Method of shaping container bodies and corresponding apparatus

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention deals with the shaping of metallic container bodies, typically the shaping of the lateral wall of the body in order to get new shapes derived from the original container bodies which are typically cylindrically shaped. Typically, such containers are of the aerosol type with a comparatively high ratio H/D, H and D being respectively the height of the body and its diameter or greater dimension in section, such a ratio being greater than 1.

PRIOR ART

US 5,794,474 discloses a method and apparatus for reshaping a container body utilizing multiple fluids. In one embodiment, a nozzle is introduced into the interior of the container body to apply a concentrated force to the interior surface of the container body with a high velocity liquid stream of water.

GB 2 224 965 discloses methods and apparatus for reshaping hollow members. The apparatus comprises a mould made of two mould halves, forming a chamber, upper and lower supports for the can to reshape, a hydraulic clamp to seal the flange of the can, and a mandrel with openings to feed compressed air in the can.

FR 1 345 493 discloses a method and an apparatus to reshape container bodies. The apparatus comprises a shaped mould made of two mould halves and a compression chamber with a piston.

EP 0 853 513 discloses systems and methods for making decorative shaped metal cans.

The method comprises steps of using a mould and supplying a pressurised fluid into the mould, the can being placed in the mould with a precompression.

WO 98/17416 discloses the reshaping of containers by expanding the container against a mould using pressurised air.

EP 0 824 978 discloses a device for remodelling a hollow object. The device comprises a mould, sealing means for sealing the mouth opening of the hollow object against the wall of the mould cavity, compression and depression means, the compression and decompression means being adapted to store the energy available during decompression.

EP 0 521 637 discloses an apparatus and a method for reshaping containers with a double seam. The apparatus comprises a mould, means for sealing the open end of the container, means for supplying a fluid under pressure to the interior of the container, and holding means to prevent deformation of the double seam during expansion of the container.

PROBLEM TO SOLVE

Metallic containers are manufactured with precisely shaped top end with an opening and precisely shaped bottom end, to provide users with containers apt to be filled, typically closed by seaming, and possibly retorted.

Most of the metallic containers have straight skirts. But, there is a need to provide the market with metallic shaped containers, i.e. containers having shaped skirts and already provided with a precisely shaped top end with an opening and precisely shaped bottom end.

The problem to solve is to shape a skirt of a metallic container without changing the geometrical characteristics of its precisely shaped top end with an opening and of its precisely shaped bottom end, given that any change would be a default impairing totally said container.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A first object of the present invention is a method of reshaping a skirt of a hollow metallic container having a typically shaped open top end with an opening and/or a typically shaped bottom end. In such a method : <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none" compact="compact"><li>a) said container is placed in a two halves mould having an internal shaped wall,</li><li>b) an internal pressure P of a fluid, typically air, is build up during a span of time Δt within said hollow container forming a cavity, so as to shape said skirt by expanding it against said shaped wall, said shaped wall having with an internal surface defining a lateral space typically kept at atmospheric pressure.</li></ul> Such a method is characterized in that an external pressure P' of a fluid, typically air, is applied in a said upper space contiguous to an external or upper surface of said open top end and/or in a said lower space contiguous to an external or lower surface of said shaped bottom end, so as to have, during said span of time Δt, a pressure difference ΔP = |P-P'| low enough to prevent any distortion of said shaped open top end and/or said shaped bottom end, so as to form a shaped metallic container.

Such a method solves the set problem. The method can be used with any type of container, or any size of container.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

<ul id="ul0002" list-style="none" compact="compact"><li>Figure 1 is an axial section of the apparatus or the press used to reshape metallic containers, its upper and lower pistons being in upper position.</li><li>Figure 2 is the same as figure 1, but with the upper and lower pistons being in lower position.</li><li>Figure 3 is a partial detailed view of the apparatus according to figure 1.</li><li>Figure 4 is a transversal view of the shaping mould used in the apparatus or press of figures 1 to 3.</li></ul>

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, said pressure difference ΔP may be typically lower than 0,05 MPa for a thickness of 0,2 mm of a container made of aluminium, or for a thickness of 0,17 mm of a container made of steel. Said pressure difference may be generally lower than 0,01 MPa.

Upper and lower separating means may be used to prevent communication and pressure equalization between said lateral space (211), and said upper space (101) and/or lower space (141), so as to keep ΔP1 and ΔP2 as low as possible, ΔP1 and ΔP2 being the pressure differences between said cavity (15) and respectively said upper space (101) and said lower space (141), to prevent any distortion of said shaped open top end (10) and/or said shaped bottom end (14) during shaping of said skirt (12). Said lateral space (211) being generally at the atmospheric pressure, and said lateral space (211), and said upper space (101) having to be kept at the comparatively high pressure P' close to internal pressure P, it is important to have means to separate lateral space (211) from upper space (101) and lower space (141). Said upper space (101) and lower space (141) said may be kept at the same pressure typically with the help of duct or pipe connecting both spaces, so as to have ΔP1=ΔP2. The apparatus or press (5) of figures 1 to 3 comprises such a duct or pipe connecting upper space (101) and lower space (141), but it has not been drawn on the figures.

According to an embodiment of the invention, compressed air with a same pressure P may be applied simultaneously in said cavity (15) of said hollow container (1, 6), said upper space (101) and said lower space (141).

According to another embodiment, said pressure build up P may be generated by operating a said lower piston (3) entering said cavity (15) of said hollow container (1) through said opening (11) so as to compress the air within said cavity (15) with a given compression ratio of V1/V2, V1 and V2 being respectively the internal volume of said cavity (15) before and after a move of said lower piston (3) of volume V_L moving down into said cavity (15), with V2 typically equal to V1-V_L, said pressure P' being provided by an auxiliary pressure supplier. In that case, said auxiliary pressure supplier may use compressed air with a device to equalize pressures P and P' during span of time Δt. Span of time Δt is typically between 0,5 s et 2s. But, as disclosed in figures 1 to 3, said lower piston (3) may be operated with the help of an upper piston (4), said lower piston (3) being a lower part of said upper piston (4), said upper piston (4) moving in a upper compression body (52) of a press (5) forming a upper compression cavity (520) with a compression ratio of V'1/V'2, V' 1 and V'2 being respectively the internal volume of said upper compression cavity (520) before and after a move of said upper piston (4) moving down into said upper compression cavity (520), said upper piston (4) moving inside said upper compression cavity (520), said upper space (101) being typically part of said upper compression cavity (520), so as to form said auxiliary pressure supplier. Compression ratios V'1/V'2 and V1/V2 may be kept typically identical, with V'1.V2 /V'2.V1 being comprised between 0,8 and 1,2 and preferably between 0,9 and 1,1, so as to have a pressure difference ΔP small enough to prevent any distortion of said shaped open top end and/or said shaped bottom end, so as to form a shaped metallic container.

Another object of the present invention is an apparatus, typically a press (5), for applying said method according to the invention for reshaping a skirt (12) of a hollow container (1) having typically a shaped open top end (10) with an opening (11), said apparatus comprising : <ul id="ul0003" list-style="none" compact="compact"><li>a) a two-halves mould (2) having an internally shaped wall (21), typically provided with lateral apertures (212) in order to keep its lateral space (211) at atmospheric pressure, said mould (2) and shaped wall (21) being designed to adapt to the size of said skirt (12) of said hollow container (1, 6),</li><li>b) upper and lower means, typically an upper ring (53) and a lower base (54), to lock/unlock or to close / open said halves (20) of said mould (2), said upper and lower means preventing by themselves or possibly with additional means, any significant pressure equalizing between said lateral space and said upper and lower spaces,</li><li>c) means for supplying a pressurized fluid in said cavity (15) of said hollow container (1, 6) to have an internal pressure P of a fluid, typically air, able to expand said skirt (12) against said shaped wall (21),</li><li>d) auxiliary means for supplying a pressurized fluid, typically air, in said upper (101) and lower (141) spaces to have an external pressure P' of said fluid in said upper space (101) and lower space (141) to have a pressure difference ΔP = |P-P'| low enough to prevent any distortion of said shaped open top end (10) and/or said shaped bottom end (14), so as to form a shaped metallic container (1', 6').</li></ul>

Such an apparatus or press (5) may comprise means to equalize pressure between said upper space and said lower space, said means being typically a pipe or a duct connecting said upper space (101) and said lower space (141).

According to an embodiment of the apparatus, said means for supplying a pressurized fluid in said cavity (15) to have an internal pressure P of a fluid, typically air, may be said lower piston (3) able to move axially in said cavity (15) of said hollow container (1, 6) through said opening (11) so as to compress air inside said cavity (15) with a compression ratio V1/V2, V1 and V2 being respectively the internal volume of said cavity (15) of said hollow container (1, 6) before and after a move of said lower piston (3) moving down or entering into said cavity (15) of said hollow container (1, 6), pressure P' being provided by an auxiliary pressure supplier.

As illustrated in figures 1 to 3, auxiliary means for supplying a pressurized fluid in said upper (101) and lower (141) spaces to have an external pressure P' of a fluid, typically air, may be said upper piston (4) moving in said upper compression cavity (520) so as to compress air with a compression ratio V'1/V'2, V'1 and V'2 being respectively the internal volume of said upper compression cavity (520) before and after a move of said upper piston (4) moving down into said upper compression cavity (520), said upper piston (4) moving inside said upper compression cavity (520) forming said auxiliary means or said auxiliary pressure supplier. Said lower piston (3) may be a part of said upper piston (4), said lower piston (3) being operated by the move of said upper piston (4), both pistons (3) and (4) having the same axial displacement H during a compression cycle of said press (5).

Typically, said lower piston (3) may have a diameter close to the internal diameter of said opening (11), with a clearance between said lower piston (3) and said opening (11) allowing for a free move of said lower piston (3) through said opening (11).

According to the invention, values of V1, V2 and H being set, values of V'1 and V'2 are such that V'1.V2 / V'2.V1 is comprised between 0,8 and 1,2 and preferably between 0,9 and 1,1, so as to have said pressure difference ΔP = |P-P'| low enough to prevent any distortion of said shaped open top end (10) and/or said shaped bottom end (14).

But it may possible, according to the invention, that said cavity (15) and said upper compression cavity (520) are kept at the same pressure P, said lower piston (3) cooperating with said opening (11) with a clearance high enough to allow for pressure equalization between said cavity (15) and said upper compression cavity (520) during said span of time Δt.

As pictured on figure 3, additional means may be a mobile ring (55) bearing typically a sealing ring (550).

Another object of the present invention is the use of method according to the invention, and/or the use of the apparatus according to the invention to manufacture shaped metallic containers, typically metallic cans, and metallic aerosols containers (6), starting from containers having already shaped top ends and/or shaped bottom ends.

EXAMPLE

The figures 1 to 4 are an example of method and apparatus or press (5) according to the invention. The metallic container (1) is an aerosol (6). It has a shaped open top end (10) and a shaped bottom end (14) as pictured in figure 3. Lower (3) and upper (4) pistons move axially up and down typically in the axial direction (16) as pictured in figure 3. Lower space (141) and upper space (101) are connected by a pipe not represented in figures 1 to 3. The press (5) pictured in figures 1 to 3 comprise a complementary ring (56) for allowing axial displacement of mobile ring (55) bearing a sealing ring (550). Such a press (5) is able to shape the skirt of a container having already a shaped top end and a shaped bottom end. As can be seen, on figure 3, the container (1, 6) to be shaped is a standard aerosol ready to be filled and conditioned. <tables id="tabl0001" num="0001"><table frame="all"><tgroup cols="2" colsep="1" rowsep="0"><colspec colnum="1" colname="col1" colwidth="78.75mm" /><colspec colnum="2" colname="col2" colwidth="78.75mm" /><thead valign="top"><row rowsep="1"><entry namest="col1" nameend="col2" align="left">LIST OF REFERENCES</entry></row></thead><tbody valign="top"><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">Metallic container</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">1</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">Shaped metallic container</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">1'</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">   Shaped top end of 1</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">10</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">      External or upper surface of 10</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">100</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">      Upper space</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">101</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">   Opening of 1,10</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">11</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">   Skirt to shape</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">12</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">   Shaped skirt</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">13</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">   Shaped bottom end</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">14</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">      External or lower surface of 14</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">140</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">      Lower space</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">141</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">   Cavity of 1</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">15</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">   Axial direction</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">16</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">Mould for shaping skirt 12</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">2</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">   Halves of 2</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">20</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">   Shaped wall of 2, 20</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">21</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">      Internal surface</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">210</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">      Lateral space</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">211</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">      Lateral apertures</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">212</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">Lower piston</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">3</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">Upper piston</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">4</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">Apparatus - press</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">5</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">   Base of 5</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">50</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">   Upper frame of 5</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">51</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">   Upper compression body</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">52</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">      Upper compression cavity</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">520</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">   Upper ring</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">53</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">   Lower base</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">54</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">   Mobile ring</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">55</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">      Sealing ring</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">550</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">   Complementary ring</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">56</entry></row><row><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">Aerosol metallic container</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">6</entry></row><row rowsep="1"><entry namest="col1" nameend="col1" align="left">   Shoulder of 6</entry><entry namest="col2" nameend="col2" align="left">60</entry></row></tbody></tgroup></table></tables>