Containers
AssigneeCMB Foodcan plc
InventorsChristopher P. Ramsey, Paul C. Claydon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A metal can body comprises an end wall and a tubular side wall. The side wall has upper and lower cylindrical portions joined by a plurality of concave flexible panel portions and ribs. The benefit arising from the flexible panels in the side wall is the ability to attenuate the internal pressure changes arising during thermal processing of lidded cans by providing a elastic mechanism which enhances the change in internal can volume.
Claims12
A can body comprising an end wall and a tubular side wall upstanding from the periphery of the end wall wherein the tubular side wall includes a plurality of adjacent concave longitudinal panels each of which extends parallel to the central axis of the side wall to connect with a cylindrical portion of axial length less than 25% of the height of the side wall, at both ends of the panels, characterised in that, the can body is made from sheet metal;
- each panel is flexible and subtends at the central axis an angle between 8.degree. and 30.degree. and is joined to the adjacent panels at a convex rib;
- wherein the perimeter length in the region of the can which contains the ribs and recessed panels is equal to the circumference of an imaginary circle with centre point on the central axis of the can, and radius substantially equal to the distance from the central axis of the can to the apex of the externally convex ribs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.