EP0773891B1

EP0773891B1 - Prize-holding containers

Info

Publication number: EP0773891B1
Application number: EP95927824A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Richard Alfred Reichinger
Original assignee: Continental Can Co Ltd
Current assignee: Zweite Bridgepoint Beteiligungsgesellschaft Mbh; Ardagh Metal Packaging Germany GmbH
Priority date: 1994-08-04
Filing date: 1995-08-02
Publication date: 1999-12-15
Anticipated expiration: 2015-08-02
Also published as: EP0773891A1; AU3183095A; WO1996004181A1; DE69513983D1; DE69513983T2; GB9415782D0

Description

This invention relates to prize-holding cans. It is to be understood that where reference is made below to a prize, this includes not only articles which might be desired as such by the winner, for example a quantity of money, but also tokens or the like which a winner would be entitled to exchange for a desirable article or service.

According to the present invention there is provided a plurality of externally substantially identical cans the majority of which have a single internal space and a single lid and a minority of which each comprises:
a can body and a lid assembly seamed to the can body, the lid assembly comprising a genuine lid for the can body and a dummy lid which is openable and not reclosable, the dummy lid being such that in a closed condition it conceals the existence of the genuine lid, but, when opened, it reveals the existence of the genuine lid, the lids defining between them a region which holds a prize.

In a preferred embodiment, and at least the dummy lid is preferably provided with a ring-pull. In one form of the invention the genuine lid is openable, for example by being provided with a ring-pull, and the can body holds the same liquid or other substance which is normally held in cans which are of the same type as the prize-holding can but which lack the prize. In another form of the invention the genuine lid is not openable, and the can body may therefore contain something other than the liquid held in the normal cans, for example it may contain water. The ordinary cans lack the dummy lid, so that the can manufacturer only needs to provide dummy lids for that proportion of cans, which may be very small, which hold a prize.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view from above of a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the pair of lids used in the embodiment of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing a second embodiment; and

Figure 4 is another view similar to Figure 2, but showing a third embodiment.

The embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a genuine lid 1 which is of conventional type. This has a central, substantially planar portion 2 on which is formed a ring-pull 3 by means of which the lid 1 can be opened. Surrounding the portion 2 is a downwardly facing annular channel 4, and surrounding that is an annular curl portion 5 which, in the complete can, is seamed to the can body.

A dummy lid 10 covers the major portion of the genuine lid, and the major portion of the dummy lid has an external appearance which is substantially identical to that of the genuine lid. Thus, it comprises a substantially circular portion 12 provided with a ring-pull 13. At the perimeter, thereof, however, it lacks the channel 4 and curl 5, being provided instead with a short downwardly directed lip 14 which extends into a recess defined between the channel 4 and curl 5. The dummy lid 10 can be made from a genuine lid by severing the perimetral region therefrom and flattening the adjacent remaining portion. This can be done in a conventional single action blanking press.

The lids 1 and 10 define between them a compartment 15 in which is held a prize, for example one or more banknotes, a cheque, or a voucher exchangeable for money, goods or services.

The dummy lid is fixed to the genuine lid after the prize has been put in place, by suitable means, for example by means of an adhesive applied to the region where the dummy lid meets the upper portion of the channel 4 in the genuine lid. The adhesive may, for example, be a fast-acting glue such as a cyanoacrylate, a hot melt, moisture curable adhesive such as that available from National Starch Adhesives as PUR254, or a heat-curable adhesive. Alternatively, a double-sided adhesive tape may be used, for example that sold by 3M United Kingdom plc as type 4430 double-sided foam tape.

The adhesive will be chosen depending on the materials of which the lids are made and the contents of the can. The latter is of relevance, since if the can contains a product such as a food or drink, the adhesive must meet the requirements of the relevant legislation. The adhesive may be applied as a continuous circular band running round the lower surface of the dummy lid and the upper surface of the genuine lid, or the adhesive may be applied at a number of discrete points. The area of the adhesive bond between the two lids is chosen, having regard to the strength of the adhesive, to enable the can to be opened in the manner which is described below.

Instead of using an adhesive, some alternative means might be used to secure the dummy lid 10 in place. For example a waxy weld might be used. Another possibility is for the dummy lid to be fixed to the genuine lid by pressing and crimping.

In use of the invention, a manufacturer would produce mainly cans which lacked the dummy lid, and a small proportion of cans having the dummy lid would be introduced randomly into the ordinary cans. This could be effected either by adding a dummy lid to the required proportion of conventional cans as an additional stage at the end of the filling line in which the cans are filled, or the cans with the two lids could be produced and filled separately and subsequently mixed with the ordinary cans.

When purchased by consumers, the cans which have the dummy lids and the cans which lack them appear identical to the purchaser, and the purchaser will therefore not know whether the purchased can has a dummy lid, and hence contains a prize. If the purchaser has in fact acquired a can with a dummy lid, when he seeks to open the ring-pull 13 the effect is to detach the dummy lid 10 completely from the genuine lid 1, rather than opening the ring-pull in the normal way. This is assisted by virtue of the fact that the act of attempting to open the ring pull 13 causes the underside thereof to exert a force against the adjacent part of the ring-pull 3 of the genuine lid, and this force is sufficient to overcome the adhesive bond between the two lids. The purchaser can then take the prize revealed by the removal of the dummy lid and, thereafter, can open the ring-pull 3 to gain access to the contents of the can.

In the foregoing description, the lid 1 has been described as providing access in the normal way to the contents of the can. However, it is alternatively possible for the lid 1 to be non-openable, being merely a closure for the upper end of the can body. This is shown in the embodiment of Figure 4. Here, the genuine lid is denoted by reference 31 and lacks any ring-pull. In this case, the can might still have a liquid or other contents therein, in order to avoid a purchaser being able readily to detect which were the prize-holding cans, though in that case the contents need not be the same as in ordinary cans which lacked the dummy lid. For example, in the case of a drinks can, the prize-holding cans might be filled with water rather than with the drink which the can was normally intended to hold. Indeed, the same could be true even where the lid 1 was openable, but in that case the can would need to bear a message instructing the purchaser not to consume the contents.

Where the lid 1 is non-openable, and therefore does not have a ring-pull 3, it may be desirable, though not essential, that it should instead have an upwardly protruding central portion, for example in the form of a dome, to provide a surface against which the ring-pull 13 can exert a force when the user attempts to open the ring-pull 13, and thereby ensure that the dummy lid 10 is removed from the can. However, the dome may at least be omitted where the prize in compartment 15 is of sufficient thickness to provide something against which the ring-pull 13 can exert a force.

Figure 3 shows a further embodiment of the invention, in which the lid end of the can is formed of three components, rather than two as in Figure 2. These are a genuine lid 21, a dummy lid 22 and an annular support member 23. The genuine lid 21 is produced by taking a conventional can lid and reforming it so that it terminates in an outer annular flange 24 which extends upwards from the central planar portion 25 at an angle of 90°. The dummy lid is substantially identical to the dummy lid 10 used in the preceding embodiments. The annular support member 23 is formed from a conventional lid by blanking out the centre thereof and turning over the inner lip to avoid any possibility of the sharp edge formed by the blanking process coming into contact with the consumer. The turned over portion 26 acts as a support for the dummy lid 22, which is secured thereto by adhesive. The outer flange 27 of the support member rests against the flange 24 of the genuine lid 21 and is secured thereto by adhesive, the curl 28 thereof passing over the top of the flange 24. The action of securing the dummy lid to the genuine lid forces the flange outwards from its manufactured angle of 90° to something rather less (about 75° in the illustration).

If necessary, the upper end of the flange 26 may be recoated with lacquer after the genuine lid has been formed, in order to cover any aluminium that may be exposed either at the cut edge, or in the form of scratches that may be produced during the reforming of the end. This may be done either by a conventional spraying process or by electrocoating.

Claims

A plurality of externally substantially identical cans the majority of which have a single internal space and a single lid and a minority of which each comprises:
a can body and a lid assembly seamed to the can body, the lid assembly comprising a genuine lid (1) for the can body and a dummy lid (10) which is openable and not reclosable, the dummy lid being such that in a closed condition it conceals the existence of the genuine lid, but, when opened, it reveals the existence of the genuine lid, the lids defining between them a region which holds a prize.
A plurality of cans according to claim 1, each can body of said minority of cans being generally cylindrical with a closed first end, and the said lid assembly serving to close the opposite end thereof.
A plurality of cans according to claim 2, wherein each dummy lid (10) of said minority is provided with a ring-pull (13).
A plurality of cans according to any preceding claim, wherein each genuine lid (1) of said minority is openable.
A plurality of cans according to claim 4, as dependent on claim 2, wherein both lids (1,10) of said minority are provided with a ring-pull.
A plurality of cans according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein each genuine lid of said minority is non-openable.
A plurality of containers according to any preceding claim, wherein the two lids of said minority of the containers are visually identical.
A plurality of containers according to any preceding claim, wherein each dummy lid (10) of said minority is supported on the genuine lid by an annular support member.