WO2011117772A1

WO2011117772A1 - A system for opening a container and a container equipped with said opening system

Info

Publication number: WO2011117772A1
Application number: PCT/IB2011/051056
Authority: WO
Inventors: Anton Saunders; Anissa Ben Cheikh
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-03-23
Filing date: 2011-03-14
Publication date: 2011-09-29
Anticipated expiration: 2012-09-23
Also published as: FR2957898B1; FR2957898A1

Abstract

Opening system comprising a container wall (2) and an opening device arranged on this container wall (2), the opening device comprising: - a protective seal (3) able to move between a closed position and an open position, and means (10) for manoeuvring said protective seal (3) - a pour spout (9), able to move between a non-use position, on a first side of said container wall (2), and an in-use position, on a second side of said container wall (2), this pour spout (9) being connected to said protective seal by connecting means (4) - means forming a stop (12), secured to said pour spout (9), intended to come into contact with said container wall (2) to define said in-use position of the pour spout (9), and - retaining means (13), making it possible to retain the pour spout (9) in said in-use position. According to the invention, the opening system also comprises a lid (7) connected to said pour spout (9) by a breakable zone (11), said lid (7) being connected to the protective seal (3).

Description

A SYSTEM FOR OPENING A CONTAINER AND

A CONTAINER EQUIPPED WITH SAID OPENING SYSTEM

The present invention relates to a system for opening a container, and a container equipped with said opening system.

The container in question can in particular be a container of the drink can type, i.e. a container comprising a bottom and a peripheral wall made of metal, and a top, also made of metal, crimped on the peripheral wall opposite the bottom.

Traditional drink cans are designed in the form of cylindrical metal tins of different sizes. They comprise, on their upper surface forming the top, a protective seal intended to be broken by the user when the latter wishes to drink the contents of the can.

The most widespread mechanism at this time making it possible to open such a can consists of providing a pre-scored protective seal intended to be folded into the inner volume defined by the can using an opening tab actuated by a user.

This type of mechanism has various drawbacks. From a hygienic perspective, a can may be handled by different people and thus be exposed to numerous sources of bacteria before the beverage it contains is ultimately consumed. The upper surface forming the top of the can is therefore likely to be in contact with an outside environment that can be considered unclean. Likewise, the protective seal is intended to be introduced into the inner volume of the can and may thus contribute to the introduction of bacteria directly into the beverage.

The present invention aims to resolve these drawbacks.

Another drawback of the known mechanisms lies in the fact that a user must exert a dual action on the opening tab: a first action consists of bringing it into contact with the protective seal to break the latter and suitably fold it into the inner volume defined by the can so as to minimally disrupt the flow of the beverage outside the can, then a second action consists of folding the tab in a position substantially similar to its initial position.

This usage method is not optimal, and the present invention also aims to resolve this drawback. Moreover, when a traditional can is opened by breaking the protective seal, an opening is demarcated in the surface forming the top of the can. The protective seal and the edge of the opening thus demarcated are sharp and represent cutting risks for users, in particular for young children.

To resolve these drawbacks, it is known to incorporate a pour spout into the opening system of a can. This pour spout is in particular disclosed in documents WO 2004/028912 and WO 96/13438, on which the preamble of claim 1 is based.

The existing systems are not, however, without drawbacks, both in terms of manufacturing of the can and use, and the present invention also aims to resolve these drawbacks.

The concerned system for opening a container comprises, in a known manner, a container wall and an opening device arranged on this container wall, the opening device comprising:

- a protective seal able to move between a closed position of the container wall and an open position of the container wall, and means for maneuvering said protective seal between said open and closed positions;

- a pour spout, able to move between a non-use position, in which it is on a first side of said container wall, and an in-use position, in which it is located primarily on a second side of said container wall, opposite the first side, this pour spout being connected to said protective seal by connecting means such that the movement of said protective seal towards its opening position makes the pour spout go from its non-use position to its in-use position;

- means forming a stop, secured to said pour spout, intended to come into contact with said container wall to define said in-use position of the pour spout, this coming into contact occurring when said protective seal is not in its open position, and

- retaining means, making it possible to retain the pour spout in said in-use position.

Accordi ng to the i nvention , the opening system also comprises a lid connected to said pour spout by a breakable zone, said lid being connected to the protective seal. In the closed state of the container, the protective seal is in the closed position and the pour spout is located on said first side of the container wall. To open the container, an action is performed on said maneuvering means so as to maneuver the protective seal towards its open position; this maneuver moves said pour spout from its non-use position to its in-use position, defined by the coming into contact of the stop means with said container wall; the pour spout is kept in said in-use position by the retaining means; the movement of the protective seal then continues to said open position, this continued movement thereby making it possible to free the protective seal relative to the pour spout and therefore to free the flow channel demarcated by this assembly. Moreover, the actuation of the protective seal towards its open position beyond said in-use position of the pour spout separates the lid and the pour spout.

The flow channel allows the liquid contained in the container to flow without a risk of spilling, and allows an application of the user's lips on the pour spout, therefore on a piece that was located on a side of the container wall before opening and which was therefore protected from any contamination by said container wall. Moreover, the parts of the pour spout against which the user's lips are applied does not result from the removal of the protective seal and therefore does not risk causing injury as is the case in a can comprising a metal lid, in which the protective seal is tearable relative to said wall.

As a result, the invention provides a system for opening a container that is hygienic, does not cause injury, actuated by a single maneuver to open the container, and makes it possible to temporarily close the container wall after opening.

Said lid preferably comprises a peripheral edge capable, after breaking of the breakable zone, of engaging with the edge of the pour spout, this engagement making it possible to replace the lid on the edge of the pour spout.

According to one possibility, the pour spout, the lid, and the breakable zone are formed by molding a single piece made from synthetic material.

Preferably, said stop means comprise a peripheral rim formed on the pour spout, capable, in the in-use position, of abutting against said container wall. Advantageously, a covering seal is placed against said peripheral rim, in particular in the form of a band of flexible material.

The peripheral rim thus makes it possible to compress the covering seal against the container wall in the in-use position of the pour spout, in order to prevent any risk of leaks.

Preferably, said retaining means comprise at least one notched protrusion secured to a wall of the pour spout, capable of engaging, when said pour spout goes from its non-use position to its in-use position, with an edge of said container wall demarcating the opening resulting from the passage of the protective seal from its closed position to its open position.

Preferably, in this case, the pour spout comprises two notched protrusions formed on two opposite walls of said pour spout.

Advantageously, the protective seal is made from a deformable material, in particular metal, and the connecting means making it possible to connect the pour spout or lid to said protective seal are made up of a relief formed in the protective seal, capable of receiving the pour spout or the lid and capable, after engagement of the pour spout or lid thereon, of being deformed like a rivet.

According to one preferred embodiment of the invention,

- said maneuvering means are in the form of a tab intended to be grasped by a user at a first end and to be raised relative to said container wall, and a second end of which, opposite said first end, is intended to bear against said container wall during opening of said wall;

- the container wall comprises a protruding rib formed near said second end, against which this second end is intended to bear when the protective seal is moved towards said open position.

The invention will be well understood, and other features and advantages thereof will appear, in reference to the appended diagrammatic drawing, showing, as non-limiting examples, one preferred embodiment of the system for opening a container to which it relates. Figure 1 is a top view of an upper end wall of a can on which the opening system according to the present invention is intended to be placed, this wall comprising a pre-scored protective seal;

figure 2 is a view of said wall in cross-section along line ll-ll of figure 1 , as well as a maneuvering tab and an assembly formed by a pour spout and a lid, before placement of said tab and said assembly on said end wall;

figure 3 is a view of the system similar to figure 2, after mounting the tab and said assembly on said end wall, the protective seal being in the closed position and said assembly being in a non-use position;

figure 4 is a side view of the system, from the left side of figure 3;

figure 5 is a top view of the system;

figure 6 is an overall view formed by the pour spout and the lid in cross- section along line VI-VI of figure 3;

figure 7 is a view similar to figure 3, said protective seal being in an intermediate position between its closed position and its open position, and the pour spout being placed in an in-use position, but without separation from the lid; figure 8 is a side view of the system, from the left side of figure 7;

figure 9 is a top view of the system, the pour spout being in the in-use position and said protective seal being in the open position;

figure 10 is a side view of the system, in the same position as shown in figure

9; and

figure 1 1 is an enlarged view of an alternative embodiment of a notched protrusion comprised by the opening system.

Figures 2 to 10 show an opening system 1 for a container of the can type, intended to be mounted on the upper wall 2 of said container. As is well known, this upper wall 2 forms a circular lid intended to be crimped on the edge of the peripheral wall of the can.

In reference to figures 1 and 2, it appears that the wall 2 comprises a weakened line formed in its upper face, in the shape of a flat "C", demarcating an upper portion capable of being separated from the rest of the wall 2 by tearing at said weakened line. This wall portion forms a protective seal 3 for opening the can. Formed on said protective seal 3 by stamping is an overlapping circular double relief 4, whereof a first relief portion protrudes from the face of the wall 2 intended to face the inside of the can, and whereof the second relief portion protrudes from the face of the wall 2 intended to face the outside of the can. These relief portions 4 can be crushed at their free ends, like rivets, as will be described later.

The wall 2 also comprises two stamped zones, respectively forming, on the outer face of said wall 2, a hollow 5 and a protruding rib 6.

As more particularly shown in figure 2, the first portion of the relief 4 is intended to receive a lid 7 that is part of an assembly 8 comprising said lid 7 and a pour spout 9, while the second portion of the relief 4 is intended to receive a tab 10 for exerting traction on the protective seal 3. The lid 7 and the tab 10 each comprise a hole so they can be engaged on the respective portions of the reliefs 4, then the free ends of said portions are crushed, by a simultaneous operation, so as to be widened and thereby ensure the retention of the assembly 8 and the tab 10 on the wall 2, as shown in figure 3.

Figures 3 and 5 show that the hollow 5 is formed so as to be located, after assembly, overhanging the longitudinal end of the tab 10 intended to be lifted by the user to tear the protective seal 3 relative to the rest of the wall 2, while the rib 6 is formed so as to be located, after assembly, in the immediate vicinity of the longitudinal end of the tab 10 not intended to be lifted.

The lid 7 comprises a peripheral edge 7a and is connected to the pour spout 9 by a breakable zone 1 1 , shown in figure 6. This lid 7 and this pour spout 9 can be formed in a single piece from a molded synthetic material, the breakable zone 1 1 being formed by a thinned portion of said synthetic material. The breakable zone 1 1 is capable of being torn when, from the in-use position of the pour spout 9 shown in figures 7 and 8, traction on the tab 10 is continued until said tab, and the protective seal 3 connected to it, are brought into the open position of the protective seal 3 shown in figures 9 and 10. The pour spout 9 comprises, on the side opposite the lid 7, a peripheral rim 12 capable of abutting against the inner face of the wall 2 during the movement of the assembly 8, this abutment defining said in-use position of the pour spout 9.

This peripheral rim 12 can in particular include a covering seal in the form of a band of flexible material 12a.

The pour spout 9 also comprises, on two opposite sides (cf. figure 8), two notched protrusions 13 capable of engaging with the edge of the wall 2 resulting from the tearing of the protective seal 3, as shown in reference to figures 4 and 8.

The tab 10 comprises a prong 15 individualized by a U-shaped cutout, said prong 15 being connected to the relief 4. This structure allows the tab 10 to have a sufficient freedom of movement relative to the wall 2 to be able to be lifted by a user in order to exert traction on the protective seal 3. On the side opposite the prong 15, the tab 10 comprises an opening 16 granting it longitudinal flexibility, which facilitates, jointly with the hollow 5, the exertion on the corresponding longitudinal end of said tab 10 of traction in order to separate the protective seal 3 from the rest of the wall 2 by tearing.

In practice, in the closed state of the can (cf. figures 3 and 4), the protective seal 3 is connected to the wall 2 and the pour spout 9 is located inside the can, therefore protected from any contamination. To open the can, the tab 10 is lifted in order to separate the protective seal 3 from the rest of the wall 2 by tearing. The protective seal 3, during this separation, drives the assembly 8 through the opening 17 thus formed in the wall 2 until it reaches a rim 12 abutting against the inner face of said wall 2, which causes the forcible engagement of the notched protrusions 13 behind the edge of the wall 2 delimiting said opening (cf. figures 7 and 8), thereby retaining the pour spout 9 in this in-use position. The continuation of the traction exerted on the tab 10 performs the tearing of the breakable zone 1 1 and makes it possible to bring the protective seal 3 into an open position (cf. figures 7 and 8), in which it is remote from the pour spout 9 and does not interfere with the flow of the liquid contained in the can.

Figure 1 1 is a view of a notched protrusion 13 according to an alternative embodiment, wherein the notches are arranged below an inclined upper face comprised by the protrusion, said inclined upper face constituting a slit favoring the insertion of the wall 2 below said protrusion. The protrusion 13 thus configured performs a locking of the pour spout 9 in its in-use position.

As appears from the preceding, the invention thus provides a system for opening a container having the determining advantage of being hygienic, not being injury causing, actuated by a single maneuver to open the container, all while making it possible to perform temporary re-closing of the container wall after opening.

The invention was described above in reference to several embodiments, provided as examples. It goes without saying that it is not limited to these embodiments, but rather encompasses all embodiments covered by the appended claims.

Claims

1 - A system (1 ) for opening a container comprising a container wall (2) and an opening device arranged on this container wall (2), the opening device comprising:

- a protective seal (3) able to move between a closed position of the container wall (2) and an open position of the container wall (2), and means (10) for maneuvering said protective seal (3) between said open and closed positions;

- a pour spout (9), able to move between a non-use position, in which it is on a first side of said container wall (2), and an in-use position, in which it is located primarily on a second side of said container wall (2), opposite the first side, this pour spout (9) being connected to said protective seal (3) by connecting means (4) such that the movement of said protective seal (3) towards its opening position makes the pour spout (9) go from its non-use position to its in-use position;

- means forming a stop (12), secured to said pour spout (9), intended to come into contact with said container wall (2) to define said in-use position of the pour spout (9), this coming into contact occurring when said protective seal (3) is not in its open position, and

- retaining means (13), making it possible to retain the pour spout (9) in said in-use position.

characterized in that the opening system also comprises a lid (7) connected to said pour spout (9) by a breakable zone (1 1 ), said lid (7) being connected to the protective seal (3).

2 - System (1 ) for opening a container according to claim 1 , wherein said lid (7) comprises a peripheral edge (7a) capable, after breaking of the breakable zone (1 1 ), of engaging with the edge of the pour spout (9), this engagement making it possible to replace the lid (7) on the edge of the pour spout (9), and thus making it possible to temporarily close the container wall (2) after opening.

3 - System (1 ) for opening a container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pour spout (9), the lid (7), and the breakable zone (1 1 ) are formed by molding a single piece made from synthetic material. 4 - System (1 ) for opening a container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said stop means comprise a peripheral rim (12) formed on the pour spout (9), capable, in the in-use position, of abutting against said container wall (2).

5 - System (1 ) for opening a container according to claim 4, wherein a covering seal is placed against said peripheral rim (12), in particular in the form of a band of flexible material (12a).

6 - System (1 ) for opening a container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said retaining means comprise at least one notched protrusion (13) secured to a wall of the pour spout (9), capable of engaging, when said pour spout (9) goes from its non-use position to its in-use position, with an edge of said container wall (2) demarcating the opening resulting from the passage of the protective seal (3) from its closed position to its open position.

7 - System (1 ) for opening a container according to claim 6, wherein the pour spout (9) comprises two notched protrusions (13) formed on two opposite walls of said pour spout (9).

8 - System (1 ) for opening a container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the protective seal (3) is made from a deformable material, in particular metal, and the connecting means making it possible to connect the pour spout (9) or lid (7) to said protective seal (3) are made up of a relief (4) formed in the protective seal (3), capable of receiving the pour spout (9) or the lid (7) and capable, after engagement of the pour spout (9) or lid (7) thereon, of being deformed like a rivet.

9 - System (1 ) for opening a container according to any of the preceding claims, wherein:

- said maneuvering means are in the form of a tab (1 0) intended to be grasped by a user at a first end and to be raised relative to said container wall (2), and a second end of which, opposite said first end, is intended to bear against said container wall (2) during opening of said wall;

- the container wall (2) comprises a protruding rib (6) formed near said second end, against which this second end is intended to bear when the protective seal (3) is moved towards said open position. 10 - A container comprising an opening system (1 ) according to any of the preceding claims.