This invention relates to reusable perishable product plug insert, for helping to lengthen the usable life of canned perishable product remaining inside opened cans of perishable product after serving of the perishable product has been removed.

According to one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, the present invention provides reusable perishable product plug insert for helping to lengthen the usable life of canned perishable product remaining inside opened cans of perishable product after serving of the perishable product has been removed from the perishable product can, and such that the plug insert is manually insertable into the can to a rest position adjacent to the surface of the remainder of the perishable product, and which plug insert includes scraping means for scraping residual perishable product debris from previous serving on the inside of the can wall down toward the surface of the perishable product as the plug insert is inserted to the rest position, and which plug insert provides venting means for displacing air past the plug insert in the can while the plug insert is being inserted, and which plug insert includes isolation means such that in the rest position the plug insert isolates remaining perishable product and scraped debris from communication with air carrying spoiling agent in the rest of the can, which spoiling agent could otherwise shorten the usable life of the perishable product through spoiling if the plug insert was absent from the can, and such that the plug insert is manually extractabie from the can and such that the plug insert includes a manual purchase for this purpose, allowing access to further perishable product servings when desired, and which plug insert is re-insertable as desired and so on and so forth for further servings and for further opened cans.

The scraping means may minimise perishable product debris on the inner wall of the perishable product can which could otherwise generate undesired odour or spoil to contaminate further servings by contact when the further servings are removed.

The scraping means may for example be a surface or may for example be a set of surfaces, which surface or set of surfaces can contact the inside of the can wall while the plug insert is inserted to rest position in the can. Alternatively, the scraping means may for example be a single surface. Alternatively, the scraping means may for example be a set of surfaces.

The scraping means may for example be flexible scraping means. Alternatively, the scraping means may for example be rigid scraping means. The venting means allows air in the can to vent past the plug insert during insertion of the plug insert. By allowing the air in the can to vent past the plug insert during insertion of the plug insert, the plug insert avoids encountering excessive resistance from the air which air would otherwise come under compression which compression could thereby prevent insertion of the plug insert.

The venting means allows air in the can to vent past the plug insert during extraction of the plug insert. By allowing the air in the can to vent past the plug insert during extraction of the plug insert, the plug insert avoids encountering excessive resistance from the air which air would otherwise become a partial vacuum which vacuum suction could thereby prevent extraction of the plug insert.

The venting means may automatically cease to vent once the plug insert is in rest position in the can, to promote the isolation of the perishable product.

The venting means may for example consist of at least one first surface which first surface may move away from at least one second surface to allow venting of air between the first and second surfaces. The first surface or the first surfaces may for example, resume contact with the second surface or the second surfaces once the plug insert is in rest position in the can.

The canned perishable product may be any suitable canned perishable product. Examples of canned perishable product may for example be canned baked beans, or may for example may be canned sweet corn or may for example may be canned soup, or may for example be canned pet food.

The consumer may wish to take advantage of purchasing several servings of the perishable product in a single can for economies of bulk purchasing rather than for example purchasing single-serving sachets which sachets, volume for volume, may be considerably more expensive to purchase.

Thus the consumer may wish to take multiple servings of perishable product from a can of perishable product over an extended period of time, for example over several days of meal-preparation sessions. Once a can of perishable product has been opened the perishable product can spoil relatively quickly.

It is well known to help to lengthen the usable life of opened canned perishable product, for the remainder of the perishable product servings to be sealed into the can using for example a replaceable plastic clip-on cap to cover the can opening. This helps to isolate the remainder of the perishable product in the can from

communication of spoiling agent such as oxygen and bacteria in atmosphere outside of the can.

This is a problem because, although use of such a cap to cover a can opening may keep the remaining perishable product away from air carrying spoiling agent outside of the can, it has the disadvantage of sealing into the can, the air carrying spoiling agent present in the can, when the cap is clipped over the can opening.

In addition, there may be perishable product debris from previous servings on the inner wall of the can which servings may be exposed to the air in the can. Thus, paradoxically, the act of isolating air in a can by capping with a cap, which air is occupying the space previously occupied by removed product serving, may actually help to harbour spoiling agent such as bacteria. This problem may escalate as more product servings are taken, causing progressively more and more air carrying spoiling agent to be available in the capped perishable product can.

Furthermore, in the case of moist canned perishable product, the perishable product surface may stay moist and so conducive to spoiling more quickly due to reduced airflow in the can due to the cap. In addition to this, there may be a possible tendency for the air in the can to become moist from local contact with the moisture of the perishable product. This may for example generate an environment in the can more conducive to promoting spoiling of the perishable product.

This problem may for example result in canned perishable product servings having to be wasted and thrown away because the servings have spoilt too quickly to be used. Thus, where the consumer may desire to be more economical by purchasing multiple servings in a single perishable product can, he or she may be unable to realise this saving due to wastage of the perishable product servings.

It is an aim of the apparatus of the present invention, to reduce this problem by providing a reusable plug insert that not only isolates the remainder of the canned perishable product from communication with air outside the can, but also to isolate the remaining perishable product from communication with air inside the can. In addition to this, the plug insert includes facility for scraping residual perishable product debris from previous serving on the inside of the can wall down toward the surface of the perishable product, which debris could otherwise cause

contamination of further servings and which could otherwise generate undesirable odour. A cap for the can may not be necessary since the plug insert isolates the perishable product in the can, from communication with air carrying spoiling agent in the can and from communication with air carrying spoiling agent outside the can, and because odours may be minimised by the scraping means. Indeed any residual debris moisture on the inside of the can wall, not scraped by the scraping facility, may for example be so minimal as to quickly dry and to intents and purposes to become odour free.

The plug insert may for example be cleaned between uses.

On insertion the plug insert is moved along the and inside of the can, and the venting means may allow the air in the can to be displaced past the plug insert in the direction opposite to the direction of the insert. The venting means may for example be a skirting section around the plug insert. Such a skirting section may for example be flexible so as to flex to allow air past the plug insert in the direction opposite to the direction of the plug insert, when the plug insert is moved along the inside of the can during insertion and during extraction. Such a skirting section may for example be of a rubber composition. Such as skirting section may for example be of a silicone rubber composition. Such as skirting section may for example be of a plastic composition.

The isolation means, the scraping means and the venting means need not

necessarily be mutually separate. For example the venting means may for example also provide the isolation means.

Where the venting means may for example be a skirting section, such skirting section may, when the plug insert is in rest position, be in contact with the inside of the can wall, thereby providing the isolation means by isolating the perishable product in the can away from communication with air carrying spoiling agent inside the can.

When servings of canned perishable product are taken, with a typical removal device such as a spoon, debris may often be left on the inner wall where servings previously removed were in physical contact with the inner wall prior to being removed.

The scraping means may for example be a surface or collectively set of surfaces of the plug insert, which surface or which set of surfaces, may scrape perishable product debris along the inner wall in the direction of the remaining perishable product, when the plug insert is inserted. Such a surface or set of surfaces may for example be flexible. Such a surface or surfaces may for example flex to allow the scraping means to follow contours such for example as ridges in a can, or to allow the plug insert to pass obstacles such for example as an inner lip in the opening of the can.

Where the inside of a perishable product can wall may for example have contour, the scraping means may for example follow the contour.

The surface of the perishable product in the perishable product can may for example be uneven for example from where servings have been removed. The plug insert may for example be used to compact the surface of the remaining perishable product which may help to further minimise volume of air remaining with the perishable product after the plug insert has been inserted to rest position.

The plug insert includes a manual purchase for manually extracting the plug insert from the perishable product can when access is required to take perishable product serving from the can. The purchase may be any shape or form conducive to manual gripping for extracting the plug insert from the perishable product can. The purchase may be connectable to the rest of the plug insert. The purchase may be

disconnectable from the rest of the plug insert.

In instances where opened perishable product cans may for example a short lip extruding inward from around the opening of the can, and where this diameter may be smaller than the diameter profile of the plug insert, the plug insert may for example be squeezable to a temporarily smaller diameter to fit through the opening.

Alternatively for example the plug insert may flex to a smaller profile in response to contact pressure against such a lip, so as to subsequently slip past the lip and into the can.

In instances where opened perishable product cans may for example have ridges in the wall of the can for structural rigidity, the scraping means may for example naturally flex to the contours of such ridges.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which :

Figure 1 shows a section through the perishable product plug insert 1;

Figure 2 shows a top down view of the plug insert 1 shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a section through the can 12 and through the plug insert 1 in the can 12, and shows a hand gripping the manual purchase 2 of the plug insert 1;

Figure 4 shows a section through the can 12 and through the plug insert 1 and the the plug insert 1 is in rest position;

Figure 5 shows a horizontal section at the level of scraping means 4, through the can 12 and through the plug insert 1 which plug insert is in rest position in the can 12;

Figure 6 shows a section horizontally through the can 12 and through the plug insert 1 in rest position in the can 12, at the level of scraping means 5.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, in Figures 1, 2 there is shown a reusable perishable product plug insert 1 with a purchase 2, for helping to lengthen the life of remaining perishable product 7.

Referring to Figure 1 section through the plug insert is shown and also visible is isolation means 3, venting means 3 and scraping means 4 and 5. The isolation means 3 may for example be a flexible skirting section. The isolation means 3 may also provide the venting means 3. The venting means 3 may for example be the same flexible skirting section.

Referring now to Figure 2 the purchase 2 is visible. The outer edge of the isolation means 3 and venting means 3 is also shown.

Referring to Figure 3, the purchase 2 of the perishable product plug insert 1 is visible being manually gripped by a human hand 6. Upward and downward arrows indicate the up ward and downward movement of the plug insert 1 in the can 12. Some perishable product serving has previously been taken from the can. The can 12 contains remainder 11 of perishable product 11. Perishable product debris from previous servings may be present on the inside of the can 12 wall.

Referring now to Figure 4, the plug insert 1 is in the can 12 in rest position, which position is adjacent to the surface of the remainder of the perishable product 11 in the can 12. The plug insert 1 isolation means 3, isolates the remainder of the perishable product 11 in the can 12, from air carrying spoiling agent filling the space in the can 12 visible above the plug insert 1 in the Figure 4. Perishable product debris scraped from the inside of the can wall by scraping means 4 and 5 is localised with the remainder of the perishable product at the bottom of the can in Figure 4. Referring now to Figure 5, a horizontal section is shown, at the level of scraping means 4, through the can 12 and through the plug insert 1 which plug insert is in rest position in the can 12. Scraping means 4 is shown as a set of surfaces 4 separated by gaps 8. The can 12 is visible surrounding the plug insert 1.

Referring to Figure 6, a horizontal section is shown, at the level of scraping means 5, through the can 12 and through the plug insert 1 which plug insert is in rest position in the can 12. Scraping means 5 is shown as a set of surfaces 5 separated by gaps 7. The can 12 is visible surrounding the plug insert 1.

The scraping means comprises two sets of surfaces 4 and 5. One of these sets of surfaces 4 is visible in Figure 1 situated above the other of these sets of surfaces 5, with a visible gap 10 in between the two sets of surfaces 4 and 5.

During insertion of the plug insert into the can, perishable product debris on the inside of the can 12 wall may pass through the gaps 7 in between the set of surfaces 5, so that the set of surfaces 4 may subsequently catch and scrape debris that passed through the gaps 7.

During insertion of the plug insert the venting means 3 allows air in the can to vent past the plug insert. The air may pass through the gaps 7 in the lower scraping surfaces 5. The air may subsequently pass through the gaps 8 in the higher scraping surfaces 4. The air may subsequently then pass the venting means 3 skirting section. To allow the air past, the venting means 3 skirting section may flex in the direction generally opposite to the direction of the insert, in response to partial air

pressurisation in the can caused the movement of the plug insert 1. In flexing, the venting means 3 skirting section may temporarily come away from the inside of the can 12 wall allowing the air to vent past.

During extraction of the plug insert the venting means 3 allows air in the can to vent past the plug insert. The air may pass the venting means 3 skirting section. The venting means 3 skirting section may flex in the direction generally opposite to the direction of the insert, in response to partial air de-pressurisation in the can caused by the movement of the plug insert 1. In flexing, the venting means 3 skirting section may temporarily come away from the inside of the can 12 wall allowing the air to vent past. The air may subsequently pass through the gaps 8 in the higher scraping surfaces 4. The air may subsequently then pass through the gaps 7 in the lower scraping surfaces 5.

An example of canned perishable product may for example be paint. Paint is commercially available in can, for example in hardware stores and in Do-lt-Yourself (DIY) stores. Some such cans which may be commercially available may be metal cans; some such cans which may be commercially available may be plastic cans; and some such cans which may be commercially available may be polymer cans.

The reusable perishable product plug insert (herein referred to as 'plug insert') may for example be manufacturable in a form for use in paint cans. For example, in this form the plug insert may for example be formed for example, from thin plastic sheet, for example. Such a sheet material may for example be heat formed into the structural form of the plug insert. Areas of or an area of the sheet may for example constitute the scraping means. Areas of or an area of the sheet may for example constitute the isolation means. Areas of or an area of the sheet may for example constitute the venting means. Areas of or an area of the sheet may for example constitute the isolation means.

The plug insert may for example be manufacturable in a form for use in paint cans by injection-molding.

The reusable perishable product plug insert may for example be used in paint cans. The reusable perishable product plug Insert may for example be used in metal paint cans. The reusable perishable product plug insert may for example be used in plastic paint cans. The reusable perishable product plug insert may for example be used in polymer paint cans.

The plug insert may for example be shaped so that one plug insert may be stackabie upon another plug insert and so on and so forth. This may for example be achievable by making the manual purchase hollow. For example multiple plug inserts may be stackabie by where the manual purchase of the plug inserts are of a hollow generally cone-like shape. Thus for example, the manual purchase of one plug insert may for example slot into the hollow of the manual purchase of another plug insert. In this way, for example, several plug inserts may for example, be stackabie in a space- saving way.

Where the manual purchase may for example be a hollow shape and may for example be of a flexible material, the air in the cone may be manually squeezed out, for example by grip of hand. Where the air in the hollow may otherwise have been in communication with the paint in the can beneath the purchase for some time, by being squeezed out, the air may for example not be in communication with the paint product. Once a can of paint has been opened and some serving of the paint has been taken and used, for example by repeatedly dipping a paint push into the paint and removing the paint brush from the paint, the remaining paint in the can may spoil more quickly due to increased contact with the air. Furthermore, where air fills a sufficiently large space in the can when a can is opened, serving of the product may need not be removed, the spoiling of the product to be promoted.

Thus the paint consumer may for example wish to isolate the remainder of the paint in the can from communication with air carrying spoiling agent such for example as oxygen and bacteria in atmosphere outside of the can. A lid for example, for the can may, for example be placed or replaced over the can opening.

Once a can of paint has been opened the paint product can spoil relatively quickly. For example this may be in comparison for example to similar paint in a similar can which has not been opened.

For example even where the paint remaining in the can has been isolated from atmosphere outside of the can, for example by placing or replacing a lid over the can opening, the paint product remaining in the can may spoil. This may be due to the paint being in communication with air carrying spoiling agent in the can.

Thus the remainder of the paint product in the can, may for example over time for example separate into constituent components of the paint in separate areas in the can. This may for example render the paint product unusable in that state. It may thus for example be difficult or beyond reasonable expectation for the consumer to bring the paint in such a separated state back to a usable state. In fact it may mean that the paint is wasted.

Alternatively for example, the reminder of the paint product in the can may for example solidify at its surface where it is exposed to the air in the can. This may render the paint product difficult to access through the solidified area. For example the solidified surface may for example need to be punctured to gain access to paint product beneath it. The puncturing here may be difficult or beyond reasonable expectation for the consumer. In addition for example, the puncturing here may cause other undesired effect such as fragmentation of solidified paint into the rest of the reminder of the paint product. The puncturing here may in addition for example, reduce the area of access to the punctured area, for paint brush to pass which may be irritating to the paint product consumer.

Where the plug insert may for example be manufactured for use in paint cans, the plug insert may for example be cleaned after use and may for example be reused. It may, for example from a time and cost perspective of the consumer, be

economical or desirable for the consumer to dispose of the reusable plug insert after for example one use or after for example a small number of uses, and then to replace the reusable plug insert with an unused reusable plug insert.

The reusable perishable product plug insert may for example be used in a can of perishable product prior to serving of the product being removed, where sufficient space is available in the can for the insert to be inserted to rest position.

The reusable perishable product plug insert may for example be used in cans of chemical product. An example of a can of chemical product may for example be a can of creosote. Another example of a can of chemical product may for example be a can of weed-killer.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Individual components shown in the drawings are not limited to their use in their drawings and they may be used in other drawings and in all aspects of the invention.