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  Dosing body with an external base covering, method and device for applying the base coveringUSPTO Application #: 20050218148Title: Dosing body with an external base covering, method and device for applying the base covering Abstract: A can body with a jacket-like closed wall and a base constructed on one end of the can wall includes an external base covering in the form of a sheet material. The base covering is fixed into position on an annular connection region of the can body. The base covering can form a basically flat imprintable region in a main region that is surrounded by the connection region. If a bar code can be applied in this imprintable region, then a restriction of the configuration possibility of the can wall disappears. The base covering can form a stand region whereby a standing can body is only in contact with the support surface if necessary via the base covering, and consequently the occurrence of corrosion problems is prevented. A retaining device that leaves the base of a held can body free and a position fixing apparatus are used for fixing the base covering into position. A decorative foil on the exterior of the can wall can be overlapped by the base covering, which serves to prevent a detachment of the decorative foil on the base. (end of abstract)
Agent: Harness, Dickey & Pierce, P.L.C - Reston, VA, US Inventor: Mark Boltshauser USPTO Applicaton #: 20050218148 - Class: 220626000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Receptacles, End Wall Structure, Multi-layer End Wall Structure The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20050218148. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This application is the national phase under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 371 of PCT International Application No. PCT/CH02/000609 which has an International filing date of Nov. 13, 2002, which designated the United States of America and which claims priority on Swiss Patent Application number 158/02 filed Jan. 30, 2002, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The invention generally relates to a can body, to a method and to a device. The invention concerns vessels or cans which include a base on one end face of a jacket-like closed wall, and of which preferably at least one layer of the wall and the base is made of metal. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Vessels may be formed, for example, as aerosol cans or as beverage cans. Further, cans may be made of aluminum as well as of sheet steel. In order to give the vessels a desired appearance and to apply the necessary information, the jacket-like wall is provided with decoration and labeling. The decoration is, for example, directly printed onto the can. If need be, however, the decoration can be printed onto labels or foils that are then applied to the can wall. [0004] One printing cylinder must be used per color with the current printing method. The printing costs correspondingly increase with each color required. In addition to decorative or graphically configured labelings, standardized information, such as perhaps a bar code, information on hazards and the composition of the product, and if need be promotional information, must also be applied to the can wall. Moreover, a bar code with a dark color, preferably black, must be printed on bright background, preferably white, which strongly impairs the aesthetic effect of the decoration, especially with dark overall surfaces. [0005] Furthermore, usually two additional colors with the corresponding printing costs are needed for the bar code. Only the precise number of cans that are to be brought into commerce with the current bar code or the current advertising information may be manufactured. In the event that the same can is to reach the market at another point in time with another bar code, then additional cans with the old decoration and the new bar code or new advertising information must be manufactured. If need be, a label with the new bar code can be manufactured, which is glued over the old bar code or the old advertising information, which is associated with much expenditure and is not aesthetically satisfactory. [0006] It is likewise aesthetically unsatisfactory that in cans having a curved transition region from the can base to the can wall the decoration cannot be printed on in the transition region after the base is formed, which, when the can is standing on its base is manifest as an unsightly or not printed lower edge. [0007] Due to lower manufacturing costs, today more and more products are being sold in cans made of sheet steel. It has now been found that such sheet steel cans rust on the base, especially when used in wet cells. The cans may stand over long periods of time with their annular support surfaces on a wet surface, or if worst comes to worst, on surfaces that are contaminated with other substances. Moreover, moisture and materials added to this as well as electrical effects can bring about corrosion. [0008] Even with sheet metals that are provided with a thin chromium layer, undesired oxidation has already been observed. The corrosion leads to a contamination of the surface on which the can is standing, and weakens the base of the can. A weakened can base is dangerous in aerosol cans, especially when butane or propane is used as the propellant gas. [0009] In order to be able to withstand the pressure in the interior of the can, aerosol cans have a base that is arched toward the can's interior. This base is constructed via a pressing process and includes an inwardly arched central region and a downwardly projecting annular edge region where the can base transitions into the can jacket. The cans stand on the annular edge region that can be weakened by corrosion along the support line so that the central region of the base could break out. With can materials having a thin chromium layer, the chromium layer along the support line can be damaged or eliminated by rubbing motions on conveyor facilities of the filler so that corrosion protection is absent to some extent in the corrosion-endangered edge region. Cans whose bases are connected to the jacket via a fold have a narrow, annular downward standing rim that can be easily damaged or oxidized. Corrosion and possibly other chemical and electrical effects can lead to undesired discolorations of the surface on which the can stands. [0010] Solutions are known from the publications EP 200 098 A2 and EP 208 564 in which elements of two-part and multiple part cans are joined with laser beams. Here the elements to be joined are arranged butted, overlapping and also running toward one another at right angles. The laser welding seam is formed for example on the end face, penetrating one layer or as a flat-lap weld. The solutions described are not aesthetically attractive and cannot prevent a possible corrosion of the base. [0011] From U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,850 a beverage can is known in which the central inwardly arched region of the base is coated with a dull color. In this manner, sunlight is prevented from being focused by the concave can base, which could cause a fire to be ignited by cans thrown away outdoors. The coating does not extend over the annular transition region so that the corrosion problem is not solved. [0012] Moreover, the paint is sprayed onto the flat sheet metal so that when stamping out the sheet metal disks and deep drawing the cans, care must be taken that the applied round paint spots are struck exactly centrally by the stamping tools, which is associated with an increased manufacturing expenditure. Even if the paint were to extend over the annular transition region, the paint layer would no longer be continuous after deep drawing the can and pressing the base. Also, rubbing the transition region on conveyors of filling assemblies would lead to damage of the paint layer. Without a continuous paint layer, the already mentioned danger of corrosion exists once again. [0013] A beverage can is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,892 in which information is printed on the central inwardly arched region of the base that is covered with a coating that can be rubbed off in the finished can. This solution makes possible an advertising game in which the buyer of a can can determine, after rubbing off the layer, whether he/she has won anything in accordance with the information lying under it. The annular transition region with the supporting ring thus remains without coating, hence the corrosion problem is not solved. Moreover, the rubbed off coating, or the coating that can be worn off, is not suited for continuously coating the support ring. The removability of the coating is crucial for the promotional game. [0014] U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,797 discloses a cover that is engageable in connection with the upper end face with the aperture to a beverage can. In order that the top remains locking on the can, an outwardly projecting annular region must be provided on the can end, via which a corresponding elastic annular region of the cover can be inverted until it locks. Such a top is very expensive to manufacture and install. Moreover it cannot be installed on the can base due to the lack of an outwardly projecting annular region. [0015] A further cover that is installed by screwing only at the opening of a beverage can is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,447. The screw lock of this cover requires outwardly projecting ribs on the beverage can that can interact with inward-standing elements on the cover. The features necessary on the can and on the cover for use of the cover are extremely expensive to manufacture It is also very expensive to screw the cover onto the can. Therefore, the possibility of arranging a promotional article in such a screw lock is associated with an excessive expenditure. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0016] An embodiment of the present invention is based upon the task of finding a simple solution for a can that can advantageously be aesthetically configured without being impaired by a bar code or advertising information. In particular, a possible corrosion on the base is to be prevented. [0017] In one embodiment, it was recognized in accomplishing the objective that corrosion problems and aesthetic problems can both be solved by applying an external covering in the form of a sheet material. The sheet material is fixed in position on an annular connection region of the can body. If the connection is formed along a closed circular line, the membrane-like base covering receives a high level of stability. [0018] The base covering is basically constructed flat in a main region that is surrounded by the annular connection region and preferably includes the printout of a bar code. If the bar code can be applied on a basically even base surface, then the impairment of the possibility of designing the can wall disappears. No printing rollers for the bar code are necessary for printing the decoration on the can wall. Large amounts of can bodies with an attractive standard decoration on the can wall can be manufactured. Possibly changing information, or information that is not identical for all countries, such as the bar code or even the filling date, and/or aesthetically disturbing information are printed on the base covering. These potentially different base coverings can be printed shortly before the filling time of individual product batches, and can be fixed into position on the standard of the can body. In this way, the same can can be used for all countries and filling batches. [0019] Because the base covering can be constructed flat in the region of the bar code, the bar code is more readable than a bar code that is applied to a curved can wall. If the coating of the exterior of the can wall extends up to the outer edging of the base covering in the form of at least a paint layer or a decorative foil, then a metallic edge becoming visible on the lower can edge can be prevented. The base covering may cover an annular downward-projecting stand region of the can body, thus preventing the occurrence of corrosion problems. [0020] The base covering is preferably constructed in the form of a sheet plastic material. It is obvious that sheet material having at least one metal layer, especially an aluminum or steel layer, or even with a cardboard layer, can also be used. Here the stability-imparting layer may also be coated with plastic. [0021] The sheet materials that are used should guarantee a robust base covering that will not be damaged on the conveyor apparatuses of filling assemblies and also will remain as constant as possible even when standing on wet supports. The aforementioned sheet materials can all be provided with a sealing coating and consequently can be sealed on the base. When metal foils are used, the heat required for the sealing process can also be introduced inductively. A latching connection or a welded connection can also be used instead of a seal connection for fixing the base covering into position, especially with at least three laser welding points. Continue reading... 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