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US 6,945,085 B1Granted
Method of making metal containers
AssigneeCCL Container (Hermitage) Inc.
InventorMark E. Goda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Lightweight metal containers are formed from high-strength metal alloys by impact extrusion of a cup-shaped container having a substantially larger diameter than the finished container, drawing and wall ironing the extruded container to reduce its diameter and wall thickness while increasing the height of the container to the appropriate diameter, wall thickness and height.
Claims47
A method of making a finished thin-walled metal container using a high-strength alloy, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a metal slug;
- (b) impact extruding said metal slug to form a cylindrical cup having a base with a base thickness, walls with an outer diameter and wall thickness, and an open end opposite said base, said base thickness of said cup being about the thickness of the base of the finished container and said outer diameter being at least about 10% larger than the outer diameter of the finished container;
- (c) drawing said impact extruded cup through at least one drawing die to reduce said outer diameter to about the outer diameter of the finished container without substantially reducing said wall thickness of said extruded cup;
- and
- (d) wall ironing said drawn cup through at least one wall ironing ring to reduce said outer diameter and said wall thickness of said drawn cup to the outer diameter and wall thickness of the finished container.
2 more elements
A method of making a finished thin-walled metal container using a high-strength alloy, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a disk-shaped metal slug;
- (b) impact extruding said metal slug to form a cylindrical cup having a base with a base thickness, walls with an outer diameter and wall thickness, and an open end opposite said base, and wherein said base comprises a flat central portion with a conical outer ring, the angle of said conical ring ranging from about 1° to about 15° relative to said central portion, said base thickness of said cup being about the thickness of the base of the finished container and said outer diameter being at least about 10% larger than the outer diameter of the finished container;
- (c) drawing said impact extruded cup through at least one drawing die to reduce said outer diameter to about the outer diameter of the finished container, without substantially reducing said wall thickness of said extruded cup;
- (d) inserting said drawn cup into at least one bottom forming die to form the base of said drawn cup into the shape of the base of the finished container;
- (d) wall ironing said bottom formed cup through at least one wall ironing ring to reduce said outer diameter and said wall thickness of said drawn cup to the outer diameter and wall thickness of the finished container;
- and
- (e) trimming said open end of said wall ironed container to form a smooth even edge.
4 more elements
A method of making a finished thin-walled metal container using a high-strength alloy, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a disk-shaped metal slug having a thickness of about 2.0 mm to about 4.0 mm;
- (b) impact extruding said metal slug to form a cylindrical cup having a base with a base thickness, walls with an outer diameter and wall thickness, and an open end opposite said base, said base comprising a flat central portion with a conical outer ring, the angle of said conical ring being about 1° to about 15° relative to said central portion, said base thickness being about 0.4 mm to about 0.8 mm, said wall thickness being about 0.2 mm to about 0.6 mm, and said outer diameter being at least about 10% larger than the outer diameter of the finished container;
- (c) drawing said impact extruded cup through at least one drawing die to reduce said outer diameter to about the outer diameter of the finished container, without substantially reducing said wall thickness of said extruded cup;
- (d) inserting said drawn cup into at least one bottom forming die to form the base of said drawn cup into the shape of the base of the finished container;
- (d) wall ironing said bottom formed cup through at least one wall ironing ring to reduce said outer diameter and said wall thickness of said drawn cup to the outer diameter and wall thickness of the finished container;
- and
- (e) trimming about 10 mm to about 20 mm from the open end of said wall ironed container to form a smooth even edge.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.