Patent Application
20250214752
Commercial beverage containers are provided with “pilfer proof” or “tamper-evident” features to ensure consumer safety. Such features are generally externally visible indicia of whether a container has been opened. Common stay-tab cans, for example, enable a user to know whether the can has been opened by observing whether the scored metal around the tab has been broken apart.
As beverage containers, cans are associated with a number of environmental advantages, such as recyclability and reusability. However, some varieties of beverage cans, including stay-tab cans, are generally not resealable. Consumers who wish to reseal beverage containers may therefore be discouraged from purchasing beverages packaged in cans.
A need exists for a can design that is both resealable and pilfer-proof or tamper-evident. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a can including a lid that in turn includes a cap and a tamper-evident band. The band can be configured to readily indicate whether the cap has been removed from the can after the initial fill and assembly of the can. The band can initially be integrally formed with the cap and connected to the cap by a frangible connection. The frangible connection can be configured to irreversibly break when the cap is removed from the can. The collar can include a neck ending at an outlet covered by the cap, and the band can have an internal diameter less than an external diameter of a shoulder formed in the neck between the band and the outlet. The shoulder can therefore prevent the band from travelling off the neck when the cap is removed from the collar. The collar can define a trough located within a body of the can. The collar can further include a cuff extending from the trough, beyond the band, to a lip where the cuff is secured to a rim of an opening of the body of the can.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a beverage can may comprise a can body and a lid. The can body may comprise an opening. The lid may be joined to the can body and cover the opening. The lid may comprise a collar, a cap, and a band. The collar may be separately formed from the can body. The collar may comprise a neck that comprises a threaded portion. The cap may be threadedly engaged with the threaded portion of the neck. The band may be frangibly connected to the cap. The band may encircle the neck. The band may be integrally formed with the cap and separately formed from the collar. The cap, band, and neck may be respectively configured to cause the band to break away from the cap when the cap is threadedly disengaged from the neck.
In some embodiments according to any of the foregoing, the neck may comprise an outlet and a shoulder. Part of the threaded portion may be located between the shoulder and the outlet. The shoulder may have an external diameter. The cap may have an internal diameter. The internal diameter may be less than the external diameter.
In some embodiments according to any of the foregoing, the opening may be defined at an upper end of the can body. The neck may extend below the upper end of the can body.
In some embodiments according to any of the foregoing, the band may be positioned below the upper end of the can body in a circumferential recess defined between the neck and the can body.
In some embodiments according to any of the foregoing, the threaded portion of the neck may extend below the upper end of the can body.
In some embodiments according to any of the foregoing, the cap may have a diameter at least two thirds as great as a diameter of the can body.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a beverage can may comprise a can body and a lid. The can body may define an interior. The lid may be joined to the can body. The lid may comprise a collar, a cap, and a band. The collar may comprise a neck and an outlet. The outlet may be in fluid communication with the interior of can body. The neck may extend from the outlet into the can body. The neck may comprise a threaded portion. The cap may be threadedly engaged with the threaded portion of the neck. The band may be frangibly connected to the cap and encircles the neck. The band may be integrally formed with the cap. The band may be separately formed from the collar. The band may be positioned within the can body. The cap, band, and neck may be respectively configured to cause the band to break away from the cap when the cap is threadedly disengaged from the neck.
In some embodiments according to any of the foregoing, the collar may comprise a cuff surrounding a portion of the neck.
In some embodiments according to any of the foregoing, the can body may comprise a rim and the collar comprises a trough. The neck may be connected to the cuff at the trough. The cuff may extend upward from the trough to the rim.
In some embodiments according to any of the foregoing, the rim defines an upper end of the can body.
In some embodiments according to any of the foregoing, the cuff may comprise a lip folded over the rim.
In some embodiments according to any of the foregoing, the neck may comprise a shoulder. A part of the band located on an opposite side of the shoulder from the outlet may have an internal diameter that is less than an external diameter of the shoulder.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of forming a beverage container may comprise assembling a cap precursor together with a cylinder. The method may also comprise converting the cap precursor and cylinder to a lid. Converting the cap precursor and cylinder to a lid may comprise securing the cap precursor to the cylinder by forming a threaded portion and a band in the cap precursor, wherein the threaded portion and the band are integrally formed and the band is configured to separate from the threaded portion when the threaded portion is threadedly disengaged from the cylinder. Converting the cap precursor and cylinder to a lid may also comprise folding part of the cylinder over the band to define a cuff surrounding the band. The method may also comprise securing the lid to a body that defines an interior and an opening so that the lid covers the opening.
In some embodiments according to any of the foregoing, the method may comprise forming a lip at an upper end of the cuff for joining the lid to the body.
In some embodiments according to any of the foregoing, the method may comprise folding the part of the cylinder beyond the band so that the cuff surrounds the part of the threaded portion.
In some embodiments according to any of the foregoing, folding the part of the cylinder may convert the cylinder to a collar comprising the cuff and a neck surrounded by the cuff. The cuff may meet the neck at a trough. Securing the lid to the body may comprise connecting an end of the cuff opposite from the trough to a rim surrounding the opening of the body.
In some embodiments according to any of the foregoing, the neck may comprise an outlet at an end of the neck opposite from the trough.
In some embodiments according to any of the foregoing, converting the cap precursor and cylinder into the lid may comprise perforating the cap precursor to form a link that joins the threaded portion to the band. The link may have a lower effective tensile strength than the threaded portion and the band.
In some embodiments according to any of the foregoing, forming the band may comprise reducing a diameter of a portion of the cap precursor to have an internal diameter less than an external diameter of a shoulder of the cylinder.
In some embodiments according to any of the foregoing, the method may comprise forming the shoulder simultaneously with reducing the diameter of the portion of the cap precursor.
Additional embodiments and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth, in part, in the description that follows, and will flow from the description, or can be learned by practice of the disclosure.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing summary and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and do not restrict the scope of the claims.
The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. References to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” “some embodiments,” etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment described may not necessarily include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Similarly, other embodiments may include additional features, structures, or characteristics. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. When a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with the embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.
The terms “invention,” “present invention,” “disclosure,” or “present disclosure” as used herein are non-limiting terms and are not intended to refer to any single embodiment of the particular invention but encompasses all possible embodiments as described in the application.
Because lid 140 is compatible with conventional can bodies, lid 140 may be incorporated into existing manufacturing and filling facilities and processes for cans with relatively little modification to those facilities and processes. Thus, the benefits of lid 140 may be available in return for relatively small investments. Existing supply chains for conventional can bodies and markets for canned goods can also be maintained.
As shown in
Lid 140 includes a collar 142 and a cap 144. When can 100 is assembled as shown in
Collar 142 of the illustrated example further includes a lip 146 for coupling to rim 114. Lid 140 is configured to prevent passage of liquid between body 110 and collar 142 when can 100 is fully assembled as shown in
Cap 144 is configured to cover outlet 154 and lid 140 is further configured to prevent passage of liquid between collar 142 and cap 144 when can 100 is fully assembled as shown in
In some examples, collar 142 can be permanently coupled to body 110 and cap 144 can be reversibly coupled to collar 142. Thus, in such examples, collar 142 can remain fixed to body 110 while cap 144 is repeatedly coupled to and uncoupled from collar 142 to selectively seal or unseal opening 116.
Cap 144 of the illustrated example is relatively wide in proportion to body 110. In the illustrated example, a cap diameter 145 is more than two thirds as great as a body diameter 111. Cap diameter 145 is measured across a widest portion of cap 144. In various further examples, cap diameter 145 can be at least one quarter as great as body diameter 111, at least one third as great as body diameter 111, at least half as great as body diameter 111, or at least two thirds as great as body diameter 111. The relatively large cap diameter 145 of the illustrated example enables outlet 154 to also have a relatively large diameter. In some examples, a diameter of outlet 154 can be at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, or at least 90% as great as cap diameter 145. A large diameter of outlet 154 facilitates certain actions that can be difficult with some known beverage cans such as refilling can 100 and adding ice cubes or other solids to can 100, which may make can 100 appealing as a reusable container. A large diameter of outlet 154 may also be more natural to drink from than openings formed in stay tab can tops, leading to a better user experience. The opening provided by a large outlet 154 may be relatively similar in usage to cups, tumblers, or mugs, which many users prefer to the small opening provided in stay tab can tops. Additionally, a large outlet reduces the likelihood that a user will experience “glugging,” where the flow rate out of the can varies as the fluid periodically occludes the outlet, which occurs frequently in stay tab can tops.
Cap 144 of the illustrated example also has a flat top. The flat top can extend across a majority of the can diameter, as shown in the illustrated example. In some examples, the flat top can span at least 80%, at least 90%, at least 95%, or 100% of cap diameter 145. The flat top of cap 144 combined with the relatively large cap diameter 145 of the illustrated example makes can 100 easy to stack with other alike cans 100. This ease of stacking may make can 100 relatively efficient to handle, which may reduce distribution costs. In further examples, cap 144 may have a top with a shape that is not flat. Some cans 100 according to such further examples have bases 112 shaped complementarily to the tops of caps 144 and are therefore also stackable.
Collar 142 includes a neck 153. Neck 153 includes a neck threaded portion 152 for engaging corresponding cap threading 167 formed in cap 144. Collar 142 further includes a cuff 148 extending between lip 146 and neck 153. In the illustrated example, cuff 148 extends upward from a lower end of neck 153 to an upper end of lip 146. Cuff 148 thus doubles back over neck 153 so that a gap 150 defined between neck 153 and cuff 148 surrounds neck 153. Gap 150 extends down to a trough 149 formed where neck 153 transitions to cuff 148. Because cuff 148 extends downward from lip 146, and collar 142 is joined to rim 114 at lip 146, cuff 148 extends downward into an interior space of body 110. Neck 153 therefore also extends below an upper end of body 110. Rim 114 defines an upper end of body 110 in the illustrated example, though body 110 may include additional features extending higher than rim 114 in other examples.
Lid 140 further includes a band 156 that encircles neck 153. Band 156 is frangibly connected to cap 144. Band 156 can be configured such that when can 100 is in the fully assembled state shown in
Band 156 can further be configured to be incapable of passing upward beyond neck threaded portion 152, meaning band 156 can provide resistance to unthreading cap 144 from neck 153. When enough unthreading force is applied to cap 144, the frangible connection between cap 144 and band 156 may break, causing band 156 to separate from cap 144. Cap 144, band 156, and neck 153 are therefore collectively configured to cause band 156 to break away from cap 144 while cap 144 is being threadedly disengaged from neck 153. After cap 144 breaks from band 156, cap 144 can be freely unthreaded from neck 153.
However, cap 144 may be impossible to unthread from neck 153 before cap 144 breaks from band 156. Outlet 154 and opening 116 may therefore be impossible to unseal without breaking cap 144 from band 156. Band 156 can therefore serve as an irreversible tamper indicator for can 100. Thus, a user can reliably determine whether outlet 154 and opening 116 have ever been unsealed after the original fill and construction of can 100 by observing the presence or absence of the frangible connection between band 156 and cap 144. Band 156 is therefore tamper evident.
Band 156 can be frangibly connected to lid 140 by a frangible link 174, as shown in more detail in
Link 174 of the illustrated example is a portion of material that is integrally formed with cap 144 and band 156, but having lower effective tensile yield strength than cap 144 and band 156. In particular, link 174 of the illustrated example is a perforated ring located between band 156 and cap 144. The perforated ring includes a plurality of gaps 173 and a plurality of tabs 175.
Tabs 175 connect band 156 to cap 144. Tabs 175 are separated circumferentially from one another by gaps 173. Gaps 173 are each positioned between band 156 and cap 144, link 174 as a whole includes less solid material and more features conducive to stress concentrations per unit volume than band 156 or cap 144, causing link 174 to have the lower effective tensile yield strength than cap 144 and band 156. In other examples, link 174 can include structures other than that of the illustrated example, such as a ring of material that is weaker than the materials of band 156 and cap 144, or a porous portion of material integrally formed with both band 156 and cap 144.
In the illustrated example, cuff 148 extends far enough from trough 149 that cuff 148 and gap 150 surround band 156. Cuff 148 extending to or beyond the height of band 156 can inhibit tampering or incidental damage to band 156, and may therefore contribute to band's 156 reliability as an indicator of whether cap 144 has been removed from can 100. Further according to the illustrated example, cuff 148 extends beyond band 156 such that cuff 148 and gap 150 surround a part of neck threaded portion 152. However, in other examples, cuff 148 may not extend to neck threaded portion 152. In further examples, cuff 148 may not extend to band 156, meaning band 156 may be further from trough 149 than lip 146.
Shoulder 176 of the illustrated example is a circular protrusion defined entirely below neck threaded portion 152, though in other examples shoulder 176 can have a non-circular shape. In some further examples, shoulder 176 can be shaped as an interrupted circle, including multiple spaced apart radial protrusions from neck 153.
Link 174 is configured to break when removing force on cap 144 presses band 156 against shoulder 176 with at least a breaking force. The breaking force is lower in magnitude than force in the same location and direction that would cause band 156 or shoulder 176 to deform enough to allow band 156 to pass entirely above shoulder 176. Thus, removing cap 144 from neck 153 will cause link 174 to break, thereby separating band 156 from cap 144.
Can 100 can be constructed entirely of metal. Can 100 may therefore be completely recyclable. Can 100 may also be easily reusable and compatible with a wide variety of beverages. Suitable materials for constructing can 100 include any metals and alloys known for construction of beverage cans, including, for example, aluminum and stainless steel.
Lid 140 can be constructed by a roll-on process wherein the threads in cap 144 are formed in the same step that joins cap 144 to collar 142. Lid 140 can be constructed according to a process for converting a collar precursor 241 and cap precursor 243 to a lid 240 for a can 200 depicted in
As shown in
Cap threaded portion 267 and band 256 can be formed to bring the assembly shown in
Forming cap threaded portion 267 can include applying lateral, meaning horizontal with respect to the perspective of
Neck threaded portion 252 and shoulder 276 can be formed in cylinder 260 simultaneously with the formation of cap threaded portion 267 and band 256, respectively. For example, thread forming tool 271 used to form cap threaded portion 267 can be applied with enough force to also create neck threaded portion 252 in the course of forming cap threaded portion 267.
Similarly, the tool used to form band 256 can be applied with enough force to also create shoulder 276 in the course of forming band 256. In such examples, a shaping tool 281 having the shape of threaded portions 252, 267 can be placed inside of cylinder 260 and side wall 268 while threaded portions 252, 267 are formed by pressing cylinder 260 and side wall 268 onto shaping tool 281. In further such examples, a shaping tool having the shape of band 256 and shoulder 276 can be placed in side of cylinder 260 and side wall 268 while band 256 and shoulder 276 are formed by pressing side wall 268 and cylinder 260 onto the shaping tool. The shaping tool 281 used to form the threaded portions 252, 267 can be the same shaping tool as or a different shaping tool from the shaping tool used to form the band 256 and shoulder 276.
In other examples, neck threaded portion 252 and shoulder 276 can be formed in cylinder 260 before cap threaded portion 267 and band 256 are formed. In such latter examples, cap threaded portion 267 and band 256 can be formed by deforming side wall 268 to conform more closely to the preexisting shape of neck threaded portion 252 and shoulder 276 of cylinder 260. In the examples wherein neck threaded portion 252 and shoulder 276 are formed in cylinder 260 before cap threaded portion 267 and band 256 are formed, neck threaded portion 252 and shoulder 276 can optionally be formed in cylinder 260 at the stage depicted
A portion of cylinder 260 that is located between neck threaded portion 252 and inlet 264 in the stage illustrated in
At least part of the folded portion of cylinder 260 becomes cuff 248 and trough 249. In the illustrated example, a further part of the folded portion of cylinder 260 further becomes lip 246. Further according to the illustrated example, the folded portion of cylinder 260 is folded to a height above a lower end of neck threaded portion 252 so that cuff 248 and gap 250 surround part of neck threaded portion 252. Still further according to the illustrated example, the folded portion of cylinder 260 is folded to a height above a lower end of cap 244 so that cuff 248 and gap 250 surround part of cap 244. However, the dimensions and position of the folded portion of cylinder 260, which forms cuff 248 and trough 249 in the stage illustrated in
It is to be appreciated that the Detailed Description section, and not the Summary and Abstract sections, is intended to be used to interpret the claims. The Summary and Abstract sections may set forth one or more but not all exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure but are not intended to limit the present disclosure and claims in any way.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments so fully reveal the general nature of the disclosure that others can, by applying knowledge within the skill of the art, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments, without undue experimentation, without departing from the general concept of the present disclosure. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance.
The breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the claims and their equivalents.
