WO2005058716A1 - Reclosable metal container - Google Patents

Reclosable metal container Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2005058716A1
WO2005058716A1 PCT/EP2004/013215 EP2004013215W WO2005058716A1 WO 2005058716 A1 WO2005058716 A1 WO 2005058716A1 EP 2004013215 W EP2004013215 W EP 2004013215W WO 2005058716 A1 WO2005058716 A1 WO 2005058716A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
sleeve
neck component
container
neck
metal
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/EP2004/013215
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
WO2005058716A8 (en
Inventor
Paul Robert Dunwoody
Philip Alan Marriott
Sudesh Kumar Nayar
Andrew Philip Pavely
Original Assignee
Crown Packaging Technology Inc
Crown Packaging Uk Plc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority to CA2548274A priority Critical patent/CA2548274C/en
Application filed by Crown Packaging Technology Inc, Crown Packaging Uk Plc filed Critical Crown Packaging Technology Inc
Priority to AU2004299185A priority patent/AU2004299185B2/en
Priority to EP04803208A priority patent/EP1697222B8/en
Priority to BRPI0417528-0A priority patent/BRPI0417528A/en
Priority to ES04803208T priority patent/ES2389770T3/en
Priority to JP2006544247A priority patent/JP4647619B2/en
Priority to NZ547501A priority patent/NZ547501A/en
Priority to US10/581,272 priority patent/US7832589B2/en
Priority to PL04803208T priority patent/PL1697222T3/en
Publication of WO2005058716A1 publication Critical patent/WO2005058716A1/en
Priority to TNP2006000152A priority patent/TNSN06152A1/en
Priority to HR20060248A priority patent/HRPK20060248B3/en
Publication of WO2005058716A8 publication Critical patent/WO2005058716A8/en

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D15/00—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, sections made of different materials
    • B65D15/02—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, sections made of different materials of curved, or partially curved, cross-section, e.g. cans, drums
    • B65D15/10—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, sections made of different materials of curved, or partially curved, cross-section, e.g. cans, drums with curved, or partially curved, walls made of metal
    • B65D15/14—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, sections made of different materials of curved, or partially curved, cross-section, e.g. cans, drums with curved, or partially curved, walls made of metal with end walls made of plastics material
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D15/00—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, sections made of different materials
    • B65D15/02—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, sections made of different materials of curved, or partially curved, cross-section, e.g. cans, drums
    • B65D15/10—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, sections made of different materials of curved, or partially curved, cross-section, e.g. cans, drums with curved, or partially curved, walls made of metal

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a reclosable metal container such as a can of steel or aluminium.
  • a bottle- shaped can for packaging beverages So-called "bottle cans" have been proposed in patent applications such as JP-A-2003165539 , for example, in which a container body is closed at one end by a can end seamed to the body to form a base, and at the opposite end is necked inwardly to form a shoulder . A portion of the can body extends away from the free edge of the shoulder into a cylindrical portion -which is threaded so as to be closed by a screw closure.
  • Alternative proposals for bottle cans use plastic collets to provide a thread for reclosing the can instead of threading the metal neck.
  • US-A-2, 864, 529 describes an ovezrcap for a metal containers having a cone or raised top, the overcap covering a seam which joins the cone to the body of the container.
  • DE 29980137 U describes a plastic component which covers the seam between a neck component and a can body.
  • JP 10 167356 A describes a shoulder cover for fixing a cap which is removeably mounted on a container body.
  • Necking of the container body sufficiently to provide a neck finish for reclosing may involve up to 56 necking stages. Because of its mater-ial properties, this is not usually possible if the container is made of steel of conventional thickness (for example 0.08 mm).
  • a reclosable container comprising a metal can body having a base and a side wall, a metal neck component seamed to a free end of the can body, the neck component comprising a generally frustoconical shoulder portion and a cylindrical portion, the container further comprising a sleeve which fits over the metal neck component and covers the seam between the neck component and can body; characterised in that the sleeve is of plastics material, extends over the cylindrical portion of the neck component and is threaded to allow reclosability of the container.
  • the can body is typically a standard beverage can body which can be mass-produced using regular beverage can manufacturing lines. Different neck finishes can be offered by a range of neck components and plastic sleeves.
  • the can body may be made from steel or aluminium of thin gauges such as 0.1 mm for aluminium, 0.08 mm for steel .
  • the neck component may be of thicker material and provides barrier properties to prevent, for example, passage of gas which may affect the product in the container .
  • the sleeve includes a detent for fixing the sleeve onto the seam.
  • This detent provides a seal to prevent water ingress.
  • the open end of the sleeve may be retained by a curl on the neck component.
  • the can body has a small necked-in region at the end to which the neck component is seamed.
  • the sleeve may extend over this region on the can body so as to fit against the can body side wall and resist water ingress.
  • the sleeve may be profiled so as to correspond to the shoulder shape on a conventional plastic bottle.
  • the neck component includes a support region between the frustoconical and cylindrical portions.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic side section of a first embodiment of container according to the invention
  • Figure 2 is an enlarged side section of the shoulder and neck region of the container of figure 1.
  • Figure 1 shows a container comprising a can body 1, neck component 10 and sleeve 20.
  • the can is a typical beverage can body comprising a side wall 2, necked at its upper end 3 , and an integral domed base 4.
  • the can body is made of sheet metal, typically steel or aluminium in the range of 0.25 mm to 0.35 mm thick with walls reduced in thickness during manufacture.
  • Neck component 10 comprises a metal support having a generally frustoconical part 11 and a cylindrical portion 12. As best shown in figure 2 , a second cylindrical portion 13 is joined to the first cylindrical portion by a shoulder 14. The neck component terminates in a flange or, ideally, curl 15 at its upper end which holds the plastic sleeve 20 in position. The sleeve thus also hides the cut edge of the neck component. At its lower end the neck component is fixed by a double seam 16 to the can body 1. If the container is closed by a plastics closure having a bore seal, the bore seal will impart further cut edge protection.
  • the sleeve 20 has a curved sheath 23 with a hook- shaped detent 21 which clips onto the seam 16. Annulus 22 provides further location of the sleeve over the seam.
  • the sleeve of figures 1 and 2 is thus fixed in position by the detent 21 and neck component flange 15.
  • the sleeve 20 has a cylindrical upper portion 24 which is threaded 25. Below thread 25 the upper portion includes a neck support ring 26 for handling purposes .
  • the sleeve may be shaped so as to blend into the side wall of the can body.
  • the sleeve may be made of thin plastics so that extra support for the curved shape is provided by shoulder 14 of the neck component.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Rigid Containers With Two Or More Constituent Elements (AREA)
  • Details Of Rigid Or Semi-Rigid Containers (AREA)
  • Containers Having Bodies Formed In One Piece (AREA)
  • Closures For Containers (AREA)
  • Building Environments (AREA)
  • Containers Opened By Tearing Frangible Portions (AREA)

Abstract

A reclosable metal container in the style of a bottle-shaped can has a conventional can body (1) of steel or aluminium to which a metal neck component (10) is seamed. A sleeve (20) of plastics fits over the neck component and a detent (21) inside the sleeve clips it onto the seam. The upper edge of the sleeve is fixed in place by a curl (15) on the upper edge of the neck component. By using a separate neck component and hiding the seam under a sleeve, conventional sizes and material gauges can be used for the can body. Thicker material may be used for the neck component in order to withstand necking forces. Threads (25) for closing the container are provided on the sleeve.

Description

RECLOSABLE METAL CONTAINER
This invention relates to a reclosable metal container such as a can of steel or aluminium. In particular, but not exclusively, it relates to a bottle- shaped can for packaging beverages. So-called "bottle cans" have been proposed in patent applications such as JP-A-2003165539 , for example, in which a container body is closed at one end by a can end seamed to the body to form a base, and at the opposite end is necked inwardly to form a shoulder . A portion of the can body extends away from the free edge of the shoulder into a cylindrical portion -which is threaded so as to be closed by a screw closure. Alternative proposals for bottle cans use plastic collets to provide a thread for reclosing the can instead of threading the metal neck. US-A-2, 864, 529 describes an ovezrcap for a metal containers having a cone or raised top, the overcap covering a seam which joins the cone to the body of the container. DE 29980137 U describes a plastic component which covers the seam between a neck component and a can body. JP 10 167356 A describes a shoulder cover for fixing a cap which is removeably mounted on a container body. Whilst these current proposals are workable in theory, there are, in practice, a number of practical problems . Necking of the container body sufficiently to provide a neck finish for reclosing may involve up to 56 necking stages. Because of its mater-ial properties, this is not usually possible if the container is made of steel of conventional thickness (for example 0.08 mm). In order to withstand necking forces, the steel would need to be thicker than is conventional and therefore less economic to use. Furthermore, less metal exposure is acceptable with steel than with aluminium. Non-standard sizes of can bodies may need to be used since a standard 355 ml capacity can with a plastic screw threaded neck would be too tall for manufacturing lines . This invention seeks to overcome these problems and to provide a bottle can which enables standard tooling to be used, irrespective of the desired neck finish. According to the present invention, there is provided a reclosable container comprising a metal can body having a base and a side wall, a metal neck component seamed to a free end of the can body, the neck component comprising a generally frustoconical shoulder portion and a cylindrical portion, the container further comprising a sleeve which fits over the metal neck component and covers the seam between the neck component and can body; characterised in that the sleeve is of plastics material, extends over the cylindrical portion of the neck component and is threaded to allow reclosability of the container. It should be noted that the term "generally frustoconical" is intended herein to mean both a precise frustoconical shape and shapes which reduce the cross- sectional area of the container such as a stepped shoulder portion. The can body is typically a standard beverage can body which can be mass-produced using regular beverage can manufacturing lines. Different neck finishes can be offered by a range of neck components and plastic sleeves. The can body may be made from steel or aluminium of thin gauges such as 0.1 mm for aluminium, 0.08 mm for steel . The neck component may be of thicker material and provides barrier properties to prevent, for example, passage of gas which may affect the product in the container . According to a preferred aspect of the invention, the sleeve includes a detent for fixing the sleeve onto the seam. This detent provides a seal to prevent water ingress. Ideally the open end of the sleeve may be retained by a curl on the neck component. Generally the can body has a small necked-in region at the end to which the neck component is seamed. The sleeve may extend over this region on the can body so as to fit against the can body side wall and resist water ingress. The sleeve may be profiled so as to correspond to the shoulder shape on a conventional plastic bottle. In this embodiment the neck component includes a support region between the frustoconical and cylindrical portions. This support region may be a second cylindrical portion of larger diameter than the first cylindrical portion such that the first cylindrical portion supports the threaded part of the plastic sleeve and the second portion supports a part of the sleeve which is profiled to a shoulder shape. Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic side section of a first embodiment of container according to the invention; and Figure 2 is an enlarged side section of the shoulder and neck region of the container of figure 1. Figure 1 shows a container comprising a can body 1, neck component 10 and sleeve 20. The can is a typical beverage can body comprising a side wall 2, necked at its upper end 3 , and an integral domed base 4. The can body is made of sheet metal, typically steel or aluminium in the range of 0.25 mm to 0.35 mm thick with walls reduced in thickness during manufacture. Neck component 10 comprises a metal support having a generally frustoconical part 11 and a cylindrical portion 12. As best shown in figure 2 , a second cylindrical portion 13 is joined to the first cylindrical portion by a shoulder 14. The neck component terminates in a flange or, ideally, curl 15 at its upper end which holds the plastic sleeve 20 in position. The sleeve thus also hides the cut edge of the neck component. At its lower end the neck component is fixed by a double seam 16 to the can body 1. If the container is closed by a plastics closure having a bore seal, the bore seal will impart further cut edge protection. In this instance the cut edge of curl 15 would be trapped between the sleeve 20 and the bore seal of the closure. The sleeve 20 has a curved sheath 23 with a hook- shaped detent 21 which clips onto the seam 16. Annulus 22 provides further location of the sleeve over the seam. The sleeve of figures 1 and 2 is thus fixed in position by the detent 21 and neck component flange 15. In this embodiment, the sleeve 20 has a cylindrical upper portion 24 which is threaded 25. Below thread 25 the upper portion includes a neck support ring 26 for handling purposes . For aesthetic reasons the sleeve may be shaped so as to blend into the side wall of the can body. The sleeve may be made of thin plastics so that extra support for the curved shape is provided by shoulder 14 of the neck component.

Claims

CLAIMS : -
1. A reclosable container comprising: a metal can body (1) having a base (4) and a side wall (2), a metal neck component (10) seamed to a free end of the can body, the neck component comprising a generally frustoconical shoulder portion (11) and a cylindrical portion (12) , and a sleeve (20) which fits over the metal neck component (10) and covers the seam (16) between the neck component (10) and can body (1) ; characterised in that the sleeve is of plastics material, extends over the cylindrical portion (12) of the neck component (10) and is threaded (25) to allow reclosability of the container.
2. A container according to claim 1, in which the sleeve (20) includes a detent (21) for fixing the sleeve onto the seam (16) .
3. A container according to claim 1 or claim 2 , in which the neck component (10) includes a support region (14) between the frustoconical and cylindrical portions.
PCT/EP2004/013215 2003-12-17 2004-11-22 Reclosable metal container WO2005058716A1 (en)

Priority Applications (11)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP2006544247A JP4647619B2 (en) 2003-12-17 2004-11-22 Resealable container
AU2004299185A AU2004299185B2 (en) 2003-12-17 2004-11-22 Reclosable metal container
EP04803208A EP1697222B8 (en) 2003-12-17 2004-11-22 Reclosable metal container
BRPI0417528-0A BRPI0417528A (en) 2003-12-17 2004-11-22 resealable container
ES04803208T ES2389770T3 (en) 2003-12-17 2004-11-22 Recerrable metal container
CA2548274A CA2548274C (en) 2003-12-17 2004-11-22 Reclosable metal container
NZ547501A NZ547501A (en) 2003-12-17 2004-11-22 Reclosable metal container
US10/581,272 US7832589B2 (en) 2003-12-17 2004-11-22 Reclosable metal container
PL04803208T PL1697222T3 (en) 2003-12-17 2004-11-22 Reclosable metal container
TNP2006000152A TNSN06152A1 (en) 2003-12-17 2006-05-22 Reclosable metal container
HR20060248A HRPK20060248B3 (en) 2003-12-17 2006-07-14 Reclosable metal container

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP03257941 2003-12-17
EP03257941.9 2003-12-17

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2005058716A1 true WO2005058716A1 (en) 2005-06-30
WO2005058716A8 WO2005058716A8 (en) 2012-08-23

Family

ID=34684625

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/EP2004/013215 WO2005058716A1 (en) 2003-12-17 2004-11-22 Reclosable metal container

Country Status (16)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1697222B8 (en)
JP (1) JP4647619B2 (en)
CN (1) CN2913201Y (en)
AU (1) AU2004299185B2 (en)
BR (1) BRPI0417528A (en)
CA (1) CA2548274C (en)
CZ (1) CZ16877U1 (en)
ES (2) ES1064008Y (en)
HR (1) HRPK20060248B3 (en)
HU (1) HU3282U (en)
NZ (1) NZ547501A (en)
PL (1) PL1697222T3 (en)
RU (1) RU61259U1 (en)
TN (1) TNSN06152A1 (en)
WO (1) WO2005058716A1 (en)
ZA (1) ZA200604635B (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7946436B2 (en) 2005-10-10 2011-05-24 Rieke Corporation Beverage container with threaded plastic drinking sleeve
EP2418157A1 (en) * 2010-08-13 2012-02-15 Ball Packaging Europe GmbH Lid attachment for metal can and method of attaching a lid to a metal can

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8360266B2 (en) * 2009-11-13 2013-01-29 The Coca-Cola Corporation Shaped metal vessel
JP7019998B2 (en) * 2017-08-25 2022-02-16 東洋製罐株式会社 can
CN110304328B (en) * 2019-02-03 2021-08-20 珠海新一代复合材料有限公司 Metal bottle with composite bottle mouth and preparation method thereof

Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2105027A (en) * 1936-07-09 1938-01-11 George C Davis Cover for tops of cans and the like
US2339763A (en) * 1941-03-21 1944-01-25 Crown Cork & Seal Co Container and method of making same
US2864529A (en) 1956-09-14 1958-12-16 Continental Can Co Overcapped container top structure
DE3005378A1 (en) * 1979-02-13 1980-08-14 Nippon Aluminium Mfg Aluminium alloy pressurised beer keg - has cylindrical main section deep drawn from sheet and provided with lid section and mouth
US4883192A (en) * 1988-10-11 1989-11-28 Robert Krugman Reusable beverage container closure
EP0443558A1 (en) * 1990-02-22 1991-08-28 Heinrich Stolz GmbH & Co KG Plastic closure for container
JPH10167356A (en) 1996-12-06 1998-06-23 Kao Corp Shoulder cover for container and container
DE29980137U1 (en) 1998-10-05 2001-08-16 Bodenschatz, Anne, 89073 Ulm Hand-held container
JP2003165539A (en) 2001-11-29 2003-06-10 Daiwa Can Co Ltd Bottle-shaped can for beverage

Family Cites Families (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2153263A (en) * 1937-05-11 1939-04-04 Joseph F Martter Container
JPS6056573B2 (en) * 1979-02-13 1985-12-11 株式会社日本アルミ Manufacturing method for metal thin-walled pressure-resistant containers with caps and lids
JPS60161042U (en) * 1984-04-04 1985-10-25 北海製罐株式会社 metal packaging containers
JPS6160439A (en) * 1984-08-20 1986-03-28 東洋製罐株式会社 Vessel and manufacture thereof
US5071042A (en) * 1990-02-07 1991-12-10 Bnjm3, Inc. Adapter that provides bottle-like spout for aluminum beverage cans
US6010028A (en) * 1994-11-22 2000-01-04 Aluminum Company Of America Lightweight reclosable can with attached threaded pour spout and methods of manufacture
US5884679A (en) * 1995-08-11 1999-03-23 Bissell Inc. Solution dispensing bottle assembly
JPH11321875A (en) * 1998-05-12 1999-11-24 Touma Inkomu:Kk Pouring port detachable from beverage can

Patent Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2105027A (en) * 1936-07-09 1938-01-11 George C Davis Cover for tops of cans and the like
US2339763A (en) * 1941-03-21 1944-01-25 Crown Cork & Seal Co Container and method of making same
US2864529A (en) 1956-09-14 1958-12-16 Continental Can Co Overcapped container top structure
DE3005378A1 (en) * 1979-02-13 1980-08-14 Nippon Aluminium Mfg Aluminium alloy pressurised beer keg - has cylindrical main section deep drawn from sheet and provided with lid section and mouth
US4883192A (en) * 1988-10-11 1989-11-28 Robert Krugman Reusable beverage container closure
EP0443558A1 (en) * 1990-02-22 1991-08-28 Heinrich Stolz GmbH & Co KG Plastic closure for container
JPH10167356A (en) 1996-12-06 1998-06-23 Kao Corp Shoulder cover for container and container
DE29980137U1 (en) 1998-10-05 2001-08-16 Bodenschatz, Anne, 89073 Ulm Hand-held container
JP2003165539A (en) 2001-11-29 2003-06-10 Daiwa Can Co Ltd Bottle-shaped can for beverage

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7946436B2 (en) 2005-10-10 2011-05-24 Rieke Corporation Beverage container with threaded plastic drinking sleeve
EP2418157A1 (en) * 2010-08-13 2012-02-15 Ball Packaging Europe GmbH Lid attachment for metal can and method of attaching a lid to a metal can
WO2012028443A1 (en) * 2010-08-13 2012-03-08 Ball Packaging Europe Gmbh Lid attachment for metal can and method of attaching a lid to a metal can

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP1697222B1 (en) 2012-07-11
ES1064008Y (en) 2007-04-01
CA2548274A1 (en) 2005-06-30
CZ16877U1 (en) 2006-09-21
AU2004299185B2 (en) 2011-08-04
NZ547501A (en) 2010-03-26
AU2004299185A1 (en) 2005-06-30
BRPI0417528A (en) 2007-03-13
JP4647619B2 (en) 2011-03-09
TNSN06152A1 (en) 2007-11-15
HRPK20060248B3 (en) 2008-02-29
PL1697222T3 (en) 2012-11-30
WO2005058716A8 (en) 2012-08-23
HU0600161V0 (en) 2006-08-28
CN2913201Y (en) 2007-06-20
HU3282U (en) 2007-05-29
ES1064008U (en) 2007-01-01
EP1697222A1 (en) 2006-09-06
RU61259U1 (en) 2007-02-27
EP1697222B8 (en) 2012-09-19
JP2007514617A (en) 2007-06-07
CA2548274C (en) 2013-04-30
HRP20060248A2 (en) 2006-10-31
ES2389770T3 (en) 2012-10-31
ZA200604635B (en) 2008-04-30

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