RECLOSABLE CAN LID

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a lid for a container. In one embodiment, the lid of the container includes a lid panel having a break-open region at least partially surrounded by a predetermined breaking line, and having a fastening element arranged on the lid panel. The lid further including a lever tab rotatably attached to the fastening element for breaking open the break-open region along the predetermined breaking line in the direction of an underside of the lid panel and thereby providing a removal opening in the lid panel. In some embodiments, the lever tab includes a closure element for tightly closing the removal opening, the closure element has a first portion mountable on an upper side of the lid panel and partially sealingly enclosing the removal opening and a second portion mountable on a lower surface of the lid panel and partially sealingly enclosing the removal opening.

Claims

1. Lid for a container comprising: a lid panel having a break-open region which is at least partially surrounded by a predetermined breaking line, and a fastening element which is arranged on the lid panel; a lever tab rotatably attached to the fastening element and configured and arranged for breaking open the break-open region along the predetermined breaking line in the direction of an underside of the lid panel and thus providing a removal opening in the lid panel; wherein the lever tab includes a closure element configured and arranged for sealingly closing the removal opening, the closure element includes a first portion which can be applied to an upper side of the lid panel and partially sealingly enclosing the removal opening, and a second portion which can be applied to an underside of the lid panel and partially sealingly enclosing the removal opening.

2. The lid according to claim 1, further including a break-up element configured and arranged for breaking up the break-open region, the break-up element is arranged at a first end portion of the lever tab and the closure element is arranged at a second end portion of the lever tab.

3. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the lever tab further includes a sheet material containing aluminum, and a plastic material.

4. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the second portion of the closure element is further configured and arranged for locking the closure element when the removal opening is closed by the closure element.

5. The lid according to claim 3, wherein the lever tab includes a fastening tongue configured and arranged for fastening the lever tab to the fastening element.

6. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the removal opening is configured and arranged to be closed again or opened again by rotating the lever tab about the fastening element.

7. The lid according to claim 1, wherein, in response to the lever tab rotating to close the removal opening, the second portion of the closure element is configured and arranged to be guided through the removal opening to the underside of the lid panel.

8. The lid according to claim 7, wherein the closure element has an abutment which interacts with an edge region of the lid panel at the removal opening during closure of the removal opening and thereby limits the rotation of the lever tab during closure.

9. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the closure element includes a handle portion which is configured and arranged to be liftable by a user to effect pressure equalization between an interior space of the container and an exterior space prior to opening the closed removal opening.

10. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the closure element has a lowered portion configured and arranged to provide engagement by a user.

11. The lid according to claim 3, wherein the first and second portions of the closure element are configured and arranged to flex in order to facilitate sealing the removal opening.

12. The lid according to claim 1, further including first and second transition points from the top to the bottom are defined by the first portion of the closure element abutting the top of the lid panel when the removal opening is closed, and the second portion of the closure element abutting the bottom of the lid panel when the removal opening is closed; wherein the first and second transition points define a line across the removal opening.

13. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the first portion of the closure element includes a locking element configured and arranged for locking the closure element when the removal opening is closed by the closure element, in particular wherein the locking element is provided displaceably or rotatably and the locking element includes an actuating part configured and arranged for actuation by a user and a latch part coupled to the actuating part configured and arranged for locking the closure element by mechanical interaction of the latch part with the underside of the lid panel.

14. The lid according to claim 1, wherein the closure element further includes a resilient seal for at least partially sealing the removal opening, in particular wherein the seal extends only partially around the removal opening when the removal opening is closed.

15. Container comprising: a base body; and a lid including a lid panel having a break-open region which is at least partially surrounded by a predetermined breaking line, and a fastening element which is arranged on the lid panel; a lever tab rotatably attached to the fastening element configured and arranged for breaking open the break-open region along the predetermined breaking line in the direction of an underside of the lid panel and thus providing a removal opening in the lid panel; wherein the lever tab includes a closure element configured and arranged for sealingly closing the removal opening, wherein the closure element has a first portion configured and arranged to be applied to an upper side of the lid panel and partially sealingly enclosing the removal opening; and a second portion which can be applied to an underside of the lid panel and partially sealingly enclosing the removal opening.

16. The lid according to claim 2, wherein the first end portion and the second end portion are provided opposite to each other with respect to the fastening element.

17. The lid according to claim 5, wherein the fastening tongue is formed from the sheet material.

18. The lid according to claim 12, wherein an area of a second section of the closure element pressurizable from the underside having the second portion is greater than an area of a first section of the closure element pressurizable from the underside having the first portion

Description

DRAWINGS

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a lid according to the invention.

EMBODIMENTS

[0032] In the drawings, identical reference numerals denote identical or comparable elements.

[0033] FIG. 1 A, B, C, D, E, F schematically illustrates a first embodiment of a lid 100 for a beverage can according to the invention.

[0034] In this first embodiment, the lid 100 according to the invention comprises a lid panel 10 made of an aluminum sheet with a break-open region 11. The break-open region 11 is partially surrounded by a predetermined breaking line 12. Furthermore, a fastening element 20 (rivet 20) is arranged on the lid panel 10 and a lever tab 30 rotatably attached to the fastening element 20 for breaking open the break-open region 11 along the predetermined breaking line 12 in the direction of a underside 10b of the lid panel 10, thereby providing a removal opening 15 in the lid panel 10. The lever tab includes a closure element 40 for sealingly closing the removal opening, the closure element 40 having a first portion 41 mountable on an upper side 10a of the lid panel 10 and partially sealingly enclosing the removal opening 15; and the closure element 40 having a second portion 42 mountable on a lower surface of the lid panel 10 and partially sealingly enclosing the removal opening 15.

[0035] A break-up element 31 for breaking up the break-up region 11 is arranged at a first end portion of the lever tab 30, and the locking element 40 is disposed at a second end portion 32 of the lever tab 30. The first end portion 31 and the second end portion 32 are provided opposite to each other with respect to the fastening element 20.

[0036] After the container has been opened for the first time, the lever tab 30 is rotated around the fastening element 20 and the second portion 42 of the closure element 40 is guided into the removal opening 15 so that it partially covers and partially sealingly encloses the removal opening 15 from the underside of the lid panel 10 and the first portion 41 of the closure element 40 is arranged resting on the lid panel 10 partially sealingly enclosing the removal opening 15, whereby a closure (or re-closure) of the removal opening 15 takes place. Re-opening may be effected by rotating the lever tab 30 in the opposite direction, whereby the second portion 42 of the closure element 40 is again pulled out of the removal opening 15.

[0037] The lever tab 30 includes a sheet material, such as a sheet material including aluminum, and a plastic material. The sheet material is used to attach the lever tab 30 to the fastening element 20, and the lever tab includes a fastening tongue 60 for fastening the lever tab 30 to the fastening element 20. The fastening tongue 60 is formed of the sheet material. The break-up element 31 is formed of the plastic material, wherein a pressing portion protruding toward the underside exerts pressure on and breaks open the break-up region 11 during the break-up operation. The closure element 40 is also made of the plastic material. In the manufacturing process, a sheet metal flap is at least partially enclosed by the plastic material by means of injection molding.

[0038] The closure element 40 includes an abutment 45 that interacts with an edge portion of the lid panel 10 at the removal opening 15 during closure of the removal opening 15, thereby limiting rotation of the lever tab 30 during closure.

[0039] Furthermore, the closure element 40 comprises a handle portion 47 that can be lifted by a user to effect pressure equalization between an interior space of a container and an exterior space before reopening the closed removal opening 15. Thus, it is possible to achieve a pressure reduction of the interior of the container after an initial opening of the container and a subsequent closing or re-closing of the removal opening 15 with the closure element 40 and before a reopening of the removal opening 15 in order to thus prevent, for example, a rapid foaming or spouting of a carbonated beverage.

[0040] The locking element 40 may include a lowered portion 46 to provide engagement by a user. This allows the lever tab 30 to be easily grasped and rotated.

[0041] The plastic material of the first and second portions 41, 42 of the closure element 40 is sufficiently flexible (or elastic) to sealably close the removal opening 15. Thus, the removal opening 15 can be sealed tightly without the need for further sealing material.

[0042] FIG. 1F shows a underside 10 of the lid panel 10, wherein the closure element 40 closes the removal opening 15. A first portion 41 of the closure element, which engages the upper side 10a of the lid panel 10 when the removal opening is closed, and a second portion 42 of the closure element, which engages the underside of the lid panel when the removal opening is closed, define first and second transitional portions 43a, 43b from the upper side 10a to the underside 10b; wherein the first and second transitional portions 43a, 43b define a line 43 across the removal opening 15. The line 43 divides the closure element 40 into first and second portions 40a, 40b that are subjected to pressure from the underside. Preferably, an area of the second portion 40b is larger than an area of the first portion 40a. In this way, when an internal pressure occurs, for example in the case of a carbonated beverage, it is ensured that the pressure on the second portion 40b of the closure element 40 with the second portion 42 is greater than the pressure on the first portion 40a of the closure element 40 with the first portion 41, so that a pressing open of the closure element 40 by partial rotation about the line 43 as an axis of rotation is avoided.