Patent Publication Number: US-6220471-B1

Title: Resealing overcap for a cylindrical container

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to an improved construction of an overcap for fitting over a top end of a cylindrical container and an easy-open top end closure thereon which includes an end ring defining a central opening closed by a removable membrane. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Easy-open containers have heretofore been provided for a variety of products including powdered products, such as food products, cleaning products, etc. These easy-open containers are often constructed of a composite cylindrical body portion having end closures for closing and sealing the container and wherein the top end closure comprises an end ring seamed to the composite container body and having an inside circular peripheral area in the form of a downwardly and inwardly curved bead and defining a central opening of desired size to have access therethrough to the interior of the container. The top end closure further includes an easy-open membrane patch of sufficient size to cover the central opening and attached to the end ring for allowing detachment and removal when it is desired to open the container to obtain access to the product therein. 
     These types of easy-open containers often also include overcaps constructed for fitting over the container top end portion and top end closure before and after opening of the container. These overcaps serve many functions including, but not limited to, protecting the top of the container from damage before and after removal of the membrane and opening of the container, keeping unwanted items from getting into the container after removal of the membrane and opening of the container, keeping the product within the container from spilling out of the container after opening of the container, helping improve stack-ability of these containers before and after opening, and increasing the life of the product after opening of the container. 
     With the increased packaging of moisture and oxygen sensitive products into these types of containers, the need has been established for an improved re-seal feature for the container, after opening of the container and removal of the membrane, to re-seal the container and prevent undesirable moisture and oxygen from entering the container. 
     OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is the object of this invention to provide a generally circular overcap adapted to fit over a top end of a cylindrical container and top end closure thereon which includes an end ring having an inside circular downwardly and inwardly curved bead defining a central opening and closed by a removable membrane positioned thereon, wherein the overcap construction includes a resealing feature for resealing of the container after initial opening thereof and removal of the membrane from the top end closure. 
     It has been found by this invention that this object may be accomplished by providing a resealing overcap comprising a circular central portion having an outer periphery and adapted to extend radially of the container when positioned thereon for covering the container top end portion. The overcap further includes a downwardly depending flange portion integrally extending from and around the central portion outer peripheral area and adapted to extend axially of the cylindrical container when positioned thereon and having an inside diameter approximately equal to the outside diameter of the cylindrical container to provide a friction fit around the end ring of the container when positioned thereon. 
     The overcap further includes a downwardly depending flexible ring portion integrally extending from an inside surface of the overcap central portion and adapted to extend axially of the cylindrical container when positioned thereon to define a leading edge portion adapted to be positioned over the inside circular bead of the container end closure when positioned thereon before opening of the container and adapted to flex and snap fit around the downwardly and inwardly curved bead of the end ring of the container end closure upon opening of the container and removal of the easy-open membrane patch for resealing of the container. It has been found preferable to have the leading edge of the flexible ring of the overcap of a diameter smaller than the central opening of the container top end closure and to extend outwardly of the overcap at a predetermined angle of between 30° and 45° to the overcap downwardly depending flexible ring. It has also been found preferable to construct the overcap as an injection molded plastic overcap. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     An object and advantages of this invention have been set forth above, other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the detailed description of a preferred embodiment of this invention to be described below, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an easy-open container having the improved overcap of this invention thereon and showing the overcap in exploded position; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the top portion of the container of FIG. 1 with the top end closure thereon and illustrating the membrane of such top end closure being removed for opening of the container to obtain access to the product therein; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view of one-side of the top portion of the container of FIG. 1, before removal of the membrane of the top end closure, and with the overcap in position thereon; and 
     FIG. 4 is a view, like FIG. 3, after the membrane has been removed from the top end closure and the overcap repositioned on the end of the container and snap-fitted into the opening in the end closure formed by removal of the membrane for resealing of the container. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 an easy-open container, generally indicated at  10 , which is adapted for being filled with a powdered product P, such as food products, cleaning products, etc. The container  10  may be of any desired configuration and may be constructed of any desired material including composites, plastic, metal, etc. However, it is preferred that the container  10  be of a generally cylindrical configuration and be constructed of composite materials including paper layers of the type normally utilized for constructing containers for powdered products P and which are well understood by those with ordinary skill in the art. 
     The container  10  comprises a generally cylindrical container body  12  defining top and bottom opposite end portions  13 ,  14 . The container  10  further includes top and bottom end closures  15 ,  16  attached respectively to the top and bottom container body end portions  13 ,  14  for closing and sealing the container with product P therein in a manner well understood by those with ordinary skill in the art. The bottom end closure may be any suitable end closure attached to or seamed to the bottom end portion  14  of the container and may be constructed of metal, composites, plastic or other suitable material. 
     The top end closure  15  is of an easy-open type which comprises an end ring  17  having an outside circular peripheral area  17   a  seamed to the container body top end portion  13  (as shown particularly in FIGS.  3  and  4 ). The end ring  17  further includes an inside circular peripheral area in the form of a downwardly and inwardly curved bead  18  which defines a central opening of desired size to allow access therethrough to the interior of the container  10  (as shown particularly in FIG.  2 ). The top end closure  15  further includes an easy-open membrane patch  19  of sufficient size to cover the central opening and which is attached to the end ring  17  for allowing detachment and removal of the membrane patch  19  (as shown in FIG. 2) when it is desired to open the container  10  to obtain access to the product P therein. 
     The end ring  17  of the top end closure  15  may be constructed of any suitable material including composites, metal, plastic, etc. and the membrane patch may be constructed of any suitable material including composites, metal, plastic, etc. The bond or attachment between the membrane patch  19  and the end ring  17  may be any suitable bond including heat seal, adhesive etc. to create a bond of sufficient strength to resist internal forces within the container, while being sufficiently weak in the tensile direction to allow sealing of the bond for easy-opening of the top end closure  15  of the container  10 , in a manner well understood by those with ordinary skill in the art. Preferably the bond may be formed with a polypropylene heat seal layer on the membrane patch or the end ring or both. 
     In accordance with this invention, a resealing overcap  20  is constructed for fitting over the container body top end portion  13  and the top end closure  15  before and after opening of the container  10  (as shown particularly in FIGS. 3 and 4) and for snap fitting into the central opening of the top end closure  15  after opening of the container  10  and removal of the easy-open membrane patch  19  for resealing of the container (as shown in FIG.  4 ). 
     The overcap  20  comprises a circular central portion  22  having an outer periphery and extending radially of the container  10  for covering the container top end portion  15 . The overcap  20  further includes a downwardly depending flange portion  23  which integrally extends from and around the outer peripheral area of the central portion  22  and axially of the container body  12  when positioned on the container  10 . This flange portion  23  has an inside diameter approximately equal to an outside diameter of the container body  12  to provide a friction fit around the end ring  17  and the outside peripheral area  17   a  thereof which is seamed to the top container body end portion  13  (as shown in FIGS.  3  and  4 ). 
     The resealing overcap  20  further includes a downwardly depending flexible ring portion  25  integrally extending from an inside surface of the overcap central portion  22  and axially of the container body  12  when positioned on the container  10  to define a leading edge portion  26 . This leading edge portion  26  is positioned over the inside peripheral area or bead  18  of the top end closure end ring  17  before opening of the container  10  (as shown in FIG. 3) and is adapted to flex and snap fit around the downwardly and inwardly curved bead  18  on the inside peripheral area of the top end closure  15  upon opening of the container  10  and removal of the easy-open membrane patch  19  (as shown in FIG.  4 ). This may be accomplished (as shown in FIG. 4) by exerting pressure with a finger or the like on the middle portion of the central portion  22  of the resealing overcap  20  which causes the leading edge portion  26  of the downwardly depending flexible ring portion  25  to flex and snap fit around the bead  18  on the inside of the end ring  17  of the end closure  15  of the container  10 . 
     As may be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the leading edge portion  26  of the downwardly depending ring  25  of the resealing overcap  20  is preferably of a diameter larger than a diameter of the inside peripheral area defined by the bead  26  of the end ring  17  of the top end closure  15  of the container  10  and extends outwardly of the overcap  20  at a predetermined angle θ to the downwardly depending ring  25  thereof so as to effect the flexing and snap-fitting around the downwardly and inwardly curved bead  26  of the end closure  15  of the container  10  when re-sealing is desired. It is preferable that the predetermined angle θ of the leading edge portion  26  to the downwardly depending ring  25  of the resealing overcap  20  is between 30° and 45°. The resealing overcap may be constructed of any suitable material having the characteristics described above and preferably is constructed of plastic and is injection molded so as to provide the downwardly depending flexible ring  25  which allows flexure and snap fitting around the bead  18  of the end ring  17  of the top end closure  15  of the container  10 . 
     Thus, the present invention has provided an improved resealing overcap for use on a container having an easy-opened top end closure and which is constructed to provide for resealing of the container after the top end closure has been opened to gain access to the product within the container. 
     In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of this invention and, although specific terms are employed, these terms are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. The scope of the invention is set forth in the following claims.