US 9,789,996 B2Granted

Container assembly having a heat-sealed metal end, a metal end therefor, and a method for making same

AssigneeSonoco Development, Inc.

InventorsDave Dunn, John Meeks, Jeremy Morin, Trevor Price

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Abstract

A container assembly includes a container body having a side wall encircling an axis, and a metal end for attachment to an upper edge of the side wall via heat-sealing. The outer peripheral region is shaped prior to application to the container body such that an annular channel is defined between an inner chuck wall and an outer chuck wall of the metal end. The metal end is pushed straight onto the side wall such that the upper edge of the side wall is received into the channel. The surfaces of the side wall and the opposing surfaces of the chuck walls have heat-sealable material thereon. The metal end is heated to melt and fuse the heat-sealable layers, thereby sealing the metal end onto the side wall. The metal end is shaped such that the free edge of the outer chuck wall is not exposed.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A metal end for application to a container body having an edge circumscribing an opening of the container body, the metal end comprising a metal sheet having a peripheral edge, the sheet prior to a first application of the metal end to the container body having an outer peripheral region of the sheet that includes:

an inner chuck wall that extends upwardly to a top rim of the metal end, the top rim comprising an outwardly curled, downwardly facing upper U-shaped section;
a skirt extending downwardly from the top rim, a lower end portion of the skirt being formed as an inwardly curled, upwardly facing lower U-shaped section;
a substantially linear outer chuck wall having a lower end joined to the lower U-shaped section, the outer chuck wall extending upwardly to the peripheral edge of the metal sheet defining a top edge of the outer chuck wall, wherein the outer chuck wall is spaced from the inner chuck wall and is approximately parallel to the upper portion thereof so as to define an annular channel therebetween configured to allow the metal end to be pushed onto the edge of the side wall such that the edge is received into the annular channel;
and
heat-sealable material disposed on at least one of opposing surfaces of the inner and outer chuck walls,
whereby the metal end is adapted to be affixed to the container body by thermal fusion of the heat-sealable material provided on at least one of inner and outer surfaces of the side wall and on at least one of the opposing surfaces of the inner and outer chuck walls, and
wherein the skirt of the top metal end comprises a first portion disposed just below the top rim, a second portion disposed below the first portion, and a third portion disposed below the second portion, and wherein the second portion of the skirt is oriented closer to horizontal than the first and third portions.

4 more elements

A container assembly comprising:

a container body including a side wall that defines an upper edge circumscribing a top opening of the container body, a heat-sealable material being disposed on at least one of radially inner and outer surfaces of the side wall adjacent the upper edge;
and
a top metal end for being affixed to the upper edge of the side wall to seal closed the top opening, the top metal end comprising a metal sheet having a peripheral edge, the sheet prior to a first application of the top metal end to the container body having an outer peripheral region of the sheet that includes:
an inner chuck wall that extends upwardly to a top rim of the metal end, the top rim comprising an outwardly curled, downwardly facing upper U-shaped section;
a skirt extending downwardly from the top rim, a lower end portion of the skirt being formed as an inwardly curled, upwardly facing lower U-shaped section;
a substantially linear outer chuck wall extending upwardly from the lower U-shaped section, the peripheral edge of the metal sheet defining a top edge of the outer chuck wall, wherein the outer chuck wall is spaced from the inner chuck wall and is approximately parallel to the upper portion thereof so as to define an annular channel therebetween configured to allow the top metal end to be pushed onto the upper edge of the side wall such that the upper edge is received into the annular channel;
and
heat-sealable material disposed on at least one of opposing surfaces of the inner and outer chuck walls;
whereby the top metal end is adapted to be affixed to the container body by thermal fusion of the heat-sealable material provided on said at least one of the inner and outer surfaces of the side wall and on said at least one of the opposing surfaces of the inner and outer chuck walls,
wherein the skirt of the top metal end comprises a first portion disposed just below the top rim, a second portion disposed below the first portion, and a third portion disposed below the second portion, and wherein the second portion of the skirt is oriented closer to horizontal than the first and third portions.

7 more elements

A method for sealing closed an opening in a container body, the container body having a side wall defining an upper edge circumscribing the opening, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a heat-sealable material disposed on radially inner and outer surfaces of the side wall adjacent the upper edge;
(b) providing a metal end comprising a metal sheet having a peripheral edge, the sheet prior to a first application of the metal end to the container body having an outer peripheral region of the sheet that includes:
an inner chuck wall that extends upwardly to a top rim of the metal end, the top rim comprising an outwardly curled, downwardly facing upper U-shaped section;
a skirt extending downwardly from the top rim, a lower end portion of the skirt being formed as an inwardly curled, upwardly facing lower U-shaped section;
a substantially linear outer chuck wall extending upwardly from the lower U-shaped section, the peripheral edge of the metal sheet defining a top edge of the outer chuck wall, wherein the outer chuck wall is spaced from the inner chuck wall and is approximately parallel to the upper portion thereof so as to define an annular channel therebetween configured to receive the upper edge of the container body side wall;
and
heat-sealable material disposed on opposing surfaces of the inner and outer chuck walls;
(c) pushing the metal end onto the container body such that the upper edge of the container body side wall is received in the annular channel of the metal end;
and
(d) causing the heat-sealable material on the side wall and the inner and outer chuck walls to melt and thermally fuse together so as to seal the metal end to the container body,
wherein the skirt of the top metal end comprises a first portion disposed just below the top rim, a second portion disposed below the first portion, and a third portion disposed below the second portion, and wherein the second portion of the skirt is oriented closer to horizontal than the first and third portions.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/846,250Filed 4 Sep 2015 · continuation
Priority: 28 Oct 2009
Published: US 2015/0375895 A131 Dec 2015
Granted: 17 Oct 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

B65D 7/36
With permanent connections between walls: formed by rolling, or by rolling and pressing
B65D 7/34
Characterised by wall construction or by connections between walls: with permanent connections between walls
B65D 15/06
With curved, or partially curved, walls made by winding or bending paper: with end walls made of metal
B65D 15/08
With curved, or partially curved, walls made by winding or bending paper: with end walls made of plastics material

Family

Application12/607,731Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Oct 2009
US 2015/0375895 A1Pre-grant publication · published 31 Dec 2015
US 9,150,328 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2011/0095030 A1Published application
US 9,789,996 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.