PROTECTION COVER OF A BEVERAGE CONTAINER

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to the protection of a container which contains a beverage or food intended for human consumption

[0002] Metallic containers or cans for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are in widespread use Typically this type of container is made from a thin metallic foil or sheet e g aluminium, and has a circular cylindrical side wall with opposed lower and upper circular end walls A line of weakness is formed in the upper end wall and by manipulating a pull handle or similar device it is possible to sever the material of the upper end wall along the line of weakness, thereby to form an opening through which the beverage inside the container can be dispensed An arrangement of this kind works effectively and satisfactorily

[0003] The containers may be sold or dealt with on an individual basis or in packs, usually of six, twelve or twenty four With the packs the containers may be covered, bound together or otherwise grouped in order to preserve the integrity of each pack, at least to a limited extent Nonetheless it is fairly commonplace for the containers, whether in pack form or otherwise, to be exposed to external factors Thus although the beverage inside the container is kept in a sealed and hence protected environment an outer surface of the container is often exposed to unhygienic conditions a factor which can have an adverse effect on the health of a person who opens a container and then drinks beverage directly from the container

[0004] Similar problems are encountered in respective of containers with food intended for human consumption

[0005] The invention aims to address, at least partly, the aforementioned situation.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0006] The invention provides, in the first instance, a method of protecting a dispensing aperture in a container wherein the aperture is initially sealed by a removable closure, the method including the step of securing a cover to the container to overlie the closure and a portion of the container which surrounds the aperture

[0007] The cover may be adhesively secured to the container.

[0008] The cover may be a flexible sheet material and for example may be formed from a plastics material. The cover may be transparent or coloured or carry an advertising or other message.

[0009] The cover is preferably secured to the container along a path adjacent a periphery of the cover.

[0010] The manner in which the cover is secured to the container may be of a nature which permits the cover to be re-engaged with the container.

[0011] "Adhesive" as used herein is to be interpreted broadly and includes, without limitation, any arrangement which causes the cover to remain engaged with the container, i e adhere to the can, at least during normal handling and storage, etc. of the container

[0012] For example the cover may be secured to the container by making use of a conventional adhesive (a "sticky" medium) which effectively glues the cover to the container but in a way which permits the cover to be removed, when necessary, with relative ease from the container

[0013] In a variation of the invention the cover is caused to be adhered to the container by virtue of intimate interengagement of opposing surfaces of the cover and the container This may be achieved by forming the cover, at least partly, of a highly flexible and smooth plastics material similar to that known as "cling wrap" or "cling seal"

[0014] In another embodiment of the invention the cover is shaped to fit tightly onto the container, e g with a friction or interference fit which is of a nature which causes the cover thereby to be adhered to the container With this example of the invention the cover is preferably formed so that it is complemental in shape to a portion of the container A close and tight fit between the cover and the container, e g an upper end thereof in which the closure is located, can be enhanced by forming the cover slightly undersized and from a material which has a degree of resilience or elasticity Thus when the cover is engaged with the container, the cover material can stretch slightly and, as a result, remains closely adhered to the container A cover of this type is preferably injection or blow moulded from a suitable low cost and optionally transparent or coloured material The cover may include a line of weakness, or a tab or any other appropriate formation, which assists a user in releasing the cover from the container

[0015] In another version the cover is formed by the application of a settable material, possibly in fluent form, to the container For example a fluid settable plastics material can be sprayed onto a part of the container to cover the container, or the container can be immersed, at least partly, in a bath of this type of material The container, in each case, acts as a mould or former and, as the material sets, in situ on the container, adheres to and overlies, at least, the closure in a manner which permits detachment from the container, by a user, when subsequently required

[0016] Another possibility is to form the cover with formations which engage with complemental formations on the can For example, if the can has a protruding rim the cover can include one or more formations which engage with the rim

[0017] A plurality of the covers can be interengaged, preferably in a configuration which complies with a standard packaging or grouping arrangement e g in a "six- pack ^" A handle may be provided to allow the plurality of covers, and attendant containers, to be handled with ease

[0018] The invention also provides a container which has a side wall, opposed upper and lower ends, a line of weakness in the upper end which defines a joint between a closure which seals a dispensing aperture and a remainder of the upper end, and a detachable cover which is secured at least to a part of the upper end to overlie the closure and the aperture

[0019] The cover may be adhesively secured to, or frictionally or otherwise engaged with, the container

[0020] Preferably part of the detachable cover overlies a portion of the side wall adjacent the closure

[0021] The detachable cover may include a tab, line of weakness, or any other suitable formation or mechanism which facilitates detachment of the cover from the upper end wall

[0022] Preferably the cover is made from a flexible sheet material such as a plastics material which is transparent or coloured, and may carry an advertising or other promotional message Alternatively or additionally the cover may be shaped in the form of an animal, a cartoon character, an object such as a star or, generally, as a representation of any other object or symbol

[0023] The cover may include an adhesive band which extends continuously along a path adjacent a periphery of the cover.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The invention is further described by way of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container, in this case a can, protected in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a side view of the can of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the can of Figure 1 ; Figures 4 and 5 are respectively a plan view of an outer side, and a plan view of an inner side, of a detachable cover which is used with the can of Figure 1 ;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a cover according to another form of the invention;

Figures 6A and 6B are perspective external and cross-sectional views of a modified cover, Figure 7 is a side view of two cans, each of which has a cover of the kind shown in

Figure 6, with one can stacked on the other can;

Figure 8 illustrates a can with a cover according to another embodiment of the invention,

Figures 9 and 10 respectively illustrate different techniques for forming a cover, in situ on a can, according to other aspects of the invention;

Figures 11 and 12, and 13, respectively show two further ways of causing a cover to adhere to a can;

Figure 14 is a plan view of a "six-pack" configuration of detachable covers according to the invention; Figure 15 is a side view of one of the covers in Figure 14; and

Figures 16 and 17 are similar to Figures 14 and 15 respectively, of a variation of the invention

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings illustrate in perspective, in elevation and in plan respectively a can 10 to which is attached a detachable cover 12 according to a first form of the invention

[0026] The can is substantially conventional and includes a circular cylindrical side wall 14 a circular lower end 16 and a circular upper end 18 which opposes the lower end The can is made from a metallic sheet, e g aluminium foil, using conventional processes The shape of the can is illustrative only, not limiting, for the principles of the invention can be used with cans or containers of different shapes and sizes, which are made from various materials

[0027] The can contains a beverage, or food intended for human consumption

[0028] The upper end 18 includes a line of weakness 20 which defines an aperture 22 A closure 24 is joined to the remainder 26 of the upper end wall along the line of weakness A pull handle 28 is pivotally attached to the closure 24 by means of a rivet 30 or any similar mechanism If one end of the handle is raised then an end of the handle on an opposite side of the rivet is lowered In this way force can be applied to the closure 24 to cause the closure to be severed from the remainder 26 of the end wall along the line of weakness 20 The aperture 22 is thereby exposed A beverage can then be poured or drunk directly, from the can This procedure and dispensing regime are conventional

[0029] Alternatively the pull handle, when operated, exposes the aperture and provides a mechanism whereby leverage can be applied to the upper end which can then be torn free from the remainder of the can along a line of weakness (not shown)

[0030] The invention is concerned with increasing the level of cleanliness or hygienic standard associated with the situation in which a beverage is drunk by a user directly from the can, or in which a food, in the can, intended for human consumption, is accessed through the aperture or a large mouth which is formed which the upper end is removed

[0031] The cover 12 is made from an inexpensive yet durable lightweight plastics sheet material e g PVC, polyethylene or the like An outer surface 32 of the cover, shown in Figure 4, can carry advertising, or a promotional or other message The cover can be made from a transparent or opaque material It could also be made, according to requirement, to represent any device or symbol e g a cartoon character, a sportsman such as a soccer player, the sun, a star, or the like

[0032] An inner surface 34 of the cover, shown in Figure 5, has an adhesive band 36 which extends in a thin path continuously around a periphery 38 of the cover

[0033] In outline the cover has a relatively large circular section designated 12A and a projecting section 12B which is relatively narrow A small tab 40 projects from the section 12B This tab does not have adhesive material applied to it

[0034] The can is constructed and filled with its content beverage (or food, as the case may be) in a conventional manner At the end of the manufacturing process and while the outer surface of the can is still sterile the cover is adhesively secured to the can, as is shown in Figures 1 to 3, so that the circular section 12A overlies the

line of weakness and a portion of the side wall 14 adjacent the line of weakness, and so that the projecting section 12B extends over the pull handle 28 A continuous adhesive interface is formed along a peripheral edge of the cover and the corresponding underlying portions of the side wall and the upper end wall The cover thus provides a physical barrier or protection device between the closure 24 and a portion of the upper end surface which surrounds the dispensing aperture The cover can however be detached from the can with relative ease by pulling on the tab 40 When the cover is peeled away from the can the pull handle 28 and then the closure 24 are exposed As the surfaces of the can underlying the closure are protected until removal of the cover a user can drink freely from the can without being unduly concerned about unhygienic side effects

[0035] Preferably the adhesive which is applied to the cover is such that it permits the cover to be re-engaged, with a sealing action, with the can at least for a limited number of repetitions

[0036] The cover protects a portion of the end surface and an adjacent portion of the side wall This is necessary because the mouth of a user would normally come into contact with these surfaces when drinking or possibly when eating from the can It is also possible to incorporate, at least on the inner surface 34 of the cover, an agent which displays a sanitising effect and which is harmless to users The agent exerts a positive sanitising action on the surface of the can which underlies the cover

[0037] The cover is relatively inexpensive and can be adopted for use without modifying manufacturing processes which are currently employed for beverage containers

[0038] Figure 6 is a perspective view of a cover 41 , according to a second form of the invention, which is formed, e g by an injection or blow moulding process, from a low-cost hygienic plastics material The cover is cup-shaped with a recessed central region 42 and a thin side wall 44 which surrounds the central region and conforms in shape to the outer upper end of the can An inner surface of the cover thus essentially replicates the shape of the upper end of the can, although it is slightly undersize so that, when the cover is placed over the upper end of the can 1OA, as is shown in Figure 7, the thin wall 44 can stretch slightly The small tension force which results, together with the intimate fit of the cover on the upper end, causes the cover to adhere tightly to the can and thus remain in place to provide a protective function

[0039] As the cover replicates the shape of the upper end of the can, and is made from a thin material, it is possible for the can to retain its stacking capability, as depicted in Figure 7 wherein a second can 10B with a respective cover 41 B is stacked on the can 10A The cover 41 on the lower can does not interfere with the stacking action which can be continued with other cans, not shown, if required

[0040] The cover 41 has a tab 45 defined by two lines 46 and 48 of weakness respectively The tab can easily be severed from the remainder of the cover, when necessary, along the lines 46 and 48 This releases the tension in the side wall and reduces the tight adhesion of the cover to the can The cover can then be removed from the can to gain access to the closure (not shown in Figure 7) at the upper end of the can

[0041] Figures 6A and 6B are respectively an external perspective view, and a cross sectional perspective view, of a cover 41 A which is similar in many respects to the cover 41 However, an important difference is the position of a flexible projection

or grip portion 45A, which extends from a tab 45 defined by lines of weakness 46 and 48 The grip portion is readily grasped by a user to sever the tab 45 from the remainder of the cover and so release the cover, and allow the cover to be removed from the can

[0042] The central region 42 is shaped to fit closely into a corresponding formation in an upper surface of a can (not shown) Figure 6B shows a small inwardly projecting continuous ridge 51 which is positioned and shaped to fit with a snap fit under a rim or flange of a can, which is similar to the component marked 78 in Figure

13

[0043] Figure 8 shows another form 49 of the cover In this case the cover is made from a highly flexible and thin sheet material, similar to that known as cling wrap or cling sheet, which is shaped to conform to the shape of the upper end of the can When the cover is placed over the can, a substantial portion of the air between the cover and the can is expelled and the cover is thereby adhered to the can in a detachable manner

[0044] Figure 9 shows a cover 50 which is formed on an upper end of a can 10C by applying a fluent and settable plastics material 52 in a thin layer on the upper end Preferably the material is sprayed from a high-pressure source 54 onto the can using industrial and mechanised techniques The material 52 sets, in situ, and forms a thin protective detachable cover which adheres to the can, primarily due to the manner in which the cover is formed

[0045] Figure 10 shows another form of the invention In this instance a can 10D which is one of a succession of cans, not shown, is inverted and carried by a suitable transport device, not shown, so that a lower side of the can (which in normal usage

of the can constitutes its upper end) is immersed in a liquid settable plastics material 56 held in a bath 58 The liquid adheres to the can and this sets, in a thin layer, on the can to form a removable cover 60 which, in common with the other embodiments of the invention, provides a hygienic protective function at low cost

[0046] Figure 11 is a cross sectional view of a can 1 OG with a cover 62, according to a further variation, adhered to the can, and with a lower end of an upper can 10K nesting in the cover Figure 12 is a perspective view from below of part of the cover

[0047] The cover 62 is blow-moulded from a suitable plastics material and has a circular cylindrical section 64, an inwardly tapering portion 66, which is generally frustro-coπical at an upper end of the section 64, and a shaped upper surface 68, closing one end of the portion 66 which includes a fairly deep circular recess 70 and a substantially flat wall 72 which is circular in outline

[0048] The upper surface 68 is designed to accommodate a circular protruding ridge 74 at a base of the upper can 10K, as shown in figure 11 This allows an effective stacking function On an inner surface of the cover, at spaced locations around its circumference, the cover is formed with small inwardly projecting protruberances 76, only one of which is visible in Figure 11

[0049] The upper end of the can 10G, during its manufacturing process, is formed with a rim or flange 78, which projects outwardly to a slight extent, and the protruberances are shaped to engage with an underside of the rim Alternatively the protruberances can be replaced by a single formation, which can extend radially inwardly around the cover

[0050] Towards a final stage of a canning and packaging process, in a factory, the can, while still in a clean and hygienic state, is presented to a work station and the

cover 62 which is one of a plurality of similar covers held at the station, is mechanically positioned above the can, and then pushed down The cover conforms closely to the outer upper shape of the can and thus engages tightly with the can The protruberances 76 are able to deform slightly, in a resilient manner, so that they can pass the rim 78 whereafter the protruberances expand and then engage with an underside of the rim to keep the cover securely fixed to the can A similar process of secure attachment arises if the protuberances are replaced by a single continuous formation

[0051] If air entrapped between the cover and the can is a problem then the air can be allowed to escape along an air path, or a small air escape hole, formed in the cover for this purpose

[0052] The moulding process is such that a small tab 80 is formed at one end of the cover This can be extended, if necessary, or the cover can be formed with a line of weakness, to provide a mechanism which facilitates removal of the cover by a user

[0053] Figure 13 shows another cover 84 There are strong similarities between the cover 84 and the cover 62 of Figure 11 and for this reason like reference numerals are used to indicate like features

[0054] The cover 84 does not have the small protruberances 76 and instead is formed with a number of spaced relatively large indentations 86 which closely follow the contour 90 of the can between a large portion 92 of the can body, and the rim or flange 78

[0055] These indentations, which are slightly resiliency deformable, grip the contour 90 and engage, as well, with the underside of the rim 78 and so cause the cover to be adhered firmly to the can

[0056] Figure 14 is a plan view of a two-dimensional array 100 of six interconnected covers 102, each cover being according to the invention

[0057] Figure 15 illustrates a cover 102 from one side The cover is substantially identical to any of the embodiments previously described and, for example, may be similar to the cover 84 shown in Figure 13 Thus the cover 102 is designed to engage tightly and fπctionally with an upper end of a food or beverage container (not shown) The cover conforms to an outer shape of one end of the respective container and is made from a plastics material so that it can be engaged with a snap fit with the container to provide a protective function

[0058] The covers are interconnected in any appropriate way, for example at nodes or junction points 106 between adjacent covers i e at locations at which the covers are close to each other Interconnection is achieved in any appropriate way, for example by means of bonding adjacent covers to each other or forming a link between adjacent covers during the moulding or formation process As is evident from Figure 15 each cover has a tab 108 formed by appropriate lines of weakness The tab is severable from the remainder of the cover, e g in the manner described in connection with Figure 6, so that the removal of the cover from a container is readily effected

[0059] The configuration shown in Figure 14 is useful particularly in respect of containers such as beverage containers which are supplied in a so-called "six-pack" configuration It is to be understood however that this is merely by way of example and that other configurations, each containing a plurality of container covers, can be used as required It is also to be noted that the covers are designed to exhibit stacking features which facilitate vertical assemblies of stacked packs of containers

[0060] Figures 16 and 17 are views which correspond respectively to Figures 14 and 15 of a variation of the invention There are substantial similarities between the examples shown in Figures 14 and 15 on the one hand and Figures 16 and 17 on the other hand For this reason like reference numerals are used to designate like components An important difference however arises from the inclusion of a handle 110 which is connected at least to four of the covers and preferably to each of the six covers This can be by means of an integral moulding process or the handle can be formed separately from the covers and can be fixed thereto, subsequently, by means of an adhesive or heat welding or other process The handle can also be used to interconnect the covers to one another

[0061] It has been pointed out that the covers are tightly engaged with the respective cans Each engagement force is such that each cover is capable of carrying the weight of its can suspended from the cover. Thus the handle provides a means whereby an assembly of cans, in the illustrated case a "six-pack", can be handled with ease

[0062] Even if the covers are not readily detachable from one another the various covers can be detached from the respective cans simply by actuating the release tabs 108