Can and facilities for its production, filling, and sealed closure

Abstract

A can formed from an unfolded foldable cylinder having at least two folding edges. The folding edges are formed and arranged such that the foldable cylinder can be flattened for transport prior to the insertion of a closure member. The foldable cylinder is preferably unfolded and tightly sealed with at least one closure member at a first cylinder end region immediately before filling. By connecting the closure member to the foldable cylinder, the cylinder is given a desired shape or cross-section, at least in the region of the closure member. After the cylinder is filled, a further closure member is sealed to a second cylinder end region to seal the can and to impart the desired shape to the cylinder in the second end region, too.

1 . A can comprising 
 a circumferentially continuous, unfolded foldable cylinder having a longitudinal axis, and    at least one closure member hermetically sealed to said foldable cylinder along an annular contact surface,    wherein said foldable cylinder has at least two longitudinally extending folding edges formed and circumferentially located such that said foldable cylinder can be flattened, then unfolded for hermetic sealing of said closure member to said foldable cylinder.    
     
     
         2 . The can of    claim 1   , wherein said at least one closure member comprises a bottom of said can and is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, cardboard, and metal.  
     
     
         3 . The can of    claim 1   , wherein said at least one closure member comprises a bottom of said can and said bottom is in the form resulting from having been attached to said cylinder by at least one of the methods in the group consisting of rolling, adhesive bonding, and heat-sealing.  
     
     
         4 . The can of    claim 1   , wherein said closure member comprises a dispensing membrane.  
     
     
         5 . The can of    claim 1   , wherein said can comprises a polygonal closure member at an upper end of said cylinder and a polygonal closure member at a lower end of cylinder and folding edges extend along said foldable cylinder from corners of the upper closure member to corners of the lower closure member.  
     
     
         6 . The can of    claim 1   , wherein said foldable cylinder comprises a single cardboard cylinder web, said cylinder web having opposite lateral edges which are overlapped and sealed to each other by one or more of the methods in the group consisting of adhesive bonding and heat-sealing.  
     
     
         7 . The can of    claim 1   , wherein said foldable cylinder comprises cardboard strips obliquely wound with respect to said longitudinal axis.  
     
     
         8 . The can of    claim 1   , wherein said foldable cylinder comprises at least one overlap-free region extending along the length of said cylinder and parallel to said longitudinal axis, said at least one overlap-free region comprising edges of one or more cylinder webs abutting each other in face-to-face relation along a connection line and sealed together along said connection line.  
     
     
         9 . The can of    claim 8   , wherein said connection line is disposed between two folding edges.  
     
     
         10 . The can of    claim 8   , wherein said edges are sealed together by means of one or more strip-form connecting elements which extend along the length of each said connection line and which overlap the abutting edges.  
     
     
         11 . The can of    claim 10   , wherein said strip-form connecting elements are disposed along at least one of the surfaces in the group consisting of inner-facing surfaces and outer-facing surfaces of said one or more cylinder webs.  
     
     
         12 . The can of    claim 1   , wherein said foldable cylinder comprises at least six folding edges.  
     
     
         13 . The can of    claim 1   , wherein said can comprises a closure member at an upper end of said cylinder and a closure member at a lower end of said cylinder, said upper and lower closure members being differently shaped whereby the cross-sectional profile of said can changes from the bottom end of said cylinder to the upper end of said cylinder.  
     
     
         14 . The can of    claim 1   , wherein said can has a single closure member at a lower end thereof and an opposite, upper end of said can is sealed by means of said foldable cylinder being flattened and sealed shut.  
     
     
         15 . The can of    claim 8   , wherein said cylinder webs are formed from cardboard; inner-facing surfaces of said cylinder webs are laminated with a thin layer of aluminum, plastic, or aluminum and plastic; said strip-form connecting elements are glued or heat-sealed to said cylinder webs on inner-facing surfaces thereof; and said strip-form connecting elements comprise aluminum, plastic, or aluminum and plastic; whereby said connection lines are hermetically sealed.  
     
     
         16 . The can of    claim 1   , further comprising a labeling strip encircling said foldable cylinder and fastened to the outer-facing surface of said cylinder.  
     
     
         17 . The can of    claim 16   , wherein said labeling strip comprises paper.  
     
     
         18 . The can of    claim 8   , further comprising a labeling strip encircling said foldable cylinder and fastened to one or more of said cylinder webs, said labeling strip having free regions which facilitate folding of said foldable cylinder.  
     
     
         19 . A production line for manufacturing foldable, cylindrical packaging elements, said production line comprising 
 means for providing a continuous supply of flat, sheet-form material from which said foldable, cylindrical packaging elements are constructed;    means for forming said flat, sheet-form material into an annularly connected, tubular cylinder, including means for connecting portions of said flat, sheet-form material to each other in sealed, abutting, or overlapping fashion; and    means for cutting said tubular cylinder transverse to a longitudinal axis thereof to provide individual foldable, cylindrical packaging elements.    
     
     
         20 . The production line of    claim 19   , wherein said means for connecting comprises a feed apparatus for providing one or more continuous, strip-form connecting members, means for applying said one or more strip-form connecting members to said portions of said flat, sheet-form material, and means for heat-sealing said one or more strip-form connecting members to said portions of said flat, sheet-form material.  
     
     
         21 . The production line of    claim 19   , wherein said means for providing comprises a cutting apparatus configured to cut a first, longitudinally continuous sheet of said sheet-form material into a plurality of narrower, longitudinally continuous cylinder webs.  
     
     
         22 . The production line of    claim 19   , wherein said means for providing is configured to provide said supply of flat, sheet-form material in the form of a plurality of longitudinally continuous cylinder webs.  
     
     
         23 . The production line of    claim 19   , further comprising means for applying one or more labeling strips in annular fashion to outer surfaces of said foldable, cylindrical packaging elements.  
     
     
         24 . A packaging apparatus for closing a can as set forth in    claim 1    with a membrane by means of heat-sealing, said packaging apparatus comprising 
 an inner, heat-sealing die and an outer, sealing ring,  
 wherein an outer surface of the heat-sealing die and an inner surface of the sealing ring are beveled slightly in mating fashion.  
 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of    claim 24   , wherein said outer and inner surfaces are each beveled by approximately two degrees.