The present invention relates to a protective device for drink cans according to the preamble of claim 1.
As stated in the title, there is provided an element applicable to a can of the type used for containing soft drinks and the like, for protecting it against external agents.
As is known, cans of the above type are exposed, while stored, to various agents such as dust, dirt, and other materials, which may contaminate the outer surface of those cans, just at the region that remains in contact with a person's lips when the liquid contained is consumed, as is common practice, by sucking directly from the can.
Until recently, apart from a simple lid in the form of a cylindrical disk of a very short height relative to its diameter, and
A cylindrical lid of the above type has many disadvantages: it must be applied to the outside of the can top rim, so that it may be easily released, and therefore its protective feature may get lost, and in addition it has to be made from a material such as plastic whereby its cost has to be taken into consideration.
Document
The device which will be now described allows overcoming the above mentioned disadvantages. It consists of a discoidal member which is applied to the top of a can for soft drinks or the like, and is temporarily retained thereto, covering said portion and thus preventing dust and other materials from being formed thereon.
When the user is going to drink from the can the protective member is first detached, this operation being carried out with hardly any effort, leaving the can top and the closure member thereof accessible; these will be clean precisely due to the insulating function of the protective device.
For ease of disclosure, the present description is accompanied by drawings in which one case of embodiment of a protective device for drink cans is shown by way of an illustrative and non-limitative example according to the principles of the claims.
The elements indicated by the reference numerals in the drawings correspond to the parts referenced hereinbelow.
The protective device of this patent consists of a thin body 1 which is preferably circular in shape (even though it could also take other forms), made from an easily deformable material, such as, for example, cardboard, plastic or metal.
The body 1 has, on its periphery, a number of radial notches 2 which are advantageously angular in shape, with their vertexes facing the center of the piece.
Likewise, the body 1 has curvilinear cuts 3, concentric with the edges of the body itself and at a distance from them similar to the length of the radial notches 2.
The can 4 is of the known type having at the top of its cylindrical body a frustoconical portion 5 and a concentric rim 6.
The described protective device is positioned on a drink can as follows:
The disk 1 is positioned overlapping and centred on the rim 6 (whereby it will protect the central portion of the upper base of the body 4), and thus the peripheral areas 7 defined by the cuts 3 project from the rim itself. Subsequently, a slight force is applied to said areas 7 resulting in their downward flexion which is facilitated by the radial notches 2. The cuts 3 are positioned with their lower sides located below the rim 6, resulting in that the disk 1 remains attached to the body 4 of the can.
The frustoconical portion 5, which will also be in contact with the user's lips, is protected by the protruding areas 7 and it is sheltered from dust and other materials.
When the contents of the can is going to be consumed, the described device is easily detached by applying a slight force in the direction of lifting the flanges formed by the peripheral areas 7.
Furthermore, the device itself may form an excellent advertising carrier, since logos and inscriptions regarding the product contained therein or other products and services may be included on one or both of its two faces.
The number of notches 2 and cuts 3 may be varied in accordance with the size of the disk 1 and the can 4.
This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.