Patent Application
20190009951
This disclosure relates to sealing of containers.
Sealed cans or containers which can be opened to permit the removal of stored contents require an effective seal for the opening. A sealed container must also be airtight so that substances within the container which have a tendency to change their properties when exposed to air may be safely packaged therein.
When it is desired to provide access to the contents of the container, an access cover seal may be easily lifted away from the container. To facilitate the removal of the seal, it may be provided with a tab portion which may be conveniently gripped with the fingers. The seal is both readily and conveniently removed by peeling off the seal while being sufficiently rugged to withstand the temperatures and the treatment to which such containers are ordinarily subjected, such as temperature changes. An advantage of the present invention is the fact that no tools, such as screw drivers or other implements, are necessary to open the container. The container has a robust seal while allowing the seal to be broken without an individual having to apply excessive force. Further, by assisting the individual to sequentially pull on different leverage points, a cap is easily removable and the probability of having the cap wedged in place is reduced. The insertable plug can be removed uniformly without deforming the plug.
In some aspects, a system for storing a liquid is described. The system includes a system for storing a liquid, comprising a container including a body portion defining an internal chamber and at least one opening in communication with the internal chamber, and an insertable plug including a plug body with two rings attached to the plug body via hinges, the insertable plug configured to be inserted into the opening so that a portion of the plug body covers a lip of the opening to restrict access through the opening to the liquid contained in the internal chamber, wherein the hinges can be deformed to raise the two rings away from the plug body.
In some respects, the plug body is configured to form an interference fit when inserted into the opening. The plug body is configured to form a press fit when inserted into the opening. The opening is an access spout raised from a surface of the container, an outside surface of the access spout having threads. A screw top with threads that mate with the threads of the access spout. The plug body has at least one groove configured to receive an O-ring therein, the O-ring sealingly engaging with the access spout. The insertable plug is configured to be removed from the opening and then re-inserted into the opening.
In other aspects of the invention, an insertable plug for a container includes a cylindrical plug body, and two rings attached to the plug body by hinges, wherein the hinges can bend to orient the rings towards or away from the plug body.
In some respects, the insertable plug of claim 8, wherein the plug body is configured to form an interference fit when inserted into a container opening. The plug body is configured to form a press fit when inserted into a container opening. The insertable plug is made of metal. The insertable plug is made using a one piece steel pressing from a single part of sheet metal. The plug body and the rings are formed of composite materials. T the plug body has at least one groove configured to receive an O-ring therein. In other aspects of the invention, a method of assembling a container includes the steps of providing a container including a body portion defining an internal chamber and at least one opening in communication with the chamber, and inserting an insertable plug including a plug body with two rings attached to the plug body via hinges, the insertable plug configured to be inserted into the opening so that a portion of the plug body covers a lip of the opening to restrict access through the opening to the internal chamber, wherein the hinges can be deformed to raise the two rings away from the plug body.
In some respects, inserting the plug comprises forming an interference fit between the plug body and the opening. Inserting the plug comprises forming a press fit between the plug body and the opening. Attaching a screw top over the opening and the insertable plug.
The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.
The container 10 has an opening 16 which in this example includes an access spout 20 for accessing the liquid within the container 10 (e.g., pouring the liquid out from the container 10). The access spout 20 needs to fluidly seal the inside of the container 10 from the environment so that the contents of the container 10 are not exposed to the air so that the contents cannot, for example, evaporate, oxidize or otherwise interact with molecules in the air.
The access spout 20 has two parts or layers of sealing capability. As seen in
Once removed, the screw top 22 reveals the secondary layer of sealing for the container 10. Referring to
Referring as well to
To remove the insertable plug 30 from the access spout 20, the user first pivots (e.g., bends, rotates, etc.) each of the two rings 40, 42 from the storage position in
Referring to
The plug body 32 and the two rings 40, 42 are attached to each other by hinges 34. The hinges 34 are thin, flexible joints that connect each ring 40, 42 to the plug body 32 at the outer diameter of each ring 40, 42 and of the plug body 32. As shown in
The plug body 32 and the two rings 40, 42 can be the same material, e.g., metal. For example, the parts can be tin plate, tin plated steel, aluminum, or stainless steel. The plug body 32 and the two rings 40, 42 can be manufactured using a one piece steel pressing from a single part of sheet metal. In some implementations the body 32 and the two rings 40, 42 can be different materials. The body and the two rings 40, 42 could be composite materials.
The body 32 and the two rings 40, 42 can be monolithic and made of one integral piece. In some implementations the rings 40, 42 and hinges 34 can be attached to the plug body 32, e.g., by welding. In some implementations the hinges 34 are the same, e.g., made of the same material, and the same dimensions as each other. In other implementations each hinge 34 is different. For example, one hinge might be longer than the other, or wider or thicker than the other.
When the insertable plug 30 is pressed into place inside the neck 24 of the access spout 20 with the rings 40, 42 folded down into the cavity 46 as in
The insertable plug 20 and the container 10 can be of different sizes. The canister or container 10 can be made of different materials and be configured to hold inks, paints, coatings, and sealants, including chemicals that have high volatility.
An advantage of the dual rings 40, 42 is that their use does not deform the surface of the plug body 32. Once removed, the insertable plug 30 can be re-inserted into the neck 24 and the container 10 can be re-sealed. The dual rings 40, 42 allow the plug to be removed uniformly and without deformation. In some instances, the insertable plug 30 could be re-inserted and the rings 40, 42 bent back (e.g., plastically deformed) into the original position (as shown in
Another particularly important advantage is that no tools, such as screw drivers or other implements, are necessary to open the container. The lack of a prying implement helps to avoid scratching and denting of the seal and/or the container 10. By pulling on a first ring 40 to break the pressure seal inside the container 10 and then pulling on a second ring 42, the insertable plug 30 can be easily removed from the container 10, with little strength or force needed. This is particularly advantageous in embodiments including metal, e.g., where the container 10, the access spout 20, and/or insertable plug 30 are metal, and provide resistance to accessing the fluid within the container 10.
In one example, the insertable plug 30 has a protrusion 42 that is 5.34 mm long (e.g., 4-6 mm) and 30.23 mm (e.g., 29-31 mm) in diameter, while with the flange 44 has a total diameter of 32.33 mm (e.g., 30-33 mm) and the total height of the insertable plug is 6.46 mm (e.g., 5-7 mm). In this example, each hinge 34 is 6 mm wide (e.g., 5-7 mm) and 2.63 mm (e.g., 2-3 mm) long. In other examples, each hinge 34 is 4 mm wide (e.g., 3-6 mm) and 2.63 mm (e.g., 2-3 mm) long. Each ring 40, 42 has an inner diameter of 22 mm (e.g., 21-23 mm) and outer diameter of 26 mm (e.g., 25-27 mm).
A number of embodiments of the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the rings 40, 42 do not need to be symmetrically placed around the plug body 32. Such symmetry allows for ease of use, allowing the insertable plug to be removed uniformly. However such symmetry is not necessary and one ring can be placed at less than 180° from the other. In other embodiments, more than two rings are possible (e.g., 3 or more rings). Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.
The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/528,811, filed on Jul. 5, 2017, entitled “Pull Ring Seal System for Containers,” which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62528811 | Jul 2017 | US |
