Resealable beverage can

Abstract

A beverage can includes a can body and a lid joined to the can body. The can body includes an opening. The lid covers the opening. The lid includes a collar, a cap, and a band. The collar is separately formed from the can body and includes a neck. The neck includes a threaded portion. The cap is threadedly engaged with the threaded portion of the neck. The band is frangibly connected to the cap and encircles the neck. The band is integrally formed with the cap and separately formed from the collar. The cap, band, and neck are respectively configured to cause the band to break away from the cap when the cap is threadedly disengaged from the neck.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A beverage can comprising:
 a can body comprising an opening;   a lid joined to the can body and covering the opening, wherein the lid comprises:
 a collar, wherein the collar is separately formed from the can body and comprises a neck and the neck comprises a threaded portion; 
 a cap that is threadedly engaged with the threaded portion of the neck, and 
 a band that is frangibly connected to the cap and encircles the neck, the band being integrally formed with the cap and separately formed from the collar, wherein the cap, band, and neck are respectively configured to cause the band to break away from the cap when the cap is threadedly disengaged from the neck. 
   
     
     
         2 . The can of  claim 1 , wherein the neck comprises an outlet and a shoulder, part of the threaded portion is located between the shoulder and the outlet, the shoulder has an external diameter, the cap has an internal diameter, and the internal diameter is less than the external diameter. 
     
     
         3 . The can of  claim 1 , wherein the opening is defined at an upper end of the can body, and the neck extends below the upper end of the can body. 
     
     
         4 . The can of  claim 3 , wherein the band is positioned below the upper end of the can body in a circumferential recess defined between the neck and the can body. 
     
     
         5 . The can of  claim 3 , wherein the threaded portion of the neck extends below the upper end of the can body. 
     
     
         6 . The can of  claim 1 , wherein the cap has a diameter at least two thirds as great as a diameter of the can body. 
     
     
         7 . A beverage can comprising:
 a can body defining an interior;   a lid joined to the can body, wherein the lid comprises:
 a collar comprising a neck and an outlet, wherein the outlet is in fluid communication with the interior of can body, and the neck extends from the outlet into the can body and comprises a threaded portion, 
 a cap that is threadedly engaged with the threaded portion of the neck, and 
 a band that is frangibly connected to the cap and encircles the neck, the band being integrally formed with the cap, separately formed from the collar, and positioned within the can body, wherein the cap, band, and neck are respectively configured to cause the band to break away from the cap when the cap is threadedly disengaged from the neck. 
   
     
     
         8 . The can of  claim 7 , wherein the collar comprises a cuff surrounding a portion of the neck. 
     
     
         9 . The can of  claim 8 , wherein the can body comprises a rim and the collar comprises a trough, the neck is connected to the cuff at the trough, and the cuff extends upward from the trough to the rim. 
     
     
         10 . The can of  claim 9 , wherein the rim defines an upper end of the can body. 
     
     
         11 . The can of  claim 9 , wherein the cuff comprises a lip folded over the rim. 
     
     
         12 . The can of  claim 7 , wherein the neck comprises a shoulder, and a part of the band located on an opposite side of the shoulder from the outlet has an internal diameter that is less than an external diameter of the shoulder. 
     
     
         13 . A method of forming a beverage container, comprising:
 assembling a cap precursor together with a cylinder;   converting the cap precursor and cylinder to a lid, including:
 securing the cap precursor to the cylinder by forming a threaded portion and a band in the cap precursor, wherein the threaded portion and the band are integrally formed and the band is configured to separate from the threaded portion when the threaded portion is threadedly disengaged from the cylinder, and 
 folding part of the cylinder over the band to define a cuff surrounding the band; and 
 securing the lid to a body that defines an interior and an opening so that the lid covers the opening. 
   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , comprising forming a lip at an upper end of the cuff for joining the lid to the body. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , comprising folding the part of the cylinder beyond the band so that the cuff surrounds the part of the threaded portion. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein folding the part of the cylinder converts the cylinder to a collar comprising the cuff and a neck surrounded by the cuff, the cuff meets the neck at a trough, and securing the lid to the body comprises connecting an end of the cuff opposite from the trough to a rim surrounding the opening of the body. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the neck comprises an outlet at an end of the neck opposite from the trough. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein converting the cap precursor and cylinder into the lid comprises perforating the cap precursor to form a link that joins the threaded portion to the band, wherein the link has a lower effective tensile strength than the threaded portion and the band. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein forming the band comprises reducing a diameter of a portion of the cap precursor to have an internal diameter less than an external diameter of a shoulder of the cylinder. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , comprising forming the shoulder simultaneously with reducing the diameter of the portion of the cap precursor.