Container

Abstract

A container ( 1 ) particularly for food products comprising a metal can body ( 2 ) and a combination of a ring ( 12 ) and a foil membrane ( 14 ), the combination being attached to the can body, in which the ring is made of a plastics material, wherein the inside diameter of the plastic ring is no less than the inside diameter of the can body away from the attachment location of the ring on the can body.

1 . A container comprising:
 a metal can body, and   a combination of a ring and a foil membrane, the combination being attached to the can body, the ring is formed of a material comprising a plastic the inside diameter of the plastic ring is no less than the inside diameter of the can body away from the attachment location of the ring on the can body.   
   
   
       2 . A container as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the edge of the can body to which the ring/foil membrane combination is attached comprises an expanded portion, all or part of the ring locating within the expanded portion, the inside diameter of the ring being no less than the inside diameter of the unexpanded portion of the can body. 
   
   
       3 . A container according to  claim 2 , wherein the height of the ring corresponds to the axial length of the expanded part of the can body. 
   
   
       4 . A container according to  claim 1 , wherein the ring is directly bonded to the sidewall of the can body. 
   
   
       5 . A container according to  claim 1 , wherein the ring comprises at least one of polypropylene or modified polypropylene. 
   
   
       6 . A container according to  claim 5 , wherein the modified polypropylene comprises polypropylene grafted with maleic anhydride. 
   
   
       7 . A container according to  claim 1 , in which the plastic ring is bonded permanently to the can body and the foil membrane is bonded peelably to the ring. 
   
   
       8 . A container according to  claim 1  wherein the can body comprises a curl or flange and the ring comprises a shoulder, the shoulder extending into an outer peripheral wall which depends from the shoulder over the outside of the can body curl or flange. 
   
   
       9 . A container according to  claim 8 , in which the outer peripheral wall comprises a hook portion which clips over the can body curl or flange to retain the ring on the can body. 
   
   
       10 . A container according to  claim 1  wherein the ring comprises a portion which projects upwardly to provide a rim, the base of the container and the rim each being formed such that the base of a first container may be located within the rim of a second container. 
   
   
       11 . A container according to  claim 1 , wherein the ring is provided with a substantially flat bonding surface, and the foil membrane is bonded to this flat surface. 
   
   
       12 . A container according to  claim 1 , wherein the ring is provided with a bonding surface inclined downwardly at an angle of up to 60°, and the foil membrane is bonded to this inclined surface. 
   
   
       13 . A container according to  claim 1 , wherein the ring is provided with a bonding surface inclined downwardly at an angle of up to 45°, and the foil membrane is bonded to this inclined surface. 
   
   
       14 . A container according to  claim 1 , wherein the foil membrane is cup shaped and the sidewall of the foil cup is bonded to the inner sidewall of the ring. 
   
   
       15 . A method of forming a container, the method comprising:
 forming a metal can body;   fixing a ring formed of a material comprising a plastic permanently to the can body, the inside diameter of the plastic ring being no less than the inside diameter of the can body away from the attachment location of the ring on the can body; and   bonding a foil to the ring such that, in use, the foil may be peeled from the ring for dispensing a product from the container.   
   
   
       16 . A method according to  claim 15 , wherein the can body is formed with a radially expanded portion at one end of the can body, and the plastic ring is fixed permanently to the can body such that all or part of the ring is located within the expanded portion. 
   
   
       17 . A method according to  claim 15 , in which the step bonding the foil occurs before the step of fixing the ring such that the foil is first bonded to the ring and the combined ring and foil is subsequently fixed to the can body. 
   
   
       18 . A container comprising:
 a metal can body, and   a combination of a ring and a foil membrane, the combination being attached to the can body,   the ring is formed of a material comprising a plastic,   the ring/foil membrane combination comprises a permanent bond between the membrane foil and the ring and the foil is peelably bonded to the inside of the can body sidewall.