Closure arrangement for cans

Abstract

Disclosed is a closure arrangement for a can of the type which comprises a tubular body (10) having an open upper end (13) provided with a seat (16); and a plastic lid (20) comprising a sealing portion (21) and an axially breakable seal (25) formed by a lower skirt (25a) to be seated around the upper end (13) of the tubular body (10), and an upper edge (25b) internally incorporated to the sealing portion (21) by means of breakable radial bridges (26). The upper end (13) of the tubular body (10) presents a cross section contour that is substantially smaller than the largest cross section contour of the remainder of the tubular body (10), so that the contour of the lid (20) is maintained internal to said largest cross section contour of the tubular body (10), avoiding the mutual contact of the lids (20) of two adjacent cans disposed side by side.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention refers to an improvement in a closure arrangement for a can obtained in metallic sheet and of the type which comprises a tubular body, with the lower edge affixing or incorporating a bottom wall, and with the upper edge carrying, directly by means of a deformed portion of the tubular body or by means of an annular upper wall portion which can take the form of a structural ring, a seat for the seating and retention of a press-fit plastic lid. The invention is particularly related to a closure arrangement with a plastic lid for a can of the type considered above and which is used to contain products of progressive consumption, such as certain food products. PRIOR ART [0002] Determined products, such as certain food products, have to be submitted to hermetic storage and provided with a clear visual indication to the consumer that the package in which they are presented to the market has not been violated. Considering that many of thes...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009] It is a generic object of the present invention to provide an improved closure arrangement for the type of can considered herein, which presents a simple and low cost construction, using a plastic lid provided with a reliable tamper evident seal which is positioned in order not to contact the lid of a can of the same type that is disposed laterally and adjacent to another can, guaranteeing the integrity of the seal of said lid during packaging, shipping and storage of said cans.

[0010] It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved can closure arrangement as mentioned above, which allows the reliable stacking of the cans without the stacking load concentrating in a specific and restricted region of the lid. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0012] According to the invention, the upper end of the tubular body, around which is seated the lower skirt of the seal, presents a cross section contour that is smaller than the largest cross section contour of the remainder of the tubular body, so that the contour of the lid is maintained internal to said largest cross section contour of the tubular body, avoiding the mutual contact of the lids of two adjacent cans disposed side by side.

[0013] The above-defined construction allows the lids to be totally protected against contacts and collisions with the lids of other adjacent cans during different operational situations in which these cans are joined in groups of at least two units, and subject to manual or mechanical handling or transportation movements. Besides the technical effect mentioned above, the new construction allows the seating to occur with a better load distribution of the bottom of a can over the lid of a can disposed immediately below.

Problems solved by technology

While eliminating the deficiencies of the previous lids for cans containing products of progressive consumption, these prior solutions of the same applicant still present a certain deficiency susceptible to improvement.

Thus, the lid is positioned with its seal projecting radially outwardly from the cross section contour and thus susceptible to collide with the seal of the lid of a can disposed side by side and adjacent in relation to another can.

During the packaging operations of the already filled and closed cans, and also during transportation in boxes or pallets, in which they remain contacting each other, there may occur a partial or total rupture of the seal of a lid of a can colliding with the lid of another can.

Another deficiency of the known solutions results from the fact that the stacking of the cans makes the lid of a can receive, over its seal, the generally double seamed lower edge of the tubular body of a can disposed immediately above.

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