Title of Invention

PLASTIC LID FOR A CAN

Abstract

The invention relates to a plastic lid for a can of the type comprising a tubular body (10) having a lower end (11) and an upper end (13) carrying a seat (15) for the hermetic seating of the lid (20), the upper wall (14) comprising an external portion (14a) provided adjacent to the upper end (13) of the can in a plane inferior to a seating plane defined by the lid (20) seating on the upper end (13) and an annular region (14b) provided in an intermediate portion of the annular upper wall (14) as an upper projection of the external portion (14a) within the lid (20). It comprises in a single piece; a sealing portion (21), which is removably seated and retained in the seat (15) and provided with an upper edge (21b) projecting radially outwardly from the seat (15), a seal portion (25) having a lower skirt (25a) seated around part of the upper end (13) of the tubular body (10), and an upper ring (25b) seated on part of the upper end (13) of the tubular body (10) and being incorporated, externally, to the lower skirt (25a) and internally and through radial bridges (26), to the upper edge (21b) of the sealing portion (21), the seal portion (25) presenting, in its circumferential extension, an interruption (25c) extending through the width of the upper ring (25b) and through at least part of the height of the lower skirt (25a), the sealing portion (21) incorporating a gripping tab (27) projecting radially outwardly and axially downwardly through said interruption (25c) of the seal portion (25), said gripping rab (27) being manually operable only when part of the seal portion (25) is ruptured, said redial bridge (26) being ruptured when submitted to a certain pulling force to separate the seal portion (25) from the sealing portion (21), when therlid is opened for the first time.

Full Text

Field of the Invention The present invention refers to a plastic lid for the closure of a can mace of a metallic sheet and of the type comprising a tubular body, with the lower edge affixing or incorporating a bottom wall and with the upper edge carrying, directly by means of a deformed portion of the tubular body or by means of an annular upper wall portion that can take the form of a structural ring, a seat for the seating and retention of the press-fittable lid. Particularly, the invention refers to the provision of a plastic lid for a can of the type considered above which is used for containing products of progress ive consumption, such as certain food products. Background of the Invention Determined products, such as certain food products, must be submitted to a hermetic storage and provided with a clear visual indication to the consumer that the container in vvhich they are presented in the market has not been violated. Since many of these products are of progressive consumption, it is indispensable that after the first opening of the container, the lid which gives access to the inside of the can may be rec Losed as many times as necessary during the progressive consumption of the stored product, in order to guarantee the hermeticity of the reclosed can and protect the remaining portion of the content thereof. There are well knowr from the prior art the cans with a press-fit lid, in which the latter is press fitted in a peripheral structural ring, which is internal to the upper edge of the body of the can and which is hermetically double seamed to said upper edge. The hermeticity of the content is guaranteed in this type of construction by the fitting of the lid in the seat for the seating and retention thereof, which can be provided in the structural ring that defines the annular upper wall of the can, or in the tubular body of the latter. In this type of closure, the tamper evident seal, which also guarantees the tightness, is normally defined by an aluminum metallic sheet, which is peripherally double seamed to the upper edge of the body of the can jointly with the structural ring. This inner seal is only visible when the lid is removed and it also requires the use of an instrument for cutting it peripherally, which invariably leaves cutting edges close to the upper opening of the can, causing frequent accidents with wounds in the user's fingers. Besides the inconveniences mentioned above, these known press-fit lids require the use of an instrument, in the form of a lever, for allowing the user to remove the lid from its seat defined in the structural ring. It is not possible for the user to remove this type of lid by using his hands only. It is also known from the Brazilian patent application PI 0003727-3 a solution in which the plastic lid comprises a sealing portion,, which is removably seated and retained in the seat, and a pair of generally semi-annular handles disposed around an upper edge of the sealing portion and having ends incorporated to the latter. The handles can be medianly displaced, from an inoperative position, coplanar to said upper edge, to a raised operative position, after rupturing the breakable means :hat connect the median regions of the handles to the scaling portion of the plastic lid. In this prior art construction, the plastic lid further incorporates a manually breakable seal strip, provided around the upper end of the tubular body and presenting a lower portion, which is seated and locked under the double seam of the annular upper wall, and an upper portion ccnnected to the handles and to the sealing portion by breakable connecting means. While it eliminates the deficiencies of the prior lids for cans containing products of progressive consumption, this prior solution of the same applicant still presents some inconveniences. One of said inconveniences relates to the questionable reliability of the retention cf the seal strip, as it can be removed if carefully forced upwardly, sliding out from the upper double seem of the can. Another inconvenience of said prior art lid results from the fact that the opening thereof, by axially pulling it by means of the opposite handles, is abrupt, provoking an undue discharge of the stored product when the lid is removed. Two more aspects that can be improved are related to the facility with which the handles are accessed for extracting the lid, and to the permanence of the seal strip around the upper edge of the tubular body of the can, usually requiring the application of a cutting instrument for removing it. US3773207 discloses a container which car be sealingly closed by a lid, resting in the closed position on a horizontal rim of the container. The lid comprises a circumferential score line located - in the closed position - in the area of the horizontal rim. When the lid is opened and thereby broken along the score line, both parts of the id - the radially outer part and the radially inner part - rest on the horizontal rim, when the container is closed again. Especially, if the inner part is put under load, the stability of the construction might be insufficient. Moreover, the construction does not allow to increase :he width of the outer part for providing an enlarged resting or support ring to improve the stacking of the lid/can combination. WO 0058171 discloses a cover including an assembly of a holder and a cover. The cover comprising a closing wall having a downward edge which lies so closely against a holder flange exdending perpendicularly to the casing wall of the holder, or is so screened by a well portion connected with the holder flange and extending substantially parallel to the casing wall, that engagement of this downward edge is not possible, whilst at an engagement position an engagement lip is connected with the downward edge of the closing wall, which engagement lip extends from the downward edge, so as to be engageable. DE 3149633 discloses an apparatus for cold rolling, an associated pair of shape rolls and a method for their manufacture. The rolling spindles (3,4) of the pair of shape rolls are synchronised with one another in a fixed manner by gears (2) and each carries a spindle flange (33, 43) which has a radial keyway and, in the latter, a synchronising pin (321, 421) engaging with its key-like end. The two synchronising pins (321, 421) are arranged offset by an angle of 180 DEG and engage in synchronising holes (320, 420) of the shape rolls (32, 42) held on the rolling spindles (3, 4) by means of a central chuck. The synchronising hole of the two shape rolls is normally arranged at the same centre angle to the peripheral profile. US 4117946 discloses describes a plastic cap for widemouthed containers. The plastic cap has a closure wall positionable across a container neck opening, and an integrally formed skirt wall adapted to extend around the container neck. Projections are formed on the inner surface of the skirt wall and extend laterally of the skirt toward the neck. Elongated lug-like formations depend from the closure wall into the neck opening and bias portions of the container neck toward the skirt-carried projections to clamp neck portions against the projections, whereby the cap is securely releasably retained on the container neck. In preferred practice, the skirt-carried projections cooperate with neck-carried protrusions to provide snap-on, snap-off actions as the cap is pressed onto and removed from the container ne:k. Another preferred feature is the use of a specially configured upstanding formation on the top surface of the closure wall which not only facilitates nesting the container cap with a similarly configured recess formed in the bottom wall of the container, but also serves to maintain alignment between the labeled fronts of stacked, displayed containers. OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is a generic object of the present invention to provide a reclosable plastic lid for a can of the type considered herein, wherein the lid is reclosable and which presents a simple construction and reduced cost, incorporating means for facilitating the opening thereof and also a reliable seal of prompt visual indication of violation. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a plastic lid such as defined above, which can be safely and easily handled by the consumer. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved by providing a plastic lid for a can comprising the features of claim 1. The can is of the type comprising among further features of claim 1 a tubular body having a lower end and an upper end carrying a seat for the hermetic seating of the lid. According to the invention, the lid comprises among further features, in a single piece: a sealing portion, which is removably seated and retained in the seat and provided with an upped edge projecting radially and outwardly from the seat; a seal portion having a lower skirt to be seated around part of the upper end of the tubular body, and an upper ring seated onto part of the upper end of the tubular body and being incorporated, externally, to the lower skirt and, internally and through radial bridges, to the upper edge of the sealing portion, the seal portion presenting, in its circumferential extension, an interruption, extending through the width of the upper ring and through at least part of the height of the lower skirt, the sealing portion incorporating a gripping tab projecting radially outwardly and axially downwardly, through said interruption of the seal portion, said gripping tab being manually operable only when part of the seal portion is ruptured, said radial bridges being ruptured when submitted to a certain pulling force for separating the seal portion from the sealing portion, when the lid is opened for the first time. Brief Description of the accompanying Drawings The invention will be described below, with reference to the appended draw.ngs, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a plastic lid constructed accordir g to a first embodiment of the present invention, incorporating a seal portion; Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the lid of figure 1, after the seal portion has been ruptured; Figure 3 is a top plan view of the plastic lid illustrated in figure 1; Figure 4 is a partial diametrical cross-sectional view of the lid illustrated in figures 1-3 when mounted to the upper end of a can, said view being taken according to line IV-IV of figure 3; Figure 5 is a similar view to that of figure 4, but taken according to line V-V in figure 3; Figure 6 is a perspective view of another construction for the plastic Lid of the present invention, incorporating a seal portion; Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the lid of figure 6, after the seal portion has been ruptured; Figure 8 is a top plan view of the plastic lid illustrated in figure 6; Figure 9 is a partial diametrical cross-sectional view of the lid illustrated in figures 6-8 when mounted to the upper end of a can, said view being taken according to line IX-IX of figure 8; and Figure 10 is a similar view to that of figure 8, but taken according to line X-X in figure 8. Description of the Illustrated Embodiments According to the embodiments illustrated in figures 1- 10, the present lid is applied to a can made of a metallic sheet, comprising a tubular body 10 with a lower end 11 affixing a bottom wall 12, and with an upper end 13 affixing, by double seaming, an annular upper wall 14, which defines, internally, a seat 15 for the hermetic sealing of the lid 20. The annular upper wall 14 takes the form of a structural ring, as Illustrated in figures 4, 5, 9, and 10. The construction of the annular upper wall 14 and of the seat 15 may be achieved by different manners, provided that it allows a hermetic and safe fitting of the lid 20 to the upper part of the can. In figures 4, 5, 9 and 10, the construction of the annular upper wall 14 and of the seat 15 is accomplished as described and claimed in the Brazilian patent PI 9408643-5 issued to the Same applicant in Brazil and in other countries (such as, for example in the United States, US5899352, and in Europe, EP0706486). Therefore, it is not necessary to include the detailed description of said prior construction in the present specification. According to the invention and as illustrated in the appended drawings, the lid 20 is preferably constructed in plastic material, transparent or not, comprising a sealing portion 21 of adequate construction, so as to be removably seated and retained in the seat 15, said sealing portion 21 presenting an upper edge 21b, which in the illustrated embodiment is defined by an outer peripheral flange 21a superiorly incorporated to the sealing portion 21. The lid 20 further comprises, in a single piece with the sealing portion 21, a seal portion 25 having a lower skirt 25a, which is generally tightly seated around a circumferential extension of the upper end 13 of the tubular body L0, and an upper ring 25b seated onto a circumferential extension of the upper end of the tubular body 10. The upper ring 25b is incorporated, externally, to the lower skirt 25a and, internally and by means of manually breakable radial bridges 26, to the upper edge 21b of the sealing portion 21. According to the present invention, the radial bridges 2 6 are broken when submitted to a certain pulling force, for separating the seal portion 2 5 from the sealing portion 21, upon the first opening of the lid 20. The seal portion 25 presents an interruption 25c, in its circumferential extension, extending through the width of the upper ling 25b and through at least part of the height of the lower skirt 25a, said interruption 25c defining a certain circumferential spacing between respective confronting edges of each of said parts of upper ring 25b and lower skirt 25a in both sides of the interruption 25c. According to the present invention, the sealing portion 21 incorporates a gripping tab 27 projecting radially outwardly and axially downwardly along said interruption 25c of the seal portion 25, for example remaining substantially leveled with the respective part of said seal portion 25. In the embodiment illustrated in figures 1-5, the gripping tab 27 projects through the whole corresponding radial extension of the upper ring 25b and through part of the axial extension of the lower skirt 25a and, in the construction illustrated in figures 6-10, the qripping tab 27 occupies the whole corresponding radia.. extension of the upper ring 25b and projects axially and inferiorly beyond the axial extension of the lower skirt 25a. According to the present invention, the seal portion 25 comprises at least one breakable lock 28 connecting the gripping tab 2 7 to at least one of the parts defined by the upper ring 25b and by the lower skirt 25a of the seal portion 25. The gripping tab 27 is manually operable only when part of the seal portion 25 is ruptured, for example when each breakable lock 28 is broken. In the construction illustrated in figures 1-5, the gripping tab 27 is laterally incorporated to the upper ring 25b by means of a breakable lock 28 in the form of two or more circumferential bridges, which are manually broken upon the first opening of the lid 20. In the construction proposed by the present invention and illustrated in figures 1-5, the radial bridges 26 and the breakable locks 28 are broken, allowing separating the sealing portion 21 from the seal portion 2 5 upon the first opening of the lid by the user manually raising the gripping tab 27. In the construction illustrated in figures 6-10, the lower skirt 25a incorporates the ends of a seal bridge 25d circumferentially extended over the interruption 25c of the seal portion 25 and over the gripping tab 27. The seal bridge 25d presents a first end 25e, which is incorporated to the lower skirt 25a by connecting means 25f to be ruptured when said first end 25e is forced away from the lower skirt 25a, for example being radially pulled outwardly, so as to release the manual access to the gripping tab 27. In the illustrated embodiment, the seal bridge 25d has its first end 25e disposed over the lower skirt 25a, being incorporated to the latter by two connecting means 25f circumferentially spaced from each other. In the construction illustrated in figures 6-10, the gripping tab 27 is interiorly incorporated to the seal bridge 25d through a breakable lock 28 in the form of one or more axial bridges that are manually broken upon the first opening of the lid. The provision of the gripping tab 27 allows the sealing portion 21 to be easily removed from its seating position in :he sea-; 15 and also a controlled and progressive opening of the can, first in the region adjacent to the gripping tab 27 and, subsequently, in the remaining portion of the seat, preventing the storec product from being inadvertently taken out from the can. According to the present invention, the gripping tab 27 can be massive and at least partially hollow, defining a handle, as illustrated in figures 6-10. In the construction illustrated in figures 1-3, and 5, the gripping tab 27 Ls massive, formed of respective portions of the upper ring 25b and of the lower skirt 25a, remaining substantially leveled with said parts of the sealing portion 21 and maintaining from said parts a gap 29 along the whole extension thereof. As illustrated in figures 1-3, and 5, the gripping tab 27, is preferably defined in a rupture portion 24 of the lower skirt 25a that is maintained separated from the remaining portion of the lower skirt 25a and only superiorly incorporated to the upper ring 25b. With this construction, tho rupture portion 24 of the lower skirt 25a can be a "U" shaped strip, maintaining said gap 29 around the respective extension of the gripping tab 27 and separated from the remaining portion of the lower skirt 25a by a pair of axial cuts 23, which in the illustrated example extend radially inwardly by a certain extension of the width of the upper ring 25b, for allowing, after the first opening of the lid, the seal portion 25 to be ruptured in the region of the rupture portion 24 and completely and easily separated from the tubular body 10. In a constructive form, the upper ring 25b may incorporate an upper circumferential rib 25g, which is continuous or definec in segments, projecting over the upper end 13 of the tubular body 10, in order to fit loosely and telescopically, and externally or internally, in the Lower end 11 of another tubular body 10 stacked over the first one. In case the upper circumferential rib 25g presents a diameter smaller thar that of the lower end 11 of the tubular body 10, it is fitted in a circumferential recess 12a provided on the bottom wall 12, internally to the lower end 11 of another tubular body stacked over the first one. In the construction of the lid 20, as illustrated in figures 1-5, the upper edge 21b of the sealing portion 21 is provided in a plane substantially coinciding with a plane containing the upper ring 25b, the radial bridges 26 in this construction being provided substantially horizontal and leveled with said parts. In the construction Illustrated in figures 6-10, the upper edge 21b of the sealing portion 21 is provided in a lower plane in relation to that containing the upper ring 25b and the radial bridges 26 are substantially vertically provided between said parts. WE CLAIMS 1. A plastic lid for a can of the type comprising a tubular body (10) having a lower end (ii) and an upper end (13) carrying a seat (15) for the hermetic seating of the lid (20), the upper wall (14) comprising an external portion (14a) provided adjacent to the upper end (13) of the can in a plane inferior to a seating plane defined by the lid (20) seating on the upper end (13) and an annular region (14b) provided in an intermediate portion of the annular upper wall (14) as an upper projection of the external portion (14a) within the lid (20), characterized in that it comprises, in a single piece, a sealing portion (21), which is removably seated and retainec in the seat (15) and provided with an upper edge (21b) projecting radially outwardly from the seat (15); a seal portion (25) having a lower skirt (25a) seated around part of the upper end (13) of the tubular body (10), and an upper ring (25b) seated on part of the upper end (13) of the tubular body (10) and being incorporated, externally, to the lower skirt (25a) and, internally and through radial bridges (26), to the upper edge (21b) of the sealing portion (21), the seal portion (25) presenting, in its circumferential extension, an interruption (25c) extending through the width of the upper ring (25b) and through at least part of the height of the lower skirt (25a), the sealing portion (21) incorporating a gripping tab (27) projecting radially Outwardly and axially downwardly through said interruption (23c) of the seal portion (25), said gripping tab (27) being manually operable only when part of the seal portion (25) is ruptured, said radial bridges (26) being ruptured when submitted to a certain pulling force to separate the seal portion (25) from the sealing portion (21), when the lid is opened for the first time. 2. A plastic lid for a can, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower skirt (25a) is tightly seated around a circumferential extension of the upper end (13) of the tubular body (10). 3. A plastic lid for a can, as claimed in claim 2, wherein the seal portion (25) comprises at least one break- able lock (28) connecting the gripping tab (27) to at least one of the parts defined by the upper ring (25b) and by the lower skirt (25a) of the seal portion (25). 4. A plastic lid for a can, as claimed in claim 2, wherein the lower skirt (25a) incorporates the ends of a seal bridge (25d) circumferentially extended over the interruption (25c) of the seal portion (25) and over the gripping tab (27), a first end (25e) of said ends of the seal bridge (25d) being incorporated to the lower skirt (25a) by connecting means (25f) to be ruptured when said first end (25e) is foxed away from the lower skirt (25a)* in order to liberate the manual access to the gripping tab (27). 5. A plastic lid for a can, as claimed in claim 4* wherein the seal bridge (25d) has its first end (25e) disposed over the lower skirt (25a) and incorporated to the latter by two connecting means (25e) that are circumferentially spaced from each other. 6. A plastic lid for a can, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gripping tab (27) is substantially leveled with the upper ring (25b) and with the lower skirt (25a), maintaining with sail parts a gap (29) along the whole extension thereof. 7. A plastic lid far a can, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gripping Tab (27) is at least partially hollow, in order to define a handle.. 8. A plastic lid for a can, as claimed in claim 7, wherein the gripping tab (27) is axially and inferiorly extended beyond the lawer skirt (25a). 9. A plastic lid for a can, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gripping tab (27) is massive. 10. A plastic lid 1 or a can, as claimed in claim 9, wherein the gripping tab (27) is defined in a rupture portion (24) of the lower skirt (25a) that is maintained separated from the remaining portion of the latter and superiorly incorporated to the upper ring (25b). 11. A plastic lid for a can, as claimed in claim 10, wherein the rupture portion (24) of the lower skirt (25a) is defined by a "U" shaped grip maintaining a gap (29) around a respective extension cf the gripping tab (27), separating it from the rupture portion (24), the latter being separated from the remaining portion of the lower skirt (25a) by a pair of axial cuts (23). 12. A plastic lid for a can, as claimed in claim 11, wherein the axial cuts (23) etxtend radially inwardly through a certain extension of the width of the upper ring (25b). 13. A plastic lid for a can, as claimed in any one of the previous claims, the upper ring (25b) incorporated an upper circumferential rib (25g) projecting over the upper end (13) of the tubular body (10), and wherein the upper circumferential rib (25g) fits around the lower end (11) of said other tubular body (10) stacked over the first one and fits loosely and telescopically in the lower end (11) of another tubular body (10) stacked over the first one. 14. A plastic lid for a can, as claimed in claim 13, wherein the upper circumferential rib (25g) is continuous. 15. A plastic lid for a can, as claimed in claim 13, wherein the upper circumferential rib (25g) fits in the interior of a circumferential recess (12a) provided internal to the lower end (11) of said other tubular body (10) stacked over the first one. Dated this 16th day of August 2006. The invention relates to a plastic lid for a can of the type comprising a tubular body (10) having a lower end (11) and an upper end (13) carrying a seat (15) for the hermetic seating of the lid (20), the upper wall (14) comprising an external portion (14a) provided adjacent to the upper end (13) of the can in a plane inferior to a seating plane defined by the lid (20) seating on the upper end (13) and an annular region (14b) provided in an intermediate portion of the annular upper wall (14) as an upper projection of the external portion (14a) within the lid (20). It comprises in a single piece; a sealing portion (21), which is removably seated and retained in the seat (15) and provided with an upper edge (21b) projecting radially outwardly from the seat (15), a seal portion (25) having a lower skirt (25a) seated around part of the upper end (13) of the tubular body (10), and an upper ring (25b) seated on part of the upper end (13) of the tubular body (10) and being incorporated, externally, to the lower skirt (25a) and internally and through radial bridges (26), to the upper edge (21b) of the sealing portion (21), the seal portion (25) presenting, in its circumferential extension, an interruption (25c) extending through the width of the upper ring (25b) and through at least part of the height of the lower skirt (25a), the sealing portion (21) incorporating a gripping tab (27) projecting radially outwardly and axially downwardly through said interruption (25c) of the seal portion (25), said gripping rab (27) being manually operable only when part of the seal portion (25) is ruptured, said redial bridge (26) being ruptured when submitted to a certain pulling force to separate the seal portion (25) from the sealing portion (21), when therlid is opened for the first time.

Documents:

1182-kolnp-2004-granted-abstract.pdf

1182-kolnp-2004-granted-claims.pdf

1182-kolnp-2004-granted-correspondence.pdf

1182-kolnp-2004-granted-description (complete).pdf

1182-kolnp-2004-granted-drawings.pdf

1182-kolnp-2004-granted-examination report.pdf

1182-kolnp-2004-granted-form 1.pdf

1182-kolnp-2004-granted-form 13.pdf

1182-kolnp-2004-granted-form 18.pdf

1182-kolnp-2004-granted-form 2.pdf

1182-kolnp-2004-granted-form 26.pdf

1182-kolnp-2004-granted-form 3.pdf

1182-kolnp-2004-granted-form 5.pdf

1182-kolnp-2004-granted-reply to examination report.pdf

1182-kolnp-2004-granted-specification.pdf

1182-kolnp-2004-granted-translated copy of priority document.pdf