Can, holding device and method for providing a can

Abstract

The invention relates to a can which, after it is filled, is closed by fitting a cover, and also to an apparatus which is intended to be inserted into an initially open can, and to a method for providing a can. The can according to the invention is characterized in that an apparatus is located in the can, the said apparatus being arranged and designed in such a way that it is moved from a first state to a second state when a cover is fitted onto the initially open can.

Claims

1. A straw holding device operable for use within a beverage container, the straw holding device comprising: a first part and a second part, each of the first part and the second part comprising a connecting section and wherein the connecting sections of the first part and the second part are releasably connected to one another in a first position; the first part comprising a plurality of supporting arms extending from the connecting section of the first part, and wherein each of the plurality of supporting arms of the first part are operable to contact an inner wall of a beverage container; the second part comprising a plurality of supporting arms extending from the connecting section of the second part; the connecting section of the second part comprising a recess and a straw provided in the recess, wherein the straw and the supporting arms of the second part extend in a direction substantially parallel with a longitudinal axis of the device.

2. The straw holding device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first part and the second part comprises a density lower than the density of water.

3. The straw holding device of claim 1, wherein a straw is provided in the recess of the second part and the straw is secured to the second part.

4. The straw holding device of claim 3, wherein one end of the straw comprises a closed tip and at least one radial opening.

5. The straw holding device of claim 1, wherein the first part and the second part are releasably connected to one another in a first position by a mechanical connection.

6. The straw holding device of claim 1, wherein the first part and the second part are releasably connected to one another in the first position by a cohesive connection.

7. The straw holding device of claim 1, wherein the supporting arms of at least one of the first part and the second part comprise at least one outwardly curved region.

8. The straw holding device of claim 1, wherein the supporting arms of at least one of the first part and the second part comprise deflectable supporting arms.

9. In combination, a beverage container and straw holding device comprising: a beverage container comprising a base, a cover, and a body; a straw holding device comprising a first part and a second part; the first part comprising a plurality of supporting arms that bear against an inner wall of the beverage container; the second part comprising an annular recess and plurality of supporting arms extending along a longitudinal length of the beverage container; wherein the supporting arms of the first part are arranged such that the supporting arms of the first part extend beyond the annular recess of the second part; wherein the first part and the second part are releasably connected to one another in a first state prior to sealing the beverage container; a straw extending through the annular recess and secured to the straw holding device; and wherein the straw is operable to extend through the cover of the beverage container when the beverage container is opened.

10. The combination of claim 9, wherein at least one of the straw holding device and the straw comprise a density that is less than a density of a liquid to be provided within the beverage container.

11. The combination of claim 9, wherein the straw holding device is connected to an additional part in a first position prior to placement of the cover on the beverage container, and wherein the first part comprises an annular connecting section releasably secured to the straw holding device.

12. The combination of claim 11, wherein the additional part comprises a plurality of supporting arms and wherein contact between the cover and at least one of the plurality of supporting arms of the additional part is operable to displace the additional part relative to the straw holding device.

13. The combination of claim 11, wherein one end of the straw comprises a closed tip and at least one radial opening.

14. A straw holding device operable for use within a beverage container, the straw holding device comprising: a first part and a second part, each of the first part and the second part comprising a connecting section and wherein the connecting sections of the first part and the second part are releasably connected to one another in a first position; the first part comprising a plurality of supporting arms extending from the connecting section of the first part, and wherein each of the plurality of supporting arms of the first part are operable to contact an inner wall of a beverage container; the connecting section of the second part comprising a recess operable to receive a straw that extends substantially parallel to the plurality of supporting arms of the first part.

15. The straw holding device of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first part and the second part comprises a density lower than the density of water.

16. The straw holding device of claim 14, wherein a straw is provided in the recess of the second part and the straw is secured to the second part.

17. The straw holding device of claim 14, wherein the first part and the second part are releasably connected to one another in the first position by a mechanical connection.

18. The straw holding device of claim 14, wherein the first part and the second part are releasably connected to one another in the first position by a cohesive connection.

19. The straw holding device of claim 14, wherein the supporting arms of the first part comprise at least one outwardly curved region.

20. The straw holding device of claim 14, wherein the supporting arms of the first part comprise deflectable supporting arms.

Description

(1) A preferred embodiment of the invention will be explained by way of example with reference to the appended figures, in which:

(2) FIG. 1: shows an example of a holding device with a straw;

(3) FIG. 2: shows the two parts and also the straw of the holding device, illustrated in FIG. 1, separately from one another;

(4) FIG. 3: shows the holding device according to FIG. 1 arranged in a can, with the cover still not fitted;

(5) FIG. 4: shows the can from FIG. 3 with the cover fitted;

(6) FIG. 5: shows the can from FIG. 3 with the cover fitted according to FIG. 4 with the drinking opening open;

(7) FIG. 6: shows a side view of a preferred exemplary embodiment of a straw for a holding device; and

(8) FIG. 7: shows a three-dimensional view of the straw according to FIG. 6.

(9) FIGS. 1 to 5 show a holding device 100. The holding device 100 can, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, be arranged in a can 200. The can 200, after it is filled, is closed by fitting a cover 300 to form a beverage can 400.

(10) The holding device 100 illustrated here is formed by two parts 110, 120 which are releasably connected to one another. The connection between the two parts 110, 120 of the holding device 100 is a mechanical connection, preferably a latching connection.

(11) Each of the two parts 110, 120 has a connecting section 111, 112, three supporting arms 112, 122 being arranged on each of the said connecting sections. The supporting arms 112, 122 are formed such that they bear against an inner wall 204 of the can 200 or very close to the inner wall 204. The first ends 112a of the supporting arms 112 of the part 120 are arranged on the connecting section 111. The connecting section 111 of the part 110 is annular. The second ends 112b of the three supporting arms 112 point slightly radially outward in relation to the first ends 112a which are connected to the connecting section 111. The three supporting arms 112 of the first part 110 extend substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the can 200. The supporting arms 112 bear against the inner wall of the can in the region of the tapered end 203 by way of their second ends 112b.

(12) The second part 120 likewise has a connecting section 121 and also three supporting arms 122. The supporting arms 122 are fastened to the connecting section 121 by way of their first ends 122a and extend along the longitudinal axis of the can 200. The supporting arms 122 come very close to the inner wall 204 of the can 200, in particular by virtue of the outwardly pre-curved regions at the first end 122a and in the region 122c. The second ends 122b of the supporting arms 122 come into contact with the base 202 of the can 200.

(13) In the connected state of the holding device 100, the two parts 110, 120 are releasably connected to one another at their connecting sections 111, 121. This passive state of the holding device is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3. In this state, the holding device 100 has an extent in the direction of the longitudinal or rotation axis of the can 200 which corresponds substantially to the extent of the can 200 along this direction. In this case, the two parts 110, 120 are arranged in the connected state in such a way that the supporting arms 112 of the first part 110 extend beyond the connecting section 121 of the second part 120 and the supporting arms 122 of the second part 120 extend beyond the connecting section 111 of the first part 100 in the axial direction. The part 120 faces the closed base 202 of the can, and the part 110 faces the open end 203 of the can 200.

(14) The connecting section 121 of the second part 120 has a recess 123 for receiving a straw 130. The straw is fastened, for example by a force-fitting connection, to the receptacle 123 of the part 120 by way of its section 132. A section 131 of the straw 130 protrudes axially beyond the connecting section 121 of the part 120 in the direction of the can cover 300 or of the open end 203 of the can 200. A further section 133 of the straw extends in the direction of the base 202 of the can 200 and can preferably be angled in relation to the other sections of the straw 130.

(15) The supporting arms 112, in particular the ends 112b of the said supporting arms, are preferably prestressed such that, in the state shown in FIG. 1, an outer circumference around the three second ends 112b of the supporting arms 112, in particular a maximum outer circumference, is greater than the minimum circumference of the can 200 at its tapered, open end 203. When the holding device 100 is inserted into the can 200, the supporting arms 112 can preferably be pressed together radially inwardly such that they can be inserted into the interior of the can 200 through the slightly conically tapered end 203 of the can 200 and then can move slightly radially outward again owing to the prestress and can bear against the conically tapered end 203 of the can 200. For this purpose, the shape of the two ends 112b of the supporting arms 112 is preferably matched to the conical shape of the tapered end 203 of the can 200.

(16) In the connected state, the holding device 100 has a shape which limits a translational movement between the holding device 100 and the can 200 in the axial direction. In the exemplary embodiments shown here, this is achieved by firstly the second ends 112b of the supporting arms 112 bearing against the tapered open end 203 of the can 200 from the inside and secondly the second ends 122b of the supporting arms 122 being arranged on or close to the base 202 of the can 200. In this way, the can 200 can also be handled upside-down, for example during a washing process, without the holding device 100 being able to fall out of the open can 200.

(17) The shape of the holding device 100 further prevents a translational movement in the radial direction relative to the can 200 or limits this, so that the holding device 100 maintains a substantially concentric arrangement in the interior of the can 200. In the present exemplary embodiment, the star-shaped design of the connecting section 121 of the second part 120 and the prestress of the supporting arms 112 of the first part 110 particularly contribute to this.

(18) The can 200 with the holding device 100 inserted is preferably filled with a beverage or another medium before a cover 300 is fitted onto the open can 200 and is connected to the open, tapered end 203 of the can 200 by producing a folded flange to form a closed can 400. When the cover 300 is fitted onto the initially open can 200, the part 110, in particular the second ends 112b of the supporting arms 112, comes/come into contact with the core beading 301 of the cover in such a way that the latching connection between the connecting sections 111, 112 is released.

(19) The latching connection between the two connecting sections 111, 112 is released by a movement of the two parts 110, 120 relative to one another in the direction of a longitudinal axis of a can 200. This relative movement is generated by a pressure in the axial direction onto the holding device 100, the said pressure being applied to the holding device 100 when the cover 300 is fitted. This pressure is produced by the core beading 301 of the cover 300 projecting into the interior of the can 200 while and after the cover 300 is fitted onto the can 200. In this case, the space which is available for the holding device 100 in the axial direction is limited, so that the core beading 301, when it makes contact with the second end 112b of the supporting arms 112 of the part 110, exerts pressure onto the holding device 100 substantially in the axial direction and as a result, the latching connection between the connecting parts 111, 121 is released and therefore the holding device 100 is activated. The activated state of the holding device 100 is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 which differ in that the cover 300 is closed in FIG. 4 and a drinking opening 302 in the cover 300 is open in FIG. 5, so that the straw 130 can exit from the drinking opening 302 by way of its section 131. The two parts 110, 120 are basically freely mobile owing to the connection between them being released, that is to say can move relative to one another and relative to the beverage can 400 in the interior of the beverage can 400 within the limits which are set by the can 200 which is closed by a cover 300.

(20) However, in the situation shown in FIG. 4, the second part 120 is still limited particularly in respect of a translational movement substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the beverage can 400 since the section 131 of the straw 130 projects beyond the connecting section 121 of the part 120 in the direction of the cover 300, butts against the closed cover 300 and therefore prevents or limits a movement of the part 120 in the direction of the cover 300.

(21) The part 120 has a lower density than a filling medium, for example a beverage, with which the can 200 is filled during a filling process. In particular, the density of the part 120 is matched to the filling medium in such a way that the part 120 also floats in the filling medium with the straw 130 which is fastened to the connecting section 121.

(22) If the closed beverage can 400 is now opened by a user, for example by operating an opening element, and the straw 130 is arranged in a compatible manner with a drinking opening 302 in the cover 300, the first section 131 of the straw 130 can exit through the drinking opening 302 in the cover 300 and therefore no longer prevents a translational movement of the part 120 relative to the beverage can 400, so that the part 120 can float in the beverage can 400 together with the straw 130 which is fastened to it, and therefore the section 131 of the straw 130 can exit from the beverage can 400, as illustrated in FIG. 5.

(23) FIGS. 6 and 7 show a preferred exemplary embodiment of a straw 130 for an above-described holding device in an above-described beverage can. This straw 130 of FIGS. 6 and 7 is distinguished in that the drinking end 134 is closed by a rounded tip 136 in the axial direction of the straw and has two radial openings 135. The drinking end 134 is the end of the straw 130 which is arranged on the section 131 of the straw 130 and, in the state in which the straw is inserted into a closed beverage can, is arranged close to the cover. When the drinking can is opened, the drinking end 134 exits from the top of the beverage can through a drinking opening, so that a consumer can consume the beverage through the radial openings 135.

(24) Owing to the drinking end being closed in the axial direction by the rounded tip 136, no medium can exit 134, and therefore the beverage can be prevented from undesirably spraying out of the straw 130 in the axial direction, in particular when a can containing a carbonated beverage is opened.

(25) The two radial or lateral drinking openings 135 are situated opposite one another and are oval. The said drinking openings are an opening arranged in the side wall of the straw 130, which opening is arranged in the radial direction as seen from the longitudinal axis of the straw 130. A consumer can extract a beverage in a reliable and simple manner through the radial opening 135.