Plastic neck insert for metal beverage containers

Abstract

A metal bottle assembly adapted for use in plastic bottling includes a metal bottle with an outsert assembled to the neck of the bottle. The outsert may be constructed from a plastic material and secured to the bottle using an interference fit. The outsert allows the bottle to be placed on a plastic bottling line with minimal or no modifications to the bottling line. The outsert also ensures that the metal bottle is not damaged by handling on the plastic bottling line. In some embodiments, the outsert is designed to elastically deform when pressed into the neck of a preformed metal bottle, thus creating an interference fit between the outsert and the bottle. In some embodiments, the outsert is retained on the neck of the bottle solely through the interference fit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to beverage bottles. More specifically, some embodiments relate to metal beverage bottles having a plastic outsert at the neck of the metal beverage bottle.

Background Art

[0002] Metal beverage bottles may include a relatively smooth neck. The neck may generally not be able to receive a plastic closure and may generally not have a neck structure that allows it to be filled and processed on a plastic bottling line.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] In an embodiment, an outsert for a bottle includes an upper portion having a smooth continuous inner surface and a thread disposed on the outer surface of the upper portion. A lower portion is disposed below the upper portion and has a smooth and continuous inner surface. A support flange is disposed on the outer surface of the lower portion. The transition between the upper portion and the lower portion is tapered inwardly toward the upper portion. The inner diameter of the upper portion is smaller than the inner diameter of the lower portion.

[0004] In an embodiment, the bottle includes a metal body having a neck portion including a rolled upper edge, an upper region disposed below the rolled upper edge and having a first outer diameter, a lower region disposed below the upper region and having a second outer diameter larger than the first outer diameter, and a tapered transition region disposed between the upper region and the lower region. The bottle also includes an outsert disposed on the neck portion. The outsert includes an upper portion disposed around the upper region of the body and having a male thread, and the upper portion of the outsert does not contact at least a portion of the upper region of the body. The outsert also includes a lower portion disposed around the lower region of the body, and the lower portion of the outsert contacts at least a portion of the lower region of the body.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0005] The accompanying drawings are incorporated into the present invention, form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, further explain the principles of the invention together with the description, and enable those skilled in the art to fabricate and use the invention.

[0006] [Figure 1] This is a front view of a beverage container.

[0007] [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the neck finish of a beverage container.

[0008] [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a front view of the outsert of a beverage container.

[0009] [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the neck finish of a beverage container.

[0010] [Figure 5] This is a detailed view of a portion of Figure 4.

[0011] [Figure 6] Figure 1 shows the beverage container before assembly.

[0012] [Figure 7A] Figure 1 shows the assembly process for beverage containers.

[0013] [Figure 7B] Figure 1 shows the assembly process for beverage containers.

[0014] [Figure 8] This is a side view of the beverage container shown in Figure 1 in a plastic bottling line.

[0015] [Figure 9] Figure 1 is a detailed cross-sectional view of a portion of the neck finish of a beverage container. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] Hereafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to embodiments of the present invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings. References such as "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "exemplary embodiment," and "several embodiments" indicate that the embodiments described may include certain features, structures, or characteristics, but not all embodiments necessarily include certain features, structures, or characteristics. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments. Furthermore, where certain features, structures, or characteristics are described in relation to an embodiment, whether explicitly stated or not, any influence of such features, structures, or characteristics in relation to other embodiments shall be known to those skilled in the art.

[0017] Beverage containers can be made from a wide range of different materials. Plastic beverage containers are widely used throughout the beverage industry due to their low cost and relatively high durability, and are the dominant type of beverage container used. As a result, many beverage bottling lines are designed to fill plastic beverage containers. Many plastic bottling lines are designed to fill bottle-type beverage containers by gripping the bottle at the neck directly below a support flange. This support flange is typically located directly below the threads for the bottle cap on the plastic bottle. The popularity of plastic bottling lines makes it desirable to adapt beverage containers made from different materials for use in plastic bottling lines in a way that reduces costs and simplifies the beverage bottling process. For example, according to some embodiments described herein, adapting beverage containers such as metal beverage containers to function on a plastic bottling line involves providing a neck finish similar to that of plastic beverage containers used in the line (e.g., ensuring that the gripping mechanism of the bottling line engages the beverage container properly, just as it does with typical plastic containers). Some embodiments provide a similar interface structure, including a support flange, on a metal beverage container to ensure that a gripping mechanism can properly grip the metal beverage container during bottling. However, forming flanges on metal beverage containers that are similar to those found on plastic bottles is difficult and costly.

[0018] Thus, some embodiments described herein include a plastic outsert for a metal beverage container that is assembled onto a neck of the container. When assembled onto a metal beverage container or bottle, the outsert enables the metal beverage container to be used on a plastic bottling line. As will be discussed in more detail below, the design of the outsert includes an interface designed to be engaged by a plastic bottling line. This combination of the outsert and the beverage container enables a standard metal beverage container to be formed without any complex interface structures, yet still enables the metal beverage container to be used on a plastic bottling line. Further, the outsert has the additional advantage of enabling a metal bottle to be capped with a plastic bottle cap as found on plastic bottles. This further enhances the compatibility of the metal bottle with the plastic bottling line.

[0019] Further, the outsert is designed to be assembled onto a pre-formed metal bottle. For example, this enables the use of metal bottles formed by a sheet metal forming process that does not easily allow interruption of the process for steps such as applying the outsert. Also, costs are reduced by increasing the flexibility of the supply line. The outsert embodiments discussed below may provide one or more of these benefits, as well as further benefits discussed below.

[0020] The metal beverage container or bottle 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes an intermediate section 110, an outsert 200, and a cap 300. The bottle body 102 includes a bottom 120, an intermediate section 110 (e.g., a cylindrical intermediate section), a neck portion 140, and a tapered portion 130 connecting the intermediate section 110 to the neck portion 140. As shown, for example, in FIG. 2, the neck portion 140 has an opening 142 positioned at an end of the neck portion 140 opposite the bottom 120.

[0021] Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the upper portion of the bottle 100 cut along line 4-4 in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 4, for example, the neck portion 140 may have a lower region 150 located below the transition region 160. The transition region 160 connects to an upper region 170 located above the transition region 160. The lower region 150 and the upper region 170 may have a smooth cylindrical or frustoconical shape with straight walls when viewed in a longitudinal section (as in Figure 4). In some embodiments, the opening 142 is located at the distal end of the upper region 170. The lower region 150 and the upper region 170 may be cylindrical. The lower region 150 may have an outer diameter 152 that is larger than the outer diameter 172 of the upper region 170. For example, the lower end of the upper region 170 may have an outer diameter smaller than the upper end of the lower region 150 (for example, the outer diameter 152 may be 24.5 mm and the outer diameter 172 may be 22.5 mm). The transition region 160 connects the lower region 150 and the upper region 170, bridging the difference in diameter. In these embodiments, the transition region 160 has a tapered shape (e.g., a frustoconical shape) to smoothly transition from the larger lower region 150 to the smaller upper region 170 for easier assembly.

[0022] In some embodiments, the bottle 100 may include a curled edge 180 disposed at the upper edge 144 of the neck portion 140. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the curled edge 180 may be formed by curling the upper edge 144 of the neck portion 140 outward until the upper edge 144 is proximate to or in contact with the outer surface of the neck portion 140. However, the curled edge may also be a separate ring of material that is added to the neck portion 140 using, for example, welding, adhesives, or other known techniques. In some embodiments, the dimensions of the curled edge 180 are configured to mimic the dimensions of the opening of a standard plastic bottle. This further enhances the compatibility of the bottle 100 with plastic bottling lines. The curled edge 180 is also configured to present a finished, smooth surface to the opening 142, which is desirable for an improved consumer experience when drinking a beverage from the bottle 100. In some embodiments, the curled edge 180 may have a non-circular cross-section, such as an oval cross-section or a square cross-section. For example, in some embodiments, the curled edge 180 may define a rounded upper surface and a rounded outer surface, but in some embodiments, alternatively or additionally, it may define a flat upper surface or a flat outer surface.

[0023] In some embodiments, the bottle 100 may be made from a metal (e.g., aluminum or stainless steel). For example, the bottle 100 may be formed through a sheet forming process that is a process of bending, curling, and / or squeezing a pre-cut metal sheet into a desired shape. The curled edge 180 may be formed during this process. As discussed above, the bottle 100 may be fully formed prior to assembly with the outsert. In some embodiments, the outer surface of the neck portion 140 may be smooth, i.e., it may be manufactured without any protrusions and may have a surface roughness similar to that of a metal portion made using the same manufacturing process used to form the bottle 100. Specifically, as will be discussed in more detail here and below, the portion of the neck portion 140 that the outsert contacts may be manufactured to be smooth.

[0024] For example, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the outsert 200 is attached to the bottle 100 at the neck portion 140. The outsert 200 is cylindrical and surrounds a portion of the neck portion 140 that extends downward from near the opening 142 when attached to the bottle 100.

[0025] An embodiment of the outsert 200 is shown in Figures 3 and 4. The upper portion 210 is positioned on top of the lower portion 220. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 4, the lower portion 220 may have an inner diameter 222 that is larger than the inner diameter 212 of the upper portion 210. The transition between the lower portion 220 and the upper portion 210 may be frustoconical and tapered. In some embodiments, the lower portion 220 and the upper portion 210 have vertical walls (i.e., are simply cylindrical). In some embodiments, the vertical cross-sections of the upper portion 210 and the lower portion 220 may have a slight inward taper, which may be partly due to incorporating a draft angle to aid manufacturability. In some embodiments, some portions of the upper portion 210 and the lower portion 220 may be tapered, while others may be cylindrical. For example, the lower portion 220 may be simply cylindrical, while the upper portion 210 may have a slight taper.

[0026] For example, as shown in Figure 4, the outsert 200 may have an undercut bottom edge. As will be discussed in more detail below, the undercut bottom edge may assist in assembling the outsert 200 onto the neck portion 140. On the outer surface of the upper portion 210, threads 240 are located. Threads 240 may be configured as helical threads configured to mesh with corresponding threads on the bottle cap 300. In some embodiments, threads 240 may also have gaps 242 oriented perpendicular to the thread pattern. The gaps 242 may serve several purposes. For example, the gaps 242 may be configured to allow gas inside the bottle 100 to escape while the bottle cap 300 is being loosened. As will be discussed in more detail below, the gaps 242 may also assist in the elastic deformation of the outsert 200. Specific dimensions of the threads 240 (e.g., thread pitch, large diameter, small diameter, etc.) may be selected to suit the thread configuration of any desired bottle cap. The outsert 200 may be configured to work with a neck portion 140 of a bottle 100 of a certain diameter range. For example, some common sizes associated with the neck portion 140 may be 26mm, 28mm, 33mm, and 38mm.

[0027] The tamper-evident feature 230 may be positioned on the outside of the upper portion 210 below the threads 240. The tamper-evident feature 230 is configured to work in conjunction with the tamper-evident band 309, which will be discussed in more detail below. Simultaneously, the tamper-evident feature 230 and the tamper-evident band 309 function to indicate whether the bottle cap 300 has already been loosened. The tamper-evident feature 230 may include any structural configurations necessary to work with the tamper-evident band 309. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the tamper-evident feature 230 may include a flange 232 and a groove 234 located below the flange 232. These structures engage with the tamper-evident band 309, thereby ensuring that the tamper-evident band 309 remains attached to the outsert 200 when the bottle cap 300 is loosened. The flange 232 may also include a vertically oriented gap 236. Like the gap 242, the gap 236 is configured to allow for easier deformation of the outsert 200 by providing an area of ​​the outsert 200 with a thinner wall thickness. In some embodiments, the gap 236 may be perpendicularly aligned with the gap 242 of the thread 240. In other embodiments, the gap 236 may be offset from the gap 242. The configuration of the tamper-evident molded object 230 may be modified as needed to work with tamper-evident bands 309 of different designs.

[0028] The support flange 260 is positioned on the outside of the lower portion 220. As shown in Figure 3, the upper surface of the support flange 260 may extend radially outward from the outsert 200 at a certain angle of inclination with the horizontal plane, and the lower surface of the support flange 260 may extend radially outward from the outsert 200 parallel to the horizontal plane. The engagement portion 270 is positioned on the underside of the support flange 260. As will be discussed in more detail below, the support flange 260 and the engagement portion 270 work together to enable the gripping mechanism 402 of the bottling line 400 to grip the bottle 100. The support flange 260 is designed to extend radially outward for a sufficient distance from the outsert 200 to allow the gripping mechanism to support the outsert itself against the downward force created by the weight of the bottle 100, particularly when filling the bottle 100 with beverage. For example, the support flange 260 may extend radially outward by 2 mm to 5 mm from the outer surface of the lower portion 220.

[0029] The engaging portion 270 extends a sufficient distance downward from the support flange 260 to protect the outside of the bottle 100 from the gripping or conveying mechanism. For example, the engaging portion 270 may extend downward at least over the entire height of the gripping or conveying mechanism. This ensures that the engaging portion 270 is always between the gripping mechanism and the outside of the bottle 100. In some embodiments, the engaging portion 270 may extend a certain distance further below the bottle 100 than the height of the gripping or conveying mechanism to ensure that the outer surface of the bottle 100 is not damaged or imperfect by the gripping or conveying mechanism as a result of slight misalignment between the gripping or conveying mechanism and the bottle 100. For example, the engaging portion 270 may extend downward at least 4 mm (e.g., 4 mm to 6 mm) from the support flange 260.

[0030] A preferred method of inserting the outsert 200, which will be discussed in more detail below, involves pressing the outsert 200 into the bottle 100, so that the outsert 200 can be elastically deformed or expanded beyond its nominal dimensions and then restored, at least partially, to its static dimensions. Therefore, the outsert 200 can be made from any desired material having elastic properties. For example, in some embodiments, the outsert 200 is made from a plastic material, including polypropylene plastic. When designing the outsert 200, it is preferable to ensure that the selected material and selected design parameters (e.g., wall thickness and structural design) are configured to allow elastic deformation over an expected dimensional range. For example, in some embodiments, the outsert 200 may need to expand from its initial static diameter to a diameter that is about 10% ± 2% larger during the assembly process and then need to be restored to its initial diameter. The design of the outsert 200 is preferably adjusted to allow full elastic deformation over this diameter range. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the inner surface of the outsert 200 is smooth, i.e., it has no protrusions, grooves, or other surface features other than the texture naturally imparted by the molding process used to create the outsert 200. The smooth contact surface between the bottle body 102 and the outsert 200 helps the outsert 200 slide over the rolled edge 180 during assembly to the bottle 100.

[0031] For example, the gap 242 in the thread 240 and the gap 236 in the flange 232 may be configured to assist the elastic deformation of the outsert 200. Generally, materials with varying thicknesses elastically deform more easily in thinner sections of the material because those sections are less resistant to the forces that deform the material. Therefore, a material may be designed to elastically deform in specific areas by controlling the thickness of the material, and in particular by making the material thinner where deformation is desired. Here, the gaps 242 and 236 may be aligned vertically, with each gap 242 aligned vertically over one of the gaps 236. The gaps 242 and 236 may be sections of the neck portion that do not have the thread 240 (for the gap 242) or the flange 232 (for the gap 236), but may have the same wall thickness as the rest of the outsert 200. The absence of these thickened structures (threads 240 and flanges 232) effectively reduces the thickness of the outsert 200 in the gaps 242 and 236. Therefore, any elastic deformation experienced by the outsert 200 is concentrated in the gaps 242 and 236, minimizing deformation and associated stress in the threads 242 and flanges 232. The actual wall thickness of the outsert 200 in the gaps 242 and 236 can also be modified to adjust the level of deformation occurring in those sections, with thinner wall thicknesses resulting in more deformation and thicker wall thicknesses resulting in less deformation. In some embodiments, the gaps 242 and 236 can be evenly spaced around the outer circumference of the neck portion 140. For example, there may be 4 to 8 sets of gaps 242 and 236. The uniform spacing of the gaps 242 and 236 around the outsert 200 results in uniform deformation of the outsert 200 relative to its outer periphery. For example, if there are four pairs of gaps 242 and 236, each aligned pair of gaps 242 and 236 may be spaced 90 degrees apart from the next pair of gaps 242 and 236.

[0032] In some embodiments, the outsert 200 may be heated before assembly into the bottle 100. Generally, heating a plastic material to a certain extent increases its ability to elastically deform, and therefore heating the outsert 200 may allow for greater flexibility of the outsert 200 material. After assembly, the cooling process of the heated outsert 200 may further assist in the restoration of the outsert 200 to its pre-enlargement dimensions. For example, the outsert 200 may be heated to a temperature of 80°F to 120°F (e.g., 90°F to 110°F) before assembly. The outsert 200 may be manufactured using any preferred process such as molding or machining.

[0033] As discussed above, and as shown in Figures 1, 2, 4, and 6, the bottle cap 300 is configured to reseal the bottle 100. The bottle cap 300 engages with the outsert 200 after it has been inserted into the bottle 100. For example, as shown in Figure 4, an embodiment of the bottle cap 300 includes a cylindrical side wall 304 positioned along the outer circumference of a top portion 302, with a circular top portion 302 extending downward from the top portion 302. The threads 306 of the bottle cap are located on the inner surface of the cylindrical side wall 304. The threads 306 of the bottle cap are configured to engage with the threads 240 of the outsert 200. The above discussion regarding the specific details of the threads 240 also applies equally to the threads 306 of the bottle cap.

[0034] The bottle cap 300 is configured to provide an airtight seal when screwed onto the outsert 200 of the bottle 100. Embodiments of the bottle cap 300 may be a “one-piece” or “two-piece” type bottle cap. A two-piece cap includes a second piece of deformable material attached to the underside of the upper portion 302. This deformable material deforms around the upper edge of the neck portion 140 of the bottle 100 when the bottle cap 300 is screwed onto the bottle 100 and thus provides an airtight seal. One embodiment of a one-piece bottle cap 300 is shown in Figures 4 and 5. In this embodiment and other similar embodiments, the seal is provided by a first sealing flange 308, which is an annular flange positioned on the underside of the upper portion 302. The first sealing flange 308 extends downward from the underside of the upper portion 302 and is configured to contact the inner wall of the neck portion 140 when the bottle cap 300 is screwed onto the bottle 100 and closed. The second sealing flange 310 is an annular flange positioned radially outward from the first sealing flange 308 on the underside of the upper portion 302. The second sealing flange 310 also extends downward from the underside of the upper portion 302 and is configured to contact the outside of the rolled edge 180 when the bottle cap 300 is screwed on and closed, as shown in Figure 5, for example.

[0035] The lower surface of the upper portion 302 also contacts the top of the rolled edge 180 and acts to provide an additional sealing surface. In some embodiments, there may be a seal in the form of an additional projection (e.g., a sealing bead) configured to contact the top of the rolled edge 180 on the lower surface of the upper portion 302. At the same time, the first sealing flange 308, the second sealing flange 310, and the lower surface of the upper portion 302 are configured to provide an airtight seal when the bottle cap 300 is screwed onto the bottle 100. In some embodiments, the lower surface of the upper portion 302 may not include any additional sealing flanges or structures beyond the first sealing flange 308 and the second sealing flange 310 to further seal the bottle 100. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, there are no sealing flanges, grooves, lands, or other protrusions on the lower surface of the upper portion 302 within the annular area between the first sealing flange 308 and the second sealing flange 310, where the upper portion 302 contacts the wound edge 180.

[0036] In some embodiments, the tamper-evident band 309 is part of the bottle cap 300. For example, as shown in Figure 4, the tamper-evident band 309 may be detachably attached to the lower edge of the side wall 304. The tamper-evident band 309 is configured to interact with the tamper-evident feature 230 of the outsert 200. When the bottle cap 300 is loosened from the bottle 100 for the first time, the tamper-evident band 309 separates from the bottle cap 300 and remains on the bottle 100. This indicates to the consumer that the bottle 100 has been opened, which is desirable for safety reasons.

[0037] As shown in Figure 4, in some embodiments, the tamper-evident band 309 may be configured to be captured by the flange 232. Since the connection between the bottle cap 300 and the tamper-evident band 309 is configured to be detachable, when the bottle cap 300 is loosened, the tamper-evident band 309 detaches from the bottle cap 300 and remains captured by the flange 232. Other configurations of the tamper-evident band 309 may be used to achieve the same results as those described herein.

[0038] The bottle cap 300 can be made from any suitable material. Specifically, the bottle cap 300 can be made from a plastic such as polypropylene or polyethylene plastic. The bottle cap 300 can be manufactured using any known technique suitable for the manufacture of bottle caps, such as molding. The bottle cap 300 can be designed to have the same properties and dimensions as bottle caps used in plastic bottling lines. This further enhances compatibility with the bottling line 400.

[0039] A method for manufacturing a bottle 100 having an outsert 200, according to several embodiments, begins with manufacturing the bottle 100 as considered above. The outsert 200 is manufactured separately from the bottle 100. The outsert 200 is then pressed into the neck portion 140 of the bottle 100, as shown in Figure 7A. Figure 7B shows the outsert 200 after it has been pressed into the neck portion 140 of the bottle 100. The design of the outsert 200 allows it to elastically deform as it passes over the rolled edge 180, and then return to its original shape, thereby allowing the inner surface of the outsert 200 to form an interlocking fit with the outer surface of the neck portion 140. Referring to Figure 4, for example, the smaller of the inner diameter 212 of the upper portion 210 and the inner diameter 222 of the lower portion 220 may be 20 mm to 36 mm. The minimum inner diameter size of the outsert 200 may be influenced by the size of the neck portion 140 of the bottle 100 in which the outsert 200 is to be placed. For example, an outsert 200 intended for use with a 26mm neck finish may have a minimum inner diameter of 22mm to 24.3mm, expanding up to 26mm, and can be fitted onto the 26mm outer diameter of the rolled edge 180 (the outer diameter of the 26mm neck finish may be 23 to 26mm). This embodiment and other embodiments are shown in the table below. [Table 1]

[0040] For example, the smaller of the inner diameters 212 of the upper portion 210 and 222 of the lower portion 220 may be 22.8 mm, while the outer diameter 182 of the rolled edge 180 may be 24.3 mm. Therefore, when applied to the bottle 100, the outsert 200 expands its minimum inner diameter to 22.8 mm to 24.3 mm to pass through the rolled edge 180, and then returns to its design dimensions (i.e., returns to its original inner diameter except for any interference due to its fitting around the neck portion 140). In these embodiments, at least a portion of the neck portion 140 has an outer diameter greater than or equal to the inner diameter of the corresponding portion of the outsert 200, and therefore can form an interference fit when the outsert 200 is pressed into the bottle 100. In these embodiments, the diameter of the rolled edge 180 is greater than the diameter of at least a portion of the neck portion 140, and the rolled edge 180 can serve to restrain the upward movement of the outsert 200. In some embodiments, the outsert 200 is pressed into the bottle 100 such that the upper edge of the outsert 200 is positioned directly below the rolled edge 180.

[0041] As discussed above, the interior of the outsert 200 and the exterior of the neck portion 140 that the outsert 200 covers after assembly can be smooth without any structures, grooves, or protrusions. The smooth interior of the outsert 200 allows the outsert 200 to slide more easily and without damaging the rolled edge portion 180. Furthermore, in some embodiments, there is no adhesive or other fastening mechanism used to secure the outsert 200 to the bottle 100. Thus, in some embodiments, only the interference fit between the outsert 200 and the neck portion 140 secures the outsert 200 to the bottle 100. Specifically, the interference fit between the outsert 200 and the neck portion 140 is sufficient on its own to provide sufficient friction between the outsert 200 and the neck portion 140 to prevent the outsert 200 from twisting while the bottle cap 300 is being closed and unclosed. Therefore, no adhesive or cooperating surface structure (e.g., grooves, protrusions, or other fastening structures on either the inner surface of the outsert 200 or the outer surface of the neck portion 140 covered by the outsert 200) is required. The use of only a compression fit also facilitates the easy separation of the outsert 200 from the bottle 100 during the recycling process in which the bottle 100 is crushed.

[0042] In some embodiments, the outsert 200 may be heated before being pressed into the bottle 100. This further allows the outsert 200 to elastically deform over the rolled edge 180 and then restore to a smaller diameter, as the plastic material is more readily elastically deformed at higher temperatures.

[0043] As shown in Figure 9, in some embodiments, the outsert 200 is configured to have an interlocking fit with the neck portion 140 of the interference region 502, which includes at least a portion of the lower portion 220. As shown in Figure 9, in some embodiments, the interference region 502 may constitute most or all of the lower portion 220. In these embodiments, a gap 504 exists between the outsert 200 and the neck portion 140 extending upward from the interference region 502. For example, as shown in Figure 9, in some embodiments, the gap 504 may extend upward from the interference region 502 along the entire length of the outsert 200. In other embodiments, the gap 504 may extend to just below the top edge of the upper portion 210, where the outsert 200 again contacts the neck portion 140 of the contact region 506. For example, the gap 504 may extend 30% to 70% of the total height of the outsert 200. In some embodiments, the contact area 506 may also have an interference fit with the neck portion 140. The presence of the gap 504 allows the outsert 200 to have a larger inner diameter in some sections (for example, in the upper portion 210), which makes it easier to assemble the outsert 200 on the bottle 100, and specifically, allows the outsert 200 to slide more easily over the rolled edge 180. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 9 for example, the top edge of the outsert 200 may contact the lower portion of the rolled edge 180 to assist in positioning and maintaining a stable position of the outsert 200.

[0044] This method of assembling the outsert 200 onto the bottle 100 has several advantages. Firstly, the outsert can be used with a pre-formed bottle 100. This assembly method does not require the application of the outsert 200 to the bottle 100 at a specific manufacturing stage (e.g., before the rolled edge 180 is formed), thus streamlining and reducing the cost of manufacturing and supplying the bottle 100, and also allowing the use of pre-formed bottles. This also allows the use of faster methods of forming the bottle 100, which may not necessarily be easily adaptable to the insertion of the outsert during assembly. For example, the sheet forming method of assembling the bottle 100 described above occurs very quickly, and introducing a new step for the application of the outsert may make the bottle forming process slower and more expensive. This is in contrast to bottles made using a slag forming method, which is slower than sheet forming and therefore adaptable by introducing a new step for applying the outsert to a partially formed bottle during the bottle forming process. Naturally, the Outsert 200 can be used with slag forming methods to form bottles, but because the Outsert 200 is designed to assemble into a fully formed bottle due to its ability to elastically deform on the finished rolled edge 180, it is particularly well suited for use with techniques such as sheet forming, which are better suited to producing a fully formed bottle without interruption. Furthermore, since the Outsert 200 is not fixed to the bottle 100 using adhesive, the Outsert 200 can be separated more cleanly from the bottle body 102 (for example, when crushing the bottle 100 during recycling), making it easier to recycle the bottle 100 and Outsert 200 after assembly. In some embodiments, the Outsert 200 may contain a magnetic material such as steel or iron mixed into its material to enable magnetic separation of the Outsert 200 from a non-magnetic embodiment of the bottle 100 during recycling. For example, a small amount of steel may be incorporated into a plastic version of the Outsert 200 to allow magnets to attract the Outsert 200 during recycling.

[0045] As shown in Figure 8, the method of using the bottle 100 with the outsert 200 on the bottling line 400 involves placing the bottle 100 on the gripping mechanism 402. As discussed above, the design of the outsert 200 allows the bottle 100 to be gripped by the gripping mechanism 402 even when the gripping mechanism 402 is configured to fill only plastic bottles. The outsert 200, and specifically the flange 260 and the engaging portion 270, act to protect the outside of the bottle 100 as it passes through the bottling line 400. Since the dimensions of the bottle 100 with the outsert 200 attached are similar to those of a plastic bottle, the bottle 100 can be used in the bottling line 400 with little or no modification to the bottling line 400. This reduces the cost and complexity of bottling the bottle 100. Furthermore, since plastic bottling lines such as bottling line 400 are among the most common types of bottling lines, this allows for bottling of metal beverage containers in a wide range of existing facilities. Figure 8 shows an exemplary gripping mechanism 402 representing a “knife and plate” type. It should also be understood that the design of the outsert 200 can also function with any type of gripping mechanism 402, and even with any “air conveyor” type system. The “air conveyor” system uses a continuous guide rail with a gap between a pair of continuous rails, the gap being sized to allow the neck portion 140 to slide. The continuous rail is placed against the outsert 200 to transport bottles 100 to or through the bottling line 400. The bottles 100 move along the air conveyor by an airflow directed towards the bottles 100.

[0046] After being loaded onto the bottling line 400, the bottles 100 are filled with the beverage on the bottling line 400 and then capped with bottle caps 300. Here again, since the bottle caps 300 are designed similarly to the bottle caps used for plastic bottles, the cost and complexity of the filled bottles 100 are reduced, which allows the bottles 100 to be capped on the bottling line 400 with minimal modifications to the bottling line 400.

[0047] It should be understood that the section "Modes for Carrying Out the Invention," rather than the sections "Summary of the Invention" and "Abstract," is intended to be used to interpret the claims. The sections "Summary of the Invention" and "Abstract" may describe one or more but not all exemplary embodiments of the invention, as the inventors may conceive, but are not intended to limit the invention or the appended claims.

[0048] The foregoing description of specific embodiments will be readily modifiable and / or adapted to various uses by those skilled in the art, by applying their knowledge, and will fully illustrate the general nature of the invention without excessive experimentation or departure from the general concept of the invention. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be within the meaning and scope of the equivalents of the disclosed embodiments based on the teachings and guidance presented herein. It should be understood that the expressions and terminology herein are for illustrative purposes only and not limiting, and consequently, the terms and expression herein should be interpreted by those skilled in the art in terms of teachings and guidance.

[0049] The breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the exemplary embodiments described above, but should be defined solely in accordance with the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An insert for a bottle, wherein the insert is The upper part, having a smooth, continuous inner surface, The screw threads arranged on the outer surface of the upper portion, A lower portion located below the upper portion, having a smooth, continuous inner surface, The lower portion comprises a support flange disposed on the outer surface of the lower portion, The transition between the upper portion and the lower portion is tapered inward toward the upper portion. The inner diameter of the upper part is smaller than the inner diameter of the lower part. An insert in which at least one of the upper portion and the lower portion is configured to temporarily elastically deform by at least 1 millimeter to a diameter larger than its original diameter, and then return to its original diameter.

2. The outsert according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the support flange extends away from the outer surface of the lower portion at a certain angle with respect to the horizontal plane, and the lower surface of the support flange extends away from the outer surface parallel to the horizontal plane.

3. The outsert according to claim 1, further comprising a tamper-evident feature positioned on the upper portion, configured to allow the use of a tamper-evident band on the bottle cap, wherein the tamper-evident band is configured to be detachably attached to the outsert.

4. The outsert according to claim 1, wherein the lower engaging portion extends below the support flange, and at least one of the support flange and the engaging portion is configured to engage with a gripping mechanism of a bottling line.

5. The outsert according to claim 1, wherein the outsert is made of polypropylene material.

6. The inner diameter of the upper portion is 22 mm to 24.3 mm. The outsert according to claim 1, wherein the outsert is configured to temporarily enlarge the inner diameter of the upper portion to 23 mm to 26 mm, and then restore it to the inner diameter of the upper portion.

7. A bottle having an outsert according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the inner diameters of the upper portion and the lower portion creates a tight fit with the neck portion of the bottle.

8. The insert according to claim 3, wherein the tamper-proof material has a gap through which it passes.

9. The outsert according to claim 1, wherein the bottom edge of the outsert has an undercut taper.

10. It is a bottle, It comprises a metal body, the metal body comprises a neck portion, and the neck portion is The rolled upper edge, An upper region located below the rolled upper edge, having a first outer diameter, A lower region located below the upper region, having a second outer diameter larger than the first outer diameter, A tapered transition region is positioned between the upper region and the lower region, The system comprises the outsert of claim 1 disposed on the neck portion, The upper portion of the outsert is positioned around the upper region of the metal body, A bottle in which the lower portion of the outsert is positioned around the lower region of the metal body.

11. Both the inner diameter of the upper portion and the inner diameter of the lower portion are smaller than the outer diameter of the rolled edge. The bottle according to claim 10, wherein the upper edge of the upper portion is positioned directly below the rolled edge.

12. The bottle cap is further provided to be removablely disposed on the aforementioned insert, and the bottle cap is The circular top and, A cylindrical side wall extending downward from the outer circumference of the aforementioned top portion, A second thread positioned on the inner surface of the cylindrical side wall, configured to mesh with the thread of the outsert, An inner sealing flange extending downward from the bottom surface of the top portion, configured to contact the inner wall of the neck portion when the bottle cap is fixed on the outsert, The system further comprises an outer sealing flange, which is positioned radially outward from the inner sealing flange and on the bottom surface of the top portion, and is configured to contact the outer surface of the rolled edge when the bottle cap is fixed on the outsert, The bottle according to claim 10, wherein the bottle cap does not include a sealing flange configured to contact the upper surface of the rolled edge.

13. The bottle according to claim 10, wherein the metal body is formed from rolled sheet metal.

14. The bottle according to claim 10, wherein the metal body further comprises a tapered portion located below the neck portion, and the outsert extends from the rolled edge to the tapered portion.

15. The bottle according to claim 10, wherein at least the lower portion is configured to contact the main body by an interlocking fit.

16. The bottle according to claim 10, wherein the outsert is formed from polypropylene.

17. The bottle according to claim 10, wherein the outer surface of the main body that contacts the outsert is smooth.

18. The bottle according to claim 12, further comprising a tamper-evident band positioned on the lower side of the cylindrical side wall, wherein the tamper-evident band is configured to engage with a tamper-evident formation positioned on the upper portion of the outsert, and the tamper-evident band is configured to separate from the cylindrical side wall when the bottle cap is removed from the outsert.

19. A method for manufacturing a metal beverage container having a neck portion having an upper region positioned above a lower region, wherein the method is The invention includes pressing the outsert of claim 1 into the rolled edge positioned on the upper edge of the neck portion, thereby positioning the upper edge of the outsert directly below the rolled edge, The rolled edge portion has an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the upper region of the outsert. During insertion, the inner diameter of the outsert expands and fits onto the outer diameter of the rolled edge, and then the inner diameter of the outsert returns to its original state, so that a portion of the outsert contacts at least one of the upper region and the lower region. A method wherein the restored inner diameter of the outsert is smaller than the outer diameter of at least one of the upper region and the lower region, and the outsert is thus fixed to the neck portion by an interference fit.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein, after being pressed in, the outsert contacts a portion of both the upper region and the lower region, and the outsert does not contact a portion of the upper region.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the outer surfaces of the upper region and the lower region, and the inner surface of the outsert are smooth.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the outsert comprises a support flange disposed on the lower portion of the outsert and an engaging portion disposed on the lower side of the support flange.

23. The method according to claim 19, further comprising heating the outsert before pressing it into the metal beverage container, wherein the outsert is made of a plastic material.

24. A method for using metal beverage containers in a plastic bottling line, wherein the method is The method according to claim 22 involves manufacturing a metal beverage container adapted for use in the aforementioned plastic bottling line, Loading the metal beverage container into the plastic bottling line, wherein during loading, the gripping mechanism of the plastic bottling line grips the engagement portion of the outsert directly below the support flange, and the support flange contacts the upper surface of the gripping mechanism, so that the outer surface of the metal beverage container does not come into contact with the gripping mechanism. Filling the aforementioned metal beverage container with a beverage, A method comprising applying a bottle cap to the outsert so that the metal beverage container is closed in a fluid-seal manner.

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