of the bottle manufacturing process. In some examples, the lip 308 can be formed at any position on the neck 302 that is below the opening 318. In some examples, when forming the lip 308, an outer diameter 314 of the opening 318 may be set prior to performing one or more curling operations while maintaining the edge 322 as the upper-most extremity of the bottle 300. In some examples, an insert (e.g., the insert 230 of FIG. 2) may be inserted into the bottle 300 and positioned to rest on an inner surface 306 of the bottle 300, at the lip 308, or at any other internal feature as described above. The insert may be used as an internal form or structure such that the material of the bottle 300 can be bent around the insert to locate and/or secure the insert in the bottle 300 and/or to assist in forming a desired geometry of the lip 308, the inward curl 310, or any other feature of the bottle 300.
In this example, after the lip 308 is formed, the upper portion 320 may be bent, deformed, or otherwise curled to form the inward curl 310. For example, as depicted in FIGS. 3C-F, the inward curl 310 can be formed using rollers 500. Each roller 500 can be a roll of any shape or size that is made of any suitable material for rolling the material of the bottle 300. For example, each roller 500 can be a steel roller, or a roller of any other suitable material. Each roller 500 can include an entry face 502 on an entry radius 504, a work face 506 on a work radius 508, a support land 505 between the entry face 502 and the work face 506, and an exit face 510 on an exit radius 512. In the example depicted in FIGS. 3C-F, the work face 506 includes a portion of the rollers 500 positioned between the entry face 502 and the exit face 510. The entry face 502, the work face 506, and/or the exit face 510 can each be a convex and/or concave portion of the roller 500. For example, the entry face 502 can be a convex portion of the rollers 500, the work face 506 can be a concave portion of the rollers 500 and the exit face 510 can be another convex portion of the rollers 500. The rollers 500 may rotate about roller axis 501 while forming the inward curl 310.
In some examples, the rollers 500 may initially be lowered toward the bottle 300, or the bottle 300 may be raised toward the rollers 500, into a first position to begin a process of forming the inward curl 310. In the example depicted in FIG. 3C, during initial engagement of the rollers 500 with the upper portion 320 of the bottle 300, the bottle 300 and/or rollers 500 may rotate about a vertical axis 324 relative to one another, which can allow a smoother engagement of the rollers 500 with the upper portion 320 and reduce a likelihood of buckling of the upper portion 320. In this example, as the rollers 500 axially engage the upper portion 320 and the bottle 300 and/or the rollers 500 rotate about the vertical axis 324 with respect to one another, as depicted in FIGS. 3D-3E, the edge 322 can contact the entry face 502 and follow a curvature of the entry face 502 to feed into the support land 505 and into the work face 506. In some examples, the upper portion 320 and edge 322 of the bottle 300 may then be curled or otherwise deformed as they follow the contours of the support land 505 and/or work face 506 and progress toward the exit face 510 of the rollers 500. In some examples, the exit face 510 may then guide or direct the edge 322 of the partially formed inward curl 310 toward the inner surface 306 of the bottle 300. In this manner, the entry face 502 can initially contact the upper portion 320 and/or the edge 322 to define or set an outer diameter 314 of the bottle 300 and guide the upper portion 320 and/or the edge 322 toward or into the work face 506. The exit face 510 can subsequently receive the upper portion 320 and/or the edge 322 from the work face 506 and the exit face 510 can release the upper portion 320 and/or the edge 322 and define the inner diameter 316 of the bottle 300, as depicted in FIGS. 3F-G.
The rollers 500 may continue to engage with the upper portion 320 of the bottle until a fully engaged position is reached, such as, for example, as depicted in FIG. 3F-G. In the example depicted in FIG. 3F, the roller axis 501 is at the lowest point relative to the bottle 300. As the rollers 500 continue to engage the upper portion 320 and rotate relative to the opening 318 about the vertical axis 324, the rollers 500 can progressively curl or deform the upper portion 320 to form a completed inward curl 310 with the edge 322 at an abutment 312 of the bottle 300. In some examples, once the inward curl 310 is fully formed, the inward curl 310 may define an inner diameter 316 of the bottle 300 and/or bottle opening 318. In some examples, the rollers 500 may include a sharpened edge or other cutting surface or feature that can be used to trim the upper portion 320 and/or edge 322 (e.g., while deforming the upper portion 320 to form the inward curl 310) to provide a uniform edge 322 at the abutment 312. In some examples, during the curling process described above, the rollers 500 and/or the bottle 300 may continue to rotate with respect to one another about the vertical axis 324. Rotating the rollers and/or the bottle 300 about the vertical axis 324 with respect to one another combined with the rotation of the rollers 500 about the roller axis 501 can allow the rollers 500 to smoothly form the inward curl 310 throughout the axial engagement in a continuous process.
In some examples, various modifications or variations to the curling process described above with respect to FIGS. 3A-3F may be used to alter a shape or contour of the inward curl 310. For example, an amount of relative engagement, speed of engagement, and/or speed of relative rotation between the rollers 500 and the upper portion 320 may be adjusted based on a particular material of the bottle 300, a thickness of the material, a residual stress from a prior forming process in the manufacture of the bottle 300, or any other factor. Adjusting the amount of relative engagement, speed of engagement, and/or speed of relative rotation between the rollers 500 and the upper portion 320 may alter the shape or contour of the inward curl 310. As another example, the roller axis 501 may be parallel or offset at an angle with respect to the un-deformed upper portion 320 and/or edge 322 of the bottle 300, which can alter the shape or contour of the inward curl 310. In some examples, the rollers 500 may be adapted to engage the upper portion 320 of the bottle 300 radially instead of axially as shown in FIGS. 3C-F, which can also alter the shape or contour of the inward curl 310. As still another example, a radial distance of the rollers 500 with respect to the vertical axis 324 may be altered, with or without changes to the spacing of the entry radius 504, work radius 508, and/or exit radius 512 to adjust the relative positions of the inner diameter 316 and outer diameter 314 to alter the shape or contour of the inward curl 310.
In some examples, a contour, shape, dimension, or configuration of the entry face 502, support land 505, work face 506, and/or exit face 510 may be adjusted to modify a shape and/or size of the inward curl 310 and the degree of contact between the edge 322 and the inner surface 306 at the abutment 312. For example, the entry face 502 and/or the support land 505 may be contoured to provide different shapes of the upper portion 320 of the bottle 300 as described in further detail below.
As depicted in FIG. 3F, the entry face 502 and the exit face 510 may, in some examples, generally align with the outer diameter 314 and the inner diameter 316 of the bottle 300, respectively. In some examples, the curvature and/or contour of the entry face 502, support land 505, work face 506, and/or exit face 510 may affect the final outer diameter 314 and/or inner diameter 316. For example, the final formation of the outer diameter 314 may take place during the curling operation. The curling operation may also be concurrent with other steps in the bottle manufacturing process. For example, in a case of bottle 300 that includes an insert (e.g., the insert 230 of FIG. 2), the insert may be placed in the opening 318 of the bottle 300 prior to the curling process. The formation of the inward curl 310 may then crimp, pinch, or confine the insert at the abutment 312. In some cases, the insert may be restricted between the inward curl 310 and another feature located on the inner surface 306 of the bottle 300. In some examples, as shown in FIG. 3F, the insert may be restricted between the inward curl 310 and the lip 308 at the space 326.
In some examples, during manufacture or forming of the inward curl 310 of the bottle 300, one, two, or any number of rollers 500 that each rotate about a roller axis 501 may be used. Each roller 500 may have the entry face 502 on the entry radius 504, the support land 505, the work face 506 on the work radius 508, and the exit face 510 on the exit radius 512 and can be configured as described above with reference to rollers 500. Each roller 500 may axially engage the upper portion 320 of the bottle 300 while rotating about the vertical axis 324 relative to the bottle 300 to form the inward curl 310. In some examples, the use of multiple rollers 500 may allow for additional control and/or adjustability in the production or forming of the inward curl 310. For example, multiple rollers 500 may be used to more gradually deform or curl the upper portion 320 to shape the inward curl 310 or better distribute forces from the axial engagement of the rollers 500 over numerous points of contact with the upper portion 320. Distribution of the forces from the axial engagement may reduce a likelihood of buckling of the inward curl 310 or may allow for faster, more efficient production of the bottle 300.
In some examples, the use of multiple rollers 500 can allow each roller 500 to be adapted for a particular function or sequence during production or forming of the inward curl 310. For example, each roller 500 can be individually controlled to stage the axial engagement of each roller 500 with the bottle 300 in series and each roller 500 can perform a different task or portion of the full curling process to form the inward curl 310. In some examples, the multiple rollers 500 can be arranged to allow the rollers 500 to engage the bottle 300 with progressively increasing, progressively decreasing, or varying forces. The multiple rollers 500 can also be placed at different radial distances from the vertical axis 324. For example, the multiple rollers 500 may engage the bottle 300 in sequence from an outermost roller to an innermost roller to more progressively deform the inward curl 310. In some examples, each roller may have a respective roller axis 501 oriented differently with respect to the bottle 300. In some examples, the multiple rollers 500 may have substantially the same profiles on the entry face 502, support land 505, work face 506, and/or exit face 510 of each roller 500. In another example, the multiple rollers 500 may each have different profiles or contours on the entry face 502, support land 505, work face 506, and/or exit face 510 of each roller 500, which can allow each roller 500 to be adapted, configured, or controlled to perform a particular function or sequence in the curling process. In this manner, multiple rollers 500 can be staged or arranged in various configurations based on any number of factors, including, for example, a desired location of the roller, a profile or contour of the roller (e.g., a curvature or shape of the roller), a desired amount of force or pressure to be applied by the roller on the bottle 300, etc. and the multiple rollers 500 can engage the bottle 300 as described above.
While any number of individual rollers 500 may be used, in some examples, between three to six individual rollers 500 may be used. In other examples, any suitable number of individual rollers 500 may be used and the number of individual rollers 500 may be selected based on a type of the material of the bottle 300, a thickness of the bottle 300 and/or the upper portion 320, a shape or desired shape of the inward curl 310, a speed of production of the bottle 300, and/or any other factor or combination of factors. Further, while in this example, the inward curl 310 is described as being formed using rollers 500, the present disclosure is not limited to such configurations. Rather, in some examples, the inward curl 310 can be fabricated or formed using various methods and techniques including, for example, by stamping, pressing, or any other processing methods that may deform the material of the upper portion 320 to create the inward curl 310.
FIG. 3G depicts a schematic sectional view of the bottle 300 with a crown type closure after the completion of the curling process. The inward curl 310 depicted in FIG. 3G is fully formed and the edge 322 is in close proximity and/or in contact with the inner surface 306 of the bottle 300 (e.g., in close proximity of, or in contact with, the abutment 312). The opening 318 of the bottle 300 has an outer diameter 314 and an inner diameter 316, which are defined by the contours of the inward curl 310. In some examples, as depicted in FIG. 3G, the bottle 300 may include specific features molded or shaped into the neck 302, opening 318, and/or inward curl 310. For example, the outer portion of the inward curl 310 may be formed to include a taper 321 between the lip 308 and the top of the inward curl 310. As another example, the edge 322 of the inward curl 310 and the abutment 312 between the edge 322 and the inner surface 306 may be near or above the lip 308 to define a space 326. In some examples, a final shape of the bottle 300, bottle opening 318, inward curl 310, and/or any other portions of the neck 302 may be shaped as necessary for any particular application, and may include additional features or geometries suitable for a particular use, closure system, and/or function.
FIGS. 4A-4G are schematic sectional views of an exemplary screw-type closure bottle 400 with an inward curl 410 at various stages of manufacture. FIGS. 4A-G depict an example of various stages of manufacture from an uncurled bottle 400 (e.g., in FIG. 4A) to a finished bottle 400 (e.g., in FIG. 4G). In the example depicted in FIGS. 4A-G, sectional views are shown such that a right portion of the bottle 400 is sectioned with respect to the vertical axis 424. In this example, the bottle 400 includes a neck 402, an outer surface 404, and an inner surface 406. The neck 402 includes an opening 418 at the top of the bottle 400.
In this example, the bottle 400 may begin a process for imparting an inward curl 410 as an uncurled bottle 400 (e.g., in FIG. 4A), which has already been molded or otherwise formed to produce features and a geometry of the bottle body (not shown) and neck 402 below the opening 418. The uncurled bottle 400, as depicted in FIG. 4A, includes an upper portion 420 and an edge 422 each of which can be configured in substantially the same manner as upper portion 320 and edge 322 of FIGS. 3A-G, respectively, although they need not be. The uncurled bottle 400 depicted in FIG. 4A can undergo one or more processes to form threads 409 as depicted in FIG. 4B. The threads 409 may be formed sufficiently low on the neck 402 of the bottle 400 such that the upper portion 420 maintains sufficient material to be formed into the inward curl 410 at a later stage of the bottle manufacturing process. As an example, the threads 409 may be formed below the opening 418. In some examples, when forming the threads 409, an outer diameter 414 of the opening 418 may be set prior to performing one or more curling operations while maintaining the edge 422 as the upper-most extremity of the bottle 400. In some examples, an insert (e.g., the insert 230 of FIG. 2) may be inserted into the bottle 400 and positioned to rest on an inner surface 406 of the bottle 400, at the threads 409, or at any other internal feature of the bottle 400 as described above. The insert may be used as an internal form or structure such that the material of the bottle 400 can be bent around the insert to locate and/or secure the insert in the bottle 400 and/or to assist in forming a desired geometry of the threads 409, the inward curl 410, or any other feature of the bottle 400.
In some examples, after the threads 409 are formed, the upper portion 420 can be bent, deformed, or otherwise curled to form the inward curl 410 in the finished bottle 400 (e.g., the finished bottle 400 of FIG. 4G) in substantially the same manner as described above with respect to upper portion 320 and inward curl 310 of FIGS. 3C-F. For example, as depicted in FIGS. 4C-F, the inward curl 410 can be formed using rollers 600, which can be configured in substantially the same manner as the rollers 500 of FIGS. 3C-F, although they need not be. In the example depicted in FIGS. 4C-F, the rollers 600 include an entry face 602 on an entry radius 604, a work face 606 on a work radius 608, a support land 605 between the entry face 602 and the work face 606, and an exit face 610 on an exit radius 612. The rollers 600 may rotate about roller axis 601 while forming the inward curl 410. The rollers 600 can be used to form the inward curl 410 from the upper portion 420 in substantially the same manner as described above with respect to rollers 500, inward curl 310, and upper portion 320 of FIGS. 3C-F. As an example, the rollers 600 can engage the upper portion 420 of the bottle 400 and the bottle 400 and/or the rollers 600 may rotate about the vertical axis 424 relative to one another. As the rollers 600 axially engage the upper portion 420 and the bottle 400 and/or the rollers 600 rotate about the vertical axis 424 with respect to one another, as depicted in FIGS. 4D-4E, the edge 422 can contact the entry face 602 of the rollers 600 and follow a curvature of the entry face 602 to feed into the support land 605 and into the work face 606. In some examples, the upper portion 420 and edge 422 of the bottle 400 may then be curled or otherwise deformed as they follow the contours of the support land 605 and/or work face 606 and progress toward the exit face 610 of the rollers 600. In some examples, the exit face 610 may then guide or direct the edge 422 of the partially formed inward curl 410 toward the inner surface 406 of the bottle 400.
The rollers 600 may continue to engage with the upper portion 420 of the bottle until a fully engaged position is reached, such as, for example, as depicted in FIG. 4F, where the roller axis 601 is at its lowest point relative to the bottle 400. As the rollers 600 continue to engage the upper portion 420 and rotate relative to the opening 418 about the vertical axis 424, the rollers 600 will progressively curl or deform the upper portion 420 to form a completed inward curl 410 with the edge 422 at the abutment 412 of the bottle 400. In the example depicted in FIG. 4G, the outer portion of the inward curl 410 may be formed with a straight profile with no taper or lip.
FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic side views of an exemplary roller 700, which may be made from a metal, ceramic, or other suitable material, and may be used to form an inward curl as described above (e.g., the roller 500 used to form the inward curl 310 of FIGS. 3C-F). The roller 700 may be symmetrical about, and rotate around, a roller axis 701. In some examples, the roller 700 may include or be divided, generally, into three portions or sections: an entry radius 704, a work radius 708, and an exit radius 712. These radii 704, 708, 712 can each be convex and/or concave portions of the roller 700 along the roller axis 701 and may be ground or otherwise shaped at their surfaces to produce the shape or contours of an entry face 702, work face 706, and exit face 710, respectively. The roller 700, in some examples, may also include a support land 705 between the entry face 702 and work face 706. The support land 705 can provide shaping and support to an outer portion of the inward curl during production. The entry face 702, work face 706, and exit face 710 associated with the individual radii 704, 708, 712 and/or the support land 705 may be contoured and/or shaped to accommodate a particular material (e.g., a particular material of the bottle 300 or a material of the upper portion 320 of FIGS. 3A-F), material gauge or thickness, production parameters (e.g., a desired rate of producing one or more bottles 300), the desired shape and dimensions of the inward curl, etc. The shaping, spacing, and particular contours of each of the entry face 702, work face 706, exit face 710, support land 705, and/or radii 704, 708, 712 may be particularly adapted for circular, elliptical, increasing curl radius, decreasing curl radius, partially curved, partially straight, tapered, and/or straight curl shapes.
The roller 700 may have a number of varied and complex geometries to accommodate different inward curl shapes, sizes, and/or manufacturing methods. The shape, contour, and/or curvature of each of the entry face 702, work face 706, and/or exit face 710 may be described or defined by a series of radii, centers, and straight lines. For example, the contour of the entry face 702 may be described by an entry face radius 720 that extends between a surface of the entry face 702 and an entry face center 718. The location of the entry face center 718 may be arbitrary or predefined, but once selected, the contour and shape of the entry face 702 may be defined by the length of the entry face radius 720 at any angle about the entry face center 718. As another example, the work face 706 can have a work face center 722 and a work face radius 724 and the work face 706 may be defined by the work face radius 724 and the work face center 722. The exit face 710 may be described by an exit face center 726 and an exit face radius 728. As depicted in FIGS. 5A-B, the face centers 718, 722, 726 may be located inside or outside the boundaries of the roller 700, and may be on the concave or convex side of the entry face 702, work face 706, and/or exit face 710, respectively.
In some examples, the entry face 702, work face 706, and/or exit face 710 may have a constant radius or radius of curvature. In another example, the entry face 702, work face 706, and/or exit face 710 may have a variable radius or radius of curvature (e.g., a radius or radius of curvature that can vary along the entry face 702, work face 706, and/or exit face 710). In one non-limiting example, the roller 700 may have an entry face radius 720 of about 1.28 mm, a support land 705 of about 0.7 mm in length, a work face radius 724 of about 1.25 mm, and an exit face radius 728 of about 0.5 mm. The work face radius 724 measurement may, in some examples, be relevant for defining the curling diameter of the inward curl 310, 410, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively, and determining the difference between the outer diameter 314, 414 and the inner diameter 316, 416 of the bottle 300, 400.
Still referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the shape of the roller 700 may also be partially defined by a feed-in angle 714 from the entry face 702 to the work face 706, and a feed-out angle 716 from the work face 706 to the exit face 710. The feed-in angle 714 is the angle of the surface of the roller 700 between the entry face 702 and work face 706, while the feed-out angle 716 is the angle of the surface of the roller 700 between the work face 706 and exit face 710. The feed-in angle 714 and feed-out angle 716 are measured from a line perpendicular to the roller axis 701. A value of any of the angles 714, 716 may be chosen to provide a smooth surface between the entry face 702, work face 706, and exit face 710 and/or to facilitate the transition and formation of a bottle material through the roller 700. In some examples, a relationship between the contour of the entry face 702, the contour of the work face 706, and the feed-in angle 714 may partially or wholly define the contour, size, and positioning of the support land 705. The interaction of the entry face 702 and work face 706 at the support land 705 may be adjusted to provide different shapes and/or tapers to the outer portion of the inward curl. In some examples, the angles 714, 716 may be selected based on a formability and thickness of a particular material (e.g., a material of the bottle 300 or a material of the upper portion 320 of FIGS. 3A-F), inward curl geometry (e.g., a geometry of the inward curl 310), a geometry of the entry face 702, work face 706, and/or exit face 710, a geometry of the support land 705, and/or the relative dimensions of the inward curl, bottle, and/or roller 700. In certain cases, the feed-in angle 714 may be approximately 10° and the feed-out angle 716 may be approximately 0°. However, the feed-in angle 714 and/or the feed-out angle 716 may take on any value as necessary for a particular application, and may be selected for smooth operation of the roller 700, material properties, material thickness, or any other characteristics of the metal forming process, material, and/or final product.
Different arrangements of the components depicted in the drawings or described above, as well as components and steps not shown or described are possible. Similarly, some features and subcombinations are useful and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. Embodiments of the invention have been described for illustrative and not restrictive purposes, and alternative embodiments will become apparent to readers of this patent. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above or depicted in the drawings, and various embodiments and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the claims below.
Patent Application
20170166345
