ES1188458U

ES1188458U - Cover for beverage cans (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Info

Publication number: ES1188458U
Application number: ES201730805U
Authority: ES
Inventors: Dangher Caffeo
Original assignee: Ecobags Srl
Current assignee: Ecobags Srl
Priority date: 2016-07-07
Filing date: 2017-07-05
Publication date: 2017-07-24
Anticipated expiration: 2027-07-05
Also published as: ES1188458Y; JP3212516U; FR3053665A3; AU2017100840A4

Abstract

A cover for a beverage can, consisting of a sheet of polylactic acid (PLA) of vegetable origin, thermoformed to cover at least one internal upper surface (4) of said can and the connecting edge (5) related , which extends from said surface to the cylindrical body (6) of the can. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

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DESCRIPCIONDESCRIPTION

Tapa para latas de bebidaCap for beverage cans

La presente invencion se refiere al campo del envasado, mas especlficamente a una tapa mejorada para latas de bebida.The present invention relates to the field of packaging, more specifically to an improved lid for beverage cans.

En general, mantener las condiciones sanitarias reforzadas durante todas las etapas de la vida util de un envase de alimentos, hasta el consumo por parte del usuario, supone un problema muy presente. Un ejemplo de envase de alimento que se ha analizado ampliamente en los ultimos anos es el de las latas de bebida; de hecho, este tipo de envases presenta, por lo general, una compleja vida util desde su embalaje industrial hasta su consumo, que implica el transporte, almacenamiento y colocacion, durante largos perlodos de tiempo, en lugares que a veces estan sucios o, en cualquier caso, en lugares cuyas condiciones sanitarias no presentan un control adecuado. Incluso en las mejores condiciones de almacenamiento, se depositara polvo en la parte superior de la lata, all! donde esta situada la lengueta precortada de apertura, para dispensar la bebida que entrara en contacto con la boca del usuario, por no mencionar los germenes y la suciedad variada que tambien pueden depositarse en la lengueta de apertura, o cerca de la misma.In general, maintaining the sanitary conditions reinforced during all the stages of the useful life of a food container, until consumption by the user, is a very present problem. An example of a food container that has been widely analyzed in recent years is that of beverage cans; In fact, this type of packaging generally presents a complex useful life from its industrial packaging to its consumption, which implies transport, storage and placement, for long periods of time, in places that are sometimes dirty or, in In any case, in places whose sanitary conditions do not present adequate control. Even in the best storage conditions, dust will be deposited on top of the can, there! where the pre-cut opening tongue is located, to dispense the drink that will come into contact with the user's mouth, not to mention the germs and the varied dirt that can also be deposited in or near the opening tongue.

Si bien este problema con las latas de bebida ha existido siempre, los usuarios se han vuelto mas conscientes de ello en los ultimos anos, cuando el mercado reemplazo las latas viejas que contenlan una lengueta de apertura separable por latas con un sistema de apertura que permanece unido a la lata, en el que se eleva la lengueta y se hace girar la misma, hasta que se introduce en el envase. Tal sistema empezo a utilizarse para resolver un problema de contamination, debido a las lenguetas de lata desechadas y esparcidas por todas partes, y para facilitar el reciclado apropiado de las mismas como material metalico junto con el envase, pero, como consecuencia, es inevitable que el polvo y la suciedad que puedan estar depositados sobre la lengueta de apertura de la lata entren en contacto con la bebida, y se introduzcan en el organismo del usuario, con todas las consecuencias relacionadas.While this problem with beverage cans has always existed, users have become more aware of it in recent years, when the market replaced old cans containing an opening tab detachable by cans with an opening system that remains attached to the can, in which the tongue is raised and rotated, until it is introduced into the container. Such a system began to be used to solve a contamination problem, due to the discarded can tongues and scattered everywhere, and to facilitate the appropriate recycling thereof as metallic material together with the container, but, as a consequence, it is inevitable that Dust and dirt that may be deposited on the opening tongue of the can come into contact with the beverage, and are introduced into the user's body, with all the related consequences.

Por esta razon, esta aun mas presente el problema de proteger la parte superior de la lata ante el polvo y la suciedad, hasta el uso de la misma.For this reason, the problem of protecting the upper part of the can from dust and dirt is even more present, until it is used.

Hasta la fecha se han propuesto varias soluciones a este problema que, sin embargo, por diferentes razones no son del todo satisfactorias.To date, several solutions to this problem have been proposed which, however, for different reasons are not entirely satisfactory.

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Son especialmente conocidas las protecciones para lata fabricadas con laminas de aluminio. Por lo general, al retirarlas de la lata estas tapas generalmente se rompen o, en cualquier caso, pierden la forma que les permitla adherirse a la lata, de modo que no pueden volver a utilizarse como tapon si se guarda la lata antes de acabar la bebida. Por otra parte, este tipo de tapa metalica, que no es biodegradable ni compostable, permite cierta protection del sistema de apertura de la lata hasta el momento de su uso, pero, sin embargo, en terminos de desecho y reciclaje de los materiales, supone un paso atras porque las tapas de aluminio no permanecen adheridas a la lata, como las viejas lenguetas extralbles.Especially known are can protections made of aluminum sheets. Usually, when removed from the can these caps usually break or, in any case, lose the shape that allows them to adhere to the can, so that they can not be reused as a stopper if the can is stored before finishing the can drink. On the other hand, this type of metal lid, which is not biodegradable or compostable, allows some protection of the opening system of the can until the moment of its use, but, nevertheless, in terms of waste and recycling of the materials, supposes a step back because the aluminum caps do not remain attached to the can, like the old removable tongues.

Por lo tanto, el alcance de la presente invention es resolver los problemas dados a conocer anteriormente para los sistemas de proteccion conocidos, para latas de bebida, al proporcionar una tapa mejorada para latas de bebida que represente una proteccion eficaz contra el polvo y la suciedad, hasta el momento de su uso, pero que al mismo tiempo no cree problemas de desecho o de sostenibilidad ambiental.Therefore, the scope of the present invention is to solve the problems disclosed above for known protection systems, for beverage cans, by providing an improved lid for beverage cans that represents an effective protection against dust and dirt. , until the moment of its use, but that at the same time does not create problems of waste or environmental sustainability.

Otro alcance adicional de la presente invencion es proporcionar, ademas, una tapa para latas que, tras la apertura de la lata, pueda seguir utilizandose como tapon de la lata hasta que se acabe la bebida contenida en la misma.Another additional scope of the present invention is also to provide a lid for cans that, after opening the can, can continue to be used as a can stopper until the beverage contained therein is finished.

Tales alcances se obtienen mediante la tapa y mediante la lata que comprende la misma de acuerdo con la innovation, cuyas caracterlsticas esenciales se definen en las reivindicaciones independientes adjuntas en el presente documento.Such scopes are obtained by the lid and by the can comprising it in accordance with innovation, whose essential characteristics are defined in the independent claims attached herein.

Las caracterlsticas y ventajas de la tapa, y de la lata que comprende la misma de acuerdo con la innovacion, resultaran evidentes a partir de la siguiente description de una realization de las mismas, hecha a modo de ejemplo no limitativo, con referencia a los dibujos adjuntos, en los que:The characteristics and advantages of the lid, and of the can comprising the lid according to the innovation, will be apparent from the following description of a realization thereof, made by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the drawings Attachments, in which:

- la figura 1 es una vista superior de una lamina desplegada de PLA (acido polilactico), antes de su aplicacion sobre una lata de bebida, antes de termoformar la misma para obtener la tapa de acuerdo con una realizacion preferida de la innovacion;- Figure 1 is a top view of an unfolded sheet of PLA (polylactic acid), before its application on a beverage can, before thermoforming it to obtain the lid according to a preferred embodiment of the innovation;

- la figura 2 muestra una vista en perspectiva de una lata con la tapa de PLA de la figura 1, de acuerdo con la innovacion.- Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a can with the PLA lid of Figure 1, according to the innovation.

Con referencia a los dibujos anteriormente mencionados, se termoforma una tapa 1 que consiste en acido polilactico (PLA) de origen vegetal, sustancialmente plana y de formaWith reference to the aforementioned drawings, a lid 1 is formed which consists of polylactic acid (PLA) of plant origin, substantially flat and in shape

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preferentemente circular, para que cubra al menos toda una superficie superior 4 de una lata L y el borde de conexion 5, que se extiende hasta el cuerpo cillndrico 6 de la lata. Preferentemente, la lamina de PLA se termoforma de manera que tambien cubra al menos una parte del cuerpo cillndrico 6 de la lata.preferably circular, so that it covers at least an entire upper surface 4 of a can L and the connecting edge 5, which extends to the cylindrical body 6 of the can. Preferably, the PLA sheet is thermoformed so that it also covers at least a part of the cylindrical body 6 of the can.

De acuerdo con la presente invencion, la tapa 1 esta fabricada con laminas de PLA con un espesor comprendido, por ejemplo, entre 80 micrometros y 100 micrometros.In accordance with the present invention, the cover 1 is made of PLA sheets with a thickness comprised, for example, between 80 micrometers and 100 micrometers.

De acuerdo con una realizacion preferida de la presente tapa 1 para latas de bebida, representada en la Figura 1, comprende adicionalmente una lengueta 2 que sobresale con respecto al borde de la tapa, lo que permite que el usuario la agarre mas facilmente para desprenderla de la lata. Preferentemente, la lengueta, que tambien esta fabricada con PLA a partir de una sola lamina junto con la tapa, esta unida a la misma mediante un precorte 3 previamente entallado, que ayuda a eliminar la lengueta cuando se retira la tapa para abrir la lata por primera vez. Esto representa una realizacion preferida de la presente tapa, puesto que la presencia de una lengueta con precorte tambien supone un sistema de seguridad contra la manipulation indebida de la presente tapa: de hecho, la ausencia de lengueta o la separation parcial de la misma con respecto a la tapa A, lo largo de la llnea de precorte, puede indicar un intento de abrir la tapa y la perdida de seguridad e higiene del envase.According to a preferred embodiment of the present lid 1 for beverage cans, shown in Figure 1, it additionally comprises a tongue 2 that protrudes with respect to the edge of the lid, which allows the user to grip it more easily to detach it from the can. Preferably, the tongue, which is also made of PLA from a single sheet together with the lid, is attached to it by a pre-cut 3 previously fitted, which helps to remove the tongue when the lid is removed to open the can by first time. This represents a preferred embodiment of the present cover, since the presence of a pre-cut tongue also means a safety system against the improper manipulation of the present cover: in fact, the absence of tongue or the partial separation thereof with respect to to the lid A, along the pre-cut line, may indicate an attempt to open the lid and the loss of safety and hygiene of the container.

El acido polilactico, o PLA, que se utiliza para fabricar la presente tapa para latas de bebida es un producto de origen vegetal, que normalmente puede obtenerse a partir de las ralces de la yuca amarga y de la cana de azucar.Polylactic acid, or PLA, which is used to make the present beverage can lid is a product of plant origin, which can usually be obtained from the roots of bitter cassava and sugarcane.

La yuca amarga es un tuberculo rico en almidon, que se cultiva en ciertas zonas del Este, en America del Sur y en Africa, utilizando metodos de cultivo tradicionales. La yuca amarga lleva utilizandose varios anos con fines industriales para la production de plasticos biodegradables, ya que, a diferencia de otros tipos de ralces tuberculares de la misma familia, como la yuca dulce o la tapioca, no es comestible a menos que se someta a un laborioso procesamiento. Por lo tanto, en este sentido su uso industrial no se considera contrario a principio etico alguno, ya que no supone un impacto en la cadena alimenticia humana. Aunque es comestible, la cana de azucar tambien se considera un alimento secundario y, ciertamente, no pertenece a la base de alimentos para el consumo humano. A diferencia de otras fuentes de almidon, como el malz o las patatas, que tambien pueden utilizarse para producir PLA, la yuca amarga y la cana de azucar resultan preferibles porque no son comestibles o, en cualquier caso, no estan incluidos entre los alimentos que formanBitter cassava is a tuber rich in starch, grown in certain areas of the East, in South America and in Africa, using traditional cultivation methods. Bitter cassava has been used for several years for industrial purposes for the production of biodegradable plastics, since, unlike other types of tubular roots of the same family, such as sweet cassava or tapioca, it is not edible unless it is subjected to A laborious processing. Therefore, in this sense its industrial use is not considered contrary to any ethical principle, since it does not imply an impact on the human food chain. Although it is edible, sugar cane is also considered a secondary food and certainly does not belong to the food base for human consumption. Unlike other sources of starch, such as marshmallow or potatoes, which can also be used to produce PLA, bitter cassava and sugar cane are preferable because they are not edible or, in any case, are not included among the foods that form

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la base de productos alimenticios para consumo humano.the basis of food products for human consumption.

El procesamiento de la yuca amarga y de la cana de azucar para obtener acido polilactico, o PLA, requiere ciertas etapas de procesamiento de la fuente vegetal para obtener almidon, que, cuando se somete a fermentacion, permite obtener acido lactico y, debido a la polimerizacion de este ultimo, acido polilactico.The processing of bitter cassava and sugarcane to obtain polylactic acid, or PLA, requires certain processing steps of the plant source to obtain starch, which, when subjected to fermentation, allows lactic acid to be obtained and, due to the polymerization of the latter, polylactic acid.

La plasticidad y, mas en general, las caracterlsticas qulmicas y flsicas de este material son tales que puede laminarse el mismo en laminas delgadas, y estas pueden someterse a termoformado para que adopten la forma deseada, una forma que mantendran indefinidamente, sin que tales propiedades termicas - que normalmente se ejecutan a una temperatura comprendida entre 140 °C y 160 °C - afecten la resistencia del material.The plasticity and, more generally, the chemical and physical characteristics of this material are such that it can be laminated in thin sheets, and these can be subjected to thermoforming to adopt the desired shape, a form that they will maintain indefinitely, without such properties thermals - which normally run at a temperature between 140 ° C and 160 ° C - affect the strength of the material.

Los productos fabricados con acido polilactico de origen vegetal, obtenible como se ha descrito anteriormente, incluyendo la presente tapa para latas, son productos completamente biodegradables y compostables. Sus productos finales, tras un proceso de compostaje dentro de los tiempos establecidos por la actual Norma EN13432, son CO2, minerales y agua, por lo que las presentes tapas para lata pueden desecharse junto con los residuos organicos destinados a su envlo a plantas industriales de compostaje, en las que, a traves de un proceso controlado de biodegradacion (compostaje), se convierten en compost, es decir, en fertilizante para el suelo.Products manufactured with polylactic acid of plant origin, obtainable as described above, including the present can lid, are completely biodegradable and compostable products. Its final products, after a composting process within the times established by the current EN13432 Standard, are CO2, minerals and water, so the present can lids can be discarded together with the organic waste destined for shipment to industrial plants of composting, in which, through a controlled process of biodegradation (composting), they become compost, that is, fertilizer for the soil.

La presente tapa fabricada con PLA presenta tambien una alta permeabilidad al vapor de agua, lo que permite evitar asl los fenomenos de condensation que resultarlan de una mala o una nula permeabilidad, y las consecuencias relacionadas.The present cover made of PLA also has a high water vapor permeability, which allows avoiding condensation phenomena resulting from a bad or zero permeability, and related consequences.

Las ventajas de la presente innovation deberlan resultar evidentes a partir de lo dado a conocer en la description anterior, sin embargo, a continuation se enumeran las principales ventajas.The advantages of this innovation should be evident from what was disclosed in the description above, however, the main advantages are listed below.

La tapa para latas de bebida de la presente innovacion se fabrica Integramente con un material de origen vegetal, dando asl lugar a un producto completamente biodegradable y compostable dentro de los tiempos establecidos por la legislation vigente, que, a diferencia de los materiales plasticos tradicionales derivados del petroleo para los que el compostaje lleva necesariamente cientos de anos, contempla la completa biodegradacion y transformation del mismo en compost, un fertilizante para el suelo, en un tiempo maximo deThe lid for beverage cans of the present innovation is manufactured integrally with a material of plant origin, thus giving rise to a completely biodegradable and compostable product within the times established by current legislation, which, unlike traditional derived plastic materials of oil for which composting necessarily takes hundreds of years, contemplates the complete biodegradation and transformation of it into compost, a fertilizer for the soil, in a maximum time of

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180 dlas en las plantas industriales de compostaje.180 days in industrial composting plants.

Por otra parte, con respecto a estos materiales plasticos tradicionales, el material de origen vegetal que se utiliza en el presente documento tiene un impacto medioambiental muy reducido, porque para su produccion se utilizan fuentes renovables en lugar del petroleo, y las etapas de procesamiento de la materia prima proporcionan un menor consumo de energla y menos emisiones de CO2 con respecto a las requeridas en la produccion de plasticos tradicionales derivados del petroleo. Tambien se reduce el impacto social del presente material de PLA, de hecho, deriva de un producto cultivado en cultivos tradicionales y no esta destinado al consumo de alimentos primarios, por lo que no resta recursos de la cadena alimenticia humana. Finalmente, es un material adecuado para el contacto con alimentos, sin compuesto danino o carcinogeno alguno, como por ejemplo bisfenol A, que esta presente en los plasticos mas comunes y tradicionales.On the other hand, with respect to these traditional plastic materials, the material of plant origin that is used in this document has a very reduced environmental impact, because for its production renewable sources are used instead of oil, and the processing stages of The raw material provides lower energy consumption and less CO2 emissions compared to those required in the production of traditional oil-derived plastics. The social impact of the present PLA material is also reduced, in fact, it derives from a product grown in traditional crops and is not intended for the consumption of primary foods, so there is no subtraction of resources from the human food chain. Finally, it is a suitable material for contact with food, without any danino compound or any carcinogen, such as bisphenol A, which is present in the most common and traditional plastics.

La presente tapa fabricada con PLA tiene una mayor transparencia, y tambien puede laminarse e imprimirse facilmente, pudiendo asl personalizarla y hacer que la propia tapa resulte mas atractiva, con dibujos y texto segun se desee.The present cover made of PLA has greater transparency, and can also be easily laminated and printed, and can be customized and made the cover more attractive, with drawings and text as desired.

De nuevo, una ventaja adicional de la presente tapa fabricada con PLA reside en el hecho de que, al contrario que las tapas de aluminio conocidas, una vez se retira de la lata, permanece siempre integral y mantiene la forma que adopto al termoformar la misma sobre la lata, de modo que puede volver a utilizarse a modo de tapon para la abertura de dispensation hasta que se acabe la bebida. Por lo tanto, la presente tapa asegura unas condiciones sanitarias y de seguridad maximas no solo antes de la apertura, sino tambien durante el uso.Again, an additional advantage of the present lid made of PLA lies in the fact that, unlike the known aluminum lids, once removed from the can, it always remains integral and maintains the shape that it took when thermoforming it. on the can, so that it can be reused as a stopper for the dispensing opening until the beverage is finished. Therefore, this cover ensures maximum sanitary and safety conditions not only before opening, but also during use.

Finalmente, una ventaja adicional de la presente tapa esta representada por su particular facilidad de uso, debida tambien a la posible presencia de una lengueta en el borde de la propia tapa, para ayudar al usuario a agarrar la tapa y a retirarla de la propia lata, ademas de proporcionar a la tapa un sistema de seguridad "a prueba de manipulaciones" que hace visible cualquier posible manipulation.Finally, an additional advantage of the present lid is represented by its particular ease of use, also due to the possible presence of a tongue at the edge of the lid itself, to help the user to grab the lid and remove it from the can itself, In addition to providing the lid with a "tamper-proof" safety system that makes any possible manipulation visible.

La tapa de la presente invention ha sido descrita con referencia particular a la aplicacion de la misma en latas de bebida, pero debe comprenderse que puede utilizarse para cubrir cualquier otro envase adecuado que pueda beneficiarse del uso de la presente tapa.The lid of the present invention has been described with particular reference to the application thereof in beverage cans, but it should be understood that it can be used to cover any other suitable container that can benefit from the use of the present lid.

Pueden proporcionarse variantes con respecto al ejemplo ilustrado, en particular conVariants may be provided with respect to the illustrated example, in particular with

respecto a la forma y el tamano de la tapa que se han dado a conocer expresamente en el presente documento. De hecho, la presente innovacion se ha descrito con referenda a las realizaciones preferidas de la misma. Se preve la existencia de otras realizaciones que se refieran al mismo nucleo inventivo, todas ellas dentro del alcance de proteccion de las 5 reivindicaciones indicadas a continuation.with respect to the shape and size of the lid that have been expressly disclosed herein. In fact, the present innovation has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof. The existence of other embodiments that refer to the same inventive core is envisaged, all of them within the scope of protection of the 5 claims indicated below.

Claims

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1. A lid for a beverage can, consisting of a sheet of polylactic acid (PLA) of plant origin, thermoformed to cover at least one inner upper surface (4) of said can and the related connection edge (5) , which extends from said surface to the cylindrical body (6) of the can.

2. The lid according to claim 1, wherein said PLA sheet is thermoformed so that it also covers at least part of said cylindrical body (6) of the can.

3. The lid according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein said PLA sheet is provided with an protruding tongue (2), to facilitate a user to grasp said sheet and remove it from the can.

4. The lid according to claim 3, wherein there is a precut (3) between said PLA sheet and said tongue (2), to facilitate the removal of the tongue itself and the reuse of said lid as a plug , for a beverage dispensing opening, and to make any possible manipulation visible.

5. The lid according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said PLA sheet is thermoformed from a PLA sheet, which is substantially flat and has a substantially circular shape.

6. The lid according to any of claims 1 to 5, which can be completely biodegradable in a maximum time of 180 days and which can be converted into compost in specific composting systems, for reuse as a soil fertilizer.

7. A beverage can comprising a lid as defined in claims 1 to 6.