Abstract:
A resealable container and/or resealable container end for foods such as beverages. The end includes an opening and a pull-tab closure which includes a plug for sealing the opening. The closure may be fabricated from a thermoplastic coated foil. A portion of the foil is formed as a cup located within the opening to include a lip to engage the edge of the opening or a grove which is engaged by the edge. A resilient material such a cured plastisol fills the cup and cooperates with the cup to form a plug. The thermoplastic hermetically seals the closure over the opening and a tab on the closure permits the user to remove the closure and plug from the opening. The plug can be reinserted into the opening after removal to reseal the opening with a generally fluid-tight seal.

Description:
[0001]    This patent application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/225,558 entitled “Reclosable Container End,” and which was filed on Jul. 14, 2009, the entirety of which patent application is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a container for storing solids, liquids, food quality solids, food quality liquids, etc., where the can has a reclosable end which uses a film-based, reclosable plug-type structure. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    A resealable container including a cylindrical side-wall, a bottom wall joined to the side-wall, and a top wall joined to the side-wall to define a container interior is provided. The top wall includes an opening defined by an edge, with the opening providing access to the interior. The container also includes a film piece including a cup disposed within the opening. The cup includes a lip located in the container interior which engages at least a portion of the edge. A sealant is provided to seal the film to the metal top to hermetically seal close the opening. The cup cooperates with a resilient material disposed therein to form a plug. 
         [0004]    A container end for use in making a resealable container is also provided. The end includes an end wall having first and second sides, and an opening extending from the first to the second side. A closure including a cup, a pull-tab, and an attachment tab, is sealed to the end wall with a sealant to hermetically close the opening. The cup includes a groove for engaging all or a portion of the edge of the opening. A resilient material is disposed within the interior of the cup to cooperate with the cup to form a plug for the opening. 
         [0005]    A metal can end for use in making a resealable container is also provided. This type of can end includes a stamped metal end wall having first and second sides, an opening having a shape defined by an edge, and a flange joinable to a metal can side-wall. A metal foil piece is provided which includes a cup located within the opening, a pull-tab, and an attachment tab, the cup including a groove engaged by at least a portion of the edge. A sealant seals the closure to the end wall to hermetically seal close the opening. A resilient material is disposed within the interior of the cup to cooperate with the cup to form a plug for the opening. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a container including a film-based reclosable plug. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a can end including a film-based reclosable plug. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the can end of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a bottom view of the can end of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 5A  is a sectional view of a first embodiment of the can end take along line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 3 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 5B  is a sectional view of a second embodiment of the can end take along line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 3 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the reclosable plug. 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a top view of the reclosable plug. 
           [0014]      FIG. 8  is a bottom view of the reclosable plug. 
           [0015]      FIG. 9  is a sectional view of the reclosable plug taken along line  9 - 9  in  FIG. 7 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 10  is a process flow diagram for the making a can end including a reclosable plug. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    It is challenging and difficult to develop reclosable container ends suitable for beverage products and/or thermal retort processing. 
         [0018]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary container  120  is illustrated. An end of the container  120  is preferably coupled to a container end  102  impermeably sealing the container  120 . The container end  102  defines an opening  106  (illustrated in  FIGS. 5A and 5B ) that may be formed to dispense the contents of the container  120 . A reclosable plug  118  is also provided. The reclosable plug  118  is configured to selectively seal the opening  106 . 
         [0019]    The container end  102  is configured to couple to the container body  120  (e.g., side-wall) via a double seam. In other embodiments, however, the features of the container end  102  shown and described herein may be provided to a container end  102  integrally formed with the container body  120  or otherwise secured to a container body  120 . The container end  102  and the container body  120  to which the container end  102  is coupled are metal (e.g., aluminum, tin, steel, etc.) in the figures but the container end  102  and the container body  120  may be formed from other suitable materials (e.g., plastic, cardboard, etc.) according to various alternative embodiments. 
         [0020]    With reference to  FIGS. 2-5B , the reclosable container end  102  is shown unattached to the container body  120  according to various exemplary embodiments. The container end  102  defines an opening  106  which is preferably selectively sealed with a reclosable plug  118 . The reclosable plug includes a foil cup  104  which is filled with a material  116  that adds rigidity to the foil cup  104  when hardened and, with the foil of the cup  104 , serves as the reclosable plug  118  for the container end  102 . 
         [0021]    Though the opening  106  is illustrated in the figures as a circular opening, in various embodiments it may be of any suitable shape known in the art, including but not limited to oblong, triangular, and tear drop shaped. Additionally, the size of the opening  106  relative to the container end  102  may vary in various embodiments. Also, the shape of both the container body  120  and the container end  102  may vary and may be of any suitable shape known in the art. 
         [0022]    As is illustrated in more detail in the cross-sectional view of  FIG. 5A , the reclosable container end  102  includes the foil cup  104  extending into the opening  106  defined in the container end  102 . The bottom  108  of the foil cup  104  extends beyond the diameter D of the opening  106  below the bottom surface  110  of the container end  102 . The top of the foil cup  104  also extends beyond the diameter D of the opening  106  to form a foil portion  112  covering at least the periphery of the top surface  114  of the container end  102  around the opening  106 . The foil portion  112  is heat sealed, adhered, or otherwise coupled to the top surface  114  of the container end  102 . This attachment is preferably selected so the plug  118  hermetically seals the container  120 . The foil portion  112  may be attached or sealed to a portion of the container end  102  immediately radially outwardly surrounding the opening  106  or may extend farther radially outwardly in embodiments including a larger area of attachment. 
         [0023]    In an exemplary embodiment, the foil can be steel, aluminum, or formed from any other suitable material. Depending upon the use, a plastic sheet or foil may be used. The material  116  that fills the foil cup  104  may be a plastisol, a UV curable material or another material that can flow into the cup  104  and harden to the cup shape yet have suitable elastic properties to allow the opening and closing activities described herein. The material  116  may be any suitable material known in the art, and is generally a resilient material that generally permits opening and reclosing of the opening  106 . 
         [0024]      FIGS. 6-9  illustrate various views of an embodiment of the reclosable plug  118  unattached to the container end  102 . The reclosable plug  118  includes a tab  122 , which may be integrally formed from the same foil coupled to the top surface of the container end  102  and the foil cup  104 , may extend from the foil and be configured for grabbing by a human hand. In other embodiments the tab may be replaced with a ring grip or any other suitable apparatus known in the art. When a user pulls upwardly on the tab  122 , the material  116  and the foil cup  104  are preferably sufficiently elastic to allow the portion  105  of the foil cup  104  and material  116  that extend beyond the diameter D of the opening  106  below the bottom surface  110  of the container end  102  to temporarily deform so that the foil cup  104  and material  116  can “pop” out of the opening  106 . Similarly, the material  116  and foil cup  104  are preferably sufficiently elastic to allow the foil cup  104  and material  116  to “pop” back into the opening  106  such that the bottom  108  of the foil cup  104  again extends beyond the diameter D of the opening  106  below the bottom surface  110  of the container end  102 . 
         [0025]    Such a configuration advantageously allows the container end  102  to be reclosed after opening (e.g., after the heat seal or other adhesive or sealant between the foil surface  112  and the top  114  of the metal container end  102  has been broken). Further, such a configuration advantageously allows a closed and filled (with food or drink) container  120  to be subjected to a thermal retort (cooking) process. Particularly, the bottom  108  of the foil cup  104  and the material  116  filling it that extend beyond the diameter D of the opening  106  below the bottom surface  110  of the container end  102  are configured to resist pressure build-up from within the container  120  during the retort process and to refrain from breaking a hermetic seal formed by the foil over the opening  106 . 
         [0026]    With reference to  FIG. 9 , in one embodiment, the cup  104  defines a radially inwardly projecting groove  124 . The groove  124  is configured to receive the edge defining the opening  106  in the container end  102  which is preferably a rolled edge  126  (illustrated in  FIG. 5A  as a downwardly rolled edge). The groove  124  terminates in a radially projecting lip  128  which along with the groove  124  tends to allow for an interference fit between the reclosable plug  118  and the opening  106  in the container end  102 . 
         [0027]      FIG. 5B  illustrates an alternate embodiment of the reclosable container end  102 . In this second embodiment, the rolled edge  126  is an upwardly rolled edge  126 . This downwardly rolled edge  126  of  FIG. 5B  also interacts with the groove  124  and radially projecting lip  128  to create an interference fit between the reclosable plug  118  and the opening  106  in the container end  102 . 
         [0028]    With reference to  FIGS. 2 ,  3 , and  5 A- 9 , one embodiment of the reclosable plug  118  includes an attachment tab  130 . The attachment tab  130  may be integrally formed with the cup  104  and coupled to the foil portion  112  or coupled directly to the cup  104 . The attachment tab  130  may be made of the same material as the cup  104  and foil portion  112 . In other embodiments, the attachment tab  130  may be formed separately from the cup  104  or made of different material, and later attached to the foil portion  112  or to the cup  104  directly. The attachment tab  130  may be heat sealed, adhered, or otherwise attached to the top surface  114  of the container end  102 . 
         [0029]    In one embodiment, the attachment tab  130  may be coupled to the container end  102  more securely than the foil portion  112  is coupled to the container end  102 . This configuration allows a user to break the seal between the foil portion  112  and the container end  102 , thereby exposing the opening  106 , while the attachment tab  130  remains coupled to the container end  102 . Thus, the opening  106  of the container  120  may be selectively opened and closed while the reclosable plug  118  remains coupled to the container end  102  by the attachment tab  130 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 10  illustrates an exemplary method for forming and using an embodiment of a container end  102  of the present disclosure. In one step  132 , a foil cup  104  may be placed in the opening of a container end  102 . In another step  134 , the opening  106  of the container end  102 , as well as a portion of the top surface  114  may be covered with the foil  112  extending from the top of the cup  104  and over at least a portion of the container end  102 . In another step  136 , the foil  112  may be coupled to the top surface  114  of the container end  102 . In another step  138 , the foil cup  104  may be formed such that the bottom  108  of the foil cup  104  may extend beyond the diameter D of the opening  106  below the bottom surface  110  of the container end.  102  when the reclosable plug  118  is in the closed or sealed configuration. In another step  140 , the foil cup  104  may be filled with plastisol. In another step  142 , the plastisol may be hardened to add rigidity to the reclosable plug  118 . In another step  144 , the can end  102  may be coupled to the filled metal container  120 . In another step  146 , the container  120  may be subjected to a thermal retort process. In another step  148 , a user may pull back on the tab  122  of the reclosable plug  118  to open the container  120  to allow dispensing of the contents of the container  120 . In another step  150 , a user may urge the reclosable plug  118  into the opening  106  thereby reclosing the container  120 . 
         [0031]    The construction and arrangement of the container end and method as shown in the various exemplary embodiments are illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.). For example, the position of the elements may be reversed or otherwise varied and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present disclosure. 
         [0032]    Although the foregoing description of the present invention has been shown and described with reference to particular embodiments and applications thereof, it has been presented for purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the particular embodiments and applications disclosed. It will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art that a number of changes, modifications, variations, or alterations to the invention as described herein may be made, none of which depart from the spirit or scope of the present invention. The particular embodiments and applications were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such changes, modifications, variations, and alterations should therefore be seen as being within the scope of the present invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.