Expanded cans
AssigneeCrown Cork & Seal Technologies Corporation
InventorsSudesh Kumar Nayar, Bruce John Munn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Metal can blanks comprising a cylindrical side wall expanded by any known method so that the side wall of the resultant can includes a regular pattern (2) of individual pattern elements. In one example the pattern elements are diamond in outline and are formed over a central region of the can side wall by about 2.25% expansion. Further expanded margins (3, 4) are provided above and below this pattern. The pattern elements are arranged in rows and columns so that the pattern comprises at least two rows and at least two columns.
Claims10
A metal can formed from a can blank (1) having at least a cylindrical side wall, the side wall of the can comprising a regular pattern (2) of individual polygonal pattern elements (10,20), in which:
- the pattern elements (10,20) are arranged in at least two circumferential rows (5,6,7) and at least two longitudinal columns;
- and
- each polygon (10,20) comprises between 3 and 10 sides;
- characterised in that:
- at least some of the pattern elements (10,20) are formed by expanding the cylindrical side wall of the can blank so that the can side wall extends beyond its original radius, each such expanded pattern element having an externally concave radius (RF,Rg) around its edges and an externally convex radius (RL,Rh) adjacent the concave radius, towards the centre of the pattern element;
- in which the concave radius (RF,Rg) is substantially constant around the element;
- the size of the convex radius (RL,Rh) is directly proportional to its distance from the centre of the pattern element;
- and
- the expansion of any point on an expanded pattern element is inversely proportional to its distance from the centre of the pattern element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.