US3362574A

US3362574A - Container having a severable liner

Info

Publication number: US3362574A
Application number: US523652A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard W Asmus; Andrew E Jecker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-01-28
Filing date: 1966-01-28
Publication date: 1968-01-09
Anticipated expiration: 1985-01-09

Description

Jan. 9, 1968 R. v v. ASMUS ETAL 3,

CONTAINER HAVING A SEVERABLE LINER Filed Jan. 28, 1966 F 5 INVENTORS I F/C/LM/PO M 4.9405, J a

Y ,Zwmx $9, '9 E? ,4 rroiA/eys United States Patent Ofitice 33%,574 Patented Jan. 9, 1968 3,362,574 CONTAINER HAVING A SEVERABLE LHIER Richard W. Asmus, 3628 W. 48th St., and Andrew E. Jeclter, 3610 W. 49th St, both of Cleveland, Ohio Filed Jan. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 523,652 9 Claims. (Cl. 220-63) This invention relates to a sealed container assembly.

Various liquid and solid products, particularly food and beverage products, must be stored in substantially rigid containers which must be air-tight in order to preserve the quality and purity of the product. Conventional containers for this purpose have usually been either a can with an integral top or a can or bottle with a removable closure making an air-tight seal with the body of the can or bottle. In the case of integral top cans, the top is either removed by using a can opener or it is punctured by the use of a special tool or by removing an integral snap tab. In the case of a container with a removable, sealed closure, considerable manual effort is required to break the seal and remove the closure.

The present invention is directed to a novel sealed container assembly which avoids the necessity of using either a special opener or appreciable manual effort in order to break the seal and open the container.

In accordance with the present invention, a novel container assembly is provided which comprises a rigid container body having a readily removable closure, usually a top, and a flexible inner liner which seals in the contents and is arranged in a novel manner to be torn open when the closure is removed from the container body.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a novel and improved sealed container assembly.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a container assembly having a novel sealing arrangement which enables the use of a readily removable closure which itself is not required to seal in the contents of the container.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of three presently-preferred embodiments, which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical section through a first embodiment of the present container assembly, showing the position of the parts with the container closed, but before its contents have forced the inner liner against the removable top closure;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the upper end of the FIG. 1 container assembly, shown after its contents have forced the inner liner against the removable top closure;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded sectional view of the upper end of this same container assembly after its top closure has been removed;

'FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view of a second embodiment of the present container assembly, broken away at the middle, showing the position of the parts after its contents have forced the inner liner against the removable top closure; and

FIGURE 5 is a View similar to FIG. 4 and showing a third embodiment of the present invention in which the flexible inner liner lines only one end of the container.

Referring to FIG. 1, the container assembly shown therein comprises a rigid outer container body 10, a rigid removable top closure 11 for this container body, and an easily tearable, flexible inner liner 12.

The outer container body 10 may be a metal can or a glass or plastic bottle of any desired shape, having sufiicient rigidity to enable the container to be handled easily and safely. This container body has a cylindrical upper end provided with external screw threads 13 or other laterally projecting members adapted to cooperate with complementary parts on the removable closure 11.

The closure 11 may be of metal or other suitable rigid material, presenting a top wall 14 and a depending annular flange or skirt 15 which encircles the upper end of the outer container body 10. This flange is formed at the inside with screw threads 16 or other lateral projections which cooperate with the projections 13 on the outer container body 10, so that the closure 11 may be attached or removed by turning it with respect to the outer container body 10.

The flexible inner liner 12 may be a sheet of suitable plastic, metal foil, or laminated construction. Initially, this liner is open at the top, and after being placed inside the outer container body 10 it is filled with the product to be stored in the container, such as beer. Then the upper end of the liner is closed and sealed, such as by heat or ultrasonically. At this time the inner liner 12 has a loose fit within the outer container body 10, as shown somewhat exaggerated in FIG. 1, with the upper end of the liner spaced below the upper end of the outer container-body 10 and presenting folds which enable it to be expanded later to snugly fill the container.

In accordance with the present invention, a suitable adhesive 17, such as a thermosetting resin, is applied to the inside of the outer container body 10 at a suitable distance below its upper end. Also, the inside of the top wall 14 of the removable closure is provided at 18 with the same adhesive.

After the top closure 11 has been screwed onto the outer container body 10, the contents enclosed within the inner liner 12 may be suitably treated so as to develop pressure. For example, in the case of beer, pasteurization will cause it to develop a pressure which will be effective to expand the inner liner 12 tightly against the inside of the outer container body 10 and up against the inside of the removable closure 11. The inner liner 12 will become adhesively secured at 17 to the inside of the outer container body 10 and at 18 to the inside of the removable closure 14.

Alternatively, the product to be stored in the container may be any suitable liquid or solid product which is introduced into the inner liner 12 while the container is positioned top down, so that the weight of this product will force the inner liner into adhesive engagement with the container body at 17 and with the removable closure at 18. In such case, the filling of the liner may be done from the opposite end for storage of its contents under vacuum, or at atmospheric pressure, or under aboveatmospheric pressure by known techniques.

The closure 14 has a sufiiciently loose fit on the outer container body 10 that it does not provide an effective seal and, as shown in FIG. 1, the inside of the top wall 14 of the closure may be spaced above the top edge of the outer container body 10 by as much as 4; inch. However, as shown in FIG. 2, the pressure or weight of the contents will force the inner liner 12 into this gap. Accordingly, the relatively low strength inner liner 12 will be rigidly rein-v forced throughout its extent by the rigid outer container body 10 and the rigid closure 11, so that it will not burst even under pressures far in excess of its bursting strength in the absence of such reinforcement. With this arrangement, therefore, the inner liner 12 performs the function of scaling in the contents ofthe container, while the outer container body 10 and the removable closure 11 provide the necessary rigidity.

Referring to FIG. 3, when the closure 11 is twisted off the outer container body 10, the inner liner 12 will be torn apart, preferably along a tear line just above the top of the adhesive 17 which attaches it to the outer container body '10, the upper end of the inner liner 12 remaining adhesively secured at 18 to the inside of the now-removed closure 11. The closure 11 is easily removed because of its relatively loose, non-sealing fit on the outer container body 10 and because the inner liner 12 is easily torn.

FIGURE 4 shows a second embodiment of the present container assembly in which parts similar to those of the first embodiment (FIGS. l-3) are given the same reference numerals plus 100. The description of these similar parts will be omitted as unnecessary.

In FIG. 4, the removable closure 111 has, in addition to its outer flange 115, an inner depending annular flange or lip 120 which fits inside the upper end of the outer container body 110 when the closure is in place. The upper end of this inner flange 120 curves laterally inwardly to merge smoothly with the top wall 114 of the closure. The entire inside surface of the top wall 114 and the inner flange 120 of the closure 111 is coated with adhesive 118 for engagement by the upper end of the inner liner 112 when the pressure or weight of its contents force the inner liner tightly against the inside of the outer container body 110 and the removable closure 111.

The lower edge of the inner flange 120 co-acts with the inner liner 112 to insure that the latter will be torn below the top edge of the container body 110, so that the latter provides a rigid pouring lip. In other respects, the use and operation of the FIG. 4 embodiment of the present invention are essentially the same as for the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3.

FIGURE shows a third embodiment of the present container assembly in which parts similar to those of the first embodiment (FIGS. 1-3) are given the same reference numerals plus 200. The description of these similar parts will not be repeated.

In FIG. 5, the inner liner 212 extends across only the upper end of the container body at the inside. The lower end of this liner terminates at or near the lower edge of the adhesive 217 which joins it to the inside face of the side wall of the container body 210. Below this location the container body 210' itself provides the seal for the contents. Above this location the liner 212 provides the seal.

Except for this change in the inner liner, the assembly of FIG. 5 is identical in construction and mode of operation with that of FIGS. l3.

In each of the illustrated embodiments of this invention, the flexible inner liner (12, 112 or 212) provides the necessary air-tight seal where the removable closure is attached to the container body. Consequently, the engagement between the closure and the container body need not be air-tight, so that a special tool is not required for opening the container. Instead, the closure may be easily removed manually and in so doing the inner liner is torn open to break the seal. After the liner is torn, the upper edge of the container body is exposed at the inside to provide a rigid pouring edge.

If desired, the present invention may be embodied in container assemblies different from the specific arrangements shown. For example, instead of a screw-on attachment the removable top closure may be attached to the outer container by a snug frictional fit, if desired, in which case it will be removed by prying oft manually instead of twisting olf. Therefore, while three presently-preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that various modifications, omissions and refinements which depart from the disclosed embodiments may be adopted without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

We claim:

1. A container assembly comprising:

a rigid container body having an opening;

a rigid closure removably mounted on said container body closing said opening;

a readily tearable, flexible, inner liner sealingly secured to the inside of said container body and extending across the interior of the container body and providing a seal for the latters contents at the inside of said closure;

and means for adhesively securing said inner liner to said closure, whereby removal of said closure from the container body causes said inner liner to be torn to expose the contents of the container body.

2. A container assembly according to claim 1, wherein said last-mentioned means is an adhesive coating on the inside of said closure.

3. A container assembly comprising:

a rigid container body having an opening at one end;

a rigid closure removably mounted on said container body closing said opening, said closure having a nonsealing fit on said container body;

a readily tearable, flexible, inner liner at the inside of said closure extending across the interior of the container body;

adhesive material securing said inner liner to said container body around the inside of the latter in spaced relation to said opening to provide a seal for the contents of the container body;

and adhesive material securing said inner liner to the inside of said closure in spaced relation to its adhesive attachment to the inside of said container body, whereby removal of said closure from the container body causes said inner liner to be torn adjacent its adhesive attachment to the container body to expose the contents of the container body.

4. A container assembly according to claim 3 wherein said container body and said closure have complementary lateral projections which interfit loosely with one another when said closure is turned with respect to said container body.

5. A container assembly according to claim 4, wherein said container body has external, screw-threaded, lateral projections at said one end, and said closure is a flanged end cap having internal, screw-threaded, lateral projections complementary to said projections on the container body.

6. A container assembly according to claim 3, wherein said inner liner is a continuous enclosure extending across the inside surfaces of said container body and rigidly supported by said container body and said closure.

7. A container assembly according to claim 3, wherein said closure presents an end wall extending completely across said opening and spaced from the top edge of said container body at said opening, and said inner liner extends into the space between said end wall of the closure and said top edge of the container body.

8. A container assembly according to claim 5, wherein said closure has an inner flange which fits inside said opening in the container body, and wherein adhesive material is provided on the inside of said inner flange for securing said inner liner to said closure.

9. A container assembly according to claim 3, wherein said inner liner terminates in a lower edge adjacent its adhesive attachement to the container body, leaving the lower part of the container body exposed at the inside to said contents.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,190,485 6/1965 DAndrea et a1 220-48 THERON E. CONDON, Primaly Examiner.

G. T. HALL, Examiner.

Claims

1. A CONTAINER ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: A RIGID CONTAINER BODY HAVING AN OPENING; A RIGID CLOSURE REMOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID CONTAINER BODY CLOSING SAID OPENING; A READILY TEARABLE, FLEXIBLE, INNER LINER SEALINGLY SECURED TO THE INSIDE OF SAID CONTAINER BODY AND EXTENDING ACROSS THE INTERIOR OF THE CONTAINER BODY AND PROVIDING A SEAL FOR THE LATTER''S CONTENTS AT THE INSIDE OF SAID CLOSURE; AND MEANS FOR ADHESIVELY SECURING SAID INNER LINER TO SAID CLOSURE, WHEREBY REMOVAL OF SAID CLOSURE FROM THE CONTAINER BODY CAUSES SAID INNER LINER TO BE TORN TO EXPOSE THE CONTENTS OF THE CONTAINER BODY.