Polymer-laminated metal lid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11794450-B2
Application number	US-202017126642-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2020
Priority date	Dec 18, 2020
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

At least some example embodiments relate to a container including a body and a lid. The body includes a base, a side wall, and an interior region at least partially defined by the base and the side wall. The lid includes a lid wall and a skirt that extends from a periphery of the lid wall. The skirt engages the body to retain the lid on the body. The skirt cooperates with the lid wall to define a cavity. The lid is formed from a laminate including a metal layer and a polymer layer coupled to the metal layer. The polymer layer is disposed inside of the metal layer with respect to the cavity. A portion of the body is disposed inside the cavity when the container is in a closed configuration. At least some example embodiments relate to a forming of manufacturing the lid.

First claim

We claim:

1. A lid for a container body, the lid comprising:
a wall defining a depression; and
a skirt extending from a periphery of the wall, the skirt being configured to engage the container body to retain the lid on the container body, the skirt cooperating with the wall to define a cavity, the lid is formed from a laminate including a metal layer and a polymer layer on the metal layer, the polymer layer in contact with the metal layer on an entirety of the wall, the polymer layer being inside of the metal layer with respect to the cavity, both the metal layer and the polymer layer defining the depression, the polymer layer including polyester terephthalate (PET), wherein the polymer layer additionally includes polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), or any combination thereof.

2. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the polymer layer is configured to directly engage the container body and be in fluid communication with an interior region of the container body.

3. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the metal layer includes tin, steel, stainless steel, aluminum, or any combination thereof.

4. The lid of claim 3 , wherein the steel includes tin-free steel.

5. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the metal layer includes tin-plated steel.

6. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the polymer layer includes a first sublayer and a second sublayer, the second sublayer being coupled to the metal layer.

7. The lid of claim 6 , wherein the second sublayer includes a thermal lamination material.

8. The lid of claim 6 , wherein
the first sublayer includes polyester terephthalate (PET) and additionally includes polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), or a combination of PE and PP, and
the second sublayer includes polyethylene (PE) or a PP copolymer.

9. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the laminate further includes an enamel layer on a surface of the polymer layer such that the polymer layer is between the metal layer and the enamel layer, the enamel layer being configured to directly engage the container body and be in fluid communication with an interior region of the container body.

10. The lid of claim 9 , wherein the enamel layer includes a phenolic, an epoxy, or an epoxy-phenolic.

11. The lid of claim 10 , wherein the enamel layer includes the epoxy-phenolic.

12. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the polymer layer is directly on the metal layer.

13. The lid of claim 1 , further comprising:
an adhesive layer between the metal layer and the polymer layer.

14. The lid of claim 1 , further comprising a projection extending radially inwardly from the skirt, the projection being configured to engage the container body.

15. The lid of claim 14 , wherein the projection is a circumferential projection extending continuously around an inside surface of the skirt.

16. A method of forming a lid for a container body of claim 1 , the method comprising: preparing a laminate sheet by laminating a polymer sheet onto a metal sheet; separating a portion of the laminate sheet from a remainder of the laminate sheet; and forming the portion into the lid, including the wall and the skirt.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the preparing includes heat bonding the polymer sheet to the metal sheet.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
providing the polymer sheet, the polymer sheet additionally including polypropylene (PP), a polyethylene (PE), or any combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein
the providing includes co-extruding a first polymeric sublayer and a second polymeric sublayer,
the first polymeric sublayer includes PET and additionally PE, PP, or both PE and PP, and
the second polymeric sublayer includes PE or a PP copolymer.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the forming includes stamping, pressing, hydroforming, or any combination thereof.

21. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
applying an enamel to the polymer sheet after the preparing, the enamel including a phenolic, an epoxy, or an epoxy-phenolic.

22. The method of claim 16 , wherein the separating includes die cutting.

23. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
providing the metal sheet prior to the preparing, the metal sheet having a thickness ranging from 0.0062 inches to 0.0141 inches.

Assignees

• Altria Client Services Llc

Inventors

• Hession Christopher J
• Wilkins Drew
• Mccandless Todd

Classifications

• B32B15/09 Primary

  comprising polyesters · CPC title

• B32B7/12

  using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties · CPC title

• B32B15/085

  comprising polyolefins · CPC title

• B32B15/092

  comprising epoxy resins · CPC title

• B32B15/18

  comprising iron or steel {(B32B15/011, B32B15/012 and B32B15/013 take precedence)} · CPC title