Sealing system and method for a twist-off can end assembly
AssigneeThe Coca-Cola Company
InventorMarshall J. Barrash
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A twist-off can end assembly has a cylindrical can body and a lid assembly. The lid assembly includes a joined lid and collar. When an open end of the can body is closed by the lid assembly, a sealing lip on the collar engages a flange on the can body to form a hermetic seal. An annular chamber adjacent the sealing lip is formed by the collar and flange. When pressure of the contents within the can body increase to a predetermined amount, gas escapes from the can interior to the annular chamber. When pressure within this annular chamber increases, the lip deforms to increase the seal between the lid assembly and can body. Therefore, a self-sealing can arrangement is obtained. The lid assembly can be readily unscrewed from the can body.
Claims46
A twist-off can end assembly, comprising:
- a cylindrical can body having an open end and a closed end with a flange extending around the can body at the open end thereof;
- and
- a lid assembly for closing the open end of the can body, the lid assembly including,
- a lid, the lid being adjacent to the flange when the open end of the can body is closed by the lid assembly, and
- a collar attached to the lid, the collar having means for sealing the lid assembly to the can body, the means for sealing comprising a deformable sealing lip engageable with the can body to thereby form a hermetic seal when the lid assembly is placed on the can body, an annular chamber being defined between the collar and the can body, the annular chamber being adjacent the sealing lip, pressure within the annular chamber increasing due to increases in pressure of contents within the can body, the sealing lip being deformable in response to increases in pressure within the annular chamber, and the hermetic seal between the lid assembly and the can body increasing in response to increasing deformation of the lip.
A sealing member for a can body, the sealing member being mountable on the can body in order to close an opening in the can body, the can body being pressurized by gas contained therein and the sealing member comprising:
- a lid;
- and
- a collar rigidly attached to the lid, the collar defining a portion of a chamber, the chamber receiving escaping gas whereby pressure within the chamber increases, the collar further having sealing means forming a hermetic seal between the sealing member and can body, the sealing means increasing the seal in response to increases in pressure in the chamber, wherein the collar is rigidly and hermetically sealed to the lid, adhesive being applied between the collar and the lid and a portion of the lid enclosing a portion of the collar.
A method for sealing an open end of a can body with a lid assembly, the can body having a closed end opposite the open end thereof, the can body further having a flange extending around the open end, the lid assembly having a lid and collar, the collar being hermetically mounted to the lid and having a sealing lip, the method comprising the steps of:
- placing the lid assembly over the open end of the can body;
- engaging the lid and the sealing lip with the flange;
- forming a hermetic seal between the sealing lip and the flange;
- providing an annular chamber defined by the collar and the flange, the annular chamber being adjacent the sealing lip;
- receiving gas escaping from an interior of the can body in the annular chamber;
- increasing pressure of the annular chamber as gas is received therein;
- deforming the sealing lip in response to pressure increase in the annular chamber;
- and
- increasing the hermetic seal between the sealing lip and the flange in response to increasing deformation of the sealing lip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.