End panel, and a container body or container provided by a double seam with such end panel

Abstract

The present invention relates to an end panel to be seamed by a double seam to a container body which double seam includes an end hook confined by the container body and a body hook, wherein a panel edge of the end panel forms the end hook and is provided with at least one notch, wherein the panel edge includes at least two adjacent edge parts of which a first edge part has a first radius and a second edge part has a second radius or is a straight edge, and the notch has a width to depth ration of about 10 to 150, and is formed in both adjacent edge parts, to a container body and to a container provided with such end panel.

Claims

1. A container body connected to an end panel via a double seam, with the double seam comprising an end hook confined by the container body and a body hook, wherein a panel edge of the end panel comprises a first portion provided with at least one notch and a second portion, wherein the first portion with the at least one notch forms the end hook and the second portion comprises a transition wall connecting the end hook with a panel wall of the end panel such that the at least one notch is only formed in the first portion of the end panel and an entirety of the notch is confined by the container body and the body hook, wherein the panel edge further comprises at least two adjacent edge parts of which a first edge part has a first radius and a second edge part has a second radius or is a straight edge, and the notch has a width to depth ratio of about 10 to 150, and the notch is formed in a transition between the first edge part having the first radius and the second edge part having the second radius or the straight edge such that the notch is formed in both adjacent edge parts.

2. The container body according to claim 1, wherein the width to depth ratio is about 20 to 100.

3. The container body according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the first radius and the second radius is in the range of about 0.05 to 0.5.

4. The container body according to claim 1, wherein the end panel has an oval shape.

5. The container body according to claim 4, wherein notches are formed in each of the transitions between the first radii and the second radii.

6. The container body according to claim 1, wherein the end panel has a pear shape.

7. The container body according to claim 6, wherein the end panel comprises transitions between the first radii and the second radii and a transition between radii with the straight line, and notches, are formed in the transitions.

8. The container body according to claim 1, wherein the notch has a curved shape.

9. The container body according to claim 1, having in cross section an oval form.

10. The container body according to claim 1, having in cross section a pear shape.

11. A container provided with a container body according to claim 1.

12. The container body according to claim 1, wherein the width to depth ratio is about 30 to 80.

13. The container body according to claim 1, wherein the width to depth ratio is about 10 to 80.

14. The container body according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the first radius and the second radius is in the range of about 0.1 to 0.5.

15. The container body according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the first radius and the second radius is in the range of about 0.1 to 0.3.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Mentioned and other features of the present invention will be further described, discussed and illustrated in the following description of several embodiments of the present invention without the intention to restrict the invention to these embodiments. In this respect reference will be made to the annex drawings wherein:

(2) FIG. 1-3 are non-circular end panels according to the invention having notches in the transition between differently curved sections or between a curved and a straight section.

(3) FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a rectangular contained body to be provided with an end panel of the invention;

(4) FIG. 4B is a droplet magnification from FIG. 4A;

(5) FIGS. 5A -5C are cross sections over the line VA-VA in FIG. 4B of the double seaming method;

(6) FIGS. 6A-6F show various embodiments of notches according to the invention; and

(7) FIGS. 7A and 7B, and 8A and 8B are a perspective view and droplet magnification for a pear shaped and oval shaped container body, respectively of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) FIG. 1 shows an oval end panel 1 of the invention. The end panel 1 is provided with notches 2 in the adjacent curved edge parts 3 and 4. The radius R1 (45 mm) of the curved part 3 is different and larger than the radius R2 (20 mm) of the curved part 4. The notches overlap with the transition 5 between the radii R1 and R2.

(9) FIG. 2 shows a rectangular end panel 6 of the invention. The rectangular end panel 6 is provided with notches 2 in adjacent curved edge part 7 and the straight edge part 8. The radius R3 of the curved part 7 is for instance 20 mm. The notches 2 overlap with the transition 9 between the curves edge parts 7 and the straight edge parts 8.

(10) FIG. 3 shows a pear shape end panel 10 of the invention. The pear shaped end panel 10 is provided with notches 2 in the adjacent curved parts 11 and 12, and between the curved parts 11 and the straight edge part 14. The radius R4 (ranging from 150 mm to 190 mm) of the curved part 11 is different and larger than the radius R5 (ranging from 30 mm to 50 mm) of the curved part 12. The notches overlap with the transition 15 between the radii R4 and R5. The notches 2 are also present in the adjacent curved edge part 11 and the straight edge part 14. The radius R4 of the curved parts 11 is for instance (170 mm). The notches 2 overlap with the transition 17 between the curves edge part 13 and the straight edge parts 14 and with the transition 16 between the curved sections 11 and 13. The radius R4 (170 mm) of the curved part 11 is different and larger than the radius R6 (30 mm) of the curved part 13.

(11) FIG. 4A and 4B show the double seaming of the rectangular panel 6 to a rectangular container body 18. The container body 18 is placed into the panel 6 of which the curved panel edge 19 extends outwardly from the container body edge 20 (see FIG. 5A). The panel edge 19 is further curved and bended inwardly thereby comprising the curved edge part 7 and the straight edge part 8 (not shown) and also the notch 2 (see FIG. 5B). Subsequently, the panel edge 19 is curled upwardly thereby forming the double seam 21. FIG. 5D shows the double seam 21, in which the initial panel edge 7 is now overlaying the container body edge 19 which is now confined or closed in by a loop formed by the panel edge 7, the curl and the transitional wall 22. The double seam comprises a so-called end hook formed by the original panel edge 7 comprising the notches 2. The end hook is confined or closed in by the container body 18 and a body hook 10 which is formed by the original container edge 20. At the outside of the double seam 9 is the transition wall 22 connecting the end hook 7 via a curl 23 with a panel wall 24 of the end panel 6.

(12) FIGS. 6A-E shows various embodiments of the notches 2 according to the invention. The notches all have a width W to depth D ratio within the range of about 10 to 150, see FIG. 6F.

(13) FIG. 6A shows a notch 25 formed in the panel edge 26 and has hooks or angular transitions 27 towards the rim 17 of the panel edge 5. The notch 25 has a W:D ratio of about 30.

(14) FIG. 6B shows a notch 28 which has transitions 29 which are rounded towards the rim 30. The W:D ratio is about 40.

(15) FIG. 6C shows a notch 30 having rounded or curved transitions 31 but has an asymmetrical form. Such asymmetrical form may be beneficial when the double seam operation using a roller tool operates along the rim 30 from the right as shown in FIG. 6C by the arrow 38. But seaming from the reverse direction (left in FIG. 6C) is also possible.

(16) FIG. 6D shows a notch 33 which is having rounded transition 34 at one side and a hooked transition 35 at the left side, whereas the notch 33 is further asymmetrical. The W:D ratio is about 50.

(17) FIG. 6E shows a notch 36 which is symmetrical and having rounded transitions 37 but is less steep or has a lower depth than the notch 28 of FIG. 7B, the W:D ratio is about 70.

(18) FIGS. 7A and 7B show the pear shaped end panel 10 onto which is placed a container body 38 having a pear shape in cross section. The straight panel edge 14, and the curved edges 13 and 11 are provided at the transitions 40. The panel edges extend beyond the body edge 39. The double seam is formed as discussed in relation to the embodiment illustrated by the FIGS. 5A to 5C.

(19) Similarly, show FIGS. 8A and 8B an oval container body 41 placed on the oval end panel 1. At the transitions 40 are the curved edges 3 and 4 provided with a notch 2.

(20) Although not described in detail and in the form of an embodiment, it will be obvious to the skilled person that the curved and straight edges may comprise additional notches in the direct vicinity of the notches 2, such as within a few millimeters there from.

(21) The materials to be used for double seaming according to the method according to the present invention are in particular metals such as steel, coated steel, tin plate and aluminum alloys. Composites of metal and plastics may also be used, such as laminated steel produced by extrusion or co-lamination. Dependent on the diameter of the container produced, the thickness of the steel or tin plate, may be in the range of 0.14 mm to 0.32 mm, and preferably within the range of 0.16 mm to 0.22 mm, inter alia dependent on the can diameter and on the double seam type characterized by a parameter such as the seam length. In case of aluminum alloy, the thickness of the metal for the at least panel edge 5 may be in the range of 0.16 mm to 0.38 mm, preferably 0.18 mm to 0.28 mm, inter alia dependent on the can diameter and on the double seam type, and on the seam length.

(22) Research and experiments have shown that by using the notched panel edges and possibly notched container edges that the gauge of the thickness of the metal to be used may be reduced by at least 10%, with additional seaming geometry modification up to 30%, and preferably up to 20%. Obviously, the thickness of the metal would be also dependent on the diameter of the container.