Abstract:
The present invention teaches a container that enjoys the advantages of aluminum cans and plastic bottles by creating a symbiotic hybrid container with a plastic body and an aluminum pop top lid. The method of utilizing injection molding in combination with blow molding enables the much desired elements and characteristics of the present hybrid container.

Description:
[0001]     This is continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/596,054, filed Aug. 26, 2005, whose entire contents are hereby incorporated by reference and priority is hereby claimed. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to a container used for the distribution of liquids, and, more specifically, containers for athletic drinks, carbonated beverages, water and alcoholic beverages.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     Beverages are currently distributed in aluminum cans or bottles of either glass or plastic. The cans are provided with a pop-top feature which allows access to the contents. Bottles either have a crown closure or a threaded cap, usually at the top of a reduced neck portion of the bottle. More recently, bottles have integrated the use of one-way valves and other release mechanism for delivery of fluid through an opening.  
         [0006]     Aluminum cans are becoming more and more costly due to recent shortages of aluminum and the increased costs of energy to produce aluminum. In addition, certain treatment and coating steps necessary to ensure the use of aluminum for consumable beverages is inefficient and costly. In addition, numerous consumers prefer containers manufactured from alternative compounds for fear that aluminum and other metals change the taste of the contents of the container and impart a “metallic” taste.  
         [0007]     Plastic and glass bottles are typically manufactured in a cylindrical shape and require reduction in the diameter of the neck to better funnel the fluid upon delivery and provides a more efficient closure. Thus, the plastic or glass bottle cannot be as volumetrically efficient leading to increased shipping volumes. Glass bottles are also inherently dangerous when filled with carbonated drinks, which may explode dispersing shards of glass. Further, glass bottles are inherently fragile and care must be taken in their transport and storage.  
         [0008]     It would be advantageous to eliminate all the shortcomings associated with both aluminum containers and plastic/glass bottles while merging all the advantages associated with both containers into a single container.  
         [0009]     Specifically, it would be desirable to have a container that shared the volumetric efficiency of aluminum cans while eliminating the expense of an aluminum can, retaining the much desired pop-top of the can. Further, the convenience of the pop-top closure would be an asset for beverages that are not currently offered in cans.  
         [0010]     Environmentally, the advent of a container utilizing a plastic body and a metallic lid would eliminate the litter associated with crown or cap seals and allow for a more efficient recycling of the plastic body and aluminum lid. Also, such a container releases aluminum for other, less wasteful uses.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     According to the present invention, a container is provided that enjoys the advantages of aluminum cans and plastic bottles to create a symbiotic hybrid container with a plastic body and an aluminum pop top lid. The combination of an aluminum lid with a plastic body provides a novel hybrid container for liquids.  
         [0012]     The present invention utilizes a two step process to produce the hybrid container. The first step forms a plastic “capsule” with the neck portion held to the tight specifications required to accept an aluminum lid. This is accomplished by first producing a hollow capsule injection molding with the precise neck and mouth dimensions required for mating with an aluminum lid. The exact mating ensures tight fitment leading to an impermeable container.  
         [0013]     Next, the capsule upper portion including the neck and mouth opening is supported, to protect the upper neck and mouth portion from distortion, ensuring the consistent, uniform shape of the opening. The capsule is then heated and blow molded into the desired shape and size. The capsule walls can be formed of varying thickness to permit the blow molded result to have walls of desired thickness.  
         [0014]     The first step of producing the “capsule” is pivotal in avoiding the shortfalls of current plastic container production. The current formation of plastic bottles by blow molding leads to inefficiency and waste resulting from the additional cutting of the bottle after it has been blown. This additional cutting leaves numerous chips of polymers which must be cleaned out of the bottle prior to filling. The additional cleaning and drying associated with the current process leads to great deal of waste and additional time which translates to increased production cost, and is the major purpose for the present rejection of adopting such a plastic bottle.  
         [0015]     The current invention avoids the excess cutting and cleaning by forming the neck of the capsule for mating with the aluminum, prior to heating the body of the capsule for forming the shape of the bottle. After filling the bottle with the appropriate liquid, the mated neck is adjoined to the aluminum top and crimp rolled, avoiding any excess cutting, chips of polymers, cleaning or drying.  
         [0016]     Once the mold has cooled, the finished bottle is removed and can be placed in a bottling line of the type used for cans. Each bottle is filled with the applicable liquid and an aluminum lid, having an optional sealing gasket in the form of a film dried dope, is placed on the premolded upper neck opening. The aluminum top is attached to the upper neck by a conventional seaming process using seam rollers, which create a tightly crimped combination of metal and plastic layers.  
         [0017]     Accordingly, it is an object of invention to provide a plastic container with an aluminum lid, suitable for holding beverages. It is another object of invention to provide a plastic container with a metal pop-top lid suitable for storing liquids of various types. It is yet a further object of invention to provide a process suitable for the production of plastic containers capable of holding fluids under pressure.  
         [0018]     The novel features which are characteristic of the invention, both as to structure and method of operation thereof, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will be understood from the following description, considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings, in which like parts are given like reference numbers, are for the purpose of illustration and description only, and they are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]     For a further understanding of the objects and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which like parts are given like reference numbers and wherein:  
         [0020]      FIG. 1  is a front view of the complete assembly of a container according to the present invention.  
         [0021]      FIG. 2  is a side view of a metal top;  
         [0022]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the metal top of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0023]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the metal top of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0024]      FIG. 5  is a side view of a plastic capsule in an intermediate step;  
         [0025]      FIG. 6  is an enlarged cross sectional view of the edge of a plastic bottle encircled in  FIG. 1 , depicting the top accepting portion;  
         [0026]      FIG. 7  is an enlarged cross sectional view of the top of the edge of a metal top encircled in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0027]      FIG. 8  is an enlarged cross sectional view of the metal top of  FIG. 7 , sitting atop the plastic bottle&#39;s top accepting portion depicted in  FIG. 6 , with a gasket positioned to provide an impermeable seal.  
         [0028]      FIG. 9  is an enlarged sectional view of the top of the bottle encircled in  FIG. 1 , after a first crimping step.  
         [0029]      FIG. 10  is an enlarged sectional view of the top of the bottle encircled in  FIG. 1 , showing the finished crimp. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0030]     The invention will now be described with reference to  FIG. 1 , which illustrates a front view of the complete assembly of a container  10 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , a container  10  has a metal top  12  and plastic body  14 . The plastic body  14  includes a top accepting portion  18 , which is pre-molded in the first step of the two-step plastic body  14  formation processes.  
         [0031]     With reference to  FIG. 2 , there is shown a side view of the metal top  12 , independent of the plastic body  14 , prior to crimp rolling. The metal top  12  edge is sized to fit into the top accepting portion  18  of the plastic body  14  prior to initiation of the crimp rolling process.  
         [0032]     With reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , there is shown the pop-top  16  feature for accessing the contents of the container as well as the metal top  12  awaiting the crimp rolling process.  
         [0033]     With reference to  FIG. 5 , there is shown a capsule  20 , which is a precursor of the plastic body  14 . Preferably, the capsule  20  is created in an injection molding process which assures the tight tolerances required to mate the aluminum top to a plastic body. In this first step, the precursor capsule  20  is created with the top accepting portion  18  of the plastic body  14  pre-molded to accept the metal top  12 . To allow maximum freedom to the designers of the bottle, the walls of the capsule  20  can be provided with different thicknesses to accommodate virtually any shaped bottle in the blow molding step (not shown) which follows. In the blow molding step, the top accepting portion is isolated from the blow mold and a container of the desired shape is created, such as is shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0034]     With reference to  FIG. 6 , the extending edge  22  of the top accepting portion  18  of the plastic body  14  is shown in greater detail. As shown, the top accepting portion  18  also has a vertical side wall  26  against which the top  12  can seat. Prior to the crimping process, the finished plastic body  14  is brought to a conventional filling and capping line (not shown). The plastic body  14  is then filled with a premeasured quantity of liquid.  
         [0035]     With reference to  FIG. 7 , there is shown, in greater detail, the outer edge of the cap  12  which includes an extending lip  28 . The top  12  also has a vertical side wall  30  adapted to sit tightly against the vertical sidewall  26  of the top accepting portion  18  of the plastic body  14 .  
         [0036]     With reference to  FIG. 8 , in the filling line, an aluminum top  12 , which has been fitted with a sealing gasket  24 , is placed into the top accepting portion  18 . The extending lip  28  overhangs the outer extending edge  22  of the top accepting portion  18 .  
         [0037]     As shown in  FIG. 9 , the conventional sealing equipment first bends the extending lip  28  of the metal cap  12  and the gasket  20  over the extending edge  22  of the top accepting portion  18 , so that the extending lip  28  is on the underside of the extending edge  22 .  
         [0038]     With reference to  FIG. 10 , the conventional sealing process further bends, rolls and crimps the folded combination of edges  22 ,  28 , with the gasket  24  therebetween, down to the vertical sidewalls  26  and  30  of the plastic body  18  and metal top  12 , respectively, and crimps the combination tightly together. The result is a tightly crimped combination of the metal cap  12  and plastic body  14 , with an additional sandwiched gasket  24 , all forming an impermeable seal capable of holding liquids under pressure without leaking.  
         [0039]     In alternative embodiments, the location of the gasket  24  can be changed. It may be placed over the extending edge  22  or under the extending edge  22 . If a plastic other than polyethylene terephthalate (“PET”) is used, it may be possible to eliminate the gasket. While variations in the shape of the parts or in the process will occur to those skilled in the art, the scope of the invention should be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.