METAL CONTAINER WITH CLOSURE

Abstract

 Container (1), particularly for liquid products, comprising an actual container or metal can (10) provided with a closure (20), wherein said can (10) comprises a cylindrical body (11) having above a dome-shaped element (12) provided with a central opening (13), in the area of connection between said cylindrical body (11) and said dome-shaped element (12), resulting in a lower circumferential rim (14), a further upper rim (15) being provided around said central opening (13), and
wherein said closure (20) is in plastic material, also has a dome shape and has a cylindrical lower portion (21) of minimum thickness and external diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said body (10), and an upper portion (22) of greater thickness, internally to said lower portion (21) being provided a pair of ribs (23), directed radially or horizontally, determining between them a seat (24) designed to accommodate said lower rim (14), while internally to said thickened upper portion (22) a pair of ribs (25) being provided, directed axially or vertically downwards, determining between them a seat (26) designed to house said upper rim (15), following a pressure application of the closure (20) on the can (10).

Description

[0001] The subject of the present invention is a metal container for food, cosmetics or technical products, tending to be in liquid form, with a tamper-proof and anti-filling closure.

[0002] The metal containers to which the invention refers, and which here below will also be referred to as cans, are widely known.

[0003] They can be fitted with metal or plastic closures, with screw caps or other types.

[0004] Normally, these closures, placed in a metal packaging, do not simultaneously perform the functions of inviolability and non-reuse required.

[0005] For example, screw caps, whether made of plastic or metal, allow the container to be filled and thus reused (even fraudulently).

[0006] Other closures, in particular those made of plastic, can be fitted with an anti-fill pourer, but are not 100% inviolable, and therefore are not tamper-proof and can be removed and re-applied to the container, allowing it to be reused.

[0007] US 7832589 B2 describes a metal container with a plastic sleeve. The container has a cylindrical neck which is connected to the body of the container by means of a truncated cone portion, on which there is a circumferential rim axially oriented upwards. The sleeve has an upper cylindrical portion that is arranged around the cylindrical neck of the container and a lower dome-shaped portion having internally a centring seat designed to accommodate said axial rim. The sleeve is held in position by the upper edge of the neck of the container, which is bent outwards to form a radially protruding flange. The application of the sleeve is somewhat laborious and requires subsequent operations on the container to keep it in position. Moreover, the sleeve constitutes a simple covering of the neck of the container.
There are no features which disclose tamper-proof or anti-fill elements.

[0008] US 2804988 A describes a metal container with a plastic closure that attaches to the container with an axial movement in one single point. In particular, a groove at the base of the closure engages in a radial rib of the container. This closure does not guarantee anti-tamper or inviolability features.

[0009] The object of the invention is to eliminate the disadvantages of metal containers of the prior art described above.

[0010] In particular, one of the objects of the invention is to provide a metal container provided with anti-fill and tamper-proof closure.

[0011] Another object of the invention is to provide such a container that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

[0012] Another object of the invention is to provide a metal container with such a closure that is lightweight and durable and which guarantees excellent tightness to the liquid product contained therein.

[0013] These and other objects of the container according to the invention are achieved with the features expressed in the appended independent claim 1.

[0014] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are disclosed by the dependent claims.

[0015] Substantially, the container, particularly for liquid products, according to the invention, comprises an actual container or metal can provided with a closure, wherein said can comprises a cylindrical body having above a dome-shaped element provided with a central opening, in the area of connection between said cylindrical body and said dome-shaped element resulting in a lower circumferential rim, a further upper rim being provided around said central opening, and
wherein said closure is made of plastic material, also has a dome shape and has a lower cylindrical portion of minimum thickness and external diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said body, and an upper portion of greater thickness, internally to said lower portion a pair of ribs being provided, directed radially or horizontally and determining between them a seat designed to accommodate said lower rim, while internally to said upper thickened portion a pair of ribs being provided, directed axially or vertically downwards, determining between them a seat designed to accommodate said upper rim, following application of a pressure of the closure on the can.

[0016] Further features of the invention will be made clearer by the following detailed description, referred to a non-limiting example embodiment thereof, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

• Figure 1 is a blown-up axonometric view of a metal container provided with a closure according to the invention;
• Figure 2 is a half-section frontal view, showing the closure separated from the container;
• Figure 3 is a view like that of Figure 2, with the closure applied to the container;
• Figure 4 is an enlargement of the upper part of Figure 3, to better show the application of the closure to the container.

[0017] Figure 1 shows, in a blown-up view, a container according to the invention, denoted as a whole by reference numeral 1, comprising an actual container or can 10 of metallic material, a closure 20 and a cap 30.

[0018] As can be seen more clearly in Figures 2-4, the can 10 comprises a cylindrical-shaped body 11 having a dome-shaped element 12 above with a central opening 13.

[0019] For production reasons, the dome-shaped element 12 is separated from body 11 and constrained thereto by seaming its lower edge to the upper edge of cylindrical body 11, where a rim 14 is formed, slightly recessed with respect to the external profile of body 11e projecting upwards and outwards.

[0020] The upper edge of the dome-shaped element 12 is turned outwards, resulting in a second rim 15, of smaller diameter with respect to the rim 14.

[0021] On the metal can 10 is applied, in an inviolable manner, as will now be said, the closure 20 in plastic material, in particular, but not exclusively, in high-density polyethylene.

[0022] The closure or lid 20, also substantially shaped like a dome, has a lower portion 21 of minimum thickness, cylindrical in shape, with an external diameter substantially equal to the diameter of body 11 of the container, and an upper dome-shaped portion 21 of greater thickness.

[0023] Inside said cylindrical lower portion 21 project a pair of radial ribs 23, horizontally oriented with reference to the accompanying drawings, determining between them a seat 24 designed to accommodate partially said lower rim 14 of the container 10.

[0024] Inside the thickened upper part 22 of the closure 20 a further pair of ribs 25 are provided, projecting axially, vertically oriented downwards with reference to the accompanying drawings, determining between them a seat 26, designed to house said upper rim 15 of the container 10.

[0025] In the present description the terms "radial" and "axial" are referred to the longitudinal axis of the container.

[0026] Closure 20 is applied to container 10 under pressure, resulting in an upper internal coupling at the pair of axial ribs 25 housing the rim 15, and a lower external seal at the pair of radial ribs 23 housing the lower rim 14 laterally.

[0027] The pairs of ribs 23 and 25 can be continuous, that is, extending over an arc of 360°, or discontinuous, extending over arcs of shorter length. In this second case, the ribs of each pair do not necessarily have to extend over arcs of the same length.

[0028] Once closure 20 has been applied by pressure to container 10, the container is inviolable, since it is practically impossible to remove closure 20, unless a considerable force of bending and torsion is exerted which would cause breakage thereof, with clear evidence of tampering.

[0029] In the accompanying drawings the closure 20 is shown with an anti-fill upper pourer 27, that is, that allows the outflow of the liquid only in one direction and not in the opposite direction, thus preventing the container 10 from being filled through it.

[0030] Around the pourer 27 an external threading 38 is provided for the application of cap 30 which, in the example shown, is of the screw type.

[0031] Naturally closure 20 can be provided with systems of distribution of the product different from those shown, without prejudice to the provision of means that allow the application of pressure and consequent inviolability thereof.

[0032] The advantages of the metal container with plastic closure according to the invention are clear from the above.

[0033] In fact, in addition to its tamper-proof and anti-filling properties, it is lightweight, unbreakable, economical, securely sealed and totally recyclable.

[0034] The container according to the invention can obviously be made in different sizes according to the specific uses.

[0035] Naturally the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment previously described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but numerous detail changes may be made thereto within the reach of the person skilled in the art, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention itself, as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. Container (1), particularly for liquid products, comprising an actual container or metal can (10) provided with a closure (20), wherein said can (10) comprises a cylindrical body (11) having above a dome shaped element (12) provided with a central opening (13), a lower circumferential rim (14) being formed in the zone of connection between said cylindrical body (11) and said dome-shaped element (12), a further upper rim (15) being provided around said central opening (13), and
wherein said closure (20) is made of plastic material, also has a dome shape and has a cylindrical lower portion (21) of minimum thickness and an external diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said body (10), and an upper portion (22) of greater thickness, inside said lower portion (21) a pair of radially or horizontally directed ribs (23) being provided, determining between them a seat (24) designed to receive said lower rim (14), while internally to said thickened upper portion (22) a pair of ribs (25) directed axially or vertically downwards being provided, determining between them a seat (26) designed to house said upper rim (15), following a pressure application of the closure (20) on the can (10).

2. Container (1) according to claim 1, wherein said pair of ribs (23) and/or said pair of ribs (25) are continuous, extending over an arc of 360°, or discontinuous, extending over portions of arc of smaller length.

3. Container (1) according to claim 2, wherein the discontinuous ribs of one or both of said pairs (23), (25) extend over arcs of different length.

4. Container (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said dome-shaped portion (12) is an element separated from said body (11) and is fixed thereto by seaming, determining said peripheral rim (14).

5. Container (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said rim (14) is slightly recessed with respect to the external profile of said cylindrical body (11).

6. Container (1) according to claim 1, wherein the plastic material of said closure (20) is high-density polyethylene.

7. Container (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said closure (20) is provided with an anti-filling pourer (27).

8. Container (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said closure (20) is provided with a cap (30).

Drawing