US20130092699A1

US20130092699A1 - Beverage can sealer and holder

Info

Publication number: US20130092699A1
Application number: US13/565,795
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard Qi Li
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-08-18
Filing date: 2012-08-03
Publication date: 2013-04-18

Abstract

The beverage can sealer and holder functions as a unit. The beverage can sealer is the screw cap for the holder of the beverage can and has a circular ridge which, when screwed onto the beverage can holder, compresses a peripheral circular zone on the top surface of a beverage can to seal it airtight. A resealable drink spout is incorporated into the beverage can sealer. The drink spout is opened when it is pulled up and closed when pressed down. This art allows people to enjoy canned beverage while engaging in activities and maintains the pressure within the opened can when the unfinished beverage is stored.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Carbonated beverage contained in a can, once opened, needs to be finished at once. Otherwise, it becomes flat very soon. While one is drinking a canned beverage, carbonated or not, he or she has to hold the can steadily and vertically to avoid spillage. I have designed a beverage can sealer and holder, which maintains the pressure inside the opened can containing the unfinished carbonated beverage while it is being stored. A drink spout is also incorporated into the beverage can sealer and holder. One may carry an opened beverage can contained in the art of my design and drink his favorite beverage (soda or beer) while he is actively engaged in exercise, such as power walking, jogging, biking, swimming, etc. An opened beverage can is thus made portable in any circumstance and one no longer has to hold a opened beverage can vertically to avoid spillage, as if it were a cup of hot coffee. One version of drink spout has a long straw extending to the bottom of a beverage can, which obviates the need to bend head and neck backward when one drinks from a can while engaging in activities. Therefore, drinking soda or beer is made as easy and convenient as drinking bottled water. The enjoyment of soda and beer is thus brought to a new level. My design of the beverage can and holder functions as a dispenser, while the canned beverage is like a refill.
There are various kinds of soda can covers. However, an opened beverage can, with its convex top surface, lifted pulling tab and thin beaded rim, prevents effective gripping and sealing by an isolated cover, which furthermore will become loose and less effective with repeated use. The obvious advantage of the screw cap is that the seal can remain truly airtight by virtue of being screwed onto the can holder and can not become loose from repeated use.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The beverage can sealer and holder has two main parts, the cap for the holder and the holder for beverage can. The cap has a circular ridge on its inner surface and is also a screw cap for the holder. When the cap is screwed onto the holder, the circular ridge of the cap presses the top surface of a beverage can along its rim and seals the top surface of the can airtight.
The cap also has a special drink spout of my own design. The drink spout is opened when it is pulled up and is closed when it is pressed down. Because the sealer of the beverage can is screwed onto the holder instead of being engaged to the beaded rim of the can, it remains constantly airtight and will not be loosened by the repeated pulling on the drink spout.
I have designed three versions of beverage can sealers and three versions of drink spouts, which can be incorporated into any version of the beverage can sealer.
The beverage can holder, which is either solid or latticed in its wall, also functions as a can carrier and insulator.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 demonstrates the beverage can sealer with a circular rubber ridge which is inserted into a groove in the inner surface of the sealer and compresses the circular zone around the rim of an opened beverage can.

FIG. 2 demonstrates the beverage can sealer which is a solid piece with a circular ridge which compresses the circular zone around the rim of an opened beverage can.

FIG. 3. demonstrates a rubber insert which forms both the inner surface of the can sealer and the circular ridge, which compresses the circular zone around the rim of an opened beverage can.

FIG. 4 demonstrates the beverage can sealer with the first version of a resealable drink spout

FIG. 5 demonstrates the amplified view of the first version of the resealable drink spout, over which is slipped a soft plastic straw with multiple horizontal offshoots. Two elevated circular ridges on the drink spout retains the plastic straw.

FIG. 6. demonstrates a beverage can sealer with the second version of resealable drink spout.

FIG. 7 demonstrates the amplified view of the second version of resealable drink spout with a sliding member, which has openings on both sides. The sliding member is pushed downward when the drink spout is pull upwards, allowing beverage to enter the drink spout. The drink spout has a flanged end to retain the sliding member.

FIG. 8 demonstrates the third version of drink spout with a sliding member and a long straw which connects to the end of the drink spout and reaches the bottom of a beverage can. The sliding member has a plug which occludes the straw when it is pressed downward. The sliding member has fenestrated areas on both the side wall and shoulders of the plug, except the tip of the plug which is closed. The shaded area indicates an empty space, into which the beverage flows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The beverage can and sealer as shown in FIG. 1 through 8 is composed of a can sealer, a holder and a drink spout. The can holder 2, which is either solid or latticed in its wall, has the inner diameter which corresponds to the outer diameter of a soda or beer can 4 and also functions as a carrier and insulator. The bottom of the can holder is concave to fit into the concave bottom of a beverage can 4 and to keep the can centered in the holder.
FIG. 1 demonstrates the first version of the sealer 1, which is also the screw cap for the can holder 2. Its key feature is a circular groove into which a circular rubber or silicone ridge 3 is inserted. When the screw cap 1 is screwed onto the can holder 2, the ridge of the rubber/silicone insert 3 presses upon the top surface of a beverage can along a peripheral circular zone between two circles, the inner circle defined by the tip of the pulling tab 5 and the outer circle defined by the inside surface of the rim 6 of the can. Therefore, the screw cap 1 with its rubber/silicone insert 3 occludes the top of the soda can 4 and maintains the pressure inside of it.
FIG. 2 demonstrates the second version of the can sealer 1 or the screw cap for the can holder 2. It is made from a solid plastic piece without a rubber insert. The circular ridge presses into the groove around the inner surface of the rim 6 of a beverage can. It is simple to make. The circular ridge 3 can be coated with silicone for tight sealing. The advantage of this design is the smooth wall of circular ridge without steps, which won't be impeded by the rim 6 of a soda can. The circular ridge can be made much shorter than the rubber/silicon circular ridge in the first version and thus lowers the ceiling of the sealer and minimize the air pocket between the sealer and the top surface of the can. Therefore this design minimizes the outflow of beverage.
FIG. 3 demonstrates the third version of the beverage can sealer 1. A rubber insert forms the inner surface 7 of the can sealer as well as the circular ridge 3, which compresses the circular zone around the rim 6 of an opened beverage can. The advantage of this version is the smooth wall of circular ridge without steps, which won't be impeded by the rim 6 of a soda can. This design minimizes the air pocket between the sealer and the top surface of the can and the outflow of beverage.
FIG. 4 and 5 demonstrate the beverage can sealer with the first version of a resealable drink spout 9, over which is slipped a soft plastic straw 10 with multiple horizontal offshoots 11. The drink spout has two elevated circular ridges. The upper circular ridge prevents the drink spout from being pulled out of the beverage can sealer. The lower circular ridge helps retain the plastic straw. When the drink spout is pressed down, the horizontal offshoots 11 are flattened against the top surface of the beverage can 4 and therefore shuts off the drink spout. When the drink pout is pulled up, the horizontal offshoots 11 are open.
FIGS. 6. and 7 demonstrates a beverage can sealer with the second version of resealable drink spout 12. The second version 12 of resealable drink spout has a sliding member 13, which has two openings on its cylindrical wall. The sliding member is pushed downward when the drink spout is pull upwards, allowing beverage to enter the openings and then the drink spout. When the drink spout 12 is pressed down, the sliding member 13 is pushed up against the top surface of the beverage can 4, closing the central canal of drink spout. The drink spout has a flanged end to retain the sliding member.
FIG. 8 demonstrates the third version of drink spout with a sliding member 14 and a long straw 15 which connects to the end of the drink spout and reaches the bottom of a beverage can 4. The sliding member has a plug 16 at its lower end which occludes the straw 15 when it is pressed downward. The sliding member 14 has fenestrated areas on both the side wall of the plug and shoulders of the plug, except the tip of the plug which is closed. The straw is unplugged when the sliding member is pulled up. The shaded area indicates an empty space covering the plug, its shoulders and the central canal , into which the beverage flows. The beverage goes from the straw 15 into the sliding member 14 through the fenestrated area.
The drink spout and its straw 15 is inserted into the opening of a beverage can 4 when the can sealer 1 is screwed onto the can holder 2. When the can sealer 1 is being turned, the beverage can 4 is also turned until the can sealer 1 can not be turned any further when the top surface of the beverage can is occluded airtight.
In FIG. 8, the central portion 17 of the bottom of the beverage can holder 4 is elevated and is the only area which touches the bottom part of a beverage can and lifts up the can 4. Thus the central portion acts 17 as a pivotal point for the can when it is being turned within the can holder.
The holder 2, which may be solid or lattice in its formation, can be decorated with design patterns or logos. The holder has one or two spiral thread only while the screw cap has several threads, so that the screw cap can go down on the holder as far as the resistance of the circular rubber ridge is allowed. Insulating materials such as fabric and rubber can be wrapped around the can holder.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. the beverage can sealer has a circular ridge which occludes the top surface of an opened beverage by compressing it along a peripheral circular zone between two circles, the inner circle defined by the tip of the pulling tab and the outer circle defined by the inside surface of the rim of the can. The beverage can sealer maintains airtight sealing by virtue of being screwed onto the beverage can holder.

2. the beverage can holder can be solid or lattice in its formation and can be decorated with design patterns or logos.

3. the beverage can holder according to claim 2, wherein the central portion of the bottom of the beverage can holder is elevated and functions as a pivotal point for the beverage can when it is turned inside of the can holder.

4. the first version of the said beverage can sealer according to claim 1, wherein the circular ridge is made of rubber or silicone and is inserted into a circular groove in the inner surface of the sealer.

5. the second version of said beverage can sealer according to claim 1 is a solid piece, wherein the circular ridge is the integral part of the sealer. The circular ridge is therefore smooth without steps and can be made shorter than the inserted version as defined in claim 4, thus minimizing the air pocket between the sealer and the top surface of the opened beverage can.

6. the third version of the beverage can sealer according to claim 1, wherein a rubber or silicone insert forms the inner surface of the can sealer as well as the circular ridge, which is smooth without steps and can be made shorter than the inserted version as defined in claim 4, thus minimizing the air pocket between the sealer and the top surface of the opened beverage can.

7. A resealable drink spout is incorporated into the beverage can sealer. Any version of the resealable drink spouts can be incorporated into any version of the beverage can sealers.

8. the first version of resealable drink spout according to claim 7, wherein a soft plastic straw with multiple horizontal offshoots is slipped onto its stem. When the drink spout is pressed down, the horizontal offshoots are flattened against the top surface of the beverage can and therefore shuts off the drink spout. When the drink pout is pulled up, the horizontal offshoots are open.

9. the second version of resealable drink spout according to claim 7, wherein a sliding member moves along the stem of drink spout and has two openings on the opposite side of its wall. When the drink spout is pull upwards, the sliding member is pushed downward, allowing beverage to enter the openings and thus the drink spout When the drink spout is pressed down, the sliding member is pushed up against the top surface of the beverage can, closing the central canal of drink spout.

10. the third version of think spout according to claim 7, has a sliding member within it and a long straw which connects to the end of the drink spout and reaches the bottom of a beverage can. The sliding member has a plug at its lower end which occludes the straw when it is pressed downward. The straw is unplugged when the sliding member is pulled up. The sliding member has fenestrated areas on both the side wall and shoulders of the plug, except the tip of the plug which is closed.