Container body in plastic material

Description

"PLASTIC CONTAINER BODY" Innovation field

[001] The present innovation, in the nature of a utility model, refers to a generally cylindrical container body, having the side and bottom walls molded in a single piece of plastic material, for containing bulk products, such as paint or other liquid, pasty or particulate material, the container body being designed to receive, after its molding and by means of crimping, an upper ring in sheet metal and provided with an opening that defines the seating area for a removable lid, also preferably in sheet metal. Prior art

[002] Well known in the state of the art are containers with a cylindrical or polygonal cross-section, having a body formed of sheet metal and closed, at the bottom and top, by end walls also formed of sheet metal and peripherally crimped onto the adjacent end edges of the container body, the upper end wall being designed to define the seating for a removable lid. An example of this type of construction can be seen, for example, in patent applications PI 9801887-6, PI 0003728-1 and PI 1105354-2, from the same applicant.

[003] Although widely used, for example, in the storage of paints, varnishes and the like, these containers, entirely produced from sheet metal, have some weaknesses that require certain care in the preparation of the sheet metal and even in Petition 870250063279, dated 07 / 23 / 2025, page 5 / 14 2 / 9 manufacturing of these containers in the form of cans.

[004] Metal sheets need to be coated on at least one of their faces with protective varnishes against oxidation or contact with the stored product. Furthermore, the very fact that they are made of metal sheet is enough to make these cans susceptible to oxidation of their structures when exposed to certain environments. An additional drawback of metal cans is the ease with which they are dented or creased.

[005] The above-mentioned characteristics, related to metal cans, have made it desirable to replace these cans with containers molded in plastic material, with a cylindrical or polygonal outline, as occurs, for example, with that described in US patent document 6,588,618.

[006] However, due to the structural weaknesses of containers with bodies, bottoms, and top walls made of plastic, particularly when stacked, it became desirable to provide a container with a generally cylindrical or even polygonal body, with side and bottom walls made of plastic, easy to manufacture, and having a top wall defined by a metal sheet ring, peripherally crimped to the body, and having, in the middle, an access opening that defines the seating location for a removable lid, constructed of plastic or metal sheet. In addition to the plastic body not requiring special anti-oxidation treatments, it offers increased structural strength as a result. Petition 870250063279, dated 07 / 23 / 2025, page 6 / 14 3 / 9 of the crimping of the upper metal ring, eliminating the usual weaknesses of containers entirely constructed of plastic material. An example of said construction can be found in patent BR 20 2017 016150-7 of the same applicant.

[007] Although the container construction, as described in patent BR 20 2017 016150-7, using a molded plastic body and a metal sheet top ring and lid, is easy to manufacture, has a non-oxidizable body, and is structurally more resistant to radial and axial deformations when compared to containers entirely constructed of plastic material, this previous container still allows for improvements when the body, particularly the cylindrical body, has its label defined by a film with the labeling already printed on it, which is applied inside the injection mold of the body, to be incorporated (fused), in a single piece, to the outer surface of the tubular body when the molding plastic material of the latter is injected (in-mold label system).

[008] The thickness of the side wall and bottom wall of the plastic body is dimensioned to values ​​sufficient for the body to withstand the load and impact stresses required for it to be safely produced and used without risk of breakage or excessive and unacceptable deformation.

[009] Although increasing the thickness of the body walls in plastic material is a conventional solution to obtain corresponding increases in its structural resistance, a generalized increase in the thickness of Petition 870250063279, dated 07 / 23 / 2025, page 7 / 14 4 / 9 The use of plastic on the side and back walls of the body can lead to excessive and unnecessary consumption of plastic material, to the point of making this construction economically unviable, as it uses plastic material instead of metal sheeting.

[0010] It so happens that, in the “in mold label” labeling system of a cylindrical body, the labeling film, containing the label lettering, wraps around the side wall of the body continuously, up to the region where the extreme edges of the labeling film define a break zone, said extreme edges being kept mutually confronting each other, without being fixed to one another.

[0011] When molding the cylindrical body, the labeling film is fully fused and incorporated into it, and in the labeling film interruption zone, defined longitudinally along the labeling extension that extends at least part of the height of the cylindrical side wall of the body, there is no incorporation of film into said cylindrical side wall, allowing the formation of the labeling interruption zone, in which the side wall of the body (made of plastic material) is not reinforced by the stresses resulting from the incorporation of the labeling film.

[0012] The aforementioned label interruption zone creates a weakened area on the side wall of the container body that can be easily broken, both during the demolding operation, due to the contraction forces of the body and film as a result of post-molding cooling, and during the subjection of the container to the crimping forces of the upper metal ring and even Petition 870250063279, dated 07 / 23 / 2025, page 8 / 14 5 / 9 even to stacking stresses under load or structural strength tests under tension or mechanical impacts.

[0013] Increasing the thickness of the body's side wall would be a solution to the problem, as it would circumvent the weakening of the container in the labeling interruption zone, defined between opposite and confronting extreme edges of the labeling film.

[0014] However, increasing the thickness of the side wall of the cylindrical container body, to withstand the contraction stresses of the body and the labeling film during cooling on demolding, and also the crimping stresses of the upper metal ring, leads to an unacceptable increase in the cost of the plastic raw material, making this solution, in which the labeling is done by the “in mold label” system, unfeasible. Innovation Summary

[0015] Due to limitations related to structural strength and economic viability of providing a cylindrical container body with side and bottom walls molded as a single piece of plastic material and a metallic annular top wall, fitted with a lid and crimped to the container body after molding with labeling using the “in-mold label” system, the present innovation aims to provide a container body of the type considered herein that exhibits adequate structural strength, without requiring an unfeasible increase in the amount of plastic material used to form the side and bottom walls of the body, so that the latter can withstand the demolding forces, already incorporating the labeling film, and the crimping forces of the wall. Petition 870250063279, dated 07 / 23 / 2025, page 9 / 14 6 / 9 upper annular, to the expansive radial forces of the stored product and also to the axial forces, when stacked after being packaged. Brief description of the drawings

[0016] The innovation will be described below, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

[0017] Figure 1 represents a top perspective view, partially cut away, of the container body without the metal ring-shaped top wall and the lid to be fitted to the ring-shaped top wall;

[0018] Figure 2 represents a side elevation view of the container body illustrated in Figure 1;

[0019] Figure 3 illustrates a top plan view of the container body illustrated in Figures 1 and 2;

[0020] Figure 4 represents a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the container body, this section being taken along line IV-IV in Figure 3;

[0021] Figure 5 represents a partial and enlarged cross-section of the container body, this section being taken along line VV in Figure 4; and

[0022] Figure 6 represents a partial and enlarged longitudinal section of the container body, this section being taken along line VI-VI in Figure 3. Description of the invention

[0023] As illustrated in the attached drawings and mentioned above, the container body 10 is of the molded type made of plastic material such as, for example, high-density polyethylene or polypropylene, having a generally cylindrical cross-section, having a side wall 11 that incorporates, in a single piece, a bottom wall 12 and Petition 870250063279, dated 07 / 23 / 2025, page 10 / 14 7 / 9 ending in a lower peripheral edge 10a and an upper peripheral edge 10b that defines the open upper contour of the container body 10,

[0024] The upper peripheral edge 10b of the body 10 incorporates a small external peripheral tab 10c, conventionally used to allow a secure and watertight crimping of an upper closure, i.e., of the peripheral edge of a metallic annular upper wall (not illustrated), medially provided with an access opening that defines a seating area for a removable lid, generally in sheet metal and of any construction well known in the art, not forming part of the present invention.

[0025] The annular top wall and the cover (not shown) can be configured in different ways, provided that they do not affect the function of the annular top wall, in the known form of a metal structural ring that adds greater strength to the plastic body 10.

[0026] The side wall 11 of the container body 10 further incorporates, externally and in diametrically opposite positions, two radial tabs 13, in an inverted L shape, with the axial leg, set away from the side wall 11 of the body 10, provided with a through hole 13a in which a respective end of a suspension handle can be conventionally mounted, which is not illustrated here as it is not part of the particular aspects of the innovation. The radial tabs 13 are incorporated, in a single piece, into the body 10 and obtained during the molding of the latter.

[0027] According to the new construction of the container body 10, its side wall 11 incorporates, Petition 870250063279, dated 07 / 23 / 2025, page 11 / 14 8 / 9 internally and in a single piece, a structural reinforcement 15 extending along the height of the side wall 11, with opposite lower and upper ends, maintaining a distance from the adjacent bottom wall 12 and the adjacent upper edge 10b, respectively, of the container body 10, that is, the structural reinforcement 15 has a longitudinal extension less than the height of the side wall 11, but at least equal to the height of the labeling film 20 illustrated only in dashed lines in figures 1, 2, 4 and 6 and which represent the edges of said film. The structural reinforcement 15 has a circumferential width greater than the span defined by the ZIR labeling interruption zone defined between the two extreme facing edges of the labeling film 20, and at most equal to 1 / 12 of the circumferential extent of the side wall (11) of the container body.

[0028] The structural reinforcement 15 has its longitudinal lateral edges 15a having a thickness that is progressively reduced to zero, in order to match the inner surface of the lateral wall 11 of the container body 10 (see figures 3 and 5).

[0029] The thickness of the structural reinforcement 15 must be defined to impart the required strength to the side wall 11 of the container body 10, in the region of the ZIR labeling interruption zone. The thickness of the structural reinforcement 15, in its median region, can be defined from 15% to 25% of the thickness of the side wall 11 of the container body, with 20% being the preferred value.

[0030] Structural reinforcement 15 is provided according to a radial alignment offset from the alignment Petition 870250063279, dated 07 / 23 / 2025, page 12 / 14 9 / 9 diametrical of the radial tabs 13 of the suspension handle attachment (not shown), to coincide with the positioning of the ZIR labeling break zone. This angular offset can be, for example, 38° in relation to the diametrical alignment of the radial tabs 13.

[0031] The provision of structural reinforcement 15, in the region of the ZIR labeling interruption zone, imparts greater rigidity to this region of the body 10, limiting possible ruptures of the plastic material during demolding operations and, subsequently, crimping of the annular upper wall on the outer peripheral flange 10c of the upper peripheral edge 10b of the container body 10, without the provision of said structural reinforcement 15 causing an unacceptable increase in the plastic material forming the container body 10.

[0032] Also according to the illustrated configuration, the side walls 11 of the container body 10 end in a peripheral lower edge 10a that projects below the level of the bottom wall 12, preventing any elastic and expansive bulging deformations of the latter, when subjected to the load of the packaged product, from interfering with the support plane of the container which, thus, remains defined by the peripheral lower edge 10a of the body 10.

[0033] It should be understood that modifications to the dimensions and shape of the constituent elements of the container body may be made, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the claims that form an integral part of this report.

Claims

1. Container body made of plastic material, generally circular in cross-section, comprising: a side wall (11) incorporating, externally and in its molding, a labeling film (20) having confronting edges defining a labeling interruption zone (ZIR), and also, in a single piece, a bottom wall (12), the side wall (11) ending in a lower peripheral edge (10a) and in an upper peripheral edge (10b) incorporating an external peripheral flap (10c) for upper closure crimping, the container body (10) being characterized by the fact that its side wall (11) incorporates, internally and in a single piece, a structural reinforcement (15) having a longitudinal extension smaller than the height of the side wall (11),but at least equal to the height of the labeling film (20) and a circumferential width greater than the gap defined by the labeling interruption zone (ZIR) and at most equal to 1 / 12 of the circumferential extent of the side wall (11) of the container body., 2. Container body, according to claim 1, characterized in that the structural reinforcement (15) has, in its median region, a thickness of 15% to 25% of the thickness of the side wall (11) of the container body (10).

3. Container body, according to claim 1, characterized in that its side wall (11) also incorporates, externally and in diametrically opposite positions, two radial bearing tabs (13) for suspension handle, the structural reinforcement (15) being provided according to Petition 870250008126, dated 01 / 31 / 2025, page 15 / 25 2 / 2 with a radial alignment offset from the diametrical alignment of the radial tabs (13) and coinciding with the positioning of the labeling interruption zone (ZIR).

4. Container body, according to claim 1, characterized in that the structural reinforcement (15) has longitudinal side edges (15a) with thickness progressively reduced to zero and matching the inner surface of the side wall (11) of the container body (10).

Images