Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02471064 2004-06-15
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The present invention relates to a closure
assembly specifically designed for beverage or drink
holding cans.
As is known, beverage can closures
assemblies are conventionally constituted by a tang
pivoted to the top surface of the can, which tang is
used as a lever to push inward a weakened portion of
the can surface to free an opening, of substantially
ovoidal configuration, therefrom it is possible to
pour the can contents, or directly drink it.
Also known is the fact that, upon opening,
a prior can cannot be tightly reclosed.
Accordingly, the can beverage, in
particular if it is of a sparkling or effervescent
type, must be consumed within a comparatively short
time and, moreover, cannot be preserved for a long
time, upon opening the can.
A lot of different reclosing systems for
reclosing beverage cans have been already proposed:
however, the mentioned systems conventionally
comprise separated fittings or articles, which have a
comparatively large size and, moreover, a very high
COSt.
In contrast with other types of packages,
such as plastic bottles including threaded caps and
laminated material boxes for fruit juices, milk and
the like, conventional beverage cans are not provided
with reclosable plugs which, however, would be very
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useful.
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Accordingly, the aim of the present
invention is to provide such a closure assembly,
specifically designed for beverage cans, which allows
to tightly reclose an opened can.
Within the scope of the above mentioned
aim, a main object of the present invention is to
provide such a closure assembly, allowing to hold the
beverage held in a can in a sparkling or effervescent
condition, even after the opening of the can.
Another object of the present invention is
to provide such a. closure assembly which is very
competitive from a mere economic standpoint, and
simple from the constructional standpoint, thereby
allowing the can provided with said closure assembly,
to be constructed on a very large scale.
Yet another object of the present invention
is to provide such a closure assembly which can be
made by using materials and methods broadly used in
this field.
According to one aspect of the present
invention, the above mentioned aim and objects, as
well as yet other objects, which will become more
apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a closure
assembly, specifically designed for beverage cans,
said closure assembly comprising a tang pivoted to a
pivoting pin rigid with a wall of the can at an
opening portion thereof.
Said tang can be removed to free an
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opening, therethrcugh it would be possible to pour
the can contents, cr directly drink the beverage held
therein, and being characterized in that. said tang
comprises an increased thickness portion, adapted to
reclose the opening.
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Further characteristics and advantages of
the present invention will become more apparent
hereinafter from the following detailed disclosure of
a preferred, though not exclusive, embodiment
thereof, which is illustrated, by way of an
indicative, but not limitative, example, in the
accompanying drawings, where:
Figure 1 is a top plan view of a beverage
can, with the closure tang thereof shown in a closed
and sealed condition;
Figure 2 is a view similar to figure l, but
showing the beverage can in an open condition
thereof;
Figure 3 is a view similar to figure 2, but
illustrating closure tang performing a rotary
movement;
Figure 4 is a further view similar to the
preceding views, but illustrating the beverage can
with the tang thereof in a closed condition,
according to the present invention; and
Figure 5 is a partial elevation view of the
beverage can shown with its tang in a closed
condition.
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4
~ESC~tIP".~3~N ~~' T~~ PPS~DliTTS
With reference to the number references to
the above mentioned figures, the closure assembly
according to the present invention, comprises a tang
1 pivoted to a pivot pin 2 on a top portion 3 of a
beverage can 4, of a per se known type, at the
conventionally provided weakened portion 5 thereof.
The latter, as it is inward pressed, will
defined an ovoidal opening or port 6, therefrom it
would be possible to pour the can contents, or
directly drink it.
According to the present invention, the
tang 1 comprises an increased thickness portion 11,
formed on the bottom surface of said tang and
provided for closing the opening 6, by rotating the
tang through 180", with respect to its starting
position used for lever-urging the portion 5, for
opening it.
Advantageously, the tang 1 is preferably
made of the same material as presently used for the
can, and has a sufficient stiffness to be used for
opening the weakened portion 5, while having a degree
of elasticity, to allow the increased thickness
portion 21 to resiliently engage the edges of the
opening 6.
To that end, the increased thickness
portion 11 has advantageously a mushroom
configuration, so as to be stably engaged or
introduced into said opening.
A raised edge 7 will facilitate the
reopening operation of reopening the can, allowing to
CA 02471064 2004-06-15
rotate the tang l to free again the opening 6.
It has been found that the invention fully
achieves the intended aim arid objects.
In fact, the invention provides a closure
assembly allowing to reclose a beverage can, to
protect its contents, upon opening the can.
Such an advantage would be very important,
for example for sprinkling beverages, which, owing to
the inventive closure assembly, will not loose their
sparkling characteristics, even if they are consumed
in an extended time period.
In particular, the possibility of tightly
closing the cans, will allow to make said cans in a
so-called °'family" size.
Such a size has not been up to now used in
the beverage can making field.
In practicing the invention, the used
materials, as well as the contingent size and shapes,
could be any, depending on requirements and status of
the art.
