NL2032302B1

NL2032302B1 - Food or beverage can

Info

Publication number: NL2032302B1
Application number: NL2032302A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Uyar Hüseyin
Original assignee: Mimain Ouled Radi
Priority date: 2022-06-28
Filing date: 2022-06-28
Publication date: 2024-01-12

Abstract

A food or beverage can (100) comprising a body (105) with a top lid (120) to close off the body (105), and an openable section (124) provided in the top lid (120), on which openable section (124) a grippable tool (115) is provided to 5 enable a user to grip and use the tool (115) to tear the openable section (124) partly loose from the top lid (120), wherein at least the top lid (120) is covered by a latex seal (130).

Description

019973 NL-PD\VB

Food or beverage can

The invention relates to a food or beverage can comprising a body with a top lid to close off the body, and an openable section provided in the top lid, on which openable section a grippable tool is provided to enable a user to grip and use the tool to tear the openable section loose from the top lid.

Such a food or beverage can is well known from all day practice. An example of such a can is shown in US 8,534,490 B2.

A problem with known cans for food or beverages is that its outer surface may be accidentally or deliberately contaminated. This poses a threat for the consumer’s health, particularly when after opening the openable section in the top lid, the can is placed at the mouth to pour the can’s content into the mouth.

This is where the invention steps in.

According to the invention a food or beverage can and a production line for manufacturing such a food or beverage can is proposed with the features of any one of the attached claims.

In a first aspect of the invention the top lid is covered by a latex seal. This latex seal prevents contamination of the top lid, which is the most sensitive place to get contaminated, since this top lid is the most frequently during consumption of the can’s content contacting a consumer mouth.

Using latex for this purpose is preferable since it is environment friendly and is not polluting. The latex seal can have any suitable colour or be transparent.

Preferably the latex seal covers the grippable tool so as to realize optimum protection against undesirable contamination of relevant parts of the can’s upper outer surface.

Most preferably engaging the grippable tool requires breaking the latex seal. The latex seal provides a tamperproof sealing of the top of the can. If the seal is broken this is clear evidence that the can cannot be considered 100% safe against contamination.

This tamperproof evidence is even more promoted when breaking the latex seal causes complete release of the latex seal from the top lid. Moreover after such complete removal of the latex seal it is safe to place the can at the mouth to have immediate access to the can’s content.

The invention is also embodied in a production line of food or beverage cans according to the invention, wherein the production line is equipped with a tool for providing a latex seal on top of the lid of each of the manufactured food or beverage cans.

The invention will hereinafter be further elucidated with reference to the drawing of an exemplary embodiment of a beverage can according to the invention that is not limiting as to the appended claims.

In the drawing: -figure 1 shows a beverage can of the prior art in an isometric view; and figure 2 shows a top part of a beverage can according to the invention in an isometric view.

Whenever in the figures the same reference numerals are applied, these numerals refer to the same parts.

The invention is not restricted to beverage cans only as will be discussed hereinafter, but also applies in general to food cans.

US 8,534,490 B2 discloses that the beverage can 100 of the prior art depicted in figure 1 includes a can body 105 and a top lid 120. The body 105 is formed from a piece of continuous metal such as aluminum alloy or steel or other metal that is drawn, ironed, extruded, stretched, pressed, moulded, stamped or otherwise shaped into a cylindrical shape to form the body 105.

Once formed, the can housing or body 105 includes a lower end 108 and an upper end 109. In many conventional can body designs, the upper end 109 or neck of the body 105 tapers slightly inward at a top of the body 105 and terminates at an upper body edge 110.

The can 100 shown in FIG. 1 is fully assembled, filled with liquid contents and then sealed by providing a top lid 120 to the upper body edge 110 of the can body 105. In a conventional manufacturing process, a canning machine dispenses liquid into the body 105 and thereafter the top lid 120 is fixed to the upper body edge 110, to provide an airtight and liquid-

tight seal between the top lid 120 and the body 105.

A conventional top lid 120 includes a grippable tool 115 affixed via a connector 116 to the upper surface 129 of the top lid 120. The connector 116 may be located at or near a center region of the top lid 120. The grippable tool 115 includes a lifting end 118 and a leveraged end 119. The leveraged end 119 of the grippable tool 115 is aligned over an openable section 124 defined by a breakaway seam 123 on the top lid 120. The grippable tool 115 and openable section 124 allow a person to open the can 100 to dispense the liquid contents of the beverage can 100. Upon opening, the grippable tool 115 remains affixed to the can top lid 120 to minimize debris or garbage spoiling the environment.

To open the can 100, a person inserts a fingertip under the lifting end 118 of the grippable tool 115 and applies an upward or lifting force to the lifting end 118 of the grippable tool 115 up and away from the upper surface 129 of the can top lid 120. When enough force is applied, the openable section 124 breaks away from the can top 120 along the breakaway seam 123 and bends downwards and inwards into the inside of the can 100.

After opening the can 100 in this manner, the grippable tool 115 remains fixed to the top surface 129 and the openable section 124 remains connected to the can top lid 120 via a small region of the upper surface 129 of the can top lid 120 that remains the connection between the upper surface 129 and the openable section 124.

Cnce the conventional can 100 has been opened by a consumer in this manner, the consumer is able to dispense liquid contents from the can 100, by pouring liquid from the now open openable section 124. The consumer may dispense the liquid contents of the can 100 into another beverage container such as a glass or the like, but most frequently the consumer will drink directly from the can 100 using his or her mouth. As explained above a problem with this known can for food or beverages is that its outer surface may be accidentally or deliberately contaminated. This poses a threat for the consumer’s health, particularly when as just mentioned, after removing the removable section in the top lid, the can is placed by the consumer at his or her mouth to directly pour in the can’s content into such persons mouth.

To counter the possible attack on the consumer’s health

FIG. 2 shows the beverage can of the invention wherein at least the upper surface 129 of the can top lid 120 is covered by a latex seal 130. Preferably the latex seal 130 covers also the grippable tool 115.

A further favorable aspect of the invention is that engaging the grippable tool 115 requires breaking the latex seal 130.

A favorable feature is further that breaking the latex seal 130 causes complete release of the latex seal 130 from the top lid 120.

The invention is also embodied in a production line of food or beverage cans according to the invention, wherein the production line is equipped with a tool for providing a latex seal 130 on top of the lid 120 of each of the food or beverage cans. The skilled person is capable to implement such production line without further elucidation with reference to the figures.

Accordingly the figures don’t show such a production line.

Embodiments of the present invention can include every combination of features that are disclosed herein independently from each other. Although the invention has been discussed in the foregoing with reference to an exemplary embodiment of the method of the invention, the invention is not restricted to this particular embodiment which can be varied in many ways without departing from the invention. The discussed exemplary embodiment shall therefore not be used to construe the appended claims strictly in accordance therewith. On the contrary the embodiment is merely intended to explain the wording of the appended claims without intent to limit the claims to this exemplary embodiment.

The scope of protection of the invention shall therefore be construed in accordance with the appended claims only, wherein a possible ambiguity in the wording of the claims shall be resolved using this exemplary embodiment.

Variations and modifications of the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications and equivalents. The entire disclosures of all references, applications, patents, and publications cited above are hereby incorporated by reference. Unless specifically stated as being “essential” above, none of the various components or the interrelationship thereof are essential to the operation of the invention. Rather, desirable results can be achieved by 5 substituting various components and/or reconfiguration of their relationships with one another.

Aspects of the invention are itemized in the following section. 1. A food or beverage can (100) comprising a body (105) with a top lid (120) to close off the body (105), and an openable section (124) provided in the top lid (120), on which openable section (124) a grippable tool (115) is provided to enable a user to grip and use the tool (115) to tear the openable section (124) partly loose from the top lid (120), characterized in that at least the top lid (120) is covered by a latex seal (130). 2. The food or beverage can of claim 1, characterized in that the latex seal (130) covers the grippable tool (115). 3. The food or beverage can of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that engaging the grippable tool (115) requires breaking the latex seal (130). 4. The food or beverage can of any one of claims 1 - 3, characterized in that breaking the latex seal (130) causes complete release of the latex seal (130) from the top lid (120). 5. Production line of food or beverage cans (100) according to any one of claims 1 - 4, characterized in that the production line is equipped with a tool for providing a latex seal (130) at least on top of the lid (120) of each of the food or beverage cans (100).

Claims

CONCLUSIONS

A food or beverage can (100) comprising a body (105) with a top lid (120) for closing the body (105), and an openable portion (124) provided in the top lid (120), on which opening portion (124) a graspable tool (115) is provided to enable a user to grasp and use the tool (115) to partially tear the opening portion (124) away from the top cover (120) , characterized in that at least the top cover (120) is covered with a latex seal (130).

A food or beverage can according to claim 1, characterized in that the latex seal (130) covers the grippable tool (115).

Food or beverage can according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that engaging the grippable tool (115) requires breaking the latex seal (130).

Food or drink can according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that by breaking the latex seal (130), the latex seal (130) is completely released from the top cover {120).

Production line of food or beverage cans (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the production line is equipped with a tool for applying a latex seal (130) at least on top of the lid (120) of each of the food or drink cans (100).