The present invention relates to a protective seal, applicable to cans made of aluminum or the like for beverages, particularly designed to provide efficient sealing and preventing contaminations, preventing dirt and pathogenic agents from coming into contact with the upper outer portion of the can. Such sealing capability usually results from the geometrical constitution thereof, which brings about cooperation between surfaces of the seal and of the can, thus generating compressing forces that prevent any substance from getting in.

Description of the Prior Art

The growing demand for disposable containers and/or utensils in the past few decades has promoted the development of numberless products intended for storing and carrying a series of materials.

More particularly, it is known that the consumption of beverages stored in disposable aluminum-type cans has greatly stimulated the production and marketing of containers especially designed to meet the needs of the final consumer.

The physical and/or geometrical characteristics of this type of can are now important aspects when it comes to the handling thereof and/or the possibility of storing and stacking them up.

Additionally, contamination of the upper outer surface of the can is commonplace, exactly the one that comes into contact with the consumer's mouth, due to inadequate storing of such containers at places devoid of minimum hygiene condition, such as storehouses and sheds, or still at excessively humid places.

A few prior-art solutions try to provide a protective product that could meet the requirements of storage of said cans at possible contaminated environments.

Patent document MU 7701753-6 discloses a plastic cover that is coupled by mechanical pressure onto the upper part of a can-type metallic container.

Such a cover tries to provide a protection mechanism to the outer surface of the can, mainly for cases in which there may be contact of contaminating agents with said surface.

Anyway, the prior art MU 7701753-6 does not disclose a cover or a protector for beverage cans, especially designed to prevent substances or contaminating agents from penetrating, in situations in which said can is stored, for example, in containers filled with water or ice, that is to say, in cases in which the cans are submerged. The device disclosed therein does not have geometric characteristics that enhance their performance with regard to efficient sealing.

Similarly, Brazilian patent documents MU 8301816-6, MU 8303346-7, Pl 0006387-8, MU 8201007-2, MU 8201044-7, Pl 0002523-2 and MU 7802409-9 disclose protectors for beverage cans formed by a polymeric material and positioned at the upper portion of the can, without, however, providing a protective mechanism capable of preventing contamination of the can in extreme cases, such as when the can is dipped into an surrounding liquid and is exposed to contaminating agents.

On the basis of the foregoing, there is a space for the development of a really effective protective seal as far as its sealing and protecting properties against contaminating agents are concerned.

Thus, the present invention provides an efficient protective seal for the upper surface of the can, said protector being capable of providing an effectively secure and effective sealing system, even when the can is submerged, on the basis of the constructive characteristics and cooperation of efforts of the surfaces of the presently proposed protector with the can surface.

Objective of the invention

The objective of the present invention is to provide a protective seal, especially applicable to beverage cans, which is capable of providing efficient sealing and preventing contaminations, preventing dirt and pathogenic agents from coming into contact with the upper outer portion of the can due to its geometric construction, which brings about cooperation between seal surface and can surface, generating compression forces that prevent any substance from getting in.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide the protective seal that, in addition to all the characteristics indicated above, has an extremely reduced manufacture cost, thus enabling a commercial application thereof on a large scale.

Brief description of the invention

The objectives of the present invention are achieved by means of a protective seal applied to beverage cans, comprising a first circular protection wall, a second circular protection wall, the first circular protection wall having a first inner contact surface and a first outer surface opposite the first inner contact surface, the second circular protection wall having a second inner contact surface and a second outer surface, the first circular protection wall being associated, from an upper joining portion, to the second circular protection wall,

the first inner contact surface and the second inner contact surface defining a groove for engagement with the upper portion of the can, the inner contact surface having an annular engagement portion arranged inside and underneath at the first circular protection wall,

a circular protective flap projecting from the lower end of the first auxiliary protection wall, the seal being such that a first upper circular engagement portion defines a first sealing portion, the upper joining portion defines a second sealing portion, and the circular protective flap defines a third sealing portion, cooperation of efforts between the first, second and third sealing portions defining a sealing system against penetration of contaminating agents into the upper portion of the can.

The objectives of the present invention are also achieved by means of a protective seal applicable to beverage cans, comprising a first circular protection wall, a second circular protection wall, the first circular protection wall having a first inner contact surface and a first outer surface opposite the first inner contact surface, the second circular protection wall having a second inner contact surface and a second outer surface, the first circular protection wall being associated, from an upper joining portion, to the second circular protection wall,

the first inner contact surface and the second inner contact surface defining a groove for engagement with the upper portion of the can, the inner contact surface having an annular engagement portion arranged inside and underneath at the first circular protection wall,

a circular protective flap projecting from the lower end of the first auxiliary protection wall, the seal being such that it comprises a sealing system against penetration of contaminating agents into the upper portion of the can, the sealing system comprising an upper circular engagement portion, the upper circular engagement portion defining a first sealing portion, the upper joining portion defining a second sealing portion, the protective flap defining a third sealing portion, the sealing system acting by cooperation of efforts between the first, second and third sealing portions.

Further, the objectives of the present invention are achieved by means of a process of applying a protective seal to a beverage can after the beverage has been canned, which comprises the following steps:

Step a) - positioning each can in a given region of the production line;

Step b) - providing asepsis of each can positioned in said region of the production line;

Step c) - fitting or engaging the protective seal, as defined above, in an upper outer portion of the can.

Brief description of the drawings:

The present invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the protective seal of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a second schematic cross-sectional view of the protective seal of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a third schematic cross-sectional view of the protective seal of the present invention, pointing out in dashed line the sealing movement of the present seal and the vaulting of its upper engagement portion;

Figure 4 is a first perspective view of any embodiment of the protective seal of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a second perspective view of any embodiment of the protective seal of the present invention; and

Figure 6 is a lower perspective view of any embodiment of the protective seal of the present invention.

Detailed description of the figures

An analysis of the prior-art documents above shows that the solutions known at present do not provide a protective seal for use on beverage cans that is specially designed for efficient sealing and that adequately fulfils its function of preventing possible substance contamination in the upper portion of the can, chiefly in cases where said can is submerged in a liquid environment and is exposed to contaminating agents.

With a view to provide a protective seal for application to the upper surface of aluminum cans or the like for packing beverages, such as beer, energetic and/or cooling beverages, the present invention is proposed.

More particularly, the proposed protective seal 1 , applied to beverage cans, comprises a main body having a shape that is substantially analogous to the upper portion of the can, so as to achieve a tight fitting and effective cooperation, thus making the sealing extremely efficient.

In essence, the main body comprises an annular circular protrusion defining a lower opening filled by a substantially plane circular surface, so as to cover completely the upper portion of the can when the seal is installed.

Said annular circular protrusion comprises a first circular protection wall 10 and a second circular protection wall 20, which are concentric and associated. The second circular protection wall 20 defines an internal area filled by said substantially plane circular surface, which actually can be described as a first and a second concentric fitting circular portions 30, 31 (see figures 1 and 2). The first upper fitting circular portion 30 has a recessed annular shape, at the inner limit of which a second fitting circular portion 31 is provided on a higher plane.

The first upper fitting circular portion 30 is associated to the second circular protection wall 20 by means of a circular portion in ramp 35, while said first circular portion 30 is associated, by means of an inclined wall

80, to the second upper fitting circular portion 31 , which preferably occupies a hypothetical upper plane.

Such characteristics, as will be seen later, are of fundamental importance so that the protective seal will be enormously more efficient as far as the capability of keeping the upper can portion free from contaminants, if compared with the products known at present.

It should be pointed out that, from the geometric point of view, the first 30 and the second 31 fitting circular portions, as well as the ramp 35 and the inclined wall 80, when combined, define the substantially plane circular protection surface, and cross-section thereof is substantially trapezoidal (see figures 1 and 2).

The second upper fitting circular portion 31 is that which closes much of the upper can portion, preventing dirt from contacting it. Figures 4 to 6 show said second portion 31 in a possible and not limiting embodiment of the protective seal 1.

As can be seen in figure 1 , the first circular protection wall 10 has a first inner contact surface 11 and a first outer surface 12 opposite the first inner surface 11. Similarly, the second circular protection wall 20 has a second inner contact surface 21 and a second outer surface 22.

The first circular protection wall 10 is associated to the second circular protection wall 20 by means of a substantially annular and vaulted upper joining portion 200, which is evidently common to the first 10 and the second 20 protection walls.

A technically important constructive characteristic of the presently claimed seal refers to the first and second inner contact surfaces 11 , 21 , which are preferably positioned at a slight angle, preferably greater than 0 ^s (zero degree) and smaller than 10 ^s (ten degrees), so as to define between them a substantially annular fitting channel 50, which cooperates with the annular protrusion existing on the upper surface of the can. Preferably, the fitting channel 50, as shown in figure 1 , is substantially V- shaped.

Additionally, the inner contact surface 11 has, as shown in figure 1 , an annular fitting protrusion 55 arranged inside and beneath at the first circular protection wall 10, the particular configuration of which may vary freely without the resulting seal failing to be included in the protection scope of the accompanying claims.

Said annular fitting protrusion 55 aids in the structural rigidity of the seal and in its coupling/locking at the upper can portion. When the protective seal is coupled to the beverage can, the annular protrusion 55 is locked to an annular protrusion existing on the can. The locking is such that the seal will be firmly locked and deforms, which will be commented in greater detail later. The shape of the protrusion 55 may vary freely, as long as it is functional.

Further, a circular protective flap 15 projects from a lower end 100 of the first circular protection wall 10. Such a flap 15 provides an auxiliary sealing to prevent contaminants from getting into the upper region of the can. Additionally, the flap constitutes a esthetic element and may receive varied sayings, such as the name of the beverage stored in the can, promotional expressions, etc.

Preferably, the annular fitting protrusion 55 has a thickness of about 1 mm. However, other thicknesses may be employed for the present protector, in order to prevent it from detaching when fitted.

Finally, figures 1 , 2 and 4 show that the first circular protection wall 10 has a first height H1 preferably greater than a second height H2 of the second circular protection wall 20. The first height H1 corresponds to the distance between the lower end 100 of the first circular protection wall 10 and the upper joining portion 200, while the height H2 corresponds to the distance between the beginning of the circular portion in ramp 35 and the upper joining portion 200.

The most relevant and innovatory characteristic of the protective seal 1 over the prior art is the efficient sealing system developed. Figures 2 and 3 highlight in greater detail a set of forces acting on the surfaces of the present object, making clear that the present protective seal 1 is very efficient to guarantee asepsis and tightness at the upper can portion, where the user will place his mouth for consumption, due to the fact that it has a threefold sealing system.

Explaining in greater detail, the threefold sealing system corresponds to the existence of three sealing elements on the seal (V, V2,

V3), in the form of three regions that come into contact with the beverage can and prevent, with great efficiency, penetration of any contaminant in solid, liquid or gaseous form.

Each of the three sealing elements per se (V1 , V2, V3) is extremely efficient in its function of preventing the passage of any foreign body. Evidently, since the three elements (V1 , V2, V3) operate successively, it is virtually impossible that a foreign body manages to pass through these three barriers and reach the upper surface of the can.

The first sealing element V1 is composed by the first upper fitting portion 30, which presses the upper portion of the can when the seal 1 is correctly attached to it.

The second sealing element V2 is composed by the upper joining portion 200, which cooperates with the corresponding annular protrusion existing on the upper surface of the can, pressing it when the seal is correctly attached to it.

Finally, the third sealing element V3 is composed by the circular protective flap 15, which presses the side wall of the can, right below the annular protrusion.

The efficiency of the seal 1 as far as sealing is concerned is due to its ingenious project and to the elastic deformation which it undergoes when it is correctly applied to the can, a moment when each of the sealing elements applies a normal force component onto the can surface, thus guaranteeing the sealing.

Explaining in greater detail, when the seal 1 is applied or riveted over the upper can portion, said annular fitting protrusion 55 lacks right below the annular protrusion existing on the can surface. This locking force is great and sufficient to keep the seal attached to the upper portion of the can, even if, in this position, it deforms elastically.

When the seal 1 is locked by the annular fitting protrusion 55, its central portion undergoes deformation, due to the fact that the first and second circular portions 30, 31 touch the upper surface portion of the can. In order for the seal to remain at rest position, without deforming, it would be necessary for the first and second circular portions 30, 31 to be in a lower portion than they effectively manage to be, due precisely to the interference with the upper surface portion of the can. In other words, the upper portion of the can prevents the first and second circular portions 30, 31 from reaching the position that would be natural for the seal to be at rest position, without undergoing any elastic deformation.

Due exactly to the interference and the consequent deformation, a circular portion in ramp 35 assumes a more horizontal format, and the second circular portion 31 becomes slightly vaulted, now defining a substantially spherical surface, as shown in figure 3. Since the portions 35 and 31 have deformed, they tend to return to their rest position and from now on they apply a contrary force to overcome the resistance put up by the upper portion of the can. In practice, the first circular portion 30 (first sealing element V1 ) applies a normal force F1 substantially perpendicular to the can surface, which in turn, because of the physical principle of action and reaction, applies a force F1 ' of the same module and direction, but in backward movement, onto the circular portion. These two forces entail the strong compression between the first circular portion 30 and the can, causing deformation of the portion 30 and preventing passage of any foreign body.

In identical manner, the seal 1 is mounted on the can, the locking force brought about by the protrusion 55 causes deformation of the upper joining portion 200 (second sealing element V2), which, because of its tendency to return to the rest position, applies onto the can a normal force F2. The inexorable action-and-reaction law causes the can to apply a force F2' of the same module and direction, but in backward movement, onto the circular portion. These two forces entail the strong compression between the upper joining portion 200 and the can, preventing the passage of any foreign body.

Finally, when the seal 1 is mounted on the can, the flap 15 (third sealing element V3) touches it right below the annular protrusion 55. However, at this point the diameter of the can is larger than that of the flap, forces it to an unnatural position and deforming it elastically. Evidently, because of its tendency to return to the rest position, the flap 15 applies a normal force F3 onto the can. The inexorable action-and-reaction law causes the can to apply a force F3' of the same module and direction, but in backward movement, onto the circular portion. These two forces bring about the strong compression between the flap 15 and the can, preventing the passage of any foreign body.

More particularly, the cooperation of efforts takes place through the annular fitting protrusion 55, the first, second and third normal forces F1 , F2, F3, and first, second and third reaction forces F1 \ F2', F3'. In this way, the annular fitting protrusion 55 is capable of keeping the protective seal in contact with the upper portion of the can, reacting against the action of the first, second and third reaction forces F1 ', F2', F3\

Since each of the three sealing elements V1 , V2, V3 alone is already extremely efficient, the sum of the actuation of the three of them makes the present seal extremely efficient in its function. This is because, in order for any impurity or contaminant to reach the upper portion of the can, it would have to pass through the three sealing elements, which is virtually impossible. Such characteristics doubtlessly evidence an innovatory system over the solutions available today in the field of application of the invention.

Said cooperation of forces enables the beverage can, such as a beer or soft-drink can, to be handled and/or stored in situations in which it is submerged in water or ice, as for instance, in expanded-polystyrene packages, since the strength of the present protector provides an important and significant barrier against penetration of contaminants in the upper portion of the can.

Finally, in a preferably way the protective seal 1 has some type of tampering indicator 99, preferably in the form of a weakening (or frangible) line, which breaks at the moment when the consumer removes the seal from the can. Since it is impossible to remove the seal without removing the weakening line 99, it becomes impossible to tamper with the seal without this being noticed. The anti-tampering system may vary freely, being known to those skilled in the art.

Preferably, the seal 1 is applied to the beverage can at the moment immediately following the canning of the product, still at the beverage factory. As a general rule, the beverage is canned and then hermetically closed right away. Immediately after being closed, the can is cleaned and sterilized, so as to eliminate any dirt and impurity, and then the present protective seal 1 is applied.

And, since the seal 1 prevents the penetration of dirt and contaminants, it guarantees sterility of the can portion that comes into contact with the consumer's mouth, until the seal is removed. The maker of the beverage can guarantee that, except in case of removal of the seal, the can will be absolutely aseptic and sterilized when the consumer removes the seal, and the latter may consume the beverage carefree and unworried. Even deliberate attempts at contamination will be made difficult, by virtue of the tampering indicator 99.

Such guarantee is doubtlessly an enormous advantage for the consumer, who can be sure that there will be no risk for his health if he opens the can and drinks the beverage. Such guarantee is also an enormous advantage and reassurance which the manufacture of the beverage offers to the consumers.

In order to attest the sealing power of the present seal, tests for tightness were developed at the renowned lnstituto de Pesquisas Tecnolόgicas (IPT) (Technological Research Institute) and at the Centra de Tecnologia de Embalagem (CETEA) (Packing Technology Center), two Brazilian institutions of the highest renown and reputation.

The tests carried out by the IPT, presented and commented in the official measurement report No. 6071-204, showed that there was no penetration of water under the seals of the cans that were tested in all the evaluated positions, namely:

two cans in the vertical position with the cover turned upward;

two cans in the vertical position with the bottom turned upward; and three cans in the horizontal position.

Further with regard to the methodology employed in the tests for tightness for the presently proposed seal, said tests were developed in a period of 30 minutes of application of external hydraulic pressure of 0.29bar, equivalent to 2.4m of water column. The water placed within the cylinder was at a temperature of 23 ^Q C.

It is well to remind that each can was housed inside a cage, in the above cited positions. The cage was put inside a cylinder with water, guaranteeing that the cans would remain immersed during the application of the external hydraulic pressure. Then, said cylinder was hermetically closed.

The tests carried out by the IPT ratified once again the efficiency achieved with the protective seal of the present invention as far as its sealing power against penetration of possible dirt in a contaminated environment is concerned.

The tests developed by the a reputable Brazilian institute called

"Centra de Tecnologia de Embalagem" enabled one to evaluate the performance of the present seal with respect to the maintenance of the microbiological quality of the outer surface of the aluminum cover of the can, so as to attest possible contaminations of this region.

The evaluation was carried out by considering that said cans are subjected to cooling in containers containing ice. More particularly, the tests were carried out providing the contact of the cans provided with the present protective seal with sterile water and water having a high degree of contamination by a strain of the Escherichia coli bacterium. The cans were put in different plastic boxes for analysis in each case.

It should be informed that the preparation of contaminated water was carried out by adding the strain of the Escherichia coli bacterium to the sterile water, which at the end of the procedure resulted in a count of 2.6x105 Colony Forming Units (CFU)/mL of Escherichia coli.

In a first plastic box, one put 10 cans in lying position, submerged in ice-cold contaminated water. The whole procedure of the tests was carried out by the CETEA vertical-model Veco laminar flow hood.

It should be reminded that, with every 30 (thirty) minutes, there was movement of said boxes.

After three hours contact, the cans were removed from the box at random, momentarily turned upside down in order to remove accumulated liquid, packed in sterile plastic bags with the bottom turned downward and stored at cooling temperature for about 15 hours. Then the cans were subjected to determination of contamination by Escherichia coli.

For the analysis of the surface of the cover under the present protective seal, the cans were removed from the sterile bags in aseptic conditions, and the outer surface of the seal was cleaned with alcohol and dried, in order to ensure that no contamination would take place in the packing procedure.

Table 1 below presents the results achieved in the quantification of Escherichia coli on the cover surface after contact with sterile water. Table 2 shows the results achieved with contaminated water.

Table 1 : Results of the microbiological evaluation, in CFU/can, of the outer surface of the cover of cans packed in the box 1 (sterile water):

Table 2: Results of the microbiological evaluation on CFU/can of the outer surface of the cans packed in box 2 (high contamination)

The results above show that, according to the tests, the no presence of Escherichia coli was found on the cans that were immersed in sterile water, thus confirming that there was no previous contamination on the cans sent for study.

Table 2 shows that no presence of the Escherichia coli bacterium was found on the cover of cans protected by the presently proposed seal, for the cans that were immersed in water with high contamination. In the tests developed by the CETEA, one considers as non-contamination the presence a value lower than 10 colony-forming units per can (CFU/can).

The results achieved and presented by the CATEA prove the efficiency of the seal of the present invention in preventing contamination of the can surface when the can is exposed to high level of contamination.

Additionally, it should be pointed out that the geometric characteristics of the present seal, combined with the raw material employed in manufacturing it, impart to the process of applying the seal 1 onto the can a mounting/riveting velocity many times as high as with the old methods, which can reach the important mark of 120.000 cans/hour or even more.

The velocity of applying the seal 1 , according to the teachings of the present invention, is achieved with the constructive characteristics of the seal associated to the proposed material, the latter being preferably constituted by polyethylene of middle linear density, the fluidity of which is of about 50 grams at every 10 seconds.

The protective seal 1 of the present invention is developed and manufactured with weight ranging from 1 to 5g. Still more preferably, the protective seal proposed now has thickness ranging from 0.2 to 0.9mm.

Evidently, however, the constituent material and the mass of the seal may vary freely without it failing to being included within the protection scope of the accompanying claims.

Finally, the process of applying the present protective seal onto beverage cans after the beverage has been canned is a further novel and inventive invention, this process having the following steps:

Step a) positioning each can in a region of the production can;

Step b) promoting the asepsis of each can positioned in the given region of the production line;

Step c) fitting or riveting the protective seal 1 of the present invention onto an upper outer portion of the can.

A preferred embodiment having been described, one should understand that the scope of the present invention embraces other possible variations, being limited only by the contents of the accompanying claims, which include the possible equivalents.