State of the art As it is known, cans are probably the most popular container used for the transportation and consumption of alcoholic drinks, such as bier, or non- alcoholic beverages, such as orange juice, etc.

The most popular closure is composed of a plate pivoted at the centre of the upper metal wall of the can, which features a lifting ring on one side and a pressure wing on the other side. By lifting the ring, the wing forces a weakened metal portion, causing its lowering inside the can, which opens.

The unresolved drawback of this type of cans is the need for a rapid consumption of the beverage, once the cans have been opened. The rapid consumption is required both to avoid the deterioration of the beverage (loss of bubbles for fizzy drinks) and the spill of the beverage when moving the can.

This inconvenience is due to the lack of a simple, reliable device capable of opening and closing the can several times.

Purpose of the invention The purpose of the present invention is to remedy the above inconvenience and provide for a re-openable can closure characterised by low cost, easy application on traditional cans, and hygienically safe.

Summarv of the invention This purpose has been achieved by means of a re-openable can closure

composed of a plate pivoted at the upper wall of the can and shaped at the lower end. The shape of the plate is such that it can be temporarily engaged with the can opening through pressure.

According to the present invention, once the can has been opened for the first time, the plate is rotated until the lower shape is placed on top of the can opening. By simply pressing the plate, the opening is sealed and the can can be stored or handled with liquid inside, without the above-mentioned inconvenience. To re-open the can, the user will only need to lift the plate and rotate it around the pin in order to place it to the opposite part of the upper wall of the can, which is not affected by the opening.

This operation can be repeatedly carried out with no hygienic risks, since the shape that re-closes the can is constantly directed downwards and therefore protected.

Detailed description of the invention This and other advantages of the invention will become evident through the description and drawings below, which are intended for purposes of illustration and not in a limiting sense, whereby: - Figure 1 is a schematic view of the closure according to the present invention applied to a can seen from above; - Figure 2 is a cross-section according to the A-A line of the plate shown in Figure 1.

In Figure 1 number (1) indicates an ordinary can. The upper wall (11) of the can features a weakening area (12) with an approximately circular shape, designed to be the opening of the can. A substantially elliptical plate (2) is capable of rotating on the horizontal plane around a pin (3) located in the centre of the wall (11). Moreover, the plate (2) is capable of oscillating in vertical direction, being connected to the pin (3) by means of a tongue (4) located inside a slot (13) of the plate (2).

The first portion (5) of the plate (2) features a raised shape (6) in its lower part, shown in partial cross-section in Figure 2. The shape (6) (shown with a dotted line in Figure (1)) basically has the same external profile of the

opening (12) and features a slightly projecting retention edge (7) so as to allow for inserting and extracting it from the opening (12) of the can.

The second portion (8) of the plate (2) features a pressure area (9) embossed with respect to the pin (3) and overlying the weakening area (12) of the can.

During operation, the plate (2) is initially arranged as shown in Figure 1, with the pressure area (9) overlying the weakening area (12). In order to open the can, an upward traction is exerted on the first portion (5) to push downwards the embossed area (9) of the plate (2) in oscillation on the pin (3). The area (9) then exerts pressure on the area (12) to make it disappear inside the can which shows the opening (12).

According to the invention, the can is closed by rotating the plate (2) until the shape (6) overlies the opening (12). By pressing the first portion (5), the shape (6) is inserted through a slight elastic pressure of the edge of the opening (12) and remains in place because of the retention edges until the can is re-opened by simply forcing upwards the portion (5) and rotating the plate (2) in the previous position.

Advantageously, the closure of the opening (12) by means of the shape (6) features a sufficient seal to avoid the partial spilling of the can contents. To this end, a suitable shape of the edge (7) and/or the presence of a seal can be provided.

The present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments. However, equivalent modifications can be made by any expert without exiting the scope of protection granted to the present industrial invention.