Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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1 2 -06- 1997
A DEVICE FOR A BEVERAGE CAN
The present invention relates to a device for a beverage can as disclosed in the prearnble
of the attached patents claims 1, 2 and 3. Furthermore, the invention relates toS utilization of a can of a stackable type as disclosed in claim 10.
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The point of departure for the present invention is to provide in connection with
- beverage cans a best possible covering of the top and/or bottom of the can, so that there
is no likelihood of primarily the top part of the can becoming cont~min~t.od with dirt,
dust or the like around the pouring ~l Lule of the can, whilst ensuring that the can is
capable of being stacked, and also that use of the external bottom area of the can is
possible.
US Patent 4,927,048 relates to a beverage can having a sanitary cover which is designed
- 15 to rest over the top portion of the can and the fold around the folded edge between the
cylindrical part of the can and its top. The sanitary cover must in its orientation be in
~lignment with the position of the pouring aperture of the can, so that when the cover is
torn off, the pouring aperture and the aperture generating pull means are exposed. In an
automation process this will require relatively expensive equipment in order to ensure
that the mutual orientation is made possible, whilst the folding operation will cause a
- reduction in the production rate.
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From US Patent 5,131,554 it is known to provide a beverage can with a dust coverwhich is riveted to the pull means which is to be used to tear open the pouring aperture.
- 25 The cover is thus designed to lie completely flush with the top of the can and requires a
can type which is not conventionally used.
- US Patent 5,273,176 relates to a solution where a cover capable of being pivoted
upwards can be provided over the top of the can, and where the edges of the cover
extend beyond the periphery of the can top. The cover has a through-going hole for a
straw and is designed to be positioned such that relative to the pouring aperture of the
can, said hole in the cover corresponds to the pouring aperture when this has been
opened. The object of the taught solution is also to be able to close the cover after
drinking from the can with the aid of the straw.
AMENDED SHEET
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A disadvantage of this known solution is that the stackability of the cans is affected,
whilst arrangement in connection with, e.g., a six-pack, is rendered virtually impossible
owing to the reduced attachment flange on the can.
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5 US Patent 5,139,163 relates to a solution re-miniect?nt ofthat taught in US Patent
5,273,176. In this known solution, clustering, e.g., a six-pack, is rendered completely
impossible owing to the fact that the cover rests on the outside of the can top and the top
flange of the can is no longer ~rc~oc~ihle. The cover is provided with a tear-off means to
make the pouring aperture of the can and its pull means ~ccessil~le. Just as in the other
10 known solutions, a proportional, mutual orientation b~;lw~n the positioned cover and
the pouring al)e~ e of the can is required if the user is to enjoy the benefits the cover is
intçn-le~l to give. However, a solution of this kind is difficult to combine with an
automated process.
15 US Patent 4,708,257 describes a beverage can with a seal which is adhered or shrunk
onto the top of the can to prevent the top of the can from being cont~min~te~l The seal
rnay consist of a circular, thin film or foil which curls up where it is torn open from one
side.
20 US Patent 4,651,890 makes known a solution wherein on the underside of the can there
is provided a tear-open pouch co.~in ;, .g a moist wipe means for cleaning the top of the
beverage can prior to drinking directly from the can.
US Patent 1,879,517 relates to a can, jar or the like, where the top or bottom of the can
25 is provided with a further lid or cover in addition to the real lid and cover, and where
this additional lid or cover may contain an article of some kind.
US Patent 3,638,787 relates to a special package for p~ ng several cans together in
- addition to a fragile unit of some kind which is not a part of the actual cans, but is
30 hidden by the packaging. This solution is particularly well suited in connection with
packing fragile articles which cannot be packed mech~ni~ ly.
US Patent 3,112,824 relates to a can or bottle wherein the top of the can or bottle is
provided with a cover which may contain an article of some kind.
US Patent 4,917,258 relates to a-~id which can be snapped on to a beverage can.
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US Patent 2,804,201 relates to a solution whereby a lid can be placed on the top of a can
which inco,yold~es a can opener key, and where the lid when turned can be brought into
engagement with the handle of the can opener key.
S US Patent 2,120,403 relates to a solution where some form of advertising matter may be
provided on the actual can opener key which is secured in a conventional manner to the
top of the can, whereupon the top of the can may be covered with a lid. This lid is
shown having various types of design where it is possible to allow the space between
the lid and the cavity of the can to contain an article of some kind.
European Patent Publication 404 734 shows a further illustration of the state of the art,
where the edge of a beverage can may be provided with a snap-on ~1rinking lip so that
the person drinking from the can does not come into direct contact with the metal of the
beverage can, whilst the device also enables a certain covering of the exposed apelLu,c
15 leading into the cavity of the can, which may be pr~t tic~l if there is a desire to
t~ o~;ly close the can.
An object of the present invention is to provide a solution in connection with a beverage
can, whereby the cover wTnich is to be arranged on the top surface of the can is capable
20 of being ~tt~hed in a simple manner.
The characterising features of the aforementioned devices and the can of a stackable
type are set forth in the claims below.
25 However, an ob3ect of the present invention is to provide solutions where a covering of
the pouring aperture of the can may be combined with other advantages, whilst at the
same time other possibilities have been discovered with the present invention for the use
of surfaces on a beverage can of this kind.
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30 The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the attacheddrawings.
Figs. 1 to 5 illustrate a first embodiment of the device according to the invention.
35 Figs. 6 and 7 i~lustrate a second embodiment of the device according to the invention,
with different types of joi~nts between the cover and the beverage can.
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Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate a third embodiment of the device according to the invention, with
different types of joints between the cover and the beverage can.
Figs. 10. 1 1, 12 and 13 show alternative methods of securing cans in clusters for the
S embodiment according to Fig. 8.
Figs. 14 and 15 show a third embodiment of the device according to the invention and
represent a modification ofthe solution in Figs. g and 13.
10 Figs. 16 to 18 illustrate a fourth embodiment of the device according to the invention.
Figs. 19 to 21 show a fifth embodiment of the device according to the invention.
In Fig. 1 it is shown how a beverage can 1 may be provided with a cover 2. The can I
15 has a pull means 3 which ~C.~ tP~ a weakening 4 in the top of the can in order to
generate a pouring ape, ~ e.
The cover 2 may, e.g., be dome-shaped, as indicated in Fig. 5. The cover 2 may be
provided with print 5, e.g. a printed adverti~ernent~ indicated as a mere example in the
20 form of the letters ABC. However, it will be understood that any form of print is
possible. Alternatively the print could be in the form of h~ es:iions in the m~t~ l of
the cover, e.g., produced during the forming process of the cover. The cover could be
wholly or partly Ll~lspalclll, but it is also conceivable that cover is opaque in that a
coating is applied, e.g., in the form of a protecting lacquer. Furthermore, it is also
25 possible to allow the cover 2 to be light-reflecting perhaps in order to draw better
attention to the message provided on the cover. As can be seen from Fig. 1, the cover 2
is decign~-~l to fit into the depressed portion of the container top, so that the wall 6 of the
depressed portion ~ alllially bears against the periphery of the cover, as can better be
understood with reference to Fig. 5.
The cover 2 will effectively protect the pouring aperture of the can from dust and
cont~min~nt~ before the can is emptied.
The ~tt~çhm~nt system of the cover which is shown in Figs. 1 to 5 is particu}arly useful
35 for those case~where the cover is only to be provided with print, e.g., a printed
adverti~ome~t or is made having print in the form of hl~ es~ions in the material of the
cover. In this case the cover is preferably opaque. As can be seen from Fig. 4 the cover
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is made in this case of a sheet part 7 which has two diagonally arranged, backwardly
nt;ng~ opposing fixing flaps 8 and 9.. These fixing flaps are designed such that when
the cover 2 is pressed down towards the can top 3', the flaps 8 and 9 are bent in the
- direction of the front face of the cover 2 or the sheet part 7 as indicated by means of the
arrows 10, wh~leby the fixing flaps come into .ong~genn~nt between the top surface 3' of
the can and the said pull means 3 in connection with the pouring aperture 4. The flaps
preferably have an angle of dey~ L~u~ in the range of 40-50~, although this range must
not be seen to be limi~ing for the present invention. As shown in Fig. 5, when the cover
2 is in place, the top part 7 thereof be will slightly curved ru~ Lds or upwards, whilst
the flaps 8 and 9 remain substantially parallel to the surface 3' of the can top. In this
way an ~rrt;ctiv~ ~tt~.hment method of the cover on to the top of a beverage can is
obtained. An advantage of the solution shown in Figs. 1 to 5 is that engagement will
take place with the pull means 3 irrespective of the mutual orientation of the fixing flaps
21 and 22 relative to the orientation of the pull means 3. This ~ chmenf method which
can thus be seen from Figs. 1 to 5 is particularly suitable for ~ltom~ted application of
the cover 2. The cover 2 will effectively be under tension when it is arranged in the
position shown in Fig. 5.
A further development of the invention is also shown in Figs 6 to 9 where the cover is
- 20 decign~d as a cavity, the cover in reality being made having an upper portion 11 and a
lower portion 12 which in essence co,~ olld to the design of the upper portion 1 ' and
the lower portion 1 " of the beverage can 1. However, it can readily be envisaged that
the depressed portions im the upper 11 and lower 12 portions of the cover respectively
may be of a dep$h that is less than that of the depressed portions in the upper 1 ' and
lower 1 " portions of the can. The cover in the present case is indicated by means of the
reference numeral 13 . The cover has a tear-off portion 4' . The cover, which in terms of
~,peal~lce resembles a beverage can, has however ~ub~ y smaller axial extent L2
- than the axial extent L1 of the beverage can. As a, for the invention non-limiting,
example, the cover 13 may have an axial length which is e~ual to about 20 to 50% of
the axial extent of the beverage can 1. The cover 13 in the form of a mini-can may be
secured to the beverage can, e.g., by adhesion, as shown in Figs. 6 and 8. In the
embodiment in Fig. 6, this takes place in that the lower, bevelled portion 12 of the cover
- 13 is provided with an adhesive, whilst in the embodiment in Fig. 8 the lower bevelled
portion 14 on the beverage can is provided with an adhesive. In the embo~imentc
- 35 according to Figs. 7 and 9, the cover part 13 is attached to the beverage can by means of
tape or shrink wrap plastics 16.
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As can be seen in Fig. 10, an assembled unit con~ tin~ of a can 1 and a bottom cover 13
could form a part of a multi-pack, e.g., a six-pack. The six assembled can unitsconsisting of three cans 1 and three bottom covers 13 are retained in a known way per se
by a plastic film 15 known per se that is provided with holes and where the edges of the
S holes form secure eng~,oment with the lower edge of the folded flange of the can.
In Fig. 1 1 an ~It~rn~tiye packing form is shown, e.g., of four units 1, 13, wherein a
packing plastic film 17 extends around the top of the uppermost unit and around the
bottom of the lowermost unit. The plastic film may optionally be of a type such that it
10 has a carrying handle 18. It would optionally be expedient to connect the respective
parts 1 and 13 in each unit with an adhesive to f~c ilit~te the p~r~ing However, this is
not a definite condition for the un-ler.st~nding and performance of the present invention.
In Fig. 12 it is shown that the container 13 may instead forrn a top cover 13' for the can
15 1. In this case it would be expedient to join the cover 1 3 ' and the can 1 with an
adhesive, optionally to pack the units together in the same way as shown in connection
with Fig. 11. In case the cover 13' is ~e~i~ned to be identical to the cover or mini-can
13 which is shown in connection with Figs. 6 to 9, and where the mini-can 13' isadhered to the beverage can 1, a six-pack, for example, may be held together by means
20 of a supporting plastic film 19 in a manner co~ .onding to that shown and described in
connection with Fig. 10. However, it will be understood that other packing methods
will be conceivable within the scope of the invention.
In this connection reference can also be made to Fig. 13 where three units which each
25 consist of a can I and a cover 13 are arranged in a colurnn, and where the joining takes
place with the aid of tape or shrink wrap plastic 16 in the transition portions between the
units.
As an example of the content in a cover or mini-can 13 or 13', mention can be made of
30 articles in solid or li~uid form, including typical taste samples such as introductory
samples of new products, peanuts, chocolate and other foodstuffs or stim~ nt~ It will
imrnediately be appreciated that the covers represented by the mini-cans l 3 and 13 ' will
be capable of having print applied, e.g., a printed adverti~rnPllt both around the
periphery and on the top and bottom surfaces.
In Fig. 14 a solution is shown with a cover 20 which has a recess 21 which is adapted to
the external periphery or bevelled portion 14 of the can I, and on its other side has an
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axially projecting integrated body 22 with a periphery adapted to the inner wall 6 in the
depressed portion on an adjacent beverage can 1. However, it is worth noting that the
cover 20 has a cross-section D2 which is no greater than the cross-section D 1 of the
beverage can. The cover 20 in the illustrated embodiment is int~ntled to constitute a
~uypolLing mat for the can, e.g., made of a cork material or other m~t~ri~l which does
not scratch the underlying surface on which the beverage can 1 is to be placed.
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Between the depressed portion 21 and the recess in the bottom of the can there may be
placed an article, e.g., selected from a group consisting of lapel badges, mini-art, mini-
(:~Ds, lottery tickets, printed matter, mini-toys, souvenirs, bonus coupons, sarnples,
serviettes, wipes, taste samples, adverti~ement~, change. The use of the said space or
cavity for change may be particularly relevant in connection with the sale of beverage
cans or bottles in vending m~rhines
As an alternative to cork material, the cover 20 may be made of, for example, a soft
plastic material or another material which under norrnal conditions does not cause
- scratching. Optionally, the cover 20 may conceivably be made of a wood fibre material.
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To be able to sell the solution shown in Fig. 14 in an expedient manner, tape or shrink
- 20 plastic 23 could conceivably be used to attach the cover 20 to the beverage can 1.
However, this does not rule out the use of dots of adhesive between the can I and the
cover 20. The sales unit as shown in Fig. 15 consists of a total of three can/cover units
1, 20. The transitions behveen these units are made with the aid of tape or shrink wrap
plastics. ~lt~rn~;vely, the connection can be made as shown and explained in
connection with Fig. 11.
.
Although the said covers are preferably made of the sarne material as the beverage can,
~ e.g., alu~ninium, this does not, of course, prevent other materials from being chosen for
use in the covers. Possible altern~tive materials may conceivable be rigid or soft
therrnoplastics, or wood fibre materials, materials Cont~ining corn starch or other starch
products, and optionally ~plup,iate shrink wrap plastic materials. However, it should
be noted that the choice of m~t~ri~l for the covers should in no way be seen as limiting
for the idea and scope of the invention.
3 5 Although in connection with the said covers, no consideration has been given to a direct
covering of the top and outer edge of the can, there is of course nothing to prevent the
top portion from being provided with a protecting film, e.g., of aluminium or plastic.
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However, when the can assembly is supplied in the form illustrated, e.g. in Figs. 13 and
15 and with the modifications thereof that are obvious to the skilled person, it will
im mef1i~tely be appreciated that a hygienic protection of the drinking edge of the
beverage can could also be provided in part by those tape or shrink wrap plastic5 materials which are arranged around the transitions between the can/cover unit and an
s~Aj~rellt unit of this kind. The carrying piece which is located on the top of such a unit
could easily be made so as to provide a sufficient covering of the top edge of the upper
can 1. In the solution shown in Fig. 11, it will be ensured that the drinking edge is kept
clean by using shrink plastic between the can 1 and the cover 13' for each unit thereof.
10 If the mini-can 13' in addition has an upper portion which is equipped with a folded
flange, it is possible to move the connecting film up to this portion of the can 13'.
In the embodiment according to Figs. 16 to 18, the cover 24isintPntled for a beverage
can 25, preferably of the stackable type, wherein the top of the can has a depressed
15 portion 26 with a further recessed rim along the inner wall 28 of the depressed portion.
As previously de$cribed, the can is in a known way designed to have a det~rh~blesection connlocted to a pouring aperture gener~ting pull means 30.
The cover is f~eeigned to fit into the depressed portion 26 and has a cavity 24' or a recess
in its back. The wall 28 of the depressed portion surrounds and substantially bears
against the pc lil.hcl y of the cover over at least a part of its axial extent.
This alternative solution is characterised in that the cover 24 along upper outer rim
thereof has a sealing lip 31 (lecign~fl to bear against said inner wall 28 and along its
lower outer rim has a bead 32 ~lecigned to fit into said recessed rim 27. When the cover
24 is pressed down into the depressed portion 26 of the can and the rim 27, in the same
operation there is also produced a vacuum between the back of the cover 24 and the top
surface 26' of the can through vacuum ~tllRtil-n during the pressing action. The bead
32 is to advantage made of a material which, when the cover 24 is pressed down into the
30 depressed portion 26 and vacuum is ~ctll~ted simultaneously, is subjected to a lateral
expansion into the recessed rim 27, thereby obtaining improved adhesion and sealing, so
that said vacuum between the cover 24 and the depressed portion 26,37 of the can is
m~int~ined. Furthermore, the recessed rim 27 can be provided with an adhesive 34 in
order to ~urther secure said vacuum through increased adhesion between the rim 27 and
35 the bead 32 of the cover.
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The cover is provided wi~h a tear-off flap 33, which causes said vacuum between the
cover ~4 and the depressed portion 26, 27 of the can to be elimin~ted when the flap is
torn off, whereby the bead 32 is released from the recessed rim 27, allowing the cover
24 and its optional content (not shown) to be removed.
Thus~ the present invention does not only make possible the covering of the pouring
aperture of a beverage can, and the application of advertising or information on a cover
which is located on the top or at the bottom of the beverage can 1 or in both places, but
~ also allows the said covers to contain objects or samples in liquid or solid form. When
- 10 supplying units in, e.g., three-packs, four-packs, six-packs or the like, it will be
understood that it will be possible to attach beverage cans 1 and their respective covers
13, 13' to one another in a simple manner and also in this way ensure that the drinking
edge is either covered or optionally can be cleaned with a wipe which is found in the
cavih~ or recess of the cover.
In the solution shown in Figs. 19-21, the cover 13 is arranged to cover the depressed
bottom portion 37 of the can. However, the cover 13 may conceivably instead cover the
depressed top portion 6 of the can, as indicated in Fig. 7. The assembly of the can (1 )
and cover (13~ is then surrounded by an upwardly open Co~ ,L 35, preferably made in
20 the forrn of a drinking glass of plastic or glass. The ~Irinkin~ glass may be made of a
translucent or opaque material. Like the can, the outer surface of the glass
may optionally be provided with decoration, ornament, information or advertisingmaterial.
25 However, it is important that when storing the can 1, the cover 13, and the glass 35 that
dust and dirt do not enter the cont~in~r in the space bt;~w~;t;n the can/cover assembly and
the inner wall of the container 35 . Therefore, around a upper portion 35' of the
container 35 there is provided a sealing means 36 which is ~1et~h~hle, e.g., by tearing
off. The sealing means may, e.g., be a band of heat ~hrink~hle material, a sealing
30 sleeve. a sealing tape, e.g., an adhesive tape. The sealing means 36 rests in sealing
contact with a peripheral portion 1 "' of the can l/cover 13 assembly, e.g., a portion 1 '''
of the can as in~lic~tetl in Fig. 20.
Although it is not shown in Figs. 19-21, it will be understood that a type of cover as
35 shoun and described in connection with Figs. I to 15 or Figs. 16 to 18 could be
provided in the recessed portion 6 of the can 1 or in the recessed portion 3 8 of the cover
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13 depending upon whether it is the can 1 or the cover 13 which is uppermost in the can
l/cover 13 assembly.
The solution shown in Fig. 19 is particularly advantageous in the cases where in a
S practical manner it is desirable to sell or distribute as a unit a can 1 cont~ining a
beverage, cover 13 cont~ining another beverage or a foodstuffin solid form, e.g.,
peanuts, and a drinking glass 35.
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