Patent Publication Number: US-7896154-B2

Title: Bifurcated beverage can with unified opening and mixing operation

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/381,121, which was filed on Mar. 6, 2009, pending. This application and the parent application list the same inventor. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to the field of beverage containers. More specifically, the invention comprises a beverage can having a segregated primary volume and secondary volume where the “pull tab” that opens the can also mixes the contents of the secondary volume into the primary volume. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Metal beverage cans have been in common use for many years. These were originally steel cans which had to be opened with a can opener. The “pull-tab” evolved in the 1950&#39;s. This allowed the can to be opened without using any external devices. The pull-tabs themselves, however, became a significant litter source. 
     In 1975 Reynolds Metals of Richmond, Va. introduced a pull-tab which remained attached to the beverage can after opening. The basic concept for this device has continued to evolve.  FIG. 1  shows a prior art can assembly that has been manufactured since the 1990&#39;s. Can  10  is attached to lid  12 , usually by roll forming the edges of the two components together to create roll seam  14 . The bottom of the can is customarily integral with the cylindrical side wall—the can being made by a drawing process. The separate lid allows the can to be filled with a beverage—such as carbonated soda—before being sealed. 
     Prior art lid  12  has some sophisticated features allowing the can to be safely opened without producing litter. Lever  16  is attached to the lid at fulcrum  18 . Contact arm  20  extends over hatch  24 . The hatch is connected to the balance of the lid along tearable seam  22  (a line of reduced material thickness). The tearable seam extends around the periphery of the hatch, with the exception of a small undisturbed region that is intended to become a hinge when the hatch is opened. 
       FIG. 2  shows the same assembly when the user lifts lever  6  upward as shown. Contact arm  20  urges hatch  24  downward, which tears tearable seam  22 . Bendable hinge  28  is the part of the hatch&#39;s periphery that does not include the tearable seam. The hatch bends downward from the lid along bendable hinge  28 , as shown in the view. 
       FIG. 3  shows a plan view of the can with lever  16  removed so that the user may better understand the hatch and the tearable seam. Lever  16  attaches to the lid at attachment point  30  (which becomes the fulcrum in operation). The reader will note how tearable seam  22  extends around most of the periphery of hatch  24 —except for the length of bendable hinge  28 . The bendable hinge is simply a region of undisturbed material which will not tear when the lever is actuated. 
     The reader will also note how the hinge is angled with respect to the orientation of lever  16 . The hatch will pivot downward and to the left in the orientation shown in the view. Other designs have the tearable hinge immediately in front of the attachment point so that the hatch rotates in the same plane as lever  16 . The present invention can be used with any of these designs, though the geometry may need to be altered somewhat. 
     There is a long-felt need in the art to provide the capacity to mix two substances together just before they are consumed. One application is the popular concept of a “mixed drink,” in which liquor is often combined with a carbonated soft drink. Many of these combinations do not have a good shelf life when pre-mixed. In other words, they are best if the two components are mixed just prior to consumption. 
     Another example is the situation of a powdered additive being mixed into a liquid. Vitamins and other supplements are often presented in this fashion. Again, the mixture has a poor shelf life and it is therefore advisable to create the mixture just prior to consumption. The present invention provides two separated storage chambers which can be mixed just prior to consumption. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention comprises a beverage can having a primary fluid volume and a segregated secondary container. A first embodiment contains a piercer which pierces the secondary container when the beverage can is opened. The embodiment claimed in this patent contains a secondary tipping container which houses a liquid or a granulated solid. The secondary tipping container is sealed prior to opening the beverage can so that its contents do not mix with the contents of the primary container. 
     The beverage can has a lid with a conventional pull-tab and downward-opening hatch. The secondary tipping container is preferably attached to the underside of the lid. The tipping container has an open mouth which is preferably sealed against the underside. When the pull-tab is actuated, the hatch descends and detaches a portion of the tipping container from the lid so that the tipping container then pivots downward and spills its contents into the primary container. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view, showing a prior art beverage can. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view, showing a prior art beverage can with the pull-tab actuated to open the hatch. 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view, showing the nature of the hatch and tearable seam. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view with a cutaway, showing the secondary container. 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional elevation view, showing the relationship of the internal components. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view with a cutaway, showing the piercer opening the seal. 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional elevation view, showing the operation of the piercer. 
         FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view, showing how the lid and secondary container can be united into a subassembly. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view, showing an alternate embodiment for the piercer. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view with a cutaway, showing the operation of the embodiment of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  is a sectional elevation view, showing another alternate embodiment for the piercer. 
         FIG. 12  is an exploded perspective view, showing an embodiment using a tipping secondary fluid container instead of a fixed and breachable secondary fluid container. 
         FIG. 13  is a sectional elevation view, showing the operation of the tipping container. 
     
    
    
     REFERENCE NUMERALS IN THE DRAWINGS 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
               
             
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                 10 
                 can 
                 12 
                 lid 
               
               
                 14 
                 roll seam 
                 16 
                 lever 
               
               
                 18 
                 fulcrum 
                 20 
                 contact arm 
               
               
                 22 
                 tearable seam 
                 24 
                 hatch 
               
               
                 26 
                 opening 
                 28 
                 bendable hinge 
               
               
                 30 
                 attachment point 
                 32 
                 primary fluid volume 
               
               
                 34 
                 secondary container 
                 36 
                 seal 
               
               
                 38 
                 piercer 
                 40 
                 secondary fluid 
               
               
                 42 
                 point 
                 44 
                 cutting edge 
               
               
                 46 
                 breach 
                 48 
                 roll crimping lip 
               
               
                 50 
                 side wall 
                 52 
                 bottom wall 
               
               
                 54 
                 stiff boundary 
                 60 
                 attachment 
               
               
                 62 
                 separate piercer 
                 64 
                 folded cross section 
               
               
                 66 
                 tipping container 
                 68 
                 opening 
               
               
                 70 
                 sealing flange 
                 72 
                 hinge flange 
               
               
                 74 
                 hatch tab 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 4  shows a first general embodiment of the invention in a cutaway view. Can  10  has a hollow interior designated as primary fluid volume  32 . Secondary container  34  is located within the can&#39;s hollow interior. The secondary container is also hollow. Primary fluid volume  32  contains the primary fluid, such as a carbonated soft drink. The secondary container can contain many types of substances. The most common application is another liquid—such as liquor. However, the secondary container could also contain a granulated solid or even a gelatinous substance. The secondary container completely encloses its contents and prevents them from mixing with the primary fluid until the user desires to mix the two. 
       FIG. 5  shows a sectioned elevation view through the center of a can incorporating the present invention. The can&#39;s lid includes the same elements as in the prior art: Hatch  24  is attached to the lid along bendable hinge  28  (and a tearable seam, prior to actuation of the opening cycle). Lever  16  provides the actuating force to detach hatch  24  along the tearable seam and bend it down into the can&#39;s interior along bendable hinge  28 . 
     Piercer  38  is connected to hatch  24  and rotates in unison with the hatch. Piercer  38  is positioned so that as the hatch rotates downwards, the piercer is propelled into secondary container  34 . Piercer  38  is sufficiently sharp and stiff to breach the secondary container. As an example, the pierce can be a blade of thin aluminum. 
     The piercer can be configured to simply breach the side wall of the secondary container itself. However, it is preferable to provide a thin section of the side wall which is intended to be easily breached. In  FIG. 5 , a portion of the side wall is replaced by seal  36 . This seal is preferably a thin foil—typically laminated with a thin layer of plastic—which is retained in placed by an adhesive.  FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of the piercing mechanism (with a portion of the can cut away to aid visualization). 
     The side wall of the secondary container preferably includes stiff boundary  54 , which runs around the opening covered by seal  36 . This stiff boundary holds the seal in place and promotes rapid and complete tearing of the seal as piercer  38  penetrates. For some applications it is helpful to carry seal  36  around the corner between side wall  50  and bottom wall  52 . This creates a corner in the seal which promotes tearing and also aids the rapid egress of the secondary container&#39;s contents. 
     The user lifts lever  16  as for the prior art can. This rotates hatch  24  down into the can&#39;s interior. Piercer  38  is propelled along with the hatch and ruptures seal  36 .  FIGS. 7(A) through 7(C)  illustrate the piercing sequence in more detail. In  FIG. 7(A) , the user has just started lifting lever  16 . Hatch  24  has just broken free along the tearable seam and has just started to rotate down into the can. In this embodiment, the piercer is equipped with point  42 . Point  42  makes a sharp point contact with seal  36  and pokes an initial hole through it. This vents the top of the secondary container to promote rapid egress of its contents. 
     In  FIG. 7(B) , the user has continued lifting up on lever  16  and hatch  24  has rotated down about 30 degrees. Cutting edge  44  is at this point slicing through seal  36  and expanding the hole made by point  42 . For the embodiment shown, the secondary substance is a fluid (secondary fluid  40 ). This secondary fluid begins to flow out of secondary container  34  and mix with the primary fluid. 
     In  FIG. 7(C) , the user has nearly completed the opening process. Hatch  24  has rotated down into the hollow interior about 85 degrees. Cutting edge  44  has completely breached seal  36  and secondary fluid  40  is then able to freely flow out into the can&#39;s hollow interior. The user is ideally encouraged to swirl the can at this point in order to promote thorough mixing of the primary fluid and the secondary substance. 
     Depending on the nature of the contents of the secondary container, it may be desirable to extend the length of seal  36  over a greater distance of the container&#39;s bottom. The length of cutting edge  44  can likewise be extended to carry all the way across the bottom of the secondary container as the device is actuated. In addition, the cutting edge can be provided with flanges to make the edge into a “plow” configuration (with one flange extending out one side and possible a second flange extending out the other). In this embodiment, the sharp edge pierces the seal and the flanges then spread the seal apart as the blade proceeds into the secondary container. 
     The arrangement proposed by the present invention is preferably made to be incorporated into the existing manufacturing processes. As mentioned previously, modern soft drink cans are made as two pieces—the can and the lid. These are then roll crimped together.  FIG. 8  shows a prior art can  10 . The can is filled with the primary liquid. The innovative features of the present invention can then be incorporated into lid  12 . The piercer is preferably attached to the lid. Though it certainly could be attached to the can wall as well, attaching the piercer somewhere on the lid promotes easy assembly. 
     Secondary container  34  is preferably attached to the underside of the lid to make a unified subassembly. Roll crimping flange extends around the lid&#39;s perimeter. The subassembly shown is then placed on top of the can (after the can is filled), and the roll crimping flange is rolled together with roll crimping lip  48  to create a finished product. The product is then ready for delivery. The primary fluid and the secondary substance will remain separated until the user pulls up the lever on the can&#39;s lid. Using this approach, the can and the secondary container/lid subassembly can be made on different lines which are brought together just before the roll crimping process. 
     Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many variations on the design of the secondary container and the piercer are possible.  FIG. 9  shows one such alternate embodiment. Piercer  38  is formed into a sharpened “scoop” by giving it folded cross-section  64 . This stiffens the piercer. Point  42  is still provided. 
       FIG. 10  shows this alternate embodiment in operation. Lever  16  and hatch  24  operate in the same manner as previously described. Piercer  38  pokes through seal  36  and expands the breach as the hatch pivots further downward. 
     In many respects it is preferable to attach the piercer directly to the bottom of the hatch. However, there are other ways to secure the piercer.  FIG. 11  shoes an alternate embodiment in which separate piercer  62  is attached at attachment  60  to the underside of the lid itself. The attachment is preferably a bendable piece of thin aluminum. The hatch still propels this piercer into the secondary container and it performs in the same manner as the previously disclosed embodiments. Attachment  60  could even be the same rivet that joins lever  16  to the top of the lid. 
     Of course, one could also secure the piercer to the secondary container. The pivoting attachment for the piercer would be roughly the same as shown in  FIG. 11 , except that the piercer would be attached to the upper part of the secondary container itself rather than the lid. The piercer could also be attached to the side wall of the can itself. As long as the piercer is positioned so that the hatch&#39;s motion propels it into the secondary container, any of these attachments will work. 
     One can also make a configuration which does not require the piercing action.  FIGS. 12 and 13  show still another alternate embodiment which takes a different approach. This alternate embodiment is the subject of the claims in this application.  FIG. 12  is an exploded perspective view showing can  10  and lid  12  as for the prior embodiments. However, the secondary container assumes a significantly different form. The secondary container assumes the form of tipping container  66 . The tipping container contains an opening  68 . This opening is preferably surrounded by sealing flange  70 —an extended “lip” which makes a broader contact area in order to seal the opening. 
     The tipping container can be secured to any convenient surface inside the can. In the embodiment shown, it is secured to the underside of lid  12 , with opening  68  facing upward as shown. Sealing flange  70  is preferably affixed to the underside of the lid using an adhesive. Hinge flange  72  is also affixed using an adhesive. However, the adhesive used to attach the sealing flange must be weaker so that the sealing flange may pull away when the can is opened. 
       FIG. 13  is a sectional elevation view showing the opening sequence of the can with the tipping container in place. In  FIG. 13(A)  the tipping container is attached to the underside of the lid with opening  68  being sealed against the lid. Hinge flange  72  is also attached to the lid. This is referred to as the “first position” for the tipping container, which means a position in which the tipping container&#39;s contents are segregated from the contents of the rest of the can. 
     In  FIG. 13(B)  the user has pulled upward on lever  16  and hatch  24  has been forced down into the can. Sealing flange  70  has pulled away from the lid and opening  68  is now tilted downward. The contents of the tipping container (in this case secondary fluid  40 ) therefore begin to spill out and flow into the can&#39;s interior. In  FIG. 13(C)  the hatch is swung fully downward. Tipping container  66  has pivoted down to a position where substantially all of its contents are able to flow out through opening  68 . This position is referred to as the “second position,” which means the position in which the tipping container&#39;s contents are free to mingle with the contents of the rest of the can. 
     Returning now to  FIG. 12 , some additional features will be described. Hinge flange  72  is preferably made from a thin and flexible material such as a polymer. The hinge flange is secured to the lid (or other part of the can) using a relatively strong adhesive so that it will remain attached when the balance of the tipping container pivots away from the first position. The hinge flange will bend in order to accommodate this motion. It may be necessary to scribe or mold a thinned line across the hinge flange so that it bends in the desired location. As one example, the highe flange, sealing flange, and the balance of the tipping container could all be formed as one integral piece of plastic. 
     The sealing flange is preferably attached to the underside of the lid using a relatively weak adhesive. Using this approach the sealing flange will break free and pivot downward while the hinge flange remains attached—providing a stable pivot point for the desired motion. 
     An alternative is to place a compressible seal around the perimeter of the opening which seals the tipping container by being pressed against the underside of the lid. Hatch tab  74  can then be provided as an anchoring point where the pivoting part of the container is attached directly to the underside of the hatch. Those skilled in the art will recognize many other ways to seal the open part of the tipping container and the invention is by no means limited to the examples given. 
     The reader will thereby perceive how the present invention provides a storage can having a separate secondary container which unites two substances as the user pulls up on the opening lever. The device can be used to mix: (1) Liquor and a soft drink to make a “mixed drink” such as Rum and Coke; (2) a granulated solid and water to make a sports drink; (3) a heavy syrup and a low viscosity liquid; or (4) any other suitable combination of ingredients. 
     The preceding description contains significant detail regarding the novel aspects of the present invention. It is should not be construed, however, as limiting the scope of the invention but rather as providing illustrations of the preferred embodiments of the invention. Thus, the scope of the invention should be fixed by the following claims, rather than by the examples given.