Container

What is this patent about?

’904 is related to the field of containers, specifically addressing the design and construction of a container suitable for liquids or solids. The background acknowledges the existing use of metal containers with easy-open lids, but highlights the limitations of metal in achieving complex shapes and designs. Plastic containers offer greater design flexibility, but combining the benefits of both materials presents a manufacturing challenge.

The underlying idea behind ’904 is to create a container that leverages the advantages of both plastic and metal. The design uses a plastic body for shape and design flexibility, coupled with a metal lid incorporating a traditional pop-top opening mechanism . This allows for complex container shapes while retaining the familiar and cost-effective easy-open functionality of a metal lid.

The claims of ’904 focus on a container comprising a plastic container body and a metal lid. The container body features a side wall, a horizontally extending bottom with a depression, and a circular neck. The lid is connected to the container body and includes a weakened area and a pivotable arm for opening. The claims specify geometric relationships between the neck, side wall, and bottom, and further detail the lid's construction and opening mechanism.

In practice, the plastic container body can be manufactured using molding processes like blow molding, allowing for various shapes and designs. The metal lid, with its pre-scored area and pull-tab, is then attached to the plastic neck, creating a seal. The bottom of the container incorporates a depression, potentially for stability or stacking purposes. The combination provides a container that is lightweight, customizable in shape, and easy to open.

The differentiation from prior approaches lies in the specific combination of a plastic body with a metal pop-top lid, along with the defined geometric features of the container body. While containers with plastic bodies and metal lids existed, ’904 emphasizes a particular design where the plastic body has a specific shape, including a bottom depression and a defined neck region for secure lid attachment. This design aims to optimize the container's structural integrity, ease of use, and manufacturing efficiency.