Cover mountable to beverage container and mounting method and apparatus thereof

Abstract

Disclosed is a cover mountable to a beverage container and mounting method and apparatus thereof. The container cover detachably mountable to an upper surface of a beverage container comprises a body which is formed to have substantially a disc-shaped configuration. The body is partly cut away from an edge toward a center thereof thereby to define a beverage discharging opening which has a predetermined width and a predetermined contour, The beverage discharging opening is capable of being selectively communicated with a discharging hole of the beverage container as the body is rotated. An inner end of the beverage discharging opening is delimited by a rotation guiding part which has a predetermined curvature to guide rotation of the body. The body has a straw insertion hole which is defined therein at a predetermined location to have a predetermined diameter in a manner such that a straw can be inserted therethrough. The body further has an advertisement surface which has a predetermined area in a manner such that an advertising design, letters, and so forth can be printed or an attachment can be affixed thereon.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A container cover detachably mountable to an upper surface of a beverage container, the container cover comprising: 
 a body formed to have substantially a disc-shaped configuration, the body being partly cut away from an edge toward a center thereof thereby to define a beverage discharging opening which has a predetermined width and a predetermined contour, the beverage discharging opening capable of being selectively communicated with a discharging hole of the beverage container as the body is rotated, an inner end of the beverage discharging opening being delimited by a rotation guiding part which has a predetermined curvature to guide rotation of the body, the body having a straw insertion hole which is defined therein at a predetermined location to have a predetermined diameter in a manner such that a straw can be inserted therethrough, the body further having an advertisement surface which has a predetermined area in a manner such that an advertising design, letters, and so forth can be printed or an attachment can be affixed thereon.    
     
     
         2 . The container cover as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a film member is provided in the straw insertion hole in a manner such that it closes the straw insertion hole and is torn when the straw is inserted through the straw insertion hole.  
     
     
         3 . The container cover as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the beverage discharging opening is formed with a bulged part which has a preset curvature in a manner such that the beverage discharging opening has the same contour as the discharging hole of the beverage container thereby to enable an opening operation for the beverage container using a pull tab to be smoothly performed.  
     
     
         4 . The container cover as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the container cover is formed with at least one filtering hole which serves to filter solid matters existing in the beverage container.  
     
     
         5 . The container cover as claimed in any one of the  claims 1  to  4 , wherein a protective tape is removably attached to an upper surface of the container cover in a manner such that it serves to prevent foreign substances from directly adhering to the upper surface of the container cover.  
     
     
         6 . The container cover as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the protective tape is removably attached to an entire upper surface of the container cover, and dotted cut lines are selectively formed around the beverage discharging opening, the straw insertion hole and/or the filtering hole, thereby enabling a user to selectively and partially remove the protective tape as occasion demands and use the correspondingly exposed opening or hole; and wherein a removal tab portion is provided in each piece of the protective tape, which is independently removed from the entire protective tape.  
     
     
         7 . A container cover rotatably mountable to an upper surface of a container end of a beverage container, the container cover having a beverage discharging opening which is formed to have a predetermined contour and is selectively communicated with a discharging hole which is defined in the upper surface of the container end of the beverage container, the container cover comprising: 
 a straw supporting member including a supporting part and a straw insertion part, the supporting part having a rectangular configuration and being formed at one end thereof with a dotted cut line in a manner such that it can be folded along the dotted cut line from a plane of the container cover, and the straw insertion part integrally connected to the other end of the supporting part, the straw insertion part having substantially an annular ring-shaped configuration and being formed at a boundary portion between the supporting part and itself with a dotted cut line in a manner such that it can be folded along the dotted cut line from a plane of the supporting part, the straw insertion part having a straw insertion hole through which a straw can be inserted.    
     
     
         8 . The container cover as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein a semi-circular groove is defined in the container cover at a predetermined position in such a manner that it faces the other end of the straw insertion part, which is opposed to the other end of the supporting part, thereby facilitating a folding operation of the straw supporting member.  
     
     
         9 . A container cover detachably mountable to an upper end of a beverage container, the upper end of the beverage container being defined with a discharging hole and having a pull tab for opening the discharging hole, the container cover having a beverage discharging opening and a straw insertion hole, the container cover comprising: 
 a plurality of protuberances formed on the container cover at both sides of the beverage discharging opening for allowing a user to easily rotate the container cover;    a plurality of tab lifting projections formed on the container cover for lifting the pull tab as the container cover is rotated; and    a filtering part formed with at least one filtering hole, the filtering part projecting upward from a plane of the container cover and being delimited by a press line which is formed therearound in a manner such that the filtering part can be depressed into the discharging hole of the upper end of the beverage containing thereby to be flushed with a lower surface of the upper end of the beverage container.    
     
     
         10 . The container cover as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein each tab lifting projection has a pair of upward inclined portions which are formed at both sides thereof, respectively, and a tab supporting portion which is flatly formed between the pair of upward inclined portions.  
     
     
         11 . The container cover as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein each tab lifting projection has a pair of upward inclined portions which are formed at both sides thereof, respectively, and a tab supporting portion which is depressed downward between the pair of upward inclined portions.  
     
     
         12 . A method for mounting a container cover which is mountable to a beverage container, comprising the processes of: 
 forming a body of the beverage container, in which a beverage is to be accommodated;    forming a container end which is to be coupled to an upper end of the body of the beverage container and to which a pull tab for opening a discharging part and thereby defining a discharging hole is coupled, the discharging hole allowing the beverage to be discharged out of the beverage container therethrough;    coupling the container end to the upper end of the body of the beverage container in a state wherein the beverage is accommodated in the body of the beverage container;    forming a container cover which is composed of a body of substantially a disc-shaped configuration and is mounted to an upper surface of the container end, the body being formed at least with a beverage discharging opening and a straw insertion hole; and    rotatably coupling the container cover formed in the container cover forming process, between the upper surface of the container end and the pull tab, while the container end forming process is implemented.    
     
     
         13 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the container cover forming process is implemented through a press work using a press; and wherein the method further comprises the process of loading the container cover which is formed in such a manner, using a loading device, thereby enabling the container cover to be supplied onto the upper surface of the container end.  
     
     
         14 . The method as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising the process of: 
 forming an advertisement such as a design, letters, and so forth, on an upper surface of the container cover while the container cover forming process or the container cover loading process is implemented.    
     
     
         15 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the container cover forming process includes the sub-processes of forming a plurality of tab lifting projections, forming a straw supporting member, and providing a film member in the straw insertion hole.  
     
     
         16 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein, before the pull tab is loaded on and coupled to the upper surface of the container end, the container cover is independently loaded or the pull tab and the container cover are simultaneously loaded on the upper surface of the container end, whereby, as the pull tab is installed on the container end by a central pin, the container cover is supported along with the pull tab by the central pin.  
     
     
         17 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , further comprising the process of: 
 forming fluctuation preventing means selectively on the container end or the container cover in a manner such that the container cover is fixedly maintained in place without being fluctuated while the container cover is loaded on the upper surface of the container end and installed between the upper surface of the container end and the pull tab.    
     
     
         18 . Te method as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the fluctuation preventing means comprises a pair of engaging grooves which are formed in the container cover in a manner such that a pair of tab fixing projections which project out of the upper surface of the container end are engaged into the pair of engaging grooves, respectively.  
     
     
         19 . A method for mounting a container cover which is mountable to a beverage container, comprising the steps of: 
 loading a container end and moving the container end in a predetermined direction;    sensing and aligning in a predetermined orientation the container end which is moved by the container end loading step; and    inserting a container cover between an upper surface of the container end which is moved in an aligned state by the container end sensing and aligning step and a pull tab, the container cover comprising a body of substantially a disc-shaped configuration, the container cover having a beverage discharging opening, a plurality of filtering holes and a straw insertion hole which can be selectively formed in the body, the beverage discharging opening being formed in such a manner that it is communicated with a discharging hole which is formed by an opening action of the pull tab mounted to the container end which is coupled to an upper end of a body of the beverage container, thereby allowing a beverage accommodated in the body of the beverage container to be discharged out of the beverage container, the plurality of filtering holes being formed in a manner such that solid matters existing in the beverage container can be filtered, the straw insertion hole being perforated to have a predetermined diameter in a manner such that a straw can be inserted therethrough.    
     
     
         20 . The method as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the container cover inserting step comprises: 
 a first sub-step of fixedly maintaining the container end which is moved, thereby to prevent the container end from fluctuating;    a second sub-step of slantingly lifting the pull tab at a predetermined angle, which is coupled to the upper end of the container end which is fixedly maintained by the first sub-step; and    a third sub-step of inserting the container cover between the pull tab which is lifted by the second sub-step and the upper surface of the container end.    
     
     
         21 . The method as claimed in  claim 19 , further comprising the step of: 
 arranging and storing in a predetermined pattern container ends each of which has the container cover inserted thereinto by the container cover inserting step.    
     
     
         22  An apparatus for mounting a container cover which is mountable to a beverage container, comprising: 
 a container end loading device for loading a container end and moving the container end in a predetermined direction;  
 a container end sensing and aligning device for sensing and aligning in a predetermined orientation the container end which is moved by the container end loading device;  
 a container cover inserting device for inserting a container cover between an upper surface of the container end which is moved in an aligned state by the container end sensing and aligning device and a pull tab, the container cover comprising a body of substantially a disc-shaped configuration, the container cover having a beverage discharging opening, a plurality of filtering holes and a straw insertion hole which can be selectively formed in the body, the beverage discharging opening being formed in such a manner that it is communicated with a discharging hole which is formed by an opening action of the pull tab mounted to the container end which is coupled to an upper end of a body of the beverage container, thereby allowing a beverage accommodated in the body of the beverage container to be discharged out of the beverage container, the plurality of filtering holes being formed in a manner such that solid matters existing in the beverage container can be filtered, the straw insertion hole being perforated to have a predetermined diameter in a manner such that a straw can be inserted therethrough; and  
 a container end arranging and storing device for arranging and storing in a predetermined pattern container ends each of which has the container cover inserted thereinto by the container cover inserting device.  
 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the container end sensing and aligning device comprises: 
 a sensing section for sensing a configuration of the container end which is moved;    a memory section for storing configuration data signals which correspond to a plurality of container ends, respectively;    a control section for receiving a configuration signal of the container end, which is sensed by the sensing section, comparing the configuration signal with a configuration data signal of a corresponding container end, which is stored in the memory section, and creating a direction adjusting signal when the configuration signal sensed by the sensing section is different from the configuration data signal stored in the memory section, thereby to enable a configuration signal. which is the same as the configuration data signal to be sensed by the sensing section;    a direction adjustment driving section actuated by the direction adjusting signal which is transmitted from the control section; and    a direction adjusting jig section driven by the direction adjustment driving section for adjusting a direction of the container end.    
     
     
         24 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the container cover inserting device comprises: 
 a container end fixing section for fixedly maintaining the container end in a manner such that it does not fluctuate;    a tab lifting section inserted between the upper surface of the container end which is fixedly maintained by the container end fixing section and the pull tab for slantingly lifting the pull tab at a predetermined angle, the tab lifting section being returned to its original position after the container cover is inserted between the upper surface of the container end and the pull tab; and    a container cover inserting section for loading and inserting the container cover between the upper surface of the container end and the pull tab in a state wherein the pull tab is lifted.