Patent Application
20240390969
The invention relates to manufacturing tooling and methods for forming container closures from sheet metal, specifically container closures that are used for enclosing a food or beverage container that may be pressurized, and which include features for releasing any pressure difference across the closure before the closure is removed to open the container.
Metal container closures are constructs structured to close a substantially enclosed space defined by a container body. Several types of container closures for food and beverage applications are known and widely used in this field, as now described.
In one embodiment, the container is a food container that includes a food can body and a food can container closure (or food can end). That is, a container body is a food can body, such as but not limited to, a can body for sardines. After the food can body is filled with a food, the food can end is coupled to the food can body. The food can end includes an end panel and a tear panel, wherein the tear panel is separated from the end panel by a score line that is generally continuous and surrounding the entire tear panel. For example, the end panel is substantially the perimeter portion of the food can end and the tear panel is a large central portion thereof. A pull tab is coupled to the tear panel adjacent the score line. The pull tab is lifted to create an initial break at the score line, then pulled to separate the tear panel from the end panel.
In another embodiment, the container is a beverage container that includes a beverage can body and a beverage can container closure (or beverage can end). That is, the container body is a beverage can body, such as but not limited to, a can body for carbonated beverages. The can end includes an end panel and a tear panel, which is separated from portions of the end panel by a score line. In such applications, a lift tab is coupled to the end panel adjacent the tear panel. When the lift tab is actuated, i.e., lifted, a portion of the lift tab engages the tear panel and causes the tear panel to move relative to the end panel. As the tear panel moves relative to the end panel, the tear panel and the end panel separate at the score line. The tear panel does not fall into the beverage can body, but rather, flexes toward the beverage can body so that a consumer may drink the liquid via a container opening that appears as a result of moving the tear panel.
In a further embodiment, the container may be a glass jar. That glass jar includes a base and an upwardly depending sidewall. The distal portion of the side wall includes external threads. In this embodiment, the container closure is a twist lug, or, as used herein, a “lid.” That is, a “lid” means a closure structured to be removably coupled to ajar and which includes a generally planar top and a depending sidewall with internal threads. As is known, food stored in glass jars typically requires some process retort (heating/cooling) to sterilize/cook the contents. In the process, the product is exposed to a vacuum during the cooling process. This vacuum exposes the underside of the lid closure to a negative pressure, which tends to make the closure difficult to open/twist off the jar. One solution to this problem is to provide a push button on the lid. That is, a push button is a type of tear panel that is raised for access. As with the can ends described above, the lid defines an end panel and a tear panel. The tear panel includes a raised portion that is the push button. Further, an arcuate score line defines the tear panel. When a user opens the jar, the user engages the button causing the tear panel to tear at least along the score line allowing some ambient atmosphere to enter the enclosed space, thereby equalizing pressure across the lid and therefore making removal of the lid from the container easier.
In each of the container closures described above, the tear panel, and therefore the container opening, is defined at least in part by a score line. The score line is typically formed by a blade engaging a blank. The blade thins the metal at the score line. That is, in a tooling assembly, an upper tooling includes a blade and a lower tooling includes an anvil opposite the blade. A metal blank is disposed between the upper tooling and the lower tooling. When the upper tooling and the lower tooling are brought together, the blade engages the upper surface of the blank and deforms the metal. That is, the metal under the blade flows to either side of the blade in a cutting-like action, thereby creating a thin remainder portion (in cross-section across a thickness through the blank/closure, which is the score line.
Particularly in container closures and/or lid designs having the push button type of tear panel, relatively complex patterns of profile elements and score lines having different depths of cut into the material of the container closure may be collectively formed on the container closure to help cause the push button to accurately and reliably apply force to the region of the score line which is to be severed when opening of the lid is desired. For example, a main score line may be provided in one region and one or more anti-fracture score lines may be provided to assure that any breaks in the container closure caused by application of force at the push button are limited to occurring at the main score line. The shape and profile of the push button itself can also be specially configured to contribute to this functionality. Consequently, forming a container closure of this type from a sheet metal “blank” has involved a multi-step process with multiple die sets and press equipment used to form all of these features in the container closure. For example, one press station may cut ancillary scores into the container closure and then another press station may cut the main score(s) into the container closure. As will be readily understood, the orientation and positioning of the container closure is critical to maintain between these different press stations because a misalignment may lead to a push button and/or score lines that do not function as intended (and in some cases, cannot hold the pressure difference needed to seal and store the food or beverage products within the jar-type container). Such adds significant cost and further complexity to the container closure manufacturing process and equipment.
It would therefore be desirable to improve manufacturing tooling and methods for container closures of this type. More particularly, it would be desirable to provide tooling and methods that can more efficiently make the various profile shapes, features, and score lines desired in a container closure, as compared to conventional manufacturing processes.
These and other technical advantages are achieved by the embodiments of manufacturing methods and tooling of the present invention. To this end, the manufacturing methods and tooling of this invention allow for removal of one or more manufacturing stations, which thereby makes the process of making container closures quicker and more efficient. Likewise, the critical need to maintain alignment of shells between press stations can be dispensed with, which improves reliability of the process as well.
In a first set of embodiments, a method of manufacturing a push button container closure from a sheet of material is provided. The method includes providing a blank of a container closure including a generally planar center panel and a sidewall extending from a periphery of the center panel at a corner junction for processing at a series of press stations. The first press station deforms the center panel of the container closure to include a bubble projecting upwardly from a remainder of the center panel. The second press station further deforms the center panel at the bubble to form a central button and a depressed annular region surrounding the central button. The central button is located in relative elevation below the corner junction of the container closure after this deforming step. The third press station deforms an outer region of the center panel located between the depressed annular region and the sidewall to reshape the center panel at the outer region and thereby move the central button upwardly closer to an elevation of the corner junction. The fourth press station scores the depressed annular region surrounding the central button to provide main scores and ancillary scores into an upper surface of the container closure. All scores cut into the container closure are formed only at the fourth press station in a single compression action. A selected one of the main scores is cut deeper into material of the container closure than all other scores such that the central button can be pushed to sever the center panel at the selected one of the main scores to release a pressure differential across the container closure.
In one embodiment, the fourth press station includes a second die tool with a plurality of cutting projections and a first die tool opposite the second die tool. The step of scoring using the fourth press station further includes cutting the main scores and the ancillary scores into the upper surface of the container closure simultaneously by insertion of the plurality of cutting projections into the container closure at the fourth press station as the first and second die tools move towards one another.
In another embodiment, the fourth press station includes a second die tool with a plurality of cutting projections and a first die tool opposite the second die tool, the first die tool having raised anvils extending above adjacent portions of the first die tool. The raised anvils are also aligned with selected cutting projections on the second die tool that are configured to form the main scores. The step of scoring using the fourth press station further includes supporting a lower surface of the container closure with the raised anvils of the first die tool as the selected cutting projections of the second die tool are inserted into the upper surface of the container closure opposite the raised anvils to thereby produce the main scores.
In a related embodiment, the first die tool of the fourth press station includes a planar support surface at all portions except adjacent to the raised anvils. The step of scoring using the fourth press station then includes supporting a lower surface of the container closure with the planar support surface of the first die tool as the cutting projections of the second die tool are inserted into the upper surface of the container closure to produce the ancillary scores. The planar support surface of the first die tool may be positioned 0.001 inch (appx. 25.4 μm) below a top of the raised anvils, to define an additional spacing between the first and second die tools when pressed together to lower forces applied by the fourth press station to the container closure at positions where the ancillary scores are cut into the upper surface of the container closure.
In yet another embodiment, the step of scoring using the fourth press station also includes cutting the upper surface of the container closure at the main scores such that each of the main scores is a curved line including a concave nose portion including an apex extending towards the central button, and convex line portions extending from both ends of the concave nose portion with each including an apex extending away from the central button.
In a further embodiment, the step of scoring using the fourth press station includes producing a primary score and a secondary score as the as the only main scores in the container closure. The primary score has a larger depth into the upper surface of the container closure than the secondary score while also being positioned between the central button and the secondary score. The secondary score therefore serves as an anti-fracture score while the primary score is configured for severing to release the pressure differential across the container closure. The step of producing the primary score and the secondary score may further include cutting the upper surface of the container closure such that about 0.001 inch (appx. 25.4 μm) of material thickness remains in the container closure under the primary score, and cutting the upper surface of the container closure such that about 0.002 inch (appx. 50.8 μm) of material thickness remains in the container closure under the secondary score.
In one embodiment, the step of scoring using the fourth press station includes cutting the upper surface of the container closure at the ancillary scores such that each of the ancillary scores is defined by one or more of circular line arc portions generally concentric with the central portion, and radial line portions extending towards and away from a center of the central button. In a related embodiment, the step of cutting the upper surface of the container closure at the ancillary scores further includes cutting at least three of the ancillary scores to include both circular line arc portions and radial line portions to thereby collectively define circular trapezoid shapes for these ancillary scores. The circular trapezoid shapes are continuous except where interrupted by a region of the main scores. These ancillary scores generally surround a periphery of the central button and the main scores on the container closure such that force applied to the central button is directed to focus towards severing the container closure at the main score.
In another embodiment, the step of scoring using the fourth press station further includes cutting the upper surface of the container closure such that about 0.0045 inch (appx. 114.3 μm) of material thickness remains in the container closure under each of the ancillary scores.
In a further embodiment, the method also includes moving the container closure from the first press station to the second press station, then to the third press station and the fourth press station such that the steps of deforming and scoring can be performed sequentially on the container closure. No orientation dimples or features are formed in the container closure for guiding the moving of the container closure between press stations because an angular orientation of the container closure does not need maintained with all main scores and ancillary scores being formed by the same fourth press station, and all other press stations producing circumferentially symmetrical deformations in the container closure.
In a second set of embodiments, a tooling assembly is provided for manufacturing a push button container closure from a blank, with the blank including a generally planar center panel and a sidewall extending from a periphery of the center panel at a corner junction. The tooling assembly includes first, second, third, and fourth press stations. The first press station includes first and second die tools that press together to deform a center panel of the container closure to include a bubble projecting upwardly from a remainder of the center panel. The second press station includes first and second die tools that press together to further deform the center panel at the bubble, to form a central button and a depressed annular region surrounding the central button. The central button is located in relative elevation below the corner junction after the second press station's deforming. The third press station includes first and second die tools that press together to deform an outer region of the center panel which is located between the depressed annular region and the sidewall, so as to reshape the center panel at the outer region and thereby move the central button upwardly closer to an elevation of the corner junction of the container closure. The fourth press station includes first and second die tools that press together to score the depressed annular region surrounding the central button to provide main scores and ancillary scores into an upper surface of the container closure. The second die tool includes a plurality of cutting projections that cut into the upper surface to form the main scores and the ancillary scores when the first and second die tools are pressed together. One of the cutting projections is larger in size than a remainder of the cutting projections to form a selected one of the main scores which is cut deeper into material of the container closure than all other scores. The central button can thus be pushed to sever the center panel at the selected one of the main scores to release a pressure differential across the container closure. The fourth press station is advantageously configured to cut all scores into the container closure only at the fourth press station and by using a single compression action. To this end, the container closure is scored at only one of the press stations in the tooling assembly.
In one embodiment, the first and second die tools of the fourth press station are each hollow cylindrical dies defining annular-shaped surfaces that engage with only the depressed annular region when the first and second die tools are pressed together to score the container closure.
In another embodiment, the first die tool of the fourth press station further includes raised anvils extending above adjacent portions of the first die tool, these raised anvils being aligned with selected cutting projections on the second die tool of the fourth press station that are configured to form the main scores. The raised anvils are positioned to support a lower surface of the container closure as the selected cutting projections of the second die tool are inserted into the upper surface of the container closure opposite the raised anvils to produce the main scores.
In related embodiments, the raised anvils include planar upper surfaces that extend between curved sides that taper away from the planar upper surfaces. The planar upper surfaces are fully aligned with and follow a path defined by a cutting edge of the selected cutting projections on the second die tool. In this regard, the planar upper surfaces of each of the raised anvils defines a width between the curved sides of about 0.005 inch (appx. 127 μm).
In another embodiment, each of the raised anvils and each of the selected cutting projections configured to form the main scores follows a curved line path when viewed in plan view. The curved line path has a concave nose portion with an apex extending towards an axial center of the first and second die tools, and convex line portions extending from both ends of the concave nose portion and each including an apex extending away from the axial center of the first and second die tools.
In yet another embodiment, the second die tool of the fourth press station includes only two selected cutting projections and the first die tool of the fourth press station includes only two raised anvils. One of the selected cutting projections that is closer to an axial center of the second die tool is sized larger than the other of the selected cutting projections. As such, the larger selected cutting projection cuts a primary score into the upper surface of the container closure that has a larger depth than a secondary score cut by the other of the selected cutting projections (the smaller one). For example, the larger one of the selecting cutting projections is spaced about 0.001 inch (appx. 25.4 μm) from one of the raised anvils when the first and second die tools of the fourth press station are pressed together, thereby leaving about 0.001 inch (appx. 25.4 μm) of material thickness in the container closure under the primary score. The other of the selected cutting projections is spaced about 0.002 inch (appx. 50.8 μm) from another of the raised anvils when the first and second die tools are pressed together, thereby leaving about 0.002 inch (appx. 50.8 μm) of material thickness in the container closure under the secondary score. The secondary score is thereby configured to serve as an anti-fracture score while the primary score is configured for being severed to release the pressure differential.
In a further embodiment, the first die tool of the fourth press station further includes a planar support surface at all portions except adjacent the raised anvils. The planar support surface is positioned to support the lower surface of the container closure as the cutting projections of the second die tool are inserted into the upper surface of the container closure to produce the ancillary scores. The planar support surface of the first die tool is positioned 0.001 inch (appx. 25.4 μm) below planar upper surfaces of the raised anvils, to thereby define an additional spacing between the first and second die tools when pressed together around a location where the ancillary scores are formed in the container closure.
In one embodiment, each of the cutting projections configured to form the ancillary scores follows a path when viewed in plan view that is defined by one or more of circular line arc portions generally concentric with an axial center of the second die tool, and radial line portions extending towards and away from the axial center of the second die tool. At least three of the cutting projections forming ancillary scores have both circular line portions and radial line portions to thereby define circular trapezoid shapes for these ancillary scores. The circular trapezoid shapes are continuous except where interrupted by a region of the cutting projections that are configured to make the main scores. The first die tool of the fourth press station further includes a planar support surface spaced from the raised anvils, with each of the cutting projections configured to form the ancillary scores being spaced about 0.0045 inch (appx. 114.3 μm) from the planar support surface when the first and second die tools are pressed together at the fourth press station. This leaves about 0.0045 inch (appx. 114.3 μm) of material thickness in the container closure under each of the ancillary scores.
In these embodiments, none of the first, second, third, or fourth press stations forms orientation features in the container closure because an angular orientation of the container closure can be varied when moving between each of the press stations (e.g., without adversely affecting the formation of the features desired on the container closure).
It will be appreciated that each of the embodiments described for the manufacturing method and tooling assembly may be combined together in any combination or sub-combination, without departing from the scope of the present invention.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the invention and, together with a general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the invention.
As described in summary above, a tooling assembly and its related method of manufacture for making a push button container closure are provided to address some of the deficiencies in this field. Advantageously, the tooling assembly only includes one “all in one” press station at which all score lines are cut into the blank that is being formed into the container closure. Furthermore, the profiles and features of the container closure are generally rotationally symmetrical except at the score lines, and as such, no orientation dimples or other features need to formed in the blank or used to maintain an exact rotational position of the blank as it moves between the various press stations of the tooling assembly. As a result, the manufacturing tooling itself is easier to use and more efficient because at least one press/scoring station and the orientation equipment of conventional tooling designs are no longer necessary in this process. More technical advantages will be evident from the further detailed description of the tooling assembly and the method provided below.
Before describing the tooling assembly and its operation in detail, reference is made to
The jar for engaging with such a container closure 10 would include an upper opening with exterior threads. Thus, the interior threads engage the jar exterior threads to couple the container closure 10 to the container/jar in use, and thereby form an enclosed space within the jar. As is known and as initially described in the Background section above, a product disposed in the enclosed space can be heated, e.g., for sterilization. When the jar cools, a vacuum or partial vacuum is created within the jar. The vacuum, or partial vacuum, further draws the container closure 10 into engagement with the top of the jar. To loosen the container closure 10 for removal, a user must overcome this bias, or, the bias must be eliminated or reduced. Thus, it is desirable to form the container closure 10 so as to selectively allow ambient atmosphere into the jar to release the vacuum and make the container closure 10 easier to remove. In the present example, the container closure 10 contains one or more scores (also known as score lines) cut into the upper surface (customer side 16) thereof to provide such functionality.
The score lines may be defined by shifted material score lines and/or by traditional score lines, which in either case is an area of the container closure 10 at which the body has been thinned by scoring at least one surface thereof. It is understood that when a score line is acted upon with sufficient force or pressure, the body separates at the score line thereby creating an opening. The container closure 10 therefore includes an “end panel” and a “tear panel” that separate along the opening, consistent with the known types of container closures described previously. The opening formed in this exemplary embodiment is a limited opening that merely allows for atmospheric pressure to remove any vacuum or pressure difference defined across the two sides 14, 16 of the container closure 10, e.g., a large aperture is not produced by the severing along the score line(s).
In this example embodiment of the container closure 10, a plurality of score lines are disposed around a central button 24 located at an axial center of the center panel 12. The central button 24 is surrounded by a depressed annular region 26 formed in the center panel 12, and the score lines are all located at this depressed annular region 26 so as to collectively define a force concentrating construction that helps direct force applied to the central button 24 to be specifically applied to help shear open the container closure 10 along a primary main score 30. In addition to the primary main score 30, the container closure 10 includes a secondary main score 32 which serves the purposes of an anti-fracture score as described further below. The plurality of score lines also includes a plurality of ancillary scores 34 located around the main scores 30, 32. The details of the scores 30, 32, 34 is shown most clearly in
Many of the ancillary scores 34 are defined by circular line arc portions 34a and radial line portions 34b which collectively combine to form one or more circular trapezoid shapes around the circumference of the central button 24. In the embodiment shown, each circular trapezoid shape extends over an arc of slightly less than 120 degrees as a result of the circular trapezoid shapes being spaced from one another along the radial line portions 34b. One of the circular trapezoid shapes defines a fully contiguous perimeter, while the other two circular trapezoid shapes are broken perimeters as a result of interruption by a region where the main scores 30, 32 are positioned. The small in size gaps between the circular trapezoid shapes of the ancillary scores 34 and the nearly full perimeter coverage around the central button 24 except at the main scores 30, 32 is what collectively contributes to directing or focusing force applications to the button 24 to be applied mostly to the region where the main scores 30, 32 are positioned (as well as to the “links” of remaining unbroken material between the circular trapezoid shapes. Although three circular trapezoid shapes are included in this example, four, five, or even more circular trapezoid shapes may be defined by the ancillary scores 34 in other embodiments of the container closure 10, and the force concentrating function of such will still be similar in those alternative embodiments. Each of the circular trapezoid shapes further includes an interior score line 36 formed within the periphery defined by the circular line arc portions 34a and the radial line portions 34b, these interior score lines 36 specifically also being circular line arc portions in the illustrated embodiment.
Returning to the main scores 30, 32, each of these defines an overall generally straight curvilinear line. To this end, the primary main score 30 is shown in these Figures to include a first convex line portion 40, a generally arcuate or concave nose portion 42, and a second convex line portion 44 on an opposite end of the nose portion 42 from the first. Thus, the nose portion 42 extends between and is contiguous with the first and second convex line portions 40, 44. The concave nose portion 42 defines an apex pointing directly towards the central button 24, which allows the primary main score 30 to focus any force application from the central button 24 at this nose portion 42 and specifically at this apex. The force concentration design advantageously enables the primary main score 30 to shear or break at a lower force application than any alternative scores without force concentration shapes and features. It will be understood that the break generally occurs first along the apex of the nose portion 42, so this is also where atmosphere will escape through the container closure 10 when actuated. Each of the first and second convex line portions 40, 44 also includes an apex that generally extend away from the central button 24. The primary main score 30 crosses over the path of the two interrupted circular trapezoid shapes of the ancillary scores 34 generally along the first and second convex line portions 40, 44, such that these convex line portions 40, 44 are respectively positioned at least in part within the corresponding perimeters of the circular trapezoid shapes.
In the exemplary embodiment, the secondary main score 32 defines a similar shape of an overall generally straight curvilinear line that follows in parallel path alongside the primary main score 30. As noted above, the secondary main score 32 functions as an anti-fracture score as a result of placement adjacent the primary main score 30, and as a result of the primary main score 30 being cut deeper into the material of the container closure 10. The provision of the secondary main score 32 makes sure that force applied to this region and transferred from the central button 24 remains principally applied to the primary main score 30 until this shears open, e.g., forces are not allowed to transmit past the primary main score 30 so as to cause unpredictable breaks and fractures elsewhere in the container closure 10. Although not described or numbered in detail, the secondary main score 32 is therefore understood to also include the same features of first and second convex line portions and a concave nose portion therebetween. It will also be understood that more than one anti-fracture score may be provided in other embodiments without departing from the scope of this invention.
Each of the scores 30, 32, 34 described in this pattern on the container closure 10 has a residual. As is known, and as used herein, the “residual” is the thickness of the material remaining underneath the score following scoring/cutting operations. The primary main score 30 will always have the smallest residual, so as to cause opening or shearing to occur there, with the secondary main score 32 having larger residual and each of the ancillary scores 34 even larger residual than the secondary main score 32. In the example embodiment shown here, the upper surface 16 of the container closure 10 is cut such that the residual under the primary main score 30 is about 0.001 inch (appx. 25.4 μm) of material, the residual under the secondary main score 32 is about 0.002 inch (appx. 50.8 μm) of material, and the residual under each of the ancillary scores 34 is about 0.0045 inch (appx. 114.3 μm) of material. It will be understood that the residuals of remaining material may vary, such as by plus or minus 0.0002 inch (appx. 5.1 μm) for the main scores 30, 32 and by plus or minus 0.001 inch (appx. 25.4 μm) for each of the ancillary scores 34, and that the residual size may be varied so long as the relationship of size between then remains similar to that in this exemplary embodiment. In summary, the collection of scores and profile features on the container closure 10 configures same for the use on a jar-like container that can hold vacuum pressure as described above.
Now turning with reference to
In a first process step, a first press station deforms the blank 50 along the center panel 12, which is generally planar before the deformation as shown in
In a second process step, a second press station further deforms the blank 50 of
In a third process step, a third press station deforms the outer region 60 of the center panel 12 to reshape this outer region 60 to include angled profiles rather than just a planar sheet of material. To this end, the material of the center panel 12 is deformed or pressed upwardly again towards the upper or customer side 16 in this third process step, and this causes portions of the outer region 60 as well as the central button 24 to move upwardly in relative elevation to a point substantially as high as the corner junction 22 at the top of the sidewall 18, as shown most clearly in
In a fourth process step, a fourth press station scores the depressed annular region 26 of the blank 50 to finalize formation of the container closure 10, this final container closure 10 being visible then in
Now turning with reference to
Now turning to
The primary acting portions of the first and second die tools 122, 124 are configured to engage with and cut scores into the blank 50 along the depressed annular region 26 thereof. To help further illustrate this scoring action and the relatively small features causing same, expanded detail views of the primary acting portions of the first and second die tools 122, 124 are provided at
In the exemplary embodiment shown in these Figures, two of the cutting projections 138 are selected cutting projections that are larger in size than the others and therefore configured to cut the main scores 30, 32 into the container closure 10. These selected cutting projections 138 are shown in operation at the detail view of
In the fully compressed state at the fourth press station 120 shown in
Turning to the other side of the cross-section (in
Thus, the planar support surface 132 and the raised anvils 130 provide support of the side of the depressed annular region 26 opposite where the cutting projections 138 are being inserted to simultaneously provide all scores into the container closure 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the planar support surface 132 is also positioned about 0.001 inch (appx. 25.4 μm) in elevation below the planar upper surfaces 146 of the raised anvils 130, such additional spacing allowing for more variations in coating or material thickness within the depressed annular region 26 of the blank 50. Such additional spacing also lowers the forces applied when scoring at the ancillary scores 34, which may be desirable in some applications. In other embodiments of the tooling, the planar support surface 132 and the top of the raised anvils 130 will be at the same relative elevation.
Some final details of the features on the first and second hollow cylindrical dies 128, 134 are best visible in the perspective view at
As can be seen from
Having now described the manufacturing tooling and process step-by-step with the illustrations of
After that, at a step 208, the blank 50 is moved to a third press station 100. Then, at a step 210, the blank 50 is compressed between first and second die tools 102, 104 of the third press station 100, which deforms an outer region 60 of the center panel 12 to add further profiles while also moving the central button 24 upwardly in elevation. The resulting state of the blank 50 can be seen at
By modifying the manufacturing tooling and method to use the new “all in one” press station for simultaneously scoring all score lines into the container closure 10, the efficiency and reliability of manufacturing is improved significantly. Various technical problems and potential failure points provided in conventional methods can be avoided, such as by avoiding any potential for a rotational misalignment that would place scores or other profile shapes and features in the incorrect location. The container closure 10 resulting from this process is better-suited for use on jar-like containers that can contain vacuum pressures or pressure differentials that preferably need to be released before opening the container. Of course, the scoring at one station concept can be redesigned to work with many other types of container closures as well, and the processes developed herein can be applied more broadly to the field of container closures, e.g., not just to the exemplary embodiment closure shown as an example herein. The manufacturing process improvements will therefore clearly benefit both companies that sell such products in containers as well as the end consumers.
While the invention has been illustrated by a description of various embodiments, and while these embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the Applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the scope of the Applicant's general inventive concept.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2022/014047 | 1/27/2022 | WO |
