US3438533A - Protective cover and lip guard for a can - Google Patents

Description

April 15, 1969 E, N 'sc ET AL 3,438,533

PROTECTIVE COVER AND LIP GUARD FOR A CAN Filed July 28, 1967 Fig-7 Fig. 2 2

Mmvargzgm ATTONEY g United States Patent 015cc 3,438,533 Patented Apr. 15, 1969 3,438,533 PROTECTIVE COVER AND LIP GUARD FOR A CAN Emil Hanisch, Montecuccoliplatz 12/2/1/4, Vienna 13, Austria; Leopold Pretterhofer, Penzingerstrasse 7 Vienna 14, Austria; and Wilhelm Neidl, Heitzinger Hauptstrasse 124, Vienna 13, Austria Filed July 28, 1967, Ser. No. 656,839 Claim priority, application Austria, July 29, 1966, 7 ,301/ 66 Int. Cl. B65d 39/00, 41/00, 45/00, 17/00 US. Cl. 220-24 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A shipping container for beverages, preferably a can, which comprises a can including a cover and having an upper edge formation, adapted as zone usable for drinking, and a covering member applied to the upper edge formation, and complying with the requirements of hygiene. A removable protecting layer is disposed on top of the covering member.

The present invention relates to a shipping container for beverages, preferably a can, and serves the purpose on the one hand of making possible the drinking from containers, which are normally not suitable for drinking in well-mannered form, and on the other hand of making possible a drinking with a view of the requirements for hygiene.

It is conventional to put beverages, for instance beer, filled in cans onto the market, because this arrangement provides several advantages. These cans or cups are, as a rule, equipped with a cover which can be torn up or they must be opened with a can opener. In both cases, a direct drinking from the cans is not possible due to the danger of injury, the unfavorable taste, which is caused by the can material to the lips, the non-appetizing condition, the non-hygiene of the can edge soiled by the handling of the can and finally is also practically impossible, due to the unpleasant appearance of a drinking from a can.

A drink accessory is known, which comprises a slightly conic-a1 ring, which is displaceable along the outer jacket of a can. In the upwardly moved position, the narrower edge of the ring abuts the upper flanged seam edge of the can and forms with the can cover a flat cup, into which the can content can be poured through corresponding bores and then can be consumed. The drinking is simplified with this drink accessory, however, no account has been taken in any way to the hygienic requirements.

In order to maintain the hygiene, rings or ring sections of U-shape in cross-section are known, which are mounted on the edge of the container. Such rings or ring sections must be stored separately and can hardly be applied to conventional containers.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide shipping containers for beverages, preferably cans, wherein a zone of the container, preferably the container edge, is equipped with a cover corresponding to the requirements for hygiene, which cover is in turn covered with a protection layer which can be peeled off or be separated.

The shipping container, designed in accordance with the present invention, can be filled up in a factory and can be brought onto the market equipped with the drink accessory. After the opening of the can and separation of the protection layer a hygienically non-objectionable zone is available which makes possible a pleasant drinking, and particularly then, if the hygienic cover is made of a lip-friendly material.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a shipping container for beverages, preferably cans, wherein the removable or separable protection and/or the hygienic layer is formed by a layer of thermoplastic material. The protection layer and/ or the cover can comprise, in accordance with one embodiment of the pres ent invention, also a film produced for instance by immersing.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention the peelable or separable protection layer covers at least the flanged seam edge of a container edge equipped with a tearable bottom portion, whereby at least this flanged seam edge is equipped as a drinking edge with a hygienic cover.

Finally, the present invention is also concerned with an arrangement, according to which the peelable or separable protection layer amounts to an extended cover edge, which overlies a drawn-in edge portion of the container, whereby this edge portion carries the hygienic layer.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of a container equipped with a drinking can; and

FIG. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing, and in particular to FIG. 1, the container, for instance, a metal can 1 has an upper edge, which is closed up by cover 2. A covering member 4 is provided on the upper edge of the container 1, which overlies a flanged seam cover edge 3. This covering member 4 forms a drinking edge which makes possible a pleasant drinking after opening of the can. The covering member 4 is covered by a protection layer 5, which prevents soiling and which can be peeled 01f directly prior to the drinking on the taps '5.

The covering member 4, as well as the protection layer 5, can be applied by means of an immersing process and may have the form of a layer or a film.

Referring new again to the drawing, and in particular to FIG. 2, the sheet metal can 1 has a drawn-in upper edge portion 1' on which there is provided on the outside a drinking edge in form of a covering member 4. The sheet metal can 1 is closed up by a cover 2 which has an extended cover edge, which overlies the covering member 4 as a protecting means and which can be equipped with a tearable closure 2'. Upon lifting of the cover 2, the covering member 4 permits a drinking from the can in non-objectionable manner.

The present invention has been disclosed in connection with two embodiments, without thereby indicating a limitation to the particularly shown embodiments.

We claim:

1. A shipping container for beverages, preferably a can, comprising a can including a cover and having an upper edge formation, adapted as a zone usable for drinking,

a covering member applied to said upper edge formation, and complying with the requirements of hygiene, and

a removable protecting covering member.

2. The shipping container, as set worth in claim 1,

wherein said protecting layer is peelable.

3. The shipping container, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said protecting layer is separable.

4. The shipping container, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said covering member is of lip-friendly material.

layer disposed on top of said 5. The shipping container, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said covering member comprises a film. 6. The shipping container, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said protecting layer comprises a film. 7. The shipping container, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said layer covers at least the edge of said edge forma tion, the latter has a tearable bottom portion, and at least said edge is equipped with said hygienic covering member to operate as a drinking edge. 8. The shipping container, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said edge formation is drawn in,

said cover has an extension constituting said protecting layer and overlying said drawn-in edge formation, and

the latter carries said protecting layer.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,204,805 9/1965 May 22054 10 GEORGE T. HALL, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

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