DE60006263T2 - INSERT PIECE FOR CONTAINERS WITH A LIQUID TO BE HEATED OR COOLED, CONTAINERS WITH SUCH AN INSERT PIECE, AND METHOD FOR MOLDING AN INSERT PIECE - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an insert piece for a container holding a product which is to be heated or cooled, which insert piece defines a substantially elongate space which is intended to accommodate a heating or cooling means, the insert piece having a peripheral wall with a closed end and an open end, which open end is provided with an outwardly projecting rim for attaching to the container. According to the invention, the peripheral wall is provided with a reinforcement means, preferably a stepped form. The invention also relates to a container for a product which is to be heated or cooled, provided with an insert piece of this nature, and to process for forming an insert piece.

Description

The invention relates to a insert piece for one Container, that contains a product that warms or chilled should be, the insert an essentially elongated one Defines a space that is a heating or coolant to accommodate, the insert an outer wall with an open end and has a closed end, the open end with a protruding outwards Edge for attachment to the container is provided, the outer wall has different sections. The invention relates also on a container provided with an insert of this type and to a method of forming such an insert.

Container for drinks with an insert that a heating or cooling agent contains about the drink to warm up or to cool are known. For example, it can be used to work on everyone desired be called Coffee place to consume. For this purpose the insert is normally used inserted on the bottom or base of a can, then the can filled with coffee, a Lid is filled with the Can is attached and the coffee is sterilized. Then usually one Use in the insert attached, the set, for example, a chamber with water and contains a separate chamber with quicklime. If the separation between the water and the lime is perforated or open other way is removed, the undeleted lime reacts with the water in an exothermic reaction that is sufficient Releases heat, to make the coffee to a desired one Warm temperature. The container can also contain a food or other product.

A container of this type is for example known from US-A-3,802,056. This document discloses a container with an insert, that is folded around the bottom edge of a beverage can, with a second insert, that contains a product that in a desired one Moment an exothermic or endothermic reaction is released, being the second insert in the first insert is positioned. According to one embodiment have both insert pieces a conical section that extends from its open end to one cylindrical section tapers and over a bevel merges into a cylindrical section with a smaller diameter.

A beverage can is preferred used with standard size, in the enough Space for at least 200 ml drink and an insert with a volume of approximately Is 100 ml.

To heat transfer from the heating medium for a drink to optimize, the surface of the insert piece as big as possible his. On the other hand, it is desirable that the cost of production is as low as possible, and is consequently it is desirable that for the insert amount of material used is as small as possible. Both demands to lead among other things, an effort to change the thickness of the material of the insert as low as possible to keep so the heat transfer per surface unit as big as possible is.

In many cases, a beverage can filled under pressure, or a filled one Beverage can subjected to a sterilization treatment. In both cases the insert the pressure exerted on it will be able to resist without the walls be plastically deformed.

A disadvantage of that from the American patent 3,802,056 known container is that heat transfer in this container is relatively bad because two insert pieces that are pushed into each other were used. The use of two insert pieces makes this container too relative expensive.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved insert.

Another task of the present Invention is an insert ready to make that so thin as possible is without the walls be plastically deformed when pressure is applied to the insert.

Another task of the present Invention is an insert to provide that, both what is production and what is heat transfer concerns, is optimal.

Another task of the present Invention is an insert ready to be used as the only insert in the container.

According to a first aspect of the invention one or more of these goals are achieved with an insert as in The above term describes each section of the outer wall a wall section with a substantially constant diameter and in which two adjacent sections with each other by one annular transition are connected, which is substantially perpendicular to the wall sections is.

This enables the insert piece at a given degree of wall thickness a maximum degree of rigidity to achieve, so that to achieve a required degree of rigidity the thinnest possible wall thickness chosen can be made without the insert being deformed at the required pressure becomes. The stiffness is particularly due to the annular transition manufactured. additionally the sections with constant diameter offer the maximum possible surface for the volume. The circular transition is also very suitable for a certain deformation in the longitudinal direction of the insert to absorb without the wall sections being plastically deformed.

The outer wall preferably has two Sections with different diameters. Given the length of a standard beverage can, two sections are sufficient to give the insert sufficient rigidity while the wall can be made sufficiently thin; an insert with two sections is also preferable from the production standpoint.

Preferably the section has the adjacent to the closed end of the insert, a smaller one Diameter, as the diameter of the section attached to the open End adjacent. This construction makes the insert piece easy manufacture. There will also be a space between the insert and the Wall of the container, in which the insert piece is arranged, which is larger at the closed end of the insert, than on the portion of the insert that is attached to the container is. This construction means that there is no free space is in the section of the container, the filled with product which is more or less separated from the rest of the container contents and in which the product remains more or less enclosed. If the product from the insert heated the product can start to cook in a separate room. Cooking the product is undesirable as it is a degradation of the product and because the heat transfer to the product is essential is reduced. The rest of the product will not be enough heated. When the product is chilled ice can be formed in a separate section during the Rest of the product is not adequately cooled. The shape or execution in other words is that the convection disorder is along of the insert piece like this as low as possible is.

The insert is preferably made of packaging steel manufactured. Steel is a relatively inexpensive material that is simple can be processed to the desired shape of the insert receive. Other materials such as B. aluminum, however also be suitable.

The packaging steel is preferred coated with plastic. This ensures protection against corrosion and the product contained in the container is prevented from being Packaging steel is affected.

According to a preferred embodiment the insert produced by deep drawing. Deep drawing is a very suitable one Way of making a product that has the shape of an insert, because elongated Products with a closed end are made simply by deep drawing can be. An outside wall with wall sections of constant diameter with circular transitions can be produced in a few deep-drawing steps, the section with the closed end has a smaller diameter than the section with the open end.

According to a second aspect of Invention becomes a container for a to be heated or to be cooled Product provided, the container according to the invention having an above described insert is provided.

A third aspect of the invention provides a method of molding an insert according to the first aspect of the invention ready. According to the invention becomes the insert by deep drawing in at least two deep drawing steps Made way that the outer wall of the insert preferably composed of two sections with different diameters is.

The result is a procedure that makes it easy, an insert to make that as stiff as possible is.

Although primarily in the text above of beverage cans, the one to be warmed drink included, it is clear that the insert according to the invention both a warming agent as well as a coolant may contain that to be heated or to be cooled Product either a drink that can be a food or other product and that the container not just a beverage can but also be a different type of container can.

The invention is now based on a exemplary embodiment explained with reference to the drawing.

The only figure shows a cross section through an insert according to the invention.

The insert piece 1 has a closed top 2 , a first wall section 3 , an annular transition area 4 to a second wall section 5 and an outwardly protruding edge 6 , the outer edge portion 7 is designed for attachment to a container with an opening through which the insert piece fits.

The insert is produced by deep drawing a packaging steel blank, which in one embodiment is coated with plastic. In order to manufacture the top section and the bottom section, the deep drawing is carried out in a number of steps, in which the bottom section first 5 and then the top section 3 is deep drawn. If necessary, the protruding edge 6 produced in a separate step, which is carried out in a conventional manner.

The annular transition section 4 connects the upper section 3 with the bottom section 5 , That ring 4 gives the insert extra stiffness halfway up. If a lot of pressure is exerted on a beverage can during filling under pressure or during pasteurization or sterilization, the wall sections 3 . 5 the insert is exposed to external pressure. Without the ring 4 the height of the wall section is such that the wall section kinks if the wall material is too thin. The annular section 4 , the fiction is provided, the total height is divided into two halves, which are less prone to buckling due to the lower (half) height, so that a thinner material can be used.

The annular section 4 itself can serve as a kind of plate spring and can absorb some deformation in the longitudinal direction of the insert. In the case of too much pressure, however, the top end will buckle first.

The scope of the invention will by the following claims Are defined.

Claims (8)

Insert ( 1 ) for a container containing a product to be heated or cooled, the insert ( 1 ) defines a substantially elongated space to receive a heating or cooling medium, the insert piece having an outer wall with a closed end ( 2 ) and has an open end, the open end with an outwardly protruding edge ( 6 ) is provided for attachment to the container, the outer wall having different sections ( 3 . 5 ), characterized in that each section of the outer wall has a wall section with a substantially constant diameter, and in that two adjacent sections are connected to one another by an annular transition ( 4 ) are connected, which is substantially perpendicular to the wall sections. Insert according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer wall has two sections ( 3 . 5 ) with different diameters. Insert according to claim 2, characterized in that the section ( 3 ) to the closed end ( 2 ) of the insert piece, has a smaller diameter than the diameter of the section ( 5 ) that is adjacent to the open end. Insert according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the insert ( 1 ) is made from packaging steel. insert piece according to claim 4, characterized in that the packaging steel is coated with plastic. Insert according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the insert ( 1 ) is produced by deep drawing. Container for a product to be heated or cooled that is fitted with an insert ( 1 ) as claimed in one of the preceding claims. Method for producing an insert according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the insert ( 1 ) is produced by deep drawing in at least two deep drawing steps, in such a way that the outer wall of the insert is preferably composed of two sections with different diameters.