RECLOSABLE TEAR-OPEN LID

Abstract

The invention relates to a tear-off lid made of metal sheet which has a central lid plane and, within that, a breakout portion, as well as a grip tab made of metal sheet that can be swiveled about a swivel axis extending at least approximately perpendicular to the lid plane and that has an opener portion on one side of the swivel axis and a grip portion on the opposing side of the swivel axis. The grip portion is shaped such that, upon opening the breakout portion, it can be swiveled over an opening created thereby and enclosed by an outer contour and can tightly seal the opening. The metal sheet that forms the grip portion has apertures, and an elastomer seal is provided on a bottom side of the grip portion facing toward the lid plane that is connected in a form-fitting manner to the grip portion and extends through the apertures.

Claims

1. A resealable tear-off lid made of metal sheet for beverage cans or the like, comprising a central lid plane within which a breakout portion is arranged, as well as a grip tab made of metal sheet that can be swiveled about a swivel axis extending at least approximately perpendicular to the lid plane and has an opener portion on one side of the swivel axis and a grip portion on the opposing side of the swivel axis, with the grip portion being shaped such that, upon opening the breakout portion it can be rotated over an opening produced in this manner and enclosed by an outer contour and can tightly seal the opening, characterized in that the metal sheet forming the grip portion has apertures and that an elastomer seal is provided on a bottom side of the grip portion facing toward the lid plane that is connected in a form-fitting manner to the grip portion and extends through the apertures.

2. The tear-off lid as set forth in claim 1, wherein the apertures are arranged along a contour of the grip portion corresponding more or less to the outer contour of an opening to be produced by opening the breakout portion.

3. The tear-off lid as set forth in claim 2, wherein at least 2 and no more than 12 apertures, and preferably between 4 and 8 apertures, are arranged along the contour.

4. The tear-off lid as set forth in claim 1, wherein the apertures have a substantially circular shape and a diameter of 2 mm or less.

5. The tear-off lid as set forth in claim 1, wherein the apertures are formed by slits that can be opened by the injection pressure of the injection-molding of the elastomer body.

6. The tear-off lid as set forth in claim 1, the elastomer seal forms an unbroken surface on the bottom side of the grip portion that completely covers an opening to be produced by opening the breakout portion when the grip portion seals this opening.

7. The tear-off lid as set forth in claim 6, wherein the elastomer seal has a sealing ridge along the outer contour of the opening to be produced by opening the breakout portion.

8. The tear-off lid as set forth in claim 1, wherein the elastomer sear is part of an integrally formed elastomer body that extends both on the bottom side of the grip portion facing toward the lid plane and forming the elastomer seal there and on the top side of the grip portion facing away from the lid plane.

9. The tear-off lid as set forth in claim 8, wherein the elastomer body extends beyond several of the apertures on the outer side of the grip portion.

10. The tear-off lid as set forth in claim 8, wherein the elastomer body forms a symbol that is recognizable to the user on the outer side of the grip portion facing away from the lid plane.

11. The tear-off lid as set forth in claim 8, wherein the elastomer body is produced by injection molding with a grip portion placed in an injection mold.

12. The tear-off lid as set forth in claim 1, wherein the grip tab is connected in a swiveling and rotating manner to the lid plane by means of a rivet formed from the lid plane.

13. The tear-off lid as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tear-off lid and the grip tab are manufactured from aluminum sheet.

14. A beverage can comprising a can body and a tear-off lid as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tear-off lid is tightly connected to the can body over its entire periphery.

15. A grip tab made of metal sheet for a tear-off lid as set forth in claim 1, wherein the grip tab has a grip portion that is designed to seal a drinking opening in a tear-off lid and has an elastomer seal that is part of an integrally formed elastomer body that extends through apertures of the grip portion and is consequently connected in a form-fitting manner to the grip portion.

16. A method for manufacturing a grip tab as set forth in claim 15, wherein a finished sheet-metal part forming the grip tab is placed into an injection mold and a preferably thermoplastic elastomer is injected against the sheet-metal part such that an integrally formed elastomer body is formed that penetrates through apertures in the sheet-metal part.

Description

[0021] The invention will now be explained in further detail on the basis of an exemplary embodiment with reference to the figures.

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a two-part beverage can with a can body and a lid;

[0023] FIG. 2 shows a tear-off lid according to the invention;

[0024] FIG. 3 shows a top view of a grip tab for a tear-off lid according to the invention;

[0025] FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of a grip tab for a tear-off lid according to the invention;

[0026] FIG. 5 shows a partial section through the grip tab and the injection-molded elastomer body;

[0027] FIG. 6 shows an alternative design variant of a grip tab for a tear-off lid according to the invention; and

[0028] FIG. 7 shows another alternative design variant of a grip tab for a tear-off lid according to the invention.

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a beverage can 10 with a can body 12 and a lid 14 that is connected tightly by means of a double seam to the can body 12. Can body 12 and lid 14 are each made of metal sheet. The can body can be made of aluminum sheet or tinplate, whereas the lid 14 is preferably made of aluminum sheet.

[0030] As can be seen from FIG. 2, the lid 14 has an ordinary lid plane 20 within which a breakout portion 22 is defined by a line of weakening 24. The line of weakening 24 defines the edge and hence the outer contour of the drinking opening that is formed upon breaking-open of the breakout portion 22. A grip tab 28 is connected by a rivet 26 to the lid plane 20 of the lid 14.

[0031] The grip tab 28 has a grip portion 30 and an opener portion 32 between which a rivet opening 34 for the rivet 26 of the lid 14 is located. The grip tab 28 is formed in an inherently known manner from a piece of aluminum sheet. An elastomer body 36, which forms an elastomer seal 38 on the bottom side of the grip portion of the grip tab 28, is injection-molded against the grip tab 28. The elastomer body 36 extends through apertures 40 in the metal sheet forming the grip portion 30 and forms, on the top side of the grip portion 30, an integrally formed, closed and circumferential elastomer ridge 42. The elastomer body 36 is connected integrally and by means of injection molding to the metal sheet of the grip tab 28.

[0032] To create the grip tab 28, the completely formed metal sheet of the grip tab 28 is placed into a corresponding injection mold, and the elastomer body 36 is then injected.

[0033] As can be seen particularly from FIG. 5, the elastomer body 36 extends through the apertures 40 in the metal sheet of the grip portion 30, so that the elastomer seal 38 on the bottom side of the grip portion 30 and the elastomer ridge 42 on the top side of the grip portion 30 are integrally connected to one another and the elastomer body 36 can no longer detach from the metal sheet of the grip tab 28.

[0034] Adhesive forces between the elastomer body 36 in the metal sheet of the grip tab 28 are not necessary, so no adhesion promoter is required for the joining of the elastomer body 36 with the metal sheet of the grip tab 28.

[0035] Rather, the connection between the elastomer body 36 and the grip of the sheet-metal tab 28 is achieved by purely mechanical means by positive locking, with the elastomer body 36 extending through the apertures 40 in the metal sheet of the grip tab 28.

[0036] As can be seen from FIGS. 3 and 4, a total of six apertures 40 are provided in the depicted exemplary embodiment that are arranged along a contour corresponding at least approximately to the outer contour of the breakout portion 22, which, in turn, is defined by the line of weakening 24. Instead of a total of six apertures, it is also possible to provide only at least two apertures, but also up to 24 apertures. FIG. 6 shows an exemplary embodiment of a grip tab 28 with a total of 24 apertures 40.

[0037] The arrangement of the apertures 40 along the outer contour of the breakout portion 22 is advantageous because, in the resealed state of the lid 14, the elastomer seal 38 is intended to rest tightly along the outer contour of the breakout portion 22 against the edge of the drinking opening produced by breaking open the breakout portion 22. For this purpose, the elastomer seal 38 formed by the elastomer body 36 also has a sealing ridge 44 that extends along the outer contour of the breakout portion 22 and is reliably held in place by the apertures 40 that are also arranged along the sealing ridge 44.

[0038] As can be seen particularly from FIG. 4, the elastomer seal 38 forms an unbroken surface that encloses the sealing ridge 44 and is completely enclosed within the surface enclosed by the sealing ridge 44. This has the effect that, when the lid 14 is in the resealed state, a drinking opening formed after the breaking-open of the breakout portion 22 is completely covered by the elastomer seal 38.

[0039] Alternatively, instead of a completely closed elastomer seal 38, it is also possible for only a sealing ridge 44 to be provided along the edge of the drinking opening (that is, along the outer contour of the breakout portion 22). Such an alternative sealing ridge 44 would then have not only a sealing surface associated with the edge of the drinking opening, but also a second sealing surface that faces toward the bottom side 46 of the grip portion 30 of the grip tab 28. A corresponding exemplary embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 7.

List of Reference Symbols

[0040] 10 beverage can [0041] 12 can body [0042] 14 lid [0043] 20 lid plane [0044] 22 breakout portion [0045] 24 line of weakening [0046] 26 rivet [0047] 28 grip tab [0048] 30 grip portion [0049] 32 opener portion [0050] 34 rivet opening [0051] 36 elastomer body [0052] 38 elastomer seal [0053] 40 apertures [0054] 42 elastomer ridge [0055] 44, 44 sealing ridge [0056] 46 bottom side of the grip portion 30