Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention refers to an improvement in a closure arrangement for a can
obtained in metallic sheet and of the type which comprises a tubular body, with the
lower edge affixing or incorporating a bottom wall, and with the upper edge carrying,
directly by means of a deformed portion of the tubular body or by means of an annular
upper wall portion which can take the form of a structural ring, a seat for the seating
and retention of a press-fit plastic lid. The invention is particularly related to
a closure arrangement with a plastic lid for a can of the type considered above and
which is used to contain products of progressive consumption, such as certain food
products.
Prior Art
[0002] Determined products, such as certain food products, have to be submitted to hermetic
storage and provided with a clear visual indication to the consumer that the package
in which they are presented to the market has not been violated. Considering that
many of these products are of progressive consumption, it is indispensable that, upon
the first opening of the package, the lid which gives access to the interior can be
closed again as many times as necessary during the progressive consumption of the
stored product, in order to guarantee the tightness of the re-closed can and protect
the remainder of the content thereof.
[0003] There are well known in the art the cans provided with a press-fit lid, which is
fitted, by pressure, in a peripheral structural ring, internal to the upper edge of
the body of the can and hermetically double seamed thereto. The tightness of the content
is guaranteed in this type of construction, by the lid fitting in the seating and
retention seat, which can be provided in the structural ring that defines the annular
upper wall of the can or in the tubular body of the latter.
[0004] It is also known a solution in which the plastic lid comprises a sealing portion,
which is removably seated and retained in the seat, and a manually breakable seal,
which is disposed on and around the upper end of the tubular body of the can and connected
to the sealing portion by breakable connections.
US 2003/089715 discloses a closing arrangement for a can in accordance with the preamble of claim
1.
[0005] While eliminating the deficiencies of the previous lids for cans containing products
of progressive consumption, these prior solutions still present a certain deficiency
susceptible to improvement.
[0006] In the prior solutions, the lid is mounted with its seal disposed on and around the
upper end of the can body and said upper end presents a contour which is substantially
equal to the cross section contour of the tubular body of the can. Thus, the lid is
positioned with its seal projecting radially outwardly from the cross section contour
and thus susceptible to collide with the seal of the lid of a can disposed side by
side and adjacent in relation to another can.
[0007] During the packaging operations of the already filled and closed cans, and also during
transportation in boxes or pallets, in which they remain contacting each other, there
may occur a partial or total rupture of the seal of a lid of a can colliding with
the lid of another can.
[0008] The even partial rupture of the seal will indicate to both the trader and the consumer
that the content of the can has been violated. Once the reliability as to the integrity
of the content of the can has been destroyed, the already packaged product to be commercialized
must be discarded.
[0009] Another deficiency of the known solutions results from the fact that the stacking
of the cans makes the lid of a can receive, over its seal, the generally double seamed
lower edge of the tubular body of a can disposed immediately above. In this arrangement,
the weight of the upper cans in the stack is applied to the lower cans only along
a circumferential alignment of the respective seals onto which the lower edges of
the upper cans are seated. Thus, the stacking load is concentrated in a specific and
restricted lid region defined on the seal. Furthermore, the seals should incorporate,
preferably in their peripheral region, a small upper circumferential wall which remains
external to the lower end contour of the tubular body of a can stacked over an inferior
can, in order to define a stop means to avoid undue radial displacements of a can
outside the vertical alignment of a stack in which it is stored.
Objects of the Invention
[0010] It is a generic object of the present invention to provide an improved closure arrangement
for the type of can considered herein, which presents a simple and low cost construction,
using a plastic lid provided with a reliable tamper evident seal which is positioned
in order not to contact the lid of a can of the same type that is disposed laterally
and adjacent to another can, guaranteeing the integrity of the seal of said lid during
packaging, shipping and storage of said cans.
[0011] It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved can closure
arrangement as mentioned above, which allows the reliable stacking of the cans without
the stacking load concentrating in a specific and restricted region of the lid.
Disclosure of the Invention
[0012] The objects defined above are attained by the provision of a can as defined in claim
1.
[0013] The construction allows the lids to be totally protected against contacts and collisions
with the lids of other adjacent cans during different operational situations in which
these cans are joined in groups of at least two units, and subject to manual or mechanical
handling or transportation movements.
[0014] Besides this technical effect, the new construction allows the seating to occur with
a better load distribution of the bottom of a can over the lid of a can disposed immediately
below.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0015] The invention will be described below, with reference to the enclosed drawings given
by way of example of an embodiment of the invention, and in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a can carrying a plastic lid in a closure arrangement,
according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the can and the lid of figure 1, after
rupturing the seal of the lid;
Figure 3 is an upper plan view of the can and of the plastic lid illustrated in figure
1;
Figure 4 is a partial diametrical cross-sectional view of both the can and the lid
illustrated in figures 1-3, taken according to line IV-IV of figure 3; and
Figure 5 is a view similar to that of figure 4, but with the section being taken according
to line V-V in figure 3.
Description of the Illustrated Embodiment
[0016] According to the enclosed drawings, the present closure arrangement is applied to
a can made of metallic sheet, comprising a tubular body 10, with a lower end 11 affixing
a bottom wall 12 and with an upper end 13 affixing, by a double seam 14, an annular
upper wall 15 which internally defines a seat 16 for the hermetic seating of a lid
20. The illustrated tubular body 10 presents a circular cross section, it being understood
however that said cross section might present other embodiments rather than the circular.
[0017] The construction of the annular upper wall 15 and of the seat 16 can be made in different
manners, as long as it allows the lid 20 to be hermetically and securely fitted in
the upper part of the can. In figures 4 and 5, the construction of both the annular
upper wall 15 and the seat 16 is accomplished as described and claimed in Brazilian
patent
PI 9408643-5 granted to the same applicant in Brazil and also in other countries (for example
in the United States,
US 5,899,352 and in Europe,
EP 0706486), therefore dispensing the detailed description thereof in the present document.
[0018] According to the invention and as illustrated in the enclosed drawings, the lid 20
is preferably constructed as described in the co-pending patent application of the
same applicant, filed on July 24, 2003 with the number
PI 0303138-1. Said lid 20 is obtained in a transparent or not transparent plastic material comprising
a sealing portion 21 to be removably seated and retained in the seat 16, and presenting
an external edge 21b which is seated on the upper end 13 of the tubular body 10 of
the can. The lid 20 further comprises, in a single piece with the sealing portion
21, a seal 25 having a lower skirt 25a generally tightly seated around the upper end
13 of the tubular body 10 and which presents an upper edge 25b which is incorporated,
by means of manually breakable bridges 26, to the external edge 21b of the sealing
portion 21.
[0019] According to the present invention, the bridges 26 are ruptured when submitted to
a certain pulling force for separating the seal 25 from the sealing portion 21, when
the lid 20 is opened for the first time.
[0020] According to the present invention, the sealing portion 21 incorporates a gripping
tab 27 which is axially downwardly projected through an interruption 25c provided
in the circumferential extension of the seal 25, for example, remaining substantially
leveled with the lower skirt 25a.
[0021] The seal 25 comprises at least one breakable lock 28 connecting the gripping tab
27 to the lower skirt 25a.
[0022] The gripping tab 27 is manually operable only when part of the seal 25 is ruptured,
for example upon rupture of each breakable lock 28.
[0023] In the illustrated construction, the lower skirt 25a incorporates the ends of a seal
bridge 25d circumferentially extended over the interruption 25c of the seal 25 and
over the gripping tab 27. The seal bridge 25d presents a first end 25e, which is incorporated
to the lower skirt 25a by connecting means 25f, which are broken when said first end
25e is forced away from the lower skirt 25a, in order to permit the manual access
to the gripping tab 27. The gripping tab 27 is inferiorly incorporated to the seal
bridge 25d by means of a breakable lock 28, in the form of one or more axial bridges
which are manually broken upon the first opening of the lid.
[0024] In the illustrated construction, the external edge 21b of the sealing portion 21
incorporates a small cylindrical lower rib 21c which involves, preferably tightly,
a circumferential extension of the upper end 13 of the tubular body 10 and from which
depend the bridges 26 inferiorly incorporated to the upper edge 25b of the lower skirt
25a.
[0025] It is also possible, as illustrated, for the lower skirt 25a to incorporate an internal
circumferential projection 25h, axially spaced from the external edge 21b of the sealing
portion 21 and which is dimensioned to be seated and axially locked under the double
seam 14 in the upper end 13 of the tubular body 10 and around the latter.
[0026] According to the invention, the upper end 13 of the tubular body 10 is shaped to
present a cross section contour that is smaller than the largest cross section contour
of the tubular body 10, so as to prevent the mutual contact of the lids 20 with two
adjacent cans disposed side by side.
[0027] In the illustrated preferred construction, the tubular body 10 presents an upper
portion 10a which contains the upper end 13 of the tubular body 10 and which has substantially
the same cross section contour as said upper end 13. Said upper portion 10a of the
tubular body 10 presents a height or an extension that is larger than the height of
the lower skirt 25a of the seal 25 of the lid 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the
height of the upper portion 10a of the tubular body 10 is approximately twice the
height of the lower skirt 25a of the lid 20.
[0028] The upper portion 10a of the tubular body 10 is inferiorly incorporated to a transition
portion 10b, which presents a cross section profile defined by two upwardly converging
straight line segments, said transition portion 10b uniting the upper portion 10a
of the tubular body 10 to a basic portion 10c of the latter. In the illustrated embodiment,
the basic portion 10c of the tubular body 10, defined below the transition portion
10b, presents a substantially constant cross section contour which is generally circular,
said basic portion 10c being inferiorly limited by the lower end 11 of the tubular
body 10.
[0029] The cross section contour of the basic portion 10c is substantially larger than that
of the upper portion 10a, allowing the lid 20, more particularly its lower skirt 25a
and its seal bridge 25d, to define a contour contained inside the cross section contour
of the basic portion 10c.
[0030] As illustrated in figures 4 and 5, the construction proposed by the present invention
allows the contour of the lower end 11 of a tubular body 10 of a can to be sufficiently
larger than the contour of the upper end 13, so as to be positioned external to the
upper end 13 of a tubular body 10 disposed immediately below, when the cans are stacked.
With this construction, upon stacking the cans, the bottom wall 12 of a tubular body
10 is seated on the lid 20 of a tubular body 10 disposed immediately below in the
stack, guaranteeing a better distribution of the stacking load over the lid 20. According
to the invention, the locking between the stacked tubular bodies 10 is made, by interference
in the radial direction, between the lower end 11 of the upper tubular body 10 and
the lower skirt 25a of the lid 20 of the tubular body 10 disposed immediately below.
[0031] While the invention has been described in relation to a single constructive embodiment,
it should be understood that changes could be made without departing from the scope
of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.
1. Closing arrangement including a can of the type which comprises: a tubular body (10)
having a closed lower end (11) and an open upper end (13) provided with a seat (16);
and a lid (20) in a single piece of plastic material, comprising a sealing portion
(21) to be removably and hermetically seated on the seat (16), and projecting radially
outwardly from the latter; and a seal (25) axially breakable in a region of its circumferential
extension and which presents a lower skirt (25a) to be tightly seated around the upper
end (13) of the tubular body (10), and an upper edge (25b) internally incorporated
to the sealing portion (21) by means of breakable radial bridges (26) which are ruptured
when submitted to a certain pulling force for separating the seal (25) from the sealing
portion (21) upon the first opening of the lid (20), characterized in that: the upper end (13) of the tubular body (10), around which is seated the lower skirt
(25a) of the seal (25) presents a cross section contour that is smaller than the largest
cross section contour of the remainder of the tubular body (10), so that the contour
of the lid (20) is maintained internal to said largest cross section contour of the
tubular body (10), avoiding the mutual contact of the lids (20) of two adjacent cans
disposed side by side; and the lower end (11) of the tubular body (10) of the can
is sufficiently larger than the contour of the upper end (13), so as to be positioned
external to an upper end (13) of a tubular body (10) disposed immediately below, when
the cans are stacked, allowing the lid (20) to define a contour contained inside the
cross section contour of the lower end (11) of the tubular body (10) of the can wherein
a locking between the stacked cans is made, by interference in the radial direction,
between the lower end (11) and the lower skirt (25a).
2. The closing arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper end (13) of the tubular body (10) is defined in an upper portion (10a)
of the latter presenting substantially the same cross section contour as the upper
end (13) and a height that is larger than the height of the lower skirt (25a) of the
seal (25).
3. The closing arrangement according to claim 2, characterized in that the tubular body (10) comprises a basic portion (10c) defined below the upper portion
(10a) and which is inferiorly limited by the lower end (11) of the tubular body (10).
4. The closing arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that the basic portion (10c) of the tubular body (10) presents a cross section contour
that is substantially constant and larger than that of the upper portion (10a).
5. The closing arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that the upper portion (10a) of the tubular body (10) is united to the basic portion (10c)
of the latter by a transition portion (10b), whose cross section profile is defined
by two upwardly converging straight line segments.
6. The closing arrangement according to any one of the previous claims, characterized in that the tubular body (10) further comprises an annular upper wall (15) having an external
edge which is double seamed to the upper end (13) of the tubular body (10), and an
internal edge defining the seat (16) for the seating of the sealing portion (21) of
the lid (20).
1. Verschlussanordnung, die eine Dose des Typs enthält, der umfasst: einen rohrförmigen
Körper (10) mit einem verschlossenen unteren Ende (11) und einem offenen oberen Ende
(13), das mit einem Sitz (16) versehen ist; einen Deckel (20) aus einem einzigen Kunststoffteil,
das einen Dichtungsabschnitt (21) aufweist, um auf den Sitz (16) abnehmbar und hermetisch
dicht gesetzt zu werden, der von diesem Letzeren radial auswärts vorsteht; und eine
Dichtung (25), die in einem Bereich ihrer Umfangserstreckung axial zerbrechbar ist
und einen unteren Rand (25a), um um das obere Ende (13) des rohrförmigen Körpers (10)
dicht zu sitzen, und eine obere Kante (25b) aufweist, die innen in den Dichtungsabschnitt
(21) mittels zerbrechbarer radialer Stege (26), die zerbrochen werden, wenn sie einer
bestimmten Zugkraft unterworfen werden, um die Dichtung (25) von dem Dichtungsabschnitt
(21) beim ersten Öffnen des Deckels (20) zu trennen, aufgenommen ist, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass: das obere Ende (13) des rohrförmigen Körpers (10), um das der untere Rand (25a) der
Dichtung (25) sitzt, einen Querschnittsumriss aufweist, der kleiner als der größte
Querschnittsumriss des restlichen rohrförmigen Körpers (10) ist, so dass der Umriss
des Deckels (20) innen an dem größten Querschnittsumriss des rohrförmigen Körpers
(10) gehalten wird, wodurch der gegenseitige Kontakt der Deckel (20) von zwei benachbarten
Dosen, die nebeneinander angeordnet sind, vermieden wird; und das untere Ende (11)
des rohrförmigen Körpers (10) der Dose ausreichend größer als der Umriss des oberen
Endes (13) ist, um außerhalb eines oberen Endes (13) eines rohrförmigen Körpers (10),
der direkt darunter angeordnet ist, positioniert zu werden, wenn die Dosen gestapelt
sind, so dass der Deckel (20) einen Umriss definieren kann, der innerhalb des Querschnittsumrisses
des unteren Endes (11) des rohrförmigen Körpers (10) der Dose enthalten ist, wobei
eine Verriegelung zwischen den gestapelten Dosen durch Eingriff in radialer Richtung
zwischen dem unteren Ende (11) und dem unteren Rand (25a) hergestellt wird.
2. Verschlussanordnung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das obere Ende (13) des rohrförmigen Körpers (10) in einem oberen Abschnitt (10a)
des Letzteren definiert ist, der im Wesentlichen den gleichen Querschnittsumriss wie
das obere Ende (13) und eine Höhe, die größer als die Höhe des unteren Randes (25a)
der Dichtung (25) ist, aufweist.
3. Verschlussanordnung nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der rohrförmige Körper (10) einen Basisabschnitt (10c) umfasst, der unter dem oberen
Abschnitt (10a) definiert ist und der unten durch das untere Ende (11) des rohrförmigen
Körpers (10) begrenzt ist.
4. Verschlussanordnung nach Anspruch 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Basisabschnitt (10c) des rohrförmigen Körpers (10) einen Querschnittsumriss aufweist,
der im Wesentlichen konstant ist und größer ist als jener des oberen Abschnitts (10a).
5. Verschlussanordnung nach Anspruch 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der obere Abschnitt (10a) des rohrförmigen Körpers (10) mit dem Basisabschnitt (10c)
des Letzteren durch einen Übergangsabschnitt (10b) vereinigt ist, dessen Querschnittsprofil
durch zwei nach oben zulaufende gerade Liniensegmente definiert ist.
6. Verschlussanordnung nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der rohrförmige Körper (10) ferner eine ringförmige obere Wand (15) mit einer Außenkante,
die an das obere Ende (13) des rohrförmigen Körpers (10) doppelt gefalzt ist, und
eine Innenkante, die den Sitz (16) definiert, auf dem der Dichtungsabschnitt (21)
des Deckels (20) sitzen soll, besitzt.
1. Agencement de fermeture incluant une boîte métallique du type qui comprend : un corps
tubulaire (10) comportant une extrémité inférieure fermée (11) et une extrémité supérieure
ouverte (13) pourvue d'un siège (16) ; et un couvercle (20) en une seule pièce de
matière plastique, comprenant une partie d'étanchement (21) destinée à être calée,
de façon hermétique et amovible, sur le siège (16), et faisant saillie radialement
vers l'extérieur depuis ce dernier ; et un joint (25) pouvant être rompu axialement
dans une région de son extension circonférentielle et qui présente une jupe inférieure
(25a) destinée à être calée étroitement autour de l'extrémité supérieure (13) du corps
tubulaire (10), et un bord supérieur (25b) incorporé intérieurement à la partie d'étanchement
(21) au moyen de ponts radiaux susceptibles de rupture (26) qui sont rompus lorsqu'ils
sont soumis à une certaine force de traction pour séparer le joint (25) de la partie
d'étanchement (21) lors de la première ouverture du couvercle (20), caractérisé en ce que : l'extrémité supérieure (13) du corps tubulaire (10), autour de laquelle est calée
la jupe inférieure (25a) du joint (25) présente un contour en section transversale
qui est plus petit que le contour en section transversale le plus grand du restant
du corps tubulaire (10), de manière que le contour du couvercle (20) soit maintenu
intérieur audit contour en section transversale le plus grand du corps tubulaire (10),
évitant le contact mutuel des couvercles (20) de deux boîtes adjacentes disposées
côte à côte ; et l'extrémité inférieure (11) du corps tubulaire (10) de la boîte est
suffisamment plus grande que le contour de l'extrémité supérieure (13) de manière
à être positionnée extérieure à une extrémité supérieure (13) d'un corps tubulaire
(10) disposé immédiatement au-dessous, lorsque les boîtes sont empilées, permettant
au couvercle (20) de définir un contour contenu à l'intérieur du contour en section
transversale de l'extrémité inférieure (11) du corps tubulaire (10) de la boîte, dans
lequel un verrouillage entre les boîtes empilées est réalisé, par interférence dans
la direction radiale, entre l'extrémité inférieure (11) et la jupe inférieure (25a).
2. Agencement de fermeture selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que l'extrémité supérieure (13) du corps tubulaire (10) est définie dans une partie supérieure
(10a) de celui-ci présentant sensiblement le même contour en section transversale
que l'extrémité supérieure (13) et une hauteur qui est plus grande que la hauteur
de la jupe inférieure (25a) du joint (25).
3. Agencement de fermeture selon la revendication 2, caractérisé en ce que le corps tubulaire (10) comprend une partie de base (10c) définie au-dessous de la
partie supérieure (10a) et qui est limitée dans la portion inférieure par l'extrémité
inférieure (11) du corps tubulaire (10).
4. Agencement de fermeture selon la revendication 3, caractérisé en ce que la partie de base (10c) du corps tubulaire (10) présente un contour en section transversale
qui est sensiblement constant et plus grand que celui de la partie supérieure (10a).
5. Agencement de fermeture selon la revendication 3, caractérisé en ce que la partie supérieure (10a) du corps tubulaire (10) est réunie à la partie de base
(10c) de celui-ci par une partie de transition (10b), dont le profil en section transversale
est défini par deux segments de ligne droite convergeant vers le haut.
6. Agencement de fermeture selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, caractérisé en ce que le corps tubulaire (10) comprend en outre une paroi supérieure annulaire (15) ayant
un bord externe qui est doublement serti à l'extrémité supérieure (13) du corps tubulaire
(10), et un bord interne définissant le siège (16) pour caler la partie d'étanchement
(21) du couvercle (20).