阅读说明：本技术 一种罐及其推动构件 (Tank and pushing component thereof ) 是由 塔尔·勒泽 阿里·加贝 莱尔·叶米尼 奥弗·阿布拉莫维奇 梅纳罕·萨兰 帕维尔·戈罗尼茨基 于 2019-12-30 设计创作，主要内容包括：提供一种推动构件和一种罐,所述罐使用此推动构件作为所述罐的一底部,用于容纳一制品于所述罐中,所述制品包含至少一固体成分和至少一液体成分。带有所述制品的所述罐,至少处于一准备贩售状态中,包含一盖体和一侧壁,所述盖体气密地封闭所述罐且至少部分是可开启的,以允许从所述罐至少部分移除所述制品,所述底部相对于所述盖体,由所述推动构件构成,所述侧壁在所述盖体与所述推动构件之间延伸。所述推动构件配置为至少在使用所述罐时当所述盖体至少被部份打开时通过一使用者向其施加一推力而被向内推动,从而允许通过所述使用者在一第一状态与一第二变形状态之间改变所述推动构件的状态,其中所述第一状态中所述罐具有一第一容纳体积,以及所述第二变形状态中所述罐具有一第二容纳体积,所述第二容纳体积小于所述第一容纳体积。(A pushing member and a tank are provided, the tank using this pushing member as a bottom of the tank for containing an article in the tank, the article comprising at least one solid component and at least one liquid component. The tank with the product, at least in a ready-to-sell state, comprises a lid that hermetically closes the tank and is at least partially openable to allow at least partial removal of the product from the tank, and a side wall that extends between the lid and the pushing member, the bottom being constituted by the pushing member with respect to the lid. The push member is configured to be pushed inwardly by a user applying a pushing force thereto at least when the lid is at least partially opened when the canister is in use, thereby allowing the state of the push member to be changed by the user between a first state in which the canister has a first receiving volume and a second deformed state in which the canister has a second receiving volume, the second receiving volume being smaller than the first receiving volume.)

1. A pushing member for use as a base for a can, comprising: the tank containing an article comprising at least one solid component and at least one liquid component, the tank with the article being in a ready-for-sale state, in addition to the bottom, having a side wall and a cover hermetically closing the tank and being at least partially openable to allow at least partial removal of the article from the tank, the pushing member having a body comprising a metallic material and having a peripheral edge lying in a reference plane, the body being configured to be pushed in a predetermined direction by a user applying a pushing force to the body at a point remote from the peripheral edge to change the state of the pushing member from a first state to a second deformed state, wherein both states are characterized by (a), (b) And (c) the volume held therebetween: (a) the body; (b) a first imaginary plane parallel to the reference plane and spaced from the reference plane in the direction by a distance greater than the distance between the reference plane and any point of the body in the deformed state; and (c) a second imaginary plane perpendicular to the first imaginary plane and extending between the first imaginary plane and the peripheral edge; the volume is a first volume in the first state of the body, and a second reduced volume that is less than the first volume in the second deformed state of the body; the pushing member is configured to fixedly connect its peripheral edge to the end of the side wall of the tank where it is to be connected with respect to the cover in the predetermined pushing direction directed towards the interior of the tank, so as to constitute a bottom in the tank with the product in the ready-to-sell state, the bottom being configured to be pushed inwards by a user applying the pushing force to the bottom at least when the cover is at least partially opened when the tank is in use, thereby changing the volume of the tank between a first volume of the tank in the first state of the pushing member and a second reduced volume of the tank, the second reduced volume being smaller than the first volume in the second deformed state of the pushing member.

2. The pusher member of claim 1, wherein: when the product is in the ready-to-sell state with the can in it, the pushing member is configured to be brought into a maximum deformed state in which the can has a minimum accommodation volume only after the lid has been at least partially opened.

3. The urging member according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: the body is separately manufactured and configured to be integrally mounted to the peripheral edge of the sidewall.

4. The pusher member of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein: the pushing member is configured to repeatedly elastically deform between the first state and the second state upon a corresponding application and release of the pushing force by a user.

5. The pusher member of claim 4, wherein: the urging member is configured to elastically deform between the first state and the second state by a plurality of respective applications and relaxations of the urging force, the plurality of times being at least greater than 20.

6. The urging member according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: the pushing member has a configuration which allows pushing of the pushing member by a user from the first state to the second state, and if this member of the same thickness does not have the configuration, the metal from which the body is made is sufficiently rigid to prevent pushing of the pushing member.

7. The push member of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein:

the body further comprises a central region and an intermediate region extending between the central region and the peripheral edge;

the orientation of the intermediate zone is different in the first state and the second state of the urging member with respect to the central zone and the peripheral edge, and

optionally said intermediate region extends from said peripheral edge to an exterior of said canister in said first state and extends to an interior of said canister in said second deformed state of said urging member.

8. The pusher member of claim 7, wherein: in an initial state of the pushing member, the body of the pushing member is generally convex in shape, and in the deformed state of the pushing member, the body of the pushing member is generally concave in shape.

9. The urging member according to claim 7 or 8, wherein: the shape of the central region is configured to remain unchanged between the first state and the second state of the urging member.

10. The urging member according to claim 7 or 8, wherein: the body is configured such that the intermediate zone deforms preferentially over the central zone upon application of the pushing force by the user to the pushing member.

11. The pusher member of any of claims 1-10, wherein: the ready-to-sell state of the tank is the state the tank has with the product after having undergone the entire manufacturing process.

12. The pusher member of claim 11, wherein: during the process, the tank with the article is configured to withstand a pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the tank of 150 kilopascals without buckling.

13. The pusher member of any of claims 1-12, wherein: the ratio between the reduced volume and the initial volume of the tank is at least between 0.5 and 0.95.

14. The pusher member of any of claims 1-13, wherein: the can has an exterior surface printed with instructions to a user when in its ready-to-sell state to (a) open a portion of the lid to an extent sufficient to allow the liquid component to be pushed through while preventing the solid component from exiting the can, (b) orient the can so that the open portion of the lid faces at least partially downward, and (c) repeatedly apply and release a pushing force on the bottom of the can.

15. A pushing member for use as a base for a can, comprising: when the can with the product is in a ready-for-sale state, having, in addition to the base, a side wall and a cover, the pushing member comprises a body comprising a metal and having a peripheral edge lying in a reference plane, the body being configured to be repeatedly elastically deformed by a user repeatedly applying and releasing a pushing force to the body when the peripheral edge is fixedly held in place, thereby repeatedly changing the state of the pushing member between a first state and a second deformed state, wherein both states are characterized by a volume contained between (a), (b) and (c): (a) the body; (b) a first imaginary plane parallel to the reference plane and spaced from the reference plane in the direction by a distance greater than the distance between the reference plane and any point of the body in the deformed state; (c) a second imaginary plane perpendicular to the first imaginary plane and extending between the first imaginary plane and the peripheral edge; the volumes are a first volume in the first state of the body and a reduced volume that is less than the first volume in the second deformed state of the body; said push member being configured to be fixedly mounted to said side wall of said can in said predetermined push direction directed towards the interior of said can, allowing said cover to deform inwardly and elastically return, at least when said can is in use, when said cover is at least partially opened, in a repetitive manner, between said first state and said second state, respectively, by corresponding repeated application and release of said push force, resulting in a corresponding change in said containment volume of said can.

16. A tank, characterized by: the canister comprises a base in the form of a push member according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

17.A can for containing an article, comprising: said product comprising at least one solid component and at least one liquid component, said tank with said product being at least in a ready-for-sale state, said tank comprising: a lid hermetically closing the can and being at least partially openable to allow at least partial removal of the article from the can; a bottom opposite to the cover; and a sidewall extending between the cover and the base;

the base is in the form of a body comprising a metallic material and constituting a pushing member configured to be pushed inwardly by a user applying a pushing force thereto at least when the lid is at least partially opened in use of the can, thereby allowing the state of the pushing member to be changed by the user between a first state in which the can has a first receiving volume and a second deformed state in which the can has a second receiving volume, the second receiving volume being smaller than the first receiving volume.

18. The canister of claim 17, wherein: the bottom portion has a peripheral edge along which the body is fixedly attached to the sidewall.

19. A canister as claimed in claim 17 or 18, characterized in that: the urging member is configured to repeatedly elastically deform between the first state and the second state upon a corresponding application and release of the urging force by a user to cause a corresponding repeated change in the containment volume of the canister.

20. The canister of claim 19, wherein: the urging member is configured to elastically deform between the first state and the second state by a plurality of respective applications and relaxations of the urging force, the plurality of times being greater than 20.

21. A tank as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 20, wherein: the pushing member has a configuration which allows pushing of the pushing member by a user from the first state to the second state, and if this member of the same thickness does not have the configuration, the metal from which the body is made is sufficiently rigid to prevent pushing of the pushing member.

22. A canister as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 21, or a push member as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein: the article is a food article.

23. A canister as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 22, or a push member as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein: the product is tuna.

24. A canister or push member as claimed in claim 22 or 23, wherein: the canister and the push member have a circular shape.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a canister for containing an article comprising at least one solid component and at least one liquid component, the canister having a push member and/or a lid configured to facilitate removal of at least some of the liquid component in preference to removal of the solid component.

Background

For a long time, two-phase component cans have been used in the food industry and other industries. When these phases are solid and liquid, such as meat, fish, vegetables, fruits or other solids, it is often desirable to drain the preservation solution prior to use of the edible solid ingredients. The preservation fluid may be oil, water, saline, sugar water or other substances.

The opening of such cans is usually and conventionally performed by using external tools, such as a can opening device for cutting through a lid or a side wall of the can, or by using arrangements provided on the lid itself, such as a tab, for tearing the lid of the can along a pre-formed score line, or a peel-off foil cover. In any of these cases, to empty the can, the lid is used as a filtering means to prevent the solid from flowing out when the liquid is being emptied. However, this is a messy process and often results in the oil, brine or the like being able to mess the fingers of the person squeezing the can or splash in multiple directions.

Various devices have been proposed for use on the exterior of cans to reduce splashing to a user. US2003/0230202a1 teaches a flexible lid which can be fitted over an open can end after the lid has been separated from the side wall of the can but not removed. The flexible lid has an aperture therein such that squeezing of the flexible lid in a direction to push the detached metal lid toward the bottom of the can results in the discharged liquids being specifically directed through the aperture and not onto a user's fingers if they are placed away from the aperture. A similar type of flexible lid is disclosed in JP3169582, having a spout for directing the flow of liquid which is expelled from an open can when the lid is removed. US3,995,544 discloses a drainage appliance which can be used to express liquid from an opened can with the lid removed.

US 5,706,721 discloses a filter which can be placed in the can after opening or before initial sealing. The filter has centrally located holes through which the liquid flows when the filter is squeezed by the contents of the can.

WO 2015/171876 discloses a plastic container comprising a side wall and a flexible portion of a bottom. The flexible portion of the base deflects when the sealed plastic container is subjected to a pressure differential. Deflection of the flexible portion of the base acts to change the internal volume of the container, thereby reducing the pressure differential. The container is a retortable container and may be injection molded to have inner and outer plastic layers and a core layer between the inner and outer plastic layers.

US 6,333,060 discloses a container for packaging solid food products stored in a liquid environment. One end of the container has a porous drain cover for draining liquid from the container. The drain cover may have an edge to prevent a user from being splashed when the contents of the container are drained. The container is sealed to prevent contamination of the contents of the container. The container may be made of a flexible material such that the user may squeeze the container to facilitate the discharge of liquid from the container. Once the liquid has drained from the container, the drain cover is removed to allow extraction of the solid food product from the container.

US 2006/0006133 discloses a plastic container having a bottom portion adapted for vacuum pressure absorption. The bottom portion includes a central portion defined at least in part by a push-up portion and a reverse loop generally surrounding the push-up portion. The push-up portion and the inversion ring are movable to accommodate vacuum related forces generated within the container.

Disclosure of Invention

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a tank for containing an article of manufacture comprising at least a solid component and at least a liquid component, said tank comprising the following features in at least a ready-to-sell state of said tank with said article of manufacture: a lid hermetically closing the can and being at least partially openable to allow at least partial removal of the article from the can; a base opposite the cover; and a sidewall extending between the cover and the base; the base constitutes a pushing member configured to be pushed inwardly by a user applying a pushing force to the base at least when the lid is partially opened, the pushing force exceeding a predetermined threshold, thereby changing the state of the base between a first state in which the canister has a first containment volume and a second deformed state in which the canister has a reduced containment volume, the reduced containment volume being smaller than the first containment volume.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a pushing member for use as a bottom of a can, in a ready-for-sale state, comprising the base fixedly connected to an end of a side wall, and a cover hermetically closing the tank at the other end of the side wall, the pushing member comprising a continuous solid body having a peripheral edge lying in a reference plane, when the peripheral edge is fixedly held in place, the body is configured to be pushed in a predetermined direction by a user applying a pushing force to the body at a point away from the peripheral edge, said thrust force exceeding a predetermined threshold, thereby changing the state of said pushing member from a first state to a second deformed state, wherein the two states are characterized by a volume contained between: (a) the body; (b) a first imaginary plane parallel to the reference plane and spaced from the reference plane in the direction by a distance greater than the distance between the reference plane and any point of the body in the deformed state; and (c) a second imaginary plane perpendicular to the first imaginary plane and extending between the first imaginary plane and the peripheral edge; the volume is a first volume in the first state of the body, and a second reduced volume that is less than the first volume in the second deformed state of the body; the push member is configured to be fixedly connected to the side wall of the can in the predetermined pushing direction directed towards the interior of the can, so that the push member is inwardly pushable within the can by a user applying the pushing force to the bottom at least when the lid is partially opened.

The urging member may be configured in both of the above respects such that the deformation from its initial state into its deformed state on a single application of the urging force is a plastic deformation.

Alternatively, the pushing member may be configured in both of the above aspects to exert the pushing force less than a predetermined threshold force F_plasticIs elastically deformed, at which time the pushing member is plastically deformed and returns to an initial, undeformed or less deformed state by relaxing the pushing force. In this case, the pushing member should be made of a material that allows it to have elastic properties suitable for the pushing member to be elastically deformed in a repeated manner and configured to return from the deformed state to a state that is the same as or close to its initial state at a time.

Thus, according to a further aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a tank for containing an article comprising at least one solid component and at least one liquid component, said tank comprising the following features in at least the ready-to-sell state of the tank with the article: a lid hermetically closing the can and being at least partially openable to allow at least partial removal of the article from the can; a bottom opposite to the cover; and a sidewall extending between the cover and the base; and said base constitutes a pushing member configured to be pushed inwardly by a user applying a pushing force to said base when said lid is at least partially opened, said pushing force exceeding a predetermined threshold, thereby changing the state of said base from a first state in which said can has a first receiving volume to a second deformed state in which said can has a reduced receiving volume, said reduced receiving volume being smaller than said first receiving volume, wherein said base is configured to be elastically deformed in a repeated manner by the application of said pushing force from said first state to said second deformed state at least when said lid is partially opened and to return to said first state from said second state each time when said pushing force is released, and wherein such repeated changes in the state of the bottom between the first state and the second state result in corresponding repeated changes in the containment volume of the canister.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a pushing member for use as a base for a can having a side wall and a lid to hermetically close the can, the pushing member comprising a continuous solid body having a peripheral edge lying in a reference plane, the body being arranged to be pushed in a predetermined direction, the pushing member being adapted to change the state of the pushing member from a first state to a second deformed state by a user applying a pushing force to the body at a point remote from the peripheral edge when the peripheral edge is held securely in place, the pushing force exceeding a predetermined threshold, wherein both states are characterized by a volume contained between: (a) the body; (b) a first imaginary plane parallel to the reference plane and spaced from the reference plane in the direction by a distance greater than the distance between the reference plane and any point of the body in the deformed state; (c) a second imaginary plane perpendicular to the first imaginary plane and extending between the first imaginary plane and the peripheral edge; the volume is a first volume in the first state of the body, and a second reduced volume that is less than the first volume in the deformed state of the body; said urging member being configured to be fixedly connected to said side wall of said can in said predetermined urging direction directed towards the interior of said can, to be repeatedly elastically deformed from said first state to said second deformed state by applying said urging force at least when said cover is partially opened, and to return from said second state to said first state when said urging force is relaxed, and wherein such repetition of changing the state of said bottom between the two states results in a corresponding change in said containment volume of said can.

According to any of the above aspects of the present disclosure, the canister, or when the urging member constitutes a base of a canister having a lid, is configured to contain an article comprising at least one solid component and at least one liquid component, the canister having an external surface which may be printed with instructions to a user at least prior to its use to apply the urging force to the base, once or repeatedly, after the lid has been opened to an extent sufficient to allow the liquid component to pass through the opened area of the lid, while preventing the solid component from leaving the canister.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a tank is provided for containing an article comprising at least one solid component and at least one liquid component, the tank comprising the following features in at least the ready-to-sell state of the tank with the article: a lid at least partially openable to allow at least partial removal of the article from the can; a bottom opposite to the cover; and a sidewall extending between the cover and the base; and said base constitutes a pushing member configured to be pushed inwardly by a user applying a pushing force thereto so as to change the state of said pushing member from an initial state to a deformed state, wherein in said first state said canister has an initial contained volume and in said second state said canister has a reduced contained volume, said reduced contained volume being less than said initial contained volume, wherein optionally said pushing member is configured to be elastically deformed in a repeated manner by applying and relaxing said pushing force in response to repeated changes in said contained volume of said canister, wherein said canister further comprises an outer surface printed with an indication to a user at least before said cover is opened for optionally repeated application of said pushing force to said base after said cover has been opened to an extent sufficient to pass said liquid component through said cover, while preventing the solid components from passing through.

The indication may further comprise an indication to orient the can such that the opening of the lid faces at least partially downward.

In the present description and embodiments, the term "first state" may mean the initial state or a state close to the initial state, i.e. closer to the initial state than to the deformed state.

The urging member may be made of a metal and may be configured to change its orientation between non-deformed and deformed states when designed to be elastically deformable by a user applying and releasing the urging force a corresponding number of times. This number may be greater than 10, more particularly greater than 20, still more particularly greater than 30, and still more particularly at least 50.

The above-described ability of the push member to resiliently change its state allows it to act as a membrane within a pump, such as an earthmoving pump, to gradually and controllably pump the liquid component from the tank when the lid is opened to an extent sufficient to allow the liquid product component to be pushed out of the tank while preventing the solid component from leaving the tank when the pushing force is applied to the bottom, and not to an extent necessary to release the pushing force and the subsequent air drawn into the tank from outside the tank when the pushing force is released. In this case, the desired degree of opening can be achieved by a user first opening the lid to a minimum and attempting to manipulate the base as a film and then enlarging the degree as necessary until the desired film-like function of the base is achieved. Alternatively, the lid may be formed with a pre-formed initial access area having a pre-defined configuration when the lid is opened to expose this area and provide an initial access from this area to the interior of the can, for example, to allow the liquid component to be pushed out of the can after or simultaneously with the air being drawn into the can, thereby applying a pushing force to the base by a user in place of the liquid component in the can, and to prevent the access from being blocked by the solid product component. An example of such a shape of the initial access area is a non-axisymmetric, e.g. a non-circular shape. The dimensions of the initial access zone can be determined by trial and error experiments on a given material with suitable mechanical properties, depending on the containment volume of the tank and the characteristics of the liquid and solid components of the product.

According to a further aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a can comprising a base in the form of any of the above-described urging members.

The base may be configured to be operated to exert its ability to function as a pushing member only when the cover is at least partially opened. Alternatively, the base may be configured to be brought into a maximum deformed state, in which the can has a minimum containment volume, only when the lid is open.

The reduced containment volume of the tank may be substantially less than the initial volume and its minimum value is equal to the initial volume of the solid component of the article. For example, it may be at least 10% less than an initial containment volume, specifically at least 15% less than the initial volume, and even more specifically at least 20% less than the initial volume. The maximum reduced volume of the canister may be at least 25% less than the initial volume, and more particularly, about 30% less than the initial volume of the canister.

Application of the pushing force by a user normally refers to the manual application of such force, although simple mechanical means for repeatedly applying the pushing force to the pushing member are generally conceivable.

The ready-to-sell state of the can with the product is a completely hermetically closed can containing the product, which is stored for any length of time in ambient or other storage conditions during its shelf life, i.e. only before the can is opened for use of the product. The phrase "finished can contains product" means that the can with the product has undergone all of the manufacturing stages required to bring the can with the product into a state of sale, including any post-sealing treatments such as pasteurization, retort, sterilization, etc., if desired.

The bottom has no ability to be opened or removed from the can under normal use conditions. Rather, the can is configured to be opened only by opening the lid, such as by separating at least a portion of the lid from the sidewall, or by separating a portion of the lid from another portion of the lid, to provide a desired access to the interior of the can.

Since the lid is openable and the base constitutes a pushing member, a user can push on the base to reduce the contained volume within the can, resulting in at least some of the product in the can, normally at least a portion of the liquid component, being forced out of the opened lid by the reduction of the contained volume within the can, without soiling or dirtying the fingers without soiling or making his/her fingers messy when pushing or squeezing the pushing member towards the interior of the can. The liquid composition can thus exit the canister at a different location of the canister than where the pushing force is applied by a user's finger, resulting in a cleaner and less messy operation. Furthermore, using the bottom as the pushing member operable as described above in a tank containing liquid and solid product components allows to eliminate or at least essentially reduce the impact on the solid component, most of which may thus substantially maintain its initial state while the liquid component is pushed out of the tank. This is in contrast to the situation where liquid is squeezed from a can by pressing inwardly on an at least partially separate lid, as is often the case with users who use conventional canned liquid and solid product components, or the side wall of a can is pressed as suggested by US 6,333.

The bottom, the lid and the side wall of the can are parts thereof, all of which can be manufactured separately and subsequently sealingly secured to each other. In this case, the bottom may be separately manufactured as a body having a peripheral edge along which the body is configured to be integrally mounted to the sidewall. Alternatively, the bottom and the side walls may be formed as a unitary body, for example in a stamping operation.

A canister or a pushing member having the pushing member according to any of the above aspects may also have the features of any one or more of the aspects and embodiments presented below.

The ability of the pushing member to be pushed between the two states may be due to the mechanical properties of the material from which the pushing member is made, and/or due to the configuration of its body. In the latter case, the pushing member having the configuration may be made of a material hard enough to prevent pushing of the pushing member, provided that this member has the same thickness but does not have the configuration.

Such a stiff material may be of sufficient structural rigidity and robustness to allow said bottom made thereof to withstand the conditions to which the cans are often subjected in their hermetically sealed condition, without altering the above-mentioned pushing capabilities thereof, including elevated or reduced temperatures, impacts from accidental drops, long-term stresses, such as where heavy cans or crates are stacked on top of the cans and higher or lower pressures.

The material may comprise, or may be, a metal, optionally tin. The metal, optionally tin, is used, i.e. to form the can or parts thereof on a regular basis. Metals, particularly in sheet form, have a high strength to weight ratio and can be easily formed and joined to create a hermetically sealable container. The metal is also structurally rigid to resist deformation and ductile enough to sustain some deformation without breaking the hermetic seal of the can. Furthermore, metal cans are the preferred choice for canned foods because of their inherent ability to withstand post-sealing processing without having to change their original configuration/orientation.

The body of the urging member may include a central region and an intermediate region extending between the central region and the peripheral edge. The orientation of the intermediate zone relative to the central zone and the peripheral edge may be different in the initial state and the deformed state of the urging member. The intermediate section may extend from the peripheral edge toward an exterior of the canister in the initial state, and the intermediate section may extend toward an interior of the canister in the deformed state of the urging member.

With this arrangement, the intermediate region can change its extending direction to reduce the accommodation volume. This constitutes an effective at least partial eversion of the body at the bottom.

In the initial state of the pushing configuration, the body of the pushing member may be generally convex in shape, and in the deformed state of the pushing member, the body of the pushing member may be generally planar or concave in shape.

In the initial state of the pushing member, it may be substantially dome-shaped. The dome-shaped body is generally effective to withstand the pressures, such as hydrostatic pressure, that may be applied to the tank during its manufacture, filling, airtight closure or subsequent processing.

The shape of the central region may be configured to remain constant between the initial and deformed states of the urging member.

The central region of the body may be stiffer than the intermediate region, such that the intermediate region deforms preferentially over the central region upon application of the pushing force to the pushing member.

In this way, the stability and shape maintenance of the tank can be promoted despite the deformation of the intermediate zone around the central zone.

The difference in rigidity between the central and intermediate zones of the body can be obtained by virtue of their respective configurations. In particular, the intermediate zone may be formed with a shape/geometry that promotes the desired deformation thereof. For example, the intermediate region of the body may be formed with a plurality of grooves extending from the central region towards the peripheral edge and spaced from one another so as to divide the intermediate region into a corresponding number of sectors, which may be in the form of annular sectors, which change their mutual orientation when the thrust is applied to the intermediate region.

In this arrangement, the grooves may be configured to allow the blocks to be disposed on each side of each groove to change their mutual orientation by applying the pushing force, thereby causing eversion and/or change in shape of the body when brought from the initial state into its deformed state.

The central region of the body may be recessed relative to at least an adjacent portion of the intermediate region. This stepped configuration may also allow the pushing member to more easily change from the initial state to the deformed state.

The canister may be configured to experience conditions of temperature and pressure differentials after the sealing process, such as any of pasteurization, retort, sterilization, and the like.

More particularly, the canister may be configured to withstand a pressure differential of 150 kilopascals (KPa) between the inside and outside of the canister without buckling.

The can may be configured to withstand elevated temperatures up to 145 ℃, and acceptable environmental and refrigeration conditions for canned foods.

Various aspects and features of a pushing member and a canister according to the present disclosure are also embodied in the following embodiments:

1. a tank for containing an article comprising at least one solid component and at least one liquid component, said tank with said article being at least in a ready-for-sale state, said tank comprising: a lid hermetically closing the can and being at least partially openable to allow at least partial removal of the article from the can; a bottom opposite to the cover; and a sidewall extending between the cover and the base;

the base is in the form of a body comprising a metallic material and constituting a pushing member configured to be pushed inwardly by a user applying a pushing force thereto at least when the lid is at least partially opened in use of the can, thereby allowing the state of the pushing member to be changed by the user between a first state in which the can has a first receiving volume and a second deformed state in which the can has a second receiving volume, the second receiving volume being smaller than the first receiving volume.

2. A can according to embodiment 1, said base having a peripheral edge, said body being fixedly connected to said sidewall along said peripheral edge.

3. A pushing member for use as a base for a tank containing an article comprising at least a solid component and at least a liquid component, the tank having a side wall and a lid which hermetically closes the tank and is at least partially openable to allow at least partial removal of the article from the tank when the tank with the article is in a ready-for-sale state, the pushing member being in the form of a body comprising a metallic material and having a peripheral edge lying in a reference plane, the body being configured to be pushed in a predetermined direction by a user applying a pushing force to the body at a point remote from the peripheral edge to change the state of the pushing member from a first state to a second deformed state when the peripheral edge is held securely in place, the two states are characterized by a volume contained between (a), (b), and (c): (a) the body; (b) a first imaginary plane parallel to the reference plane and spaced from the reference plane in the direction by a distance greater than the distance between the reference plane and any point of the body in the deformed state; and (c) a second imaginary plane perpendicular to the first imaginary plane and extending between the first imaginary plane and the peripheral edge; the volume is a first volume in the first state of the body, and a second reduced volume that is less than the first volume in the second deformed state of the body; the pushing member is configured to fixedly connect its peripheral edge to the end of the side wall of the tank where it is to be connected with respect to the cover in the predetermined pushing direction directed towards the interior of the tank, so as to constitute a bottom in the tank with the product in the ready-to-sell state, the bottom being configured to be pushed inwards by a user applying the pushing force to the bottom at least when the cover is at least partially opened when the tank is in use, thereby changing the volume of the tank between a first volume in the first state of the pushing member and a second reduced volume, the second reduced volume being smaller than the first volume in the second deformed state of the pushing member.

4. A canister according to embodiment 1 or 2, or a push member according to embodiment 3, the push member being configured to be brought into a maximum deformed state in which the canister has a minimum containment volume only when the lid has been at least partially opened.

5. A canister according to embodiment 2 or 4, or a push member according to embodiment 3 or 4, the body being separately manufactured and configured to be integrally mounted to the peripheral edge of the sidewall.

6. A canister according to embodiment 2 or 4, or a push member according to embodiment 2 or 4, configured to be repeatedly deformed between said first and second states by a user's corresponding application and relaxation of said pushing force to cause corresponding repeated changes in said containment volume of said canister.

7.A canister or a pushing member according to embodiment 6, said pushing member being configured to be elastically deformed between said first and second states by a plurality of respective applications and relaxations of said pushing force, said plurality of times being greater than 20.

8. A canister according to any of embodiments 1, 2 and 4 to 7 or a push member according to any of embodiments 3 to 7, the push member having a configuration that allows pushing of the push member by the user from the first state to the second state, the metal from which the body is made being sufficiently stiff to prevent pushing of the push member if this member of the same thickness is without the configuration.

9. The canister according to any one of embodiments 1, 2, and 4 to 8, or the urging member according to any one of embodiments 3 to 8, wherein:

the body further comprises a central region and an intermediate region extending between the central region and the peripheral edge;

the orientation of the intermediate zone is different in the first state and the second state of the urging member with respect to the central zone and the peripheral edge, and

optionally said intermediate region extends from said peripheral edge to an exterior of said canister in said first state and extends to an interior of said canister in said second deformed state of said urging member.

10. A canister or a push member according to embodiment 9, said body of said push member being generally convex in shape in an initial state of said push member and generally concave in shape in said deformed state of said push member.

11. A canister or a pushing member according to embodiment 9 or 10, said central region having a shape configured to remain unchanged between said first and said second states of said pushing member.

12. The canister or pushing member of any of embodiments 8-11, wherein the body is configured such that the intermediate zone deforms preferentially over the central zone upon the user applying the pushing force to the pushing member.

13. A canister comprising a base in the form of a push member according to any of embodiments 3 to 12.

14. The ready-to-sell state of the canister according to any one of embodiments 1, 2 and 4 to 13, and the pushing member according to any one of embodiments 3 to 12, is a state that the canister has with the article after undergoing the entire manufacturing process.

15. A canister or a pushing member according to embodiment 14, during said process, the canister with the article is configured to withstand a pressure difference of 150 kpa between the inside and outside of the canister without buckling.

16. A canister or a pushing member according to embodiments 1, 2 and 4 to 15, or any one of embodiments 3 to 12 and 14 or 15, a ratio between the reduced volume and an initial volume of the canister is at least between 0.5 and 0.95.

Can having an exterior surface printed with instructions to a user when in its ready-to-sell state for (a) opening a portion of the lid to an extent sufficient to allow the liquid component to be pushed through while preventing the solid component from exiting the can, (b) orienting the can such that the open portion of the lid faces at least partially downward, and (c) repeatedly applying and releasing a pushing force on the bottom of the can, according to any one of embodiments 1, 2 and 4 to 16, or any one of pushing members according to any one of embodiments 3 to 12 and 14 to 16.

18. A tank for containing an article comprising at least one solid component and at least one liquid component, said tank with said article being at least in a ready-to-sell state, said tank comprising the following features:

a lid hermetically closing the can and being at least partially openable to allow at least partial removal of the article from the can; a bottom opposite to the cover; and a sidewall extending between the cover and the base; and

said base comprising metal and constituting, at least when said lid is at least partially open in use of said can, a pushing member configured to be pushed inwardly by a user applying a pushing force thereto at least partially open in use of said can, thereby changing the state of said pushing member between a first state in which said can has a first containment volume and a second deformed state in which said can has a reduced containment volume, said reduced containment volume being less than said initial containment volume,

wherein the urging member is configured to be repeatedly elastically deformed from the first state to the second state by applying the urging force, and to return from the second state to the first state each time when the urging force is relaxed, and wherein such repeated changes in the state of the bottom between the first and second states cause corresponding repeated changes in the accommodation volume of the canister.

19. A pushing member for use as a base for a can having a sidewall and a lid, the pushing member comprising a body comprising metal and having a peripheral edge lying in a reference plane, the body being configured to be repeatedly elastically deformed by a user repeatedly applying and releasing a pushing force to the body when the peripheral edge is fixedly held in place, thereby repeatedly changing the state of the pushing member between a first state and a second deformed state, wherein both states are characterized by a volume contained between (a), (b) and (c): (a) the body; (b) a first imaginary plane parallel to the reference plane and spaced from the reference plane in the direction by a distance greater than the distance between the reference plane and any point of the body in the deformed state; and (c) a second imaginary plane perpendicular to the first imaginary plane and extending between the first imaginary plane and the peripheral edge; the volumes are a first volume in the first state of the body and a reduced volume that is less than the first volume in the deformed state of the body; said push member being configured to be fixedly mounted to said side wall of said can in said predetermined push direction directed towards the interior of said can, allowing said cover to deform inwardly and elastically return, at least when said can is in use, when said cover is at least partially opened, in a repetitive manner, between said first state and said second state, respectively, by corresponding repeated application and release of said push force, resulting in a corresponding change in said containment volume of said can.

In any of the above aspects and embodiments, the article may be a food article, such as tuna, and the tank may contain the article.

A canister and a pushing member according to any of the above aspects and embodiments may have a circular shape in a plan view.

A pusher member according to any of the above aspects and embodiments may have at least one strengthening rib adjacent its peripheral edge.

A push member and/or a canister according to any of the above aspects and embodiments may be manufactured using the same techniques, e.g. as are conventionally used for the same articles. For example, in the case where the food product is tuna, most of the currently marketed round metal tuna pots, the pushing member may be made with a peripheral edge having the same configuration and configured to be connected to the side wall of the pot in the same way as a traditional tuna pot.

The canister according to any of the above aspects and embodiments may further comprise: a central axis passing through and extending within each of the cover and the base; a first opening arrangement configured in its operation to allow removal of the liquid component while preventing removal of the solid component; and a second opening arrangement configured in its operation to allow removal of the solid component and spaced from the first opening arrangement by a portion of the lid at least in an initial state of the lid, preventing passage of at least the solid component through this portion, the space being in a plane perpendicular to the central axis.

With this arrangement, the liquid component can be removed from the tank while the solid component is retained, and then the solid component, the discharged liquid component, can be removed. Since the first and second opening arrangements are spaced apart from each other, the second opening arrangement need not be soiled by liquid composition coming out of the first opening arrangement.

At least in operation of the first and second opening arrangements, the first opening arrangement may include at least a first aperture formed in the cover, and the second opening arrangement may include at least a second aperture formed in the cover and different from the first aperture.

By providing a separate aperture for each opening arrangement, the aperture can be tailored to the appropriate material to be removed. For example, the size and dimensions of the pores may be selected and optimized to suit at least one component of the product in a can, such as the shape and size of the solid component in the can.

The first aperture may be smaller than the second aperture, and optionally, the at least one first aperture may be a plurality of first apertures, and the at least one second aperture may be a single aperture, larger than each of the first apertures.

The first aperture may be configured to provide a filtering effect such that the solid component will be prevented from exiting the tank while the liquid component may readily flow out of the first aperture. The second aperture may be configured to facilitate removal of the solid component therefrom. In case a plurality of first apertures is provided, the liquid component will be more quickly and efficiently drained from the tank while the solid component cannot be drained from the tank.

The first opening arrangement may comprise a pull tab configured to be operated to separate a first portion of the lid from the remainder of the lid to create or expose the at least one first aperture if the at least one first aperture is prefabricated.

In the case of the manufacture of the at least one first aperture (rather than being preformed), this may be achieved by tearing the cover, and the exposure of the at least one first preformed aperture may be achieved by peeling off a cover portion or layer of the cover.

The pull tab may be a single pull tab forming part of both the first and the second opening arrangements, the arrangement being such that operation of the pull tab to separate at least the first portion of the lid body from the remainder of the lid body produces or exposes, to the extent of lid body removal, the first at least one first aperture and then the second at least one second aperture.

In this arrangement, a single pull tab may provide the dual function of sequentially operating the first and second opening arrangements to first drain the liquid component from the tank and then remove the solid component from the tank.

The above-mentioned pull tab of the first opening arrangement may be a first pull tab configured to be operated to separate a first portion of the lid body from the remainder of the lid body, and the second opening arrangement may comprise a second pull tab configured to be operated to separate a second portion of the lid body other than the first portion of the lid body from the remainder of the lid body to create or prepare the at least one second aperture to be exposed. With this arrangement, if the first pull tab becomes soiled by the discharged liquid composition, the second pull tab will remain clean, allowing the solids to be removed from the can without soiling the handle.

The lid may comprise, or may be made of, the same material as the remainder of the can, and the tab may be in the form of a tab. This simplifies the tooling and joining costs and operations in providing the can.

The lid body may comprise a layer of metal foil and the pull tab may be in the form of a pull tab. The cover may be in the form of a laminate structure having at least one foil layer and optionally also a polymer layer.

The first portion of the lid body may have an area less than the area of the second portion of the lid body, thereby allowing manipulation of the first pull-tab to separate the first portion of the lid body to a first extent less than a second extent to which the second portion of the lid body can be detached by manipulation of the second pull-tab.

Separating such a smaller first extent prevents accidental exposure or creation of the second aperture, thereby preventing accidental release of the solid component from the canister. Further, the second aperture may thus be formed with a larger area to allow easier removal of the solid component from the tank once the liquid component has been drained from the tank.

The cover may further include: a support surface surrounding a single aperture occupying a majority of the cover area; and a cover layer covering the aperture and secured to the support surface, the cover layer being selectively detachable from the support surface to expose a first portion of the aperture to provide the first open arrangement and selectively detachable from the support surface to expose a second portion of the aperture, at least a portion of which is remote from the first portion to provide the second open arrangement, and wherein optionally the first portion is smaller than the second portion.

This arrangement provides a simplified can, still having two spaced apart opening arrangements.

The canister may further comprise a direction control member associated with the first arrangement for controlling the direction of flow of the liquid component to divert the liquid component through the first opening arrangement.

This direction control means may redirect the flow of liquid emerging from the canister along a particular path and thus avoid soiling and spreading of liquid composition onto the user's hand, or any tab of the first opening arrangement.

The orientation control member may be removable from the cover, for example by tearing or peeling.

The canister may also include a filter disposed within the canister proximate the lid, the filter including at least one or more smaller apertures configured to drain liquid from the canister while flowing down the solid component within the canister; and a single larger pore configuration for removing the solid component from the canister.

The filter may be fixedly arranged relative to the side wall of the tank and is therefore immovable within the tank.

According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a tank for containing an article of manufacture, the article of manufacture comprising at least one solid component and at least one liquid component, the tank comprising the following features: a cover, a base and a sidewall extending therebetween; a central axis extending through and between each of the cover and the base; a first opening arrangement configured in operation to allow removal of the liquid component while preventing removal of the solid component; and a second opening arrangement configured in its operation to allow removal of the solid component and spaced from the first opening arrangement by a portion of the lid at least in an initial state of the lid, to prevent passage of at least the solid component therethrough, the spaced space being in a plane perpendicular to the central axis.

According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a lid for use with a can for containing an article comprising at least a solid component and at least a liquid component, the can comprising a bottom and a sidewall, the lid having two sides, one of which is configured to face an interior of the can when the lid is mounted to the sidewall of the can, and a central axis extending between the two sides, the lid further comprising: a first opening arrangement configured in its operation to allow transfer of the liquid component from one side of the cap to the other side of the cap while preventing removal of the solid component along with the liquid component; a second opening arrangement configured in its operation to allow the solid component to be moved from the one side of the lid to the other side of the lid, the first opening arrangement being spaced from the first opening arrangement by a portion of the lid at least in an initial state of the lid, preventing at least the solid portion from passing through this portion, the spaced apart positions being in a plane perpendicular to the central axis; and a peripheral edge of a cover, along which the cover is configured to be mounted to the side wall of the tank at one end of the side wall, the end being connected to the other end of the side wall relative to the base.

The lid of the can may be formed separately from the remainder of the assembly of the can so as to be integrally attached to the side wall of the can during manufacture of the can.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a filter for a canister comprising at least one first aperture and at least one second aperture, said first and second apertures differing in at least one of size and shape so as to allow a liquid product component to pass through said at least one first aperture while preventing a solid component from so passing and allowing a solid product component to be subsequently removed from said at least one second aperture. The filter may be an integral part of a canister or may be inserted into a portion of a canister.

The first and second apertures may have any of the features of the apertures/openings of the first and second opening arrangements as described above.

According to any of the above aspects of the present disclosure, the volume ratio of the canister or the canister having the pushing member constituting the bottom thereof is between 0.5 and 0.95 between the deformed state of the pushing member (i.e., the initial accommodation volume) and the initial state of the pushing member (i.e., the reduced accommodation volume). Throughout the specification, the use of the term "solid" in reference to the solid component does not reflect the degree of solidity of the solid component, but is a relative term meaning that the solid component is in a state of having more solids than the liquid component.

Throughout the description, the term "opening arrangement" is meant depending on whether its opening is prefabricated or produced in the operation of said arrangement. In the former case, the term "opening arrangement" means an arrangement which comprises prefabricated openings and which is operable to expose these openings to an exterior of the tank. In this case, the space between the first and second opening arrangements may be considered as the space between the openings of the two arrangements.

In the latter case, if the can has no preformed opening, the term "opening arrangement" means an element of the can that is operable to create an opening and in doing so expose an opening to the exterior of the can, for example, an opening in the lid body. In this case, the space between the first and second opening arrangements may be considered to be the space between these respective operable elements.

Drawings

For a better understanding of the disclosure herein and to illustrate how it may be carried out in practice, embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1A shows a top perspective view of a typical canister in which the present disclosure may be used;

FIG. 1B shows a cross-sectional view of the canister of FIG. 1A, including the contents of the canister, along a central symmetry plane A-A of the canister;

FIG. 1C is a schematic view of the outline of a pushable bottom of a can in a cross-sectional view of the bottom along its central plane of symmetry, the outline being shown in solid lines in a deformed state of the bottom and in dashed lines in an initial state of the bottom, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 1D and 1E show top perspective views of other exemplary cans in which the present disclosure may be used;

FIG. 1F is a schematic view of the profile of a pushable base, when fabricated as a single continuous solid body, in a cross-sectional view along the central symmetry plane, the profile being shown in solid lines in a deformed state of the base and in phantom lines in an initial state of the base, in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2A shows a plan view of a pushable base in an initial state according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2B shows a profile of the base of FIG. 2A in cross-section along a central symmetry plane B-B;

FIG. 2C shows a profile of the base of FIG. 2A, in partial cross-section along a plane C-C;

FIG. 2D shows a top perspective view of the base of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 2E shows a top perspective view of the base of FIG. 2A in a deformed state;

FIG. 2F is a schematic view of the contour of the base of FIG. 2A, in its cross-section as described with reference to FIG. 2B, the contour in a deformed state of the base being shown in solid lines and in an initial state of the base being shown in dashed lines;

FIG. 3A shows a pushable bottom in plan view, in an initial state, in accordance with a further embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3B shows a profile of the base of FIG. 3A, in cross-section thereof along a central symmetry plane D-D;

FIG. 3C shows a portion of the bottom of FIG. 3A in its profile, in cross-section along a plane E-E;

FIG. 4A shows in plan view a pushable base in accordance with a still further embodiment of the present disclosure, shown in an initial state;

FIG. 4B shows a profile of the bottom of FIG. 4A, in cross-section thereof along a central symmetry plane F-F;

FIG. 4C shows a side view of the bottom of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 4D is a schematic view of the contour of the base of FIG. 4A, in its cross-section as described with reference to FIG. 4B, the contour in a deformed state of the base being shown in solid lines and in an initial state of the base being shown in dashed lines;

FIG. 5A shows a top perspective view of a pushable bottom of a still further embodiment of the present disclosure, in an initial state;

FIG. 5B shows a plan view of the bottom of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 5C shows a side view of the bottom of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6 shows a top perspective view of a canister having first and second opening arrangements in accordance with a still further embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 shows a top perspective view of a lid for a can having first and second opening arrangements according to a still further embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8A shows a plan view of a covering layer for a lid of a can according to a still further embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8B shows a plan view of a filter layer for a lid for a can;

FIG. 8C shows a top perspective view of a cover containing the cover layer of FIG. 8A and the filter layer of FIG. 8B;

FIG. 9A shows a plan view of a covering layer for a lid of a can according to a still further embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9B shows a plan view of a cover comprising the cover layer of FIG. 9A and a filter layer;

FIG. 10 shows a plan view of a covering layer for a lid of a can according to a still further embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 shows a plan view of an annular layer of a cover for a can;

FIG. 12A shows a top perspective view of a lid for a can having first and second opening arrangements;

FIGS. 12B and 12C show a plan view of a lid for a can having first and second opening arrangements;

FIG. 13 shows a schematic top perspective view of a cover having a direction control feature in accordance with a still further embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 14A is a schematic view of a profile of a resilient urging member in an initial state in a cross-sectional view of the base member along its central plane of symmetry, in accordance with a further embodiment of the present disclosure; and

fig. 14B shows the profile of the resilient urging member of fig. 14A in a deformed state.

In the above list and in the following description, the term "plane of symmetry" of an element, such as a tank, its lid and/or its bottom, means a plane passing through the center of the element and oriented vertically when the lid or bottom is oriented horizontally, or when the tank is oriented in a right cubic manner.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1A and 1B show a typical can 10 containing an article of manufacture that includes at least one solid component and at least one liquid component. The product may be an edible or other preservation product, i.e. the tank may be a tank for storing food, and the tank contains the product. The can is shown with the article in a hermetically closed condition ready for sale, and the solid and liquid components are shown in fig. 1B, which are designated 12 and 14, respectively.

The can 10 in the above-described state includes a lid 20, the lid 20 being at least partially openable (not shown) to allow at least partial removal of the product from the can-e.g., only a portion or all of the liquid 14 or the solid 12 component, or both. The can 10 also has a base 30 opposite the cover 20, and a sidewall 40 extending between the base 30 and the cover 20.

The bottom 30 and the side wall 40 of the can may constitute a unitary body or the bottom may be fixedly attached to the side wall to form a complete body, thereby forming a container (not shown), and the cover is configured to be hermetically sealed mounted to the complete body to form the can 10.

The can 10, or at least the bottom 30 thereof, is made of a material and is configured to withstand and withstand the sealing process of the can, such as any one or more of pasteurization, retort or sterilization, without buckling or other necessary deformation, required for the processing of canned food products and known in the art. These may include different pressures, i.e. a pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the tank of at least 150 kilopascals (KPa).

The can may also be configured to withstand high temperatures up to 145 ℃ and acceptable environmental and refrigeration conditions such as canned foods.

The solid product 12 within the tank 10 may be any edible product such as meat, fish, pet food, fruit, vegetables, etc., and the liquid product 14 within the tank 10 may be any preserving liquid such as oil, water, brine, syrup, juice, etc., for example. In a more specific example, the tank may be a tuna tank.

All of the components of the can 10, i.e., the cover 20, base 30 and side wall 40, or at least some of them, may be made of a metallic material or materials comprising a metallic material. For example, a laminate may be used in the form of a flat sheet comprising at least one of aluminum, steel, or tin, optionally with one or more layers of polymer. Alternatively, one or more of the cover 20, base 30, and sidewall 40 may be made of a polymer or polymer-containing material. Different parts of the tank are made of different materials. For example, the side wall may be made of a different material than the base and/or the cover, side wall and base may all be made of different materials. The material from which the canister or any portion thereof is made may be a metallic or non-metallic material comprising a polymer. Examples of metals are tin-plated aluminum, tin, iron or steel, and examples of non-metallic materials are rigid synthetic materials made of organic polymers.

Although the can 10 is shown as a cylindrical container, this is not limiting and other shapes are contemplated, such as a rectangular parallelepiped including rounded corners and/or edges, an elongated cylinder, or other shapes as shown in fig. 1D and 1E.

The cover 20 may be of any conventional design. In particular, it may be opened by use of a can opener or other cutting device, or may include a score line and a tab for tearing the lid 20 along the score line. The lid body 20 may alternatively comprise a support surface disposed at least about a peripheral portion of the side wall 40 for adhesive or other attachment of a peelable metal foil or polymer film cover for hermetically closing the can.

The can 10 may be manufactured in a variety of ways. For example, the base 30 and/or the cover 20 may be integrally formed with the side wall 40 of the can 10, such as by a stamping operation, or may be separately formed and then attached to the side wall 40 of the can 10 by known methods and processes, such as seaming. Other methods are also suitable and known to the skilled person.

The above description of a typical can 10 having a ready-to-sell state in which it is hermetically closed by an openable lid is fully applicable to a can of this example, except that the base of this example is made of metal and has a configuration that deforms at least once to reduce the containment volume of the can when pushed towards the interior of the can by a user, at least after the lid of the can is at least partially opened. Furthermore, in the present example, this metal bottom, hereafter referred to as a "pushing member" of the tank, is made of a material that is sufficiently rigid to prevent its deformation if it does not have the above-mentioned configuration and has the same thickness. In the context of the above-mentioned ability of the pushing member to be pushed inwards, the term "configuration" means a configuration at least seen from the outside of the tank.

Fig. 1C illustrates the above-described function of the pushing member of the tank 10s constituted by the bottom 30, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 1C, the base 30 is applied beyond a predetermined threshold force F_ThreshIs pushed inwards, the letter being a force at which the desired deformation has not been obtained (see solid lines, instead of the broken lines showing the initial state of the bottom 30). The force F may be applied at one or more points of the bottom 30 and a predetermined threshold F of the force F_ThreshMust be suitably low to allow the user to easily deform the base 30, for example, using their fingers, without the need for other devices or small tools. Fig. 1C shows the can of the base 30 in a deformed state, see solid line for the base 30, wherein the can 10 has a containment volume 60 that is less than an initial containment volume 50 (shown in dashed lines) in an initial state of the base 30 of the can 10.

In the anticipated normal, legitimate use of a can, the base may only be deformed in the manner described above, i.e., into its final shape, or a deformed state under sufficient force, if the lid 20 is opened to a sufficient degree to allow at least some of the contents of the can 10, such as the liquid composition 14, to be removed. Otherwise the can 10 would not be structurally able to withstand much greater pasteurization and sterilization conditions than desired. Conversely, when the canister is in the hermetically closed state, the physical resistance to compression of the liquids and solids within the canister prevents such deformation from the initial state to the deformed state.

In operation, a user opens at least a portion of the lid 20, inverts the can 10, allows gravity to accelerate the product downward, and applies a force greater than the threshold force F to the bottom 30 of the can 10_ThreshA force F. The bottom 30 is urged in this manner from the tank 10The initial state with a first volume 50 moves to the deformed state with the second reduced volume 60 of the canister.

As described above, the base 30 may be fabricated as a separate body and then fixedly attached to the sidewall of the can, or at least formed as a unitary body with the sidewall 40 of the can. Fig. 1F schematically illustrates the above-described operation when bottom 30 is produced as a separate continuous solid body 32 having a peripheral edge 34 along which peripheral edge 34 the body 32 is configured to be fixedly attached to a sidewall of a tank, such as the sidewall 40 of the tank 10 described above with reference to fig. 1A-1E.

The body 32 has a central region 36 and an intermediate region 38, the intermediate region 38 extending between the central region 36 and the peripheral edge 34. When the peripheral edge 34 of the body 32 is fixedly held in place, the body 32 is configured to be pushed in a predetermined pushing direction D by applying a force F to the body 32 at a point of the body 32 away from the peripheral edge 34. In order to push the body 32, the force F applied must be greater than the threshold force F_ThreshLarger, i.e. F>F_Thresh. The location distal to the peripheral edge 34 may be located at a center of the body 32, such as within the central region 36, and/or anywhere between the center and the peripheral edge 34.

The operation of the body 32, mimicking its behavior as the bottom of a can, is described below with reference to fig. 1F, in which the body 32 is represented in solid lines in its deformed state relative to its initial state represented in dashed lines. In fig. 1F, the following imaginary planes are used to describe the operation of the body 32:

a reference plane P_RThe peripheral edge 34 of the body 32 is located therein;

a first imaginary plane S_I1Parallel to the reference plane P_RIn the pushing direction D with said reference plane P_RIs greater than the reference plane P_RFrom any point of said body 32 in said deformed stateFrom, and, an

Perpendicular to said first imaginary plane S_I1And on said first imaginary plane S_I1A second imaginary plane S extending between the peripheral edge 34_I2。

In the initial state of the body 32, the first imaginary plane S_I1And said second imaginary plane S_I2Between which an initial volume 50 is received. In the deformed state of the body 32, the first imaginary plane S_I1And a second imaginary plane S_I2To accommodate a reduced volume 60. The reduced volume 60 is less than the initial volume 50.

When the body 32 is fixedly mounted or integrally formed as a pushing member on a side wall of a can, such as the side wall 40 of the can 10 in fig. 1A to 1E, the arrangement thereof is thus oriented in the direction D of the inside of the can 10, which is the pushing direction of the bottom 30.

As can be seen in fig. 1F, in the initial state of the body 32, the intermediate zone 38 extends from the peripheral edge 34 towards the central zone 36 in a direction opposite to the pushing direction D. Whether the body 32 is attached to a side wall of a can or not, this direction of extension will be towards an exterior of the can, i.e. away from the inside of the can. Conversely, in the deformed state of the body 32, as shown by the dashed line, the intermediate zone 38 extends substantially downwards from the peripheral edge 34 towards the central zone 36, i.e. in the same direction D as the pushing direction. If the body 32 is attached to a side wall of a can, this direction of extension is towards an interior of the can, i.e. towards the inside of the can.

In the depicted example, the body 32 may be generally convex in shape in its initial state, while the body 32 is generally concave in shape in its deformed state. Concave and convex, generally refer to bending in the pushing direction D, and generally in a direction opposite to the pushing direction D. In FIG. 1F, these directions are in the reference plane P, respectively_RBelow and above.

In this particular example, in the initial state, the body 32 is substantially dome-shaped. By dome-shaped is meant substantially at least partly resembling the upper part of a sphere, i.e. the surface is curved substantially towards a centre point by extending from the peripheral edge 34 towards the central area 36 in a direction opposite to the pushing direction D, the gradient of the curve increasing towards the peripheral edge 34 and decreasing towards the central area 36.

The central region 36 of the body 32 is stiffer than the intermediate region 38. In this case, the body 32 is subjected to a force greater than the threshold force F_ThreshWith the thrust force F, the intermediate zone 38 can deform in preference to the central zone 36 when its peripheral edge is fixed in position. In this case (not shown in fig. 1F, the central zone 36 may retain its shape in both states of the body 32, i.e. not be deformed even in the deformed state of the body 32, while the intermediate zone 38 changes its shape or configuration, i.e. deforms, when moving from the initial state to the deformed state of the body 32.

It should be understood that the particular shapes of the initial and deformed states of the base 30 in fig. 1C and 1F are merely exemplary, and other possibilities are also contemplated. For example, but not limiting of, the base 30 may have an initial convex configuration in the initial state and a less convex, planar or concave configuration in the deformed state.

Various configurations of the body 32 may be provided, allowing it to be used as a bottom of a can and to be used when the threshold force F is exceeded_ThreshIs urged from the initial state to the deformed state under the force F. These configurations include providing at least the intermediate region 36 of the body 32 with a shape that at least partially changes between its initial and deformed states. Non-limiting examples of such configurations are shown in fig. 2A through 2F, 3A through 3C, 4A through 4D, and 5A through 5C.

FIGS. 2A, 2D and 2E show a body 132 configured to serve as a bottom 130 of a can (not shown) and having a peripheral edge 134 along which the body 132 is secured to a sidewall of the can; a central region 136 and a middle region 138. The body 132 has a first side, as shown in fig. 2A and 2D, which is a side of the body 132 facing the outside of the can when mounted on the sidewall of the can, and a second side opposite the first side.

The body 132 is formed with a plurality of channels or grooves 137, as viewed from a first side thereof, the channels or grooves 137 being spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction of the intermediate portion. The grooves 137 extend from the central region 136 to the peripheral edge 134 and divide the intermediate region 138 into a plurality of blocks 139, each having the shape of an annular sector. Although six recesses 137 and corresponding six lands 139 are shown, any other number is contemplated. The recess 137 is convex when viewed from the second side of the body 132, since the body 132 of the base has a small through thickness, as is the specification for sheet metal or other laminates and/or potting materials.

Fig. 2F schematically illustrates the body 132 in its deformed state (solid line) and in its initial state (dashed line), which changes between the two states as seen by a comparison of the initial state in fig. 2D with the deformed state in fig. 2E, and by the outline of fig. 2F, from the mutual orientation of each two adjacent blocks 139 provided on either side of each groove 137. In particular, in the deformed configuration shown in fig. 2G, it can be seen that when the body 132 changes its state to the deformed state, the two blocks 139 on either side of each groove 137 are brought closer together, i.e. the angle between them or the plane tangential thereto changes.

Figures 3A, 3B and 3C show another arrangement of a body 232 that is similar in almost all respects to the body 132 and has a peripheral edge 234, a central region 236, and an intermediate region 238 extending between the central region 236 and the peripheral edge 234. The body 232 differs from the body 132 in that there are only four grooves 237 and the intermediate region 238 is divided into four blocks 239. The grooves 237 extend from the central region 236 to the peripheral edge 234, but not as far as the grooves 137 extend from the central region 136 to the peripheral edge 134 of the base 130. However, the recess 237 provides the same function as the recess 137 described in detail above with reference to the body 132.

Fig. 4A-4C depict a body 332 having a peripheral edge 334, a central region 336, and an intermediate region 338 extending between the central region 336 and the peripheral edge 334. The intermediate region 338 comprises a ridge-like structure having a plurality of concentric continuous peaks 339 and valleys or grooves 337 configured to provide a thrust force F greater than the threshold force F_ThreshApplied to or adjacent the central region 336, changes their radial extension relative to a central axis X of the body 332. More particularly, the ridge-like structure of the peaks 339 and valleys 337 transitions into a series of concentric concave steps.

As shown in the initial and deformed states of the body 332, the central region 336 assumes the same shape or configuration in both states of the body, i.e., remains undeformed, while the intermediate region 338 changes its shape or configuration, i.e., deforms, when moving from the initial state to the deformed state. The central region 336 is recessed relative to an adjacent portion of the intermediate region 338.

Fig. 5A-5C show a body 432 having a peripheral edge 434, a central region 436, and an intermediate region 438 extending between the central region 436 and the peripheral edge 434. The body 432 is similar to the body 332 described above in that its intermediate region 438 comprises a ridge structure having a plurality of concentric continuous peaks 439 and valleys or grooves 437 around the central region 436 which, in the deformed state of the body 432, transform into a series of concentric concave steps, i.e. steps that are concave in the pushing direction D.

The body 432 differs from the body 332 in that the central area 436, which is concave in the pushing direction D, is flat and has an elongated shape, a rectangular shape with rounded short sides, compared to the adjacent portion of the intermediate area 438.

Although the above embodiments have been described with reference to the base of a can constituting a push state which is deformable from an initial state to a deformed state such that the volume contained by the can decreases from an initial containment volume to a reduced containment volume, other possibilities of such a volume reduction are also envisaged. Thus, the urging member may be constituted by the side wall of a canister configured to deform inwardly to reduce a contained volume from an initial volume to a smaller volume, i.e. less than the initial volume. For example, such a sidewall may be made of a deformable material, which may include, but is not limited to, deformable metal or polymer materials. Having such a deformable sidewall may include a conventional or a deformable bottom as described in any of the examples above.

A can having a deformable push member as described above may have a conventional lid or a lid having two opening arrangements, one allowing removal of the liquid component whilst preventing removal of the solid component and the other allowing subsequent removal of the solid component, the arrangements being spaced from one another by a portion of the lid through which at least the solid component is prevented from passing at least when the first and second opening arrangements are operated.

By creating at least a first opening for removing the liquid component and at least a second opening for removing the solid component, or by exposing such openings to a user, the opening arrangement may be configured to be manipulated during operation of the cap, in which case the openings may be pre-existing, i.e. pre-fabricated in the cap and remain unexposed prior to operation of the cap. A combination of these two options is also possible in a cover, wherein one opening arrangement is designed according to one of the options and the other according to the other option. In any case, at least in the initial state of the lid, a space between the two arrangements is provided by the separate portion at least in a direction perpendicular to a central axis of the can/lid. The or each first opening may necessarily be smaller in width and length than the at least one second opening, which may be a single opening in the second opening arrangement. In general, the second opening may occupy at least 30% of the area of the cover, optionally at least 50% of the area of the cover, while the or each first opening may occupy a much smaller area of the cover. Typically, but not limited to, a minimum dimension across the second opening may be, for example, at least two times, optionally at least three times, optionally at least five times or optionally at least ten times the minimum dimension of the first opening.

Fig. 6 shows a can designated 510, which is similar to the can 10 shown in fig. 1A and 1B, except for the design of the lid. Accordingly, all of the above description of the can 10, except for the description of the cover 20, applies to the can 510, the can 510 having a cover 520, a base 530 and a sidewall 540 extending therebetween, and a central axis X passing through each of the cover 520 and the base 530.

The lid 520 of the can 510 has the first and second opening arrangements described above, schematically represented in fig. 6 by a dashed line 550 and a dashed line 560, respectively, and the separate portion is represented by 570.

The cover 520 may form a unitary body with at least the sidewall 540 and optionally the base. Alternatively, it may be produced separately and attached to the side wall 540. Fig. 7 shows the latter option, wherein a cover 620 has two sides 622, 624 facing in different directions along the central axis X of the cover. The cover 620 has the first opening arrangement, the second opening arrangement, and a separate portion therebetween described above. In fig. 7, the first opening arrangement is schematically represented by a dashed line 650, the second opening arrangement is schematically represented by a dashed line 660, and the separated portion therebetween is indicated by 670. In this example, the first opening arrangement 650 is configured to allow the liquid component to transfer from one side of the cover 622, a first side, to the other side of the cover 624, or a second side, while preventing the solid component from transferring with the liquid component, the second opening arrangement is configured to allow the transfer from the first side 622 of the cover 620 to the second side 624 of the cover 620, and the separate portion 670 is configured to prevent at least the transfer of the solid component at least when the first and second opening arrangements 650, 660 are in operation. The cover 620 also has a peripheral edge 626 along which the cover is configured to be mounted to the side wall 540 at an end of the side wall 540 opposite an end associated with the base 530.

It is noted that the opening arrangements 550 and 560 of the cover 520, the opening arrangements 650 and 660 of the cover 620, as shown in fig. 6 and 7, may include a plurality of components configured to be manipulated to create the first and second openings in the covers, or to expose them in a pre-manufactured condition. Non-limiting examples of such options are shown below.

Fig. 8A, 8B and 8C show a cover 720 that can be used in place of the cover 520 or 620 for the canister 510, which comprises two parts, a continuous cover layer 720a and a filter layer 720B formed with the first and second openings described above. The openings, which may be pre-existing or pre-fabricated in the filter layer, are thus configured to be exposed for removal of the liquid and solid components as described above by operation with the cover layer 720 a.

The cover layer 720a may be made from a sheet of metal foil or polymer film, or from a combination of any of these materials with any other material. The filter layer 720b can be made of the same material as the sidewall 540 and is configured to be attached to the sidewall by a peripheral edge 726 of the filter layer 720 b. For example, the filter layer may be formed from a rigid sheet metal material.

The filter layer 720b includes a support surface 728 adjacent the peripheral edge 726 of the cover. The support surface 728 is configured to adhere or otherwise secure an outer edge 721 of the cover layer 720a to the filter layer 720 b.

As shown, the cover 720 as a whole has two sides 722, 724, one of which is designated 722, which is a lower or first side of the filter layer 720b and is configured to face an interior of the canister when the cover 720 is mounted to the sidewall of the canister, while the other, second side, is designated 724, which is associated with an outer surface of the cover layer 720 a. In this case, the first opening arrangement is constituted by those portions of the two layers which are configured to enable passage of a liquid component from the first side 722 of the cover 720 to the second side 724 thereof while preventing passage of a solid component, while the second opening arrangement is constituted by the other portions of the two layers which are configured to enable passage of a solid component from the first side 722 of the cover 720 to the second side 724 thereof. In the first and second arrangements, the portions of the filter layer are those associated with the first and second openings described above.

In general, the first and second openings in the filter layer are of any configuration and in any number to allow them to function as described above. In the example of fig. 8A-8C, the opening of the filter layer 720b is an elongated, relatively narrow slit 725 that forms part of the first opening arrangement, and a single large aperture 727, larger than the first aperture 725, all of its dimensions in plan view of the cover form part of the second opening arrangement. In particular, the single large aperture 727 is significantly and sufficiently wider than the elongated narrow slit 725 to allow the solid components to pass easily therethrough.

Typically, but not limited to, a minimum dimension across the macropores can be, for example, at least two times the width of the slit, at least three times the width of the slit, at least five times the width of the slit, or at least ten times the width of the slit.

The slit 725 is for passing a liquid component from the first side 722 to the second side 724 of the cover 720 while preventing a solid component from passing, while the single large aperture 727 is for passing a solid component from the first side 722 to the second side 724 of the cover 720.

In this example, the filter layer 720b also includes a plurality of small pores 729, the small pores 729 being used in place of or in addition to the slits 725 for enabling a liquid component to pass from the first side 722 to the second side 724 of the cover 720 while preventing a solid component from passing therethrough. At least some of these small apertures may be used to enable a gas, such as ambient air, to pass from the second side 724 of the cover 720 to the first side 722 thereof. The slit 725 is separated from the large aperture 727 and the small aperture 729 by a separate portion 770 of the cover 720, preventing the solid and liquid components from passing through this portion 770.

In general, the cover layer 720a can be formed with any grippable arrangement at least a portion thereof to pull the cover layer away from the filter layer to expose the slits 725 and/or the small apertures 729 to the second outwardly facing side 724 of the cover 720 to operate the first opening arrangement, and then to expose the large apertures 727 to the second outwardly facing side 724 of the cover to operate the second opening arrangement.

In this example, the cover layer 720a includes a pull tab 723 and the layer 720a is configured to be secured to the filter layer 720b in such a way that the pull tab 723 is disposed closer to the slit 725 than to the large aperture 727.

Typically, the first and second openings of the first and second arrangements, whether prefabricated or created by operation of these arrangements, may be provided anywhere in the cover body when seen in plan view facing the outer surface of the cover body. However, the provision of the first opening is further from the centre of the lid than the provision of the second opening and/or they are spaced from each other to the greatest extent possible, allowing the liquid component to be transferred through the first opening whilst reducing the chance of accidental transfer of liquid and/or solids from the second opening. Further, the transfer of the liquid composition through the first opening is less likely to contaminate any part of the second opening arrangement and/or a user's finger.

In this example, the slits 725 and the large apertures 727 of the filter layer 720b are positioned at a maximum distance from each other, i.e., circumferentially at a maximum distance from each other, and the pull tab 723 of the cover layer 720a is arranged to be positioned by the slits 725 and diametrically opposite the large apertures 727 when the cover layer 720a is secured to the filter layer 720 b.

In operation, a user may pull the pull tab 723 to separate a first portion of the cover body 720, i.e., a first portion of the cover layer 720a, from the remainder of the cover body 720, i.e., from the filter layer 720b, thereby exposing the pre-existing or pre-formed slits 725 and possibly some or all of the pre-existing or pre-formed small apertures 729. Such separation may involve peeling of the adhesive or tearing of the outer edge 721 of the cover layer 720 a. In this case, at least in the initial state of the cover 720, the first portion of the cover layer 720a together with at least the slit 725 and optionally the small aperture 729 is considered to be a first open arrangement.

As the first portion of the cover layer 720a is separated, a can having a lid 720, the lid 720 may be tilted to allow the liquid component within the can to pass from the first side 722 to the second side 724 of the lid 720, such as under the influence of gravity. Because the slit 725 has a relatively narrow elongated shape with an arcuate shape, the liquid composition will flow out of its central area, and the ends of the slit may allow air to flow in opposite directions as needed to ensure equal pressures inside and outside the canister if the containment volume of the canister does not decrease as the liquid flows out. Alternatively or additionally, if the cover layer 720a is further detached to expose the small apertures 729, the liquid component may flow out of at least a portion/s thereof, and/or air may flow out through at least other portions in the opposite direction, if desired, to ensure that the pressures inside and outside the canister are equal if the contained volume of the canister is not reduced as the liquid flows out.

Once the liquid component is removed, a user may continue to pull the pull tab 723 to separate a second portion of the cover body 720, i.e., a second portion of the cover layer 720a from the remainder of the cover body 720, i.e., from the filter layer 720b, thereby exposing the preexisting or preformed macro-apertures 727. Such separation may involve peeling of the adhesive or tearing of the outer edge 721 of the cover layer 720 a. In some cases, such detachment may result in the cover layer 720a being entirely removed from the filter layer 720b, while in other cases at least a portion of the cover layer 720a may remain attached to the filter layer 720 b. At least in the initial state of the cover 710, the second region of the cover layer 720a together with the large aperture 727 can be considered a second opening arrangement, spaced apart from the first opening arrangement at least by the separated portion 770. After the large apertures 727 are exposed, the solid components may be removed from the canister, i.e., transferred or transferred from the first side 722 of the cover 720 to the second side 724 of the cover 720.

In the above arrangement, only a single pull tab 723 is required to expose the first aperture 725, then the second aperture 727 with the optional small aperture 729 in sequence as the cover 720 is detached.

Fig. 9A and 9B illustrate a cover 820 that is similar to cover 720 described above, except that its cover 820a has two pull tabs, a first pull tab 823a and a second pull tab 823B, in place of the single pull tab 723.

In general, when two pull tabs are used, they may have any arrangement corresponding to the respective first and second openings, so long as they are spaced apart along the outer edge 821 of the overlay 820 a. In this example, the first and second pull tabs 823a, 823b are disposed diametrically opposite each other, with the first pull tab 823a being closer to the slit 725 than to the large aperture 727, and the second pull tab 823b being closer to the large aperture 727 than to the slit 725.

The operation of the cover 820 is the same as that of the cover 720 described above, except that the first pull tab 823a may be used first to separate a first portion of the cover 820 from the filter layer 720b to expose the slits 725 and possibly some of the small pores 729 to the exterior of the cover at its outer side 724, and then the second pull tab 823b separates a second portion of the cover 820 from the filter layer 720b to expose the large pores 727 to the exterior of the cover at its outer side 724.

Since in this example there are two spaced apart pull tabs 823a, 823b, in this case diametrically opposed, when the can is tilted to remove the liquid composition, the second pull tab 823b will not be accidentally soiled by the liquid composition, even if the first pull tab 823a is accidentally soiled. In this way, a user can avoid soiling their hands during the process of draining the liquid component from the canister and subsequently removing the solid component.

In general, another option is to provide an overlay having at least one pull tab arranged to enable complete tearing of a relevant portion of the overlay to expose at least a first pre-existing or pre-formed aperture. Optionally, the tear-off portion of the cover layer is less than one third of the area of the cover layer other than the pull tab.

Figure 10 shows an example of such an option, where an overlay 920a is similar to the overlay 820a described above, except that in the overlay 920a, the first pull tab 923a protrudes in a generally tangential direction beyond an outer edge 921 of the overlay, i.e., transverse to a radially outward direction of the overlay 920 a. With this arrangement, the first pull tab 923a forms an acute angle α with the adjacent portion of the outer edge 921 of the overlay 920a, resulting in tearing of a portion of the overlay 920a, such as generally along the dashed line 925 shown in fig. 10, due to the high stress exerted by the pulling of the first pull tab 923a at the apex of angle α. This is, of course, possible when the cover layer is made of a tear-off material, for example an aluminium foil of suitable thickness. The foil also has a configuration that facilitates its tearing, such as a groove, a line of semi-perforations, etc., which may be configured to provide one or more tears along a line other than the schematic line 925 shown in fig. 10. The second pull tab 923b is then used to expose the second pre-existing or pre-fabricated aperture.

Another design of a two-layer cover of the above-mentioned type, which comprises a filter layer with differently prepared openings and a cover layer covering all openings, may be that the cover layer is not a continuous layer extending along the entire area of the filter layer, but several separate layer portions, each covering its own opening or a group of openings.

In another design of a two-layer cover, instead of the filter layer, the cover may have an inner layer in the form of a frame having a single large opening, a peripheral rim along which the cover merges or is mounted to a sidewall of a tank, and a support surface extending therebetween for supporting the cover layer. In this case, the cover layer may be configured to be selectively detached from the support surface so as to expose different portions of the single pre-existing or pre-fabricated opening at the second side of the cover body, the openings being spaced apart from one another by an area of the cover layer extending therebetween.

A further alternative design of a cover according to the present disclosure may be that the cover has a first area with at least one first preformed opening covered by its separate cover layer, and a second area, wherein at least one second opening may be created by separating at least a part of the second area from the cover.

Some examples of such alternative designs are described below.

Fig. 11 shows a framing layer in the form of a ring 1020b that includes a peripheral edge 1026 for connecting to a sidewall of a can, a single large aperture 1025 that occupies a major area of the ring layer 1020b, and a support surface 1028 extending therebetween. For the annular layer 1020b, a cover may be formed by adhering or otherwise attaching one of the cover layers 820a and 920a to the support surface 1028 at its respective outer edge 821, 921.

In order to operate the lid to allow liquid to drain when the peripheral edge 1026 of the annular layer 1020b is joined to a side wall of a can containing a liquid component and a solid component, one of the pull tabs 823a, 823b, or 923a of the respective cover layer 820a, 920a is pulled to separate or tear, respectively, a first portion of the respective lid from the support surface 1028 of the annular layer 1020b, i.e., a first portion of the respective cover layer at its respective outer edge 821, 921. The cover layer should be attached to the support surface 1028 so as to allow only a slight detachment of the cover layer 820a from the support surface, or a slight removal of portions of the cover layer 920a from the support surface, thereby exposing a portion of the apertures 1025 that are small enough to prevent the solid components in the can from passing through, but large enough to allow liquid to flow out of the can when poured. The pull tab 823a, 823b, or 923a, along with the slightly detachable or removable portion of the cover layer 820a, 920a, and optionally the slightly exposed portion corresponding to the aperture, is considered a first opening arrangement.

To subsequently remove the solid component from the can, another tab that was not previously pulled to separate the cover may be pulled to separate the respective cover along at least a substantial portion of its outer edge to expose at least a substantial portion of the pre-existing or pre-formed apertures 1025. The solid component is then removed from the exposed pores. The at least most of the apertures exposed, along with the other pull tab 823a, 823b or 923b, and the separated portion of the respective cover layer, may be considered a second opening arrangement.

Referring to fig. 12A, a cover 1120 is shown that includes a central portion 1120a and a circumferential portion 1120b, the circumferential portion 1120b having a peripheral edge 1126, the cover configured to be mounted, engaged, or otherwise attached to a sidewall along the peripheral edge 1126. The cover 1120 has two sides 1122, 1124, an inner or first side 1122 configured to face an interior of a can and an outer or second side 1224 configured to face an exterior of a can when the cover is mounted to a side wall of a can.

The cover 1120 has a first opening arrangement including a tab 1123a that can be peeled away from the rest of the cover at the second side 1224 of the cover to expose a pre-existing or pre-fabricated small first aperture pre-formed in the central portion 1120 a. The peelable tab 1123a may be formed of, for example, a metal or polymer, and may be adhered or otherwise engaged to hermetically seal the first aperture. In operation of the first opening arrangement, the first opening arrangement allows the liquid composition to be transferred from the first side 1122 of the cover to the second side 1124 of the cover while preventing the solid composition from being removed along with the liquid composition by at least partially removing the peelable tab 1123a to expose at least a portion of the first aperture.

The cover 1120 also has a second opening arrangement comprising, in the initial state of the cover, a tab 1123b attached to the central portion 1120a, and a scored or semi-perforated groove 1127 around at least a majority of the central portion 1120a, between the central portion 1120a and the circumferential portion 1120 b. In operation of the second opening arrangement, the tab 1123b is operated to tear the cover 1120 along at least a majority of the groove 1127 such that at least a majority of the central portion 1120a of the cover 1120 is separated and detached from the remainder of the cover, i.e., from a circumferential portion thereof, to provide a single large aperture occupying a majority of the area of the cover 1120. The exposure of the single large aperture, the second aperture, is configured to allow removal of the solid component from the first side 1122 of the cover 1120 to the second side 1124 of the cover 1120. In the initial state of the cap 1120, the second opening arrangement is separated from the first opening arrangement by a portion 1170 of the cap 1120 to prevent the solid component and the liquid component from passing through this portion 1170.

Fig. 12B and 12C show an alternative arrangement of a cover 1220. The cover 1220 includes a central portion 1220a and a circumferential portion 1220 b. The circumferential portion 1220b includes a peripheral edge 1226 along which the cover is configured to fit, engage, or otherwise attach to a sidewall of a can at an end of the sidewall that is configured to connect to the sidewall relative to a base. The cover 1220 has two sides, one of which is configured to face an interior of the can when the cover is mounted to the sidewall of the can.

Typically, a lid may comprise two separate scored or semi-perforated grooves around at least a portion of the central portion of the lid, each groove being arranged to be opened by a separate opening arrangement, such as a tab. One groove may be shorter than the other to provide a smaller opening once torn or cut therealong. Alternatively, there may be a single recess which may be opened in two spaced apart sites by two separate opening mechanisms, such as two separate tabs, torn or cut.

In this example, the cap 1220 has a first opening arrangement, including a first tab 1223a, disposed at a first location proximate a single scored or semi-perforated groove 1225 that surrounds the central portion 1220a of the cap 1220. The cap 1220 also has a second opening arrangement, including a second tab 1223b, disposed adjacent the single score or semi-perforated groove 1225 at a second location spaced from the first location. In the initial state of the cover, the second opening arrangement is separated from the first opening arrangement by a portion 1270 of the central portion 1220a of the cover 1220, preventing solid and liquid components from passing through this portion 1270. The space is in a plane perpendicular to the central axis X. Each of said opening arrangements, i.e. tabs 1223a, 1223b, is associated with its own part of said recess 1225.

In operation of the first opening arrangement, the first tab 1223a is operated to tear the lid 1220, i.e., to tear and separate the central portion 1220a of the lid 1220 from the remainder of the lid, i.e., from the circumferential portion 1220b along a portion of the groove 1225 associated with the first tab 1223a, to provide a first aperture that is small enough to prevent the solid component in the can from passing therethrough but large enough to allow the liquid component to flow out of the can upon tilting. The first aperture provided may be considered as part of the first opening arrangement, i.e. together with the first pull ring 1223 a.

In operation of the second opening arrangement, the second tab 1223b is operated to tear the lid 1220, i.e., to tear and separate the central portion 1220a of the lid 1220 from the remainder of the lid, i.e., from the circumferential portion 1220b along at least a majority of the recess 1225 associated with the second tab 1223b, to provide a second aperture large enough to allow the solid component to pass from the can, i.e., to allow the solid component to be removed from the first side of the lid 1220 to the second side of the lid 1220. The second aperture provided may be considered part of the second opening arrangement, i.e. together with the second tab 1223 b.

In some arrangements, the cover is configured such that the portion of the cover that is removable during operation of the first opening arrangement is smaller than the portion of the cover that is removable during operation of the second opening arrangement.

In at least some of the above embodiments, the first opening arrangement may allow air to pass through both in operation and when liquid is removed, if desired.

In any of the arrangements described above, a direction control member may be provided, adhered or otherwise connected to at least a portion of the lid adjacent the first opening arrangement, for example an elongate tongue arranged to provide a flow path for liquid removed from the tank. Such an elongated tongue may control and direct the flow of the liquid composition to avoid that the liquid composition accidentally soil other parts of the lid. After use, the elongated tongue may be detached from the cover, for example by tearing or peeling, before or after operating the second opening arrangement. Fig. 13 depicts an example of a cover 1320 having two tabs 1323a, 1323 b. Attached to one of the tabs 1323a is an elongated tongue 1327.

In any of the above arrangements, the deformation of the urging member from the initial state to the deformed state may be a plastic deformation. In this case, by applying a thrust force exceeding a predetermined threshold, the state of the pushing member is changed from its initial state to the deformed state, and this state is maintained after the thrust force is relaxed, i.e. no longer applied. Alternatively, the deformation of the urging member from the initial state to the deformed state is elastic deformation. In this case, after the pushing member is deformed into the deformed state by the pushing force applied by the user and the pushing force is released, the pushing member may be pushed back to its original state. Further, the urging member may be configured to be repeatedly elastically deformed in this manner while returning to its initial state or to a state closer to the initial state than to the deformed state at a time.

In general, it can be configured to have elastic properties suitable for it to operate in the above-described elastic manner under repeated application and relaxation of said pushing force F.

In this case, the pushing member should be configured such that, under the pushing force, the pushing member may have properties suitable for the above-described elastic operation thereof, so that the pushing force F satisfies the following condition F_plastic>F>F_ThreshIn which F is_plasticIs a predetermined threshold at which the material will plastically deform, preventing it from returning to or near its initial position; and F_ThreshAs mentioned above, is a pushing force at which the pushing member has not been deformed to a desired extent.

In order to be able to repeatedly undergo the above-mentioned elastic deformation, the pushing member may have corresponding elastic properties and, in its cross-sectional view, the initial state is a convex shape and, in the elastically deformed state, a less convex or planar or concave shape.

When constituting a bottom in a tank in a ready-for-sale state, hermetically closed by an openable lid, the push member being arranged to be operated in the above-described resilient manner, at least in the case where the lid is at least partially opened.

When such an elastic urging member is operated in a can of any of the above examples, after a portion of the lid is opened (as described above), and after the user stops applying a pushing force to the elastic urging member, the elastic nature thereof will urge the elastic urging member back to its original state, so that the contained volume of the can increases with respect to the volume thereof with the urging member in its deformed state.

The pushing member may be in the form of a thin plate made of metal such as steel, aluminum, tin, etc., having a convex shape and sized to repeatedly elastically bend when the pushing force is applied to a central region thereof and return each time the pushing force is released.

When such a metal plate constitutes a bottom of a tank containing a product of a liquid and a solid component, more and more of the liquid component can be pumped out of the tank, through the opened portion of the lid, and replaced by air sucked into the tank when the metal plate returns from its deformed state, by repeatedly pushing the metal plate after having a lid portion adapted to be opened, so that the operation of the plate is similar to that of a membrane in a bulldozer pump. Such operation may result in the gradual and controlled removal of the liquid component from the tank.

When the article is a consumer food article, the metal sheet may be configured to be elastically bent under a pushing force F which may be conventionally applied to the base by a normal consumer's finger, to easily deform the base as desired. For example, such a force may be about 20N (or 2Kg force).

The above-mentioned metal plate may have any desired configuration in its plan view, conforming to the configuration of the pushing member in a tank as a bottom, for example: may have a regular shape such as a circle, an ellipse, a square or a rectangle.

The metal plate may be a tin or chrome plated steel plate having a temper rating in accordance with european standard EN 10202:2001 of TS275 to TH620, or a similar temper rating in accordance with other corresponding standards, and having a thickness in the range of 0.16 millimeters (mm) to 0.21 mm.

The metal plate may have a ratio of thickness to maximum dimension in plan view in the range of 0.001 to 0.005, more particularly, between 0.002 and 0.003. Such a plate may have a maximum deformation distance between the points of its centre points in the initial and maximum elastic bending states in the range of 5 to 10 mm, and more particularly in the range of 6 to 8 mm.

One specific example of a can having a bottom in the form of a metal plate is a round tuna can having a bottom of standard thickness of 0.16 mm and a diameter of 80 mm. The bottom of the can may be made of a tin-plated steel plate of one of the above types, having a convex shape in the initial state, and being resiliently bendable inwardly into a substantially planar (or at least more planar than convex) shape upon application of a pushing force of about 20N at its central region. Its convexity in the initial state may be such that the maximum deformation distance between the two states is about 7 mm.

Fig. 14A and 14B illustrate an example of a metal that forms a bottom 1430 of a can 1400, and has a peripheral edge 1434, a central area 1436, and a middle area 1438 therebetween, where the bottom 1430 is connected to a sidewall 1410 of the can 1400.

It should be understood that the particular shape of the bottom 1430 in its initial and deformed states shown in fig. 14A and 14B is merely exemplary and other possibilities are contemplated. For example, but not limiting of, the bottom 1430 may have an initial convex or planar configuration in the initial state and a less convex or planar or concave configuration in the deformed state, respectively.

Fig. 14A schematically illustrates a metal can 1400, such as a tuna can, for a food product, having the bottom 1430 connected with the side wall of the can adjacent its peripheral edge 1434. The canister 1400 has a cover 1440 that is slightly open and may be opened in any conventional manner or any of the previous examples to provide an opening 1441. The opening 1441 is configured with a size sufficient to allow a liquid component of the product (for example oil) but insufficient to allow a solid component of the product (for example tuna fillets) to pass through. As shown, the can 1400 is held in an open position with its bottom 1430 facing upwardly and its cover 1440 facing downwardly.

The bottom 1430 is in its initial state a convex shape (as shown by the solid line in fig. 14A). As can be seen in fig. 14A, in this example, the bottom, although convex, does not protrude outwardly from the peripheral edge of the can to allow for its conventional encapsulation.

The can 1400 is shown in fig. 14A with a pushing force F applied at its central region 1436 causing the bottom 1430 to flex inwardly from its original convex shape to its deformed planar state (shown in phantom in fig. 14A). To prevent plastic deformation of the body, the pushing force F applied to the bottom 1430 should be lower than F of the bottom 1430_plastic. During the elastic deformation, the receiving volume of the can 1400 is reduced with respect to the volume thereof with the push member in its initial state, and thus the liquid component is pushed out of the can 1400 in the direction of arrow O through the opening 1441 in the cover 1440.

Fig. 14B schematically illustrates the can 1400 of fig. 14A with the bottom 1430 in its deformed state (shown in phantom lines) as the pushing force F has been released and a resilient force F 'is created in the bottom 1430 in a direction D' opposite the direction D, returning the bottom to its original state (shown in dashed lines in fig. 14B) due to the strains and stresses created therein when bending inward. At this time, the receiving volume of the canister will increase relative to its volume with the push member in its deformed state, and air will be forced into the canister 1400 through an opening 1441 in the cover 1440 in the direction of arrow I.

Repeated inward pushing of the bottom 1430 by application and release of the force F causes the bottom 1430 to deform and return to its non-deformed state or a state close to its non-deformed state, which results in more and more of the liquid component being displaced from the tank 1400 out of the opening 1441 of the cover 1440 and replaced by air drawn into the tank 1400 by the return motion of the bottom 1430. Once no more liquid component is forced out of the open portion 1441 of the cover 1440, the can 1400 can be inverted and the cover 1440 can be opened further to remove the solid component.