JP5931335B2 - can - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a can used for a beverage can or the like.

  In recent years, from the viewpoint of individualization and differentiation of products, unique cans (so-called deformed cans) in which a concavo-convex pattern is formed on a can body have been proposed and implemented. As a method for making such a can, it is widely known that a steel can material is expanded (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Variant cans are manufactured in consideration of various viewpoints such as ease of holding and ease of drinking while focusing on the design that attracts consumers' attention.
For example, in patent document 2, the annular recessed part is formed in the can body of a 2 piece aluminum can or a 3 piece aluminum can, and the width | variety of a recessed part is 15 mm or more from a viewpoint of the ease of putting a finger. Moreover, the position of the recessed part is set to 30 mm or more downward from the upper end of the can body from the viewpoint of ease of holding.

JP 2009-132984 A JP 2009-298428 A

However, Patent Document 2 lacks a viewpoint for existing manufacturing equipment. For this reason, in order to actually manufacture the can of Patent Document 2, it is necessary to greatly improve the existing manufacturing equipment, which is not realistic. In addition, the design of the recesses is simply a straight line with the upper and lower lines. For this reason, despite the focus on design, the impression on consumers was not great. Furthermore, when the can is gripped from the side, it is easy to hold the finger in the recess, but when the can is gripped from above, the distance to the recess is as large as 30 mm or more, so the finger can be put into the recess. It was difficult.
In particular, when actually drinking, you can shake the can, open the can with one hand, take out the can from the car holder, or even hold the can while holding cigarettes or luggage. I often hold it. However, the can of Patent Document 2 lacks consideration for such a drinking situation, and there is enough room for improving the ease of gripping near the top of the can.

  For example, when manufacturing a deformed can using expand molding, the variation which arises in the height of a can body becomes large depending on the mode of a crevice. This is presumed to be due to a difference in the amount of diameter expansion, but if this variation exceeds the allowable range, the tightening by the seamer with the can lid or can bottom in the subsequent manufacturing process becomes poor. For this reason, when manufacturing a deformed can, it is necessary to sufficiently consider variations in the height of the can body.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and at the same time ensuring ease of holding when a can with improved designability is gripped from above, enhance adaptability to existing manufacturing equipment, and An object of the present invention is to provide a can capable of suppressing variations in height of the can body during production.

  In order to achieve the above object, the can of the present invention is a can in which at least the can lid is wound around one end of a cylindrical can body among the can lid and the can bottom, and the can lid side is closer to the can bottom side. At the position of the crest and trough so that the side wall of the can body is provided with a recess formed in the circumferential direction, and at least one of the upper line and the lower line defining the recess is symmetrical with respect to the central axis. Are wave-like lines that are alternately repeated in the circumferential direction, and the number of peaks and valleys is any of 3 to 7, and at least part of the upper line is 19. It is located in the range of 5 to 22.5 mm.

  According to this invention, since it forms with the recessed part which has a wavy line, design property can be improved compared with the recessed part which consists only of the conventional linear line. Further, since the position of the upper line of the recess is within the above range, even when the user grasps the can from above, the finger can sufficiently reach the upper line. For this reason, even when grasped from above, it is ensured that the finger is placed on the recess, so that it is possible to provide ease of holding with sufficient consideration for the above-mentioned drinking actual condition.

  In addition, since the wave-like line is used and the position of the upper line is in the above range, the width of the recess can be made as large as possible while ensuring the adaptability to existing manufacturing equipment. The reason for this will be described below with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 used in the embodiment.

  Regions S1 and S2 shown in FIG. 6 are regions in which a plurality of existing manufacturing facilities commonly contact the can body. If the concave portion is formed in the region S3 between the regions S1 and S2, the portion where the existing manufacturing equipment comes into contact with the can body becomes a surface having no unevenness, and the contact property is not hindered. In this case, if the concave portion is a conventional one consisting of a straight upper line and a lower line, the width of the concave portion can only be set to 9 mm at the maximum, and this makes it easy to use the concave portion. Not.

  On the other hand, if it is the wave-like line of this invention, the width | variety of a recessed part can be set large by the part | minute of the height of the peak part. In this case, the contact with the existing manufacturing equipment can be ensured although it is partial even when viewed in the circumferential direction of the can body (see FIG. 7). Moreover, the contact request | requirement in area | region S1 is satisfy | filled by making the position of an upper side line into said range. Therefore, if it is a wavy line, even if there is a restriction on the position of the upper line in relation to the existing manufacturing equipment, the adaptability (contactability) to the existing manufacturing equipment is ensured, and The width can be made as large as possible.

On the other hand, when the wave-shaped line is used, there is a contradiction that the height of the can body is likely to vary during the manufacture of the can body, as compared with a conventional line formed of a straight line.
In this regard, in the present invention, as the wave-like line, the crests and troughs are alternately repeated in the circumferential direction so as to be symmetrical with respect to the central axis. For this reason, compared with an asymmetrical curve etc., the variation in the height which may arise at the time of manufacture (for example, at the time of expand molding) can be suppressed. Moreover, in this invention, since it is set as the above-mentioned range about the number of the peak parts and trough parts in a wave-like line, it is compatible with ease of manufacture (for example, expand molding) and design property.

  According to a preferred embodiment, the upper line and the lower line are both sinusoidal lines and are preferably parallel to each other.

  According to another preferable aspect, one of the upper line and the lower line is a sinusoidal line, and the other of the upper line and the lower line is preferably a straight line.

  As described above, the wave line is not formed in a rectangular wave or a trapezoidal wave but a sine wave, so that the wave line can be easily formed on the can body. In particular, when expand molding is used, the moldability can be improved. Moreover, when the upper and lower lines are wave lines parallel to each other, the expand moldability is further improved, so that the variation in height after the expand molding can be further suppressed.

  In these cases, the number of peaks and valleys may be three each. By doing so, even if there is a variation in the height of the can body when it is molded, the highest position of the height level can be three points. Therefore, since the surface is defined as one by the principle of three-point support, even if the variation is the same level as in the case of four or more, it is effective for tightening on the surface.

  Preferably, the amplitude of the peaks and valleys is 1.75 mm or less. If the amplitude exceeds this value, although it depends on the number of peaks and valleys, it is difficult to manufacture (for example, expand molding), and the height variation due to this increases.

  Preferably, at least a part of the lower line is located within a range of 31.5 to 35.5 mm from the upper end of the can lid.

  Preferably, the width between the upper line and the lower line is at most in the range of 12 to 14 mm. By doing so, it is possible to consider the relationship with existing manufacturing equipment and the height variation at the time of manufacturing the can body in addition to the viewpoint of ease of finger placement.

  Preferably, the recess is formed by expanding the can body. This is because it is easy to secure a processing step as an amount that allows a person to feel ease of gripping.

It is a figure which shows the 1st can which concerns on embodiment, (a) is a top view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a bottom view. (A) is the front view which added an example of the dimension to the 1st can shown in FIG. 1, (b) is a development view of the can body of the 1st can. It is a front view which shows the 2nd can which concerns on embodiment. It is a front view which shows the 3rd can which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the existing manufacturing equipment. It is a figure which shows the position of the can which the acceleration arm and can feed chain of the existing manufacturing equipment contact. It is a figure which shows the positional relationship of the recessed part shown in FIG. 2, and the common contact area | region of the acceleration arm and can feed chain shown in FIG. It is a graph which shows the analysis result of the height change after an expand molding about the can body of the 1st-the 3rd can according to an embodiment, and the can body concerning a comparative example.

  With reference to the accompanying drawings, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described by taking a three-piece beverage can as an example. In the following description, in the can, the side where the can lid is present is the upper side, and the direction where the can bottom is present is the lower side. The height means a length along the direction (vertical direction) of the central axis of the can.

1. Outline of Can Structure A typical three can structures will be described as cans targeted by the present embodiment. These three cans have the same structure except for a concave portion formed in the can body.

(1) Structure of first can (both sides wave line) As shown in FIG. 1, the first can 1 a includes a can body 2, a can lid 3, and a can bottom 4. Here, the can body 2, the can lid 3 and the can bottom 4 are made of different members, the can lid 3 is wound around the upper end of the cylindrical can body 2, and the can bottom 4 is wound around the lower end of the can body 2. By being tightened, a can 1a in which both end openings of the can body 2 are closed is formed. The can lid 3 is provided with a tab 9 (so-called SOT) for opening the drinking mouth 8.

  The can body 2 includes a body main body 10, a reduced diameter portion 12 that continues to the upper portion of the body main body 10, and a reduced diameter portion 14 that continues to the lower portion of the body main body 10. The reduced diameter portions 12 and 14 are configured to have an outer diameter smaller than that of the trunk body 10, and are located at boundaries between the can lid 3 and the can bottom 4, respectively. A recess 16 is formed in the trunk body 10 along the circumferential direction. In the trunk body 10, the upper cylindrical portion 17 a between the concave portion 16 and the reduced diameter portion 12 and the lower cylindrical portion 17 b between the concave portion 16 and the reduced diameter portion 14 are non-recessed portions having no recess. Are formed and have the same outer diameter.

  The recess 16 is a belt-like groove formed at a position closer to the can lid 3 side than to the can bottom 4 side. The recess 16 is defined by an upper line 16a and a lower line 16b. That is, the upper line 16a defines the boundary between the concave portion 16 and the upper cylindrical portion 17a, and the lower line 16b defines the boundary between the concave portion 16 and the lower cylindrical portion 17b.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the longitudinal section of the concave portion 16 is inclined inward of the can body 2 from the upper line 16a and the lower line 16b to the central portion so that the central portion is deepest. It has a flat surface. The maximum depth of the concave portion 16 is, for example, about 1.15 mm, but is not limited to this, and the concave portion 16 can be deepened to the molding limit of the can body 2. On the other hand, if the concave portion 16 is too shallow, the ease with which the finger is applied is impaired. Therefore, the depth of the concave portion 16 is preferably 0.5 mm or more from the viewpoint of ensuring the ease with which the finger is applied from above. In addition, from the viewpoint of ensuring the ease of applying a finger from above, the depth of the recess 16 may be smaller than the depth required for the ease of applying a finger from the side.
As shown in FIG. 2 (b), the upper line 16 a and the lower line 16 b have a ridge portion 18 a and a valley portion 18 b that are symmetrical with respect to the central axis Y of the can barrel 2. 2 is a wavy line that is alternately repeated in the circumferential direction. Here, the upper line 16a and the lower line 16b are both sinusoidal and extend in parallel to each other.

(2) Structure of the second can (upper wave line, lower straight line) As shown in FIG. 3, the second can 1b has the lower line 16b of the recess 16 as a straight line. . This linear line is in a plane perpendicular to the central axis Y. The aspect of the upper line 16a is the same as that of the upper line 16a shown in FIG.

(3) Structure of third can (upper straight line, upper straight line) As shown in FIG. 4, the third can 1 c is configured such that the upper line 16 a of the recess 16 is a straight line. This linear line is in a plane perpendicular to the central axis Y. The mode of the lower line 16b is the same as the mode of the lower line 16b shown in FIG.

  In the following description, the first to third cans 1a to 1c are collectively referred to as cans 1, and only when corresponding to the individual cans, the corresponding reference signs a to c are attached to the can 1. To do.

2. Manufacturing method of can Next, the manufacturing method of a deformed can like the can 1 mentioned above is demonstrated.

  Techniques for manufacturing this type of modified can include emboss molding, bead molding, and expansion molding. In the present embodiment, the can body 2 is manufactured by using expansion molding from the viewpoint of easily ensuring a processing step (for example, 1.1 mm to 1.5 mm) as an amount that allows a person to feel ease of gripping the recess 16. doing.

  Specifically, in order to manufacture the can body 2, first, a predetermined mold is inserted into the inside of the cylindrical can member (can body 2 before processing), and this mold is inflated. The can member is expanded. By expansion molding, the central portion of the cylindrical can member is expanded to form the trunk body 10 having a diameter larger than that of the reduced diameter sections 12 and 14, and at the same time, the recess 16 is formed in the trunk body 10. Thereafter, flanges (not shown) used to wind up the can lid 3 and the can bottom 4 are formed at the upper end opening and the lower end opening of the cylindrical can member. Thus, the can body 2 before winding is completed.

  Then, as a process until manufacturing the can 1, first, the can lid 3 manufactured separately from the can body 2 is wound around the flange on the upper end side of the can body 2, and the upper end opening of the can body 2 is opened. Block. Next, the can member in this state (hereinafter, the can body 2 with such a can lid 3 may be referred to as an “empty can”) is transferred to a filler (filling machine), and the contents are filled into the empty can with the filler. Fill. Then, it conveys to a seamer, the can bottom 4 is wound around the flange on the lower end side of the can body 2 by the seamer, and the lower end opening of the can body 2 is closed. Thus, the can 1 filled with the contents is manufactured.

  Here, as the material of the can 1, various materials can be used as long as they are metals, but it is preferable to use steel for the can body 2 and the bottom 4 and to use aluminum for the can lid 3. . By doing so, it is configured as a so-called negative pressure can, and it is possible to appropriately perform the punching after filling, and to give the necessary strength to the can body 2 after the expansion molding.

  In another embodiment, aluminum can be used for the can bottom 4, and aluminum can be used for the can body 2. Therefore, this embodiment does not exclude application of a positive pressure can.

  Here, examples of the contents filled in the can 1 include non-carbonated drinks such as water, green tea, oolong tea, and fruit juice. Among them, coffee is suitable for a negative pressure can. A carbonated beverage can also be used, but in that case, it is suitable when configured as a positive pressure can. Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to jelly-like beverages, and can be applied not only to beverages but also to foods such as sauces. However, in the case of contents with low fluidity, it is desirable to increase the discharge port corresponding to the drinking port 8.

3. Specific mode of recess 16 (position, width, etc.)
The recesses 16 of the cans 1a to 1c preferably have the following specific aspects in view of various viewpoints to be described later.

(1) Position of the recess 16 (position of the upper line 16a)
The upper line 16a shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 3 is in a range of 20 mm from the upper end of the can lid 3, and the amplitude of the wave is 1 mm. That is, the distance from the upper end of the can lid 3 is 18 mm up to the peak 18a of the upper line 16a and 20 mm up to the valley 18b.
4 is 20 mm from the upper end of the can lid 3.

  Here, it is desirable to determine the position of the upper line 16a from the viewpoint of ease of drinking and ease of gripping from above, as well as the relationship with existing manufacturing equipment.

  More specifically, if the upper line 16a is too close to the can lid 3, the user may feel uncomfortable such as difficulty in drinking because the lips touch the upper line 16a during drinking. On the other hand, if the upper line 16a is too far away from the can lid 3, the user may not be able to hold the finger on the upper line 16a when holding the can 1 from above, or it may be difficult to hold the finger. Therefore, if importance is placed on the balance between ease of drinking and ease of gripping from above, the position of the upper line 16 a is preferably about 15 to 23 mm from the upper end of the can lid 3.

  However, in such a range, it has been confirmed by the present inventors that it is difficult to adapt to existing manufacturing equipment. According to the knowledge of the present inventor, in order to satisfy the adaptability to existing manufacturing equipment, at least a part of the upper line 16a is located in the range of 19.5 to 22.5 mm from the upper end of the can lid 3. Need to be. Details of this point will be described later in “4.”.

  Therefore, the upper line 16a according to this embodiment may be sinusoidal or linear, and at least a part of the upper line 16a may be located within a range of 19.5 to 22.5 mm from the upper end of the can lid 3. That's fine. As a preferred example of this embodiment, the dimensions shown in FIGS. 2A, 3 and 4 belong to this range. The present invention is not limited to this dimension.

  In addition, since a width of about 10 mm is secured as the non-recessed surface above the upper line 16a, this surface can be used as a printing area for printing the product name of the can 1 and the like.

(2) Width of Recess 16 The width of the recess 16 shown in FIG. 2A, that is, the distance between the upper line 16a and the lower line 16b is 12.5 mm. The widths of the recesses 16 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are the same and vary in the circumferential direction between 10.5 mm and 12.5 mm. Specifically, in the recess 16 shown in FIG. 3, the maximum width (the distance between the crest 18a of the upper line 16a and the lower line 16b) is 12.5 mm, and the minimum width (below the trough 18b of the upper line 16a and the lower part). The distance from the side line 16b) is 10.5 mm. FIG. 4 is similar to FIG.

  Here, it is desirable to determine the width of the concave portion 16 from the viewpoint of the ease with which the finger is applied, the relationship with the existing manufacturing equipment, and the height variation when manufacturing the can body 2.

  More specifically, if the width of the concave portion 16 is too narrow (for example, a width of 10 mm), it is difficult for the user to hook a finger on the concave portion 16 when gripping the can 1. On the other hand, if the width of the concave portion 16 is too wide, when the can 1 is gripped, the concave portion 16 enters the concave portion 16 halfway to other fingers, and the user may feel uncomfortable. Therefore, if importance is attached to a width that allows only one finger to enter sufficiently, the width is 15 to 20 mm.

  However, on the premise that the position of the upper line 16a is formed in the above-described range, it has been confirmed by the present inventor that it is difficult to adapt to existing manufacturing equipment if the width of the recess 16 is 15 to 20 mm. Yes. According to the knowledge of the present inventor, in order to satisfy the adaptability to existing manufacturing equipment, when the position of the upper line 16a is formed in the above-described range, the width of the recess 16 needs to be 14 mm or less. Details of this point will be described later in “4.”. It has been confirmed by the present inventor that, under certain conditions, the height of the recess 16 increases, such as the width of the recess 16 increases. Details of this point will be described later in “5.”. On the other hand, when the user grips the can 1 from above, the width is sufficient to hook the finger into the recess 16, and when the can 1 is gripped from the side, the thumb or index finger can be hooked in the recess 16. From the viewpoint of possible width, that is, from the viewpoint of easy finger placement, the width of the recess 16 is preferably 12 mm or more.

  Therefore, the width of the recess 16 according to this embodiment may be in the range of 12 to 14 mm. In addition, the dimension shown to Fig.2 (a), FIG.3 and FIG.4 which belongs to this range is a preferable example of this embodiment, and this invention is not limited to this.

(3) Wave Line Mountain / Valley As shown in FIG. 2 (b), the upper line 16a and the lower line 16b shown in FIG. 2 (a) both have the number of peaks 18a and valleys 18b, respectively. Three. This also applies to the upper line 16a shown in FIG. 3 and the lower line 16b shown in FIG. Hereinafter, in order to simplify the description, FIG. 2 will be described as an example.

  Here, about the number of the peak parts 18a and the trough parts 18b in the upper side line 16a and the lower side line 16b as a wave line, in addition to the viewpoint of design and the ease of manufacture, at the time of manufacture of the can body 2 It is desirable to determine from the viewpoint of height variation.

  More specifically, if the number of peak portions 18a and valley portions 18b is too small, although depending on the amplitude, the concave portion 16 as a whole is difficult to be recognized as a wave-like pattern, and the design property of the main object is lowered. On the other hand, if the number of peak portions 18a and valley portions 18b is too large, it will be difficult to perform expansion molding depending on the amplitude. Further, it has been confirmed by the present inventor that as the number of peak portions 18a and valley portions 18b increases, the height variation increases when the can body 2 is manufactured.

Therefore, in view of the above points, the number of peak portions 18a and valley portions 18b according to this embodiment may be any of 3 to 7, respectively.
The number of wave line peaks 18a and valleys 18b in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 belonging to this range is merely a preferred example of this embodiment, and it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to this. . In addition, as a preferable number of the peak part 18a and the trough part 18b, it is 3-5 pieces, and a more preferable number is three pieces. Details of this point will be described later in “5.”.

(4) Waveline Amplitude In the upper line 16a and the lower line 16b shown in FIG. 2A , the amplitude of the crest 18a and the trough 18b is 1 mm as described above. This also applies to the upper line 16a shown in FIG. 3 and the lower line 16b shown in FIG. Hereinafter, in order to simplify the description, FIG. 2 will be described as an example.

  Here, with respect to the amplitude of the upper line 16a and the lower line 16b as wave lines, in addition to the aspect of design and ease of manufacture, the relationship with existing manufacturing equipment and the manufacturing time of the can body 2 It is desirable to determine from the viewpoint of height variation.

  More specifically, if the amplitude is too large, it becomes difficult to perform the expansion molding, although it depends on the number of peak portions 18a and valley portions 18b. Further, it has been confirmed by the present inventor that the greater the amplitude, the greater the variation in height when the can body 2 is manufactured. On the other hand, if the amplitude is too small, although depending on the number of peak portions 18a and valley portions 18b, the entire concave portion 16 becomes difficult to be recognized as a wavy pattern, and the main design may be reduced. In addition, if the amplitude is small, the contact area of the existing manufacturing equipment with the guide may be small, which is not preferable. Details of this point will be described later in “4.”.

  Therefore, in view of the above points, the amplitude of the waveline according to this embodiment may be in the range of 0.25 mm to 1.75 mm. The amplitude of the wave line in FIG. 2, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 belonging to this range is only a preferred example of the present embodiment, and it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to this. The preferred amplitude of the wave line is 1 mm to 1.25 mm, and the more preferred amplitude is 1 mm.

4). The relationship between the recess 16 and the existing manufacturing equipment Next, the reason why the existing manufacturing equipment is taken into account for the position and width of the recess 16 and the amplitude of the wave line will be described.

  As described in “2.” above, in the manufacturing process of the can 1, the empty can (can body 2 with the can lid 3) is transferred to the filler and the seamer. It is performed while supporting the side wall (that is, the side wall of the can body 2) with a guide such as a stainless bar. If there is no unevenness on the side wall of the empty can, the guide and support during transportation will be smooth. However, if there is a recess on the side wall of the empty can as in the can 1, depending on the position of the recess, the guide and support at the time of transport may not be properly performed, and smooth transport may be hindered. Therefore, it is necessary to form the recess in the empty can at a position that does not hinder the conveyance.

  In addition to the conveyance process, it is necessary to pay attention to the filler and seamer guides.

  For example, in the existing manufacturing equipment shown in FIG. 5, the empty cans that have been conveyed one by one in the disc-shaped turret 100 with the top and bottom inverted (that is, with the can lid 3 on the lower side or the ground side). The cans are inserted and transferred one by one from the turret 100 to the acceleration arm 104 of the filler 102. The turret 100 and the accelerating arm 104 perform rotational movement while guiding and supporting the side wall of the empty can. In many cases, the parts to be guided and supported are two places above and below the side wall of the empty can. The empty can is filled with the contents while being rotated by the acceleration arm 104, and after filling, the empty can is transferred from the acceleration arm 104 to the can feed chain 106, conveyed by the can feed chain 106, and transferred to the seamer. . The can feed chain 106 guides and supports the side wall of the empty can at a position slightly above the acceleration arm 104 where it does not interfere with the acceleration arm 104. Although not shown, in the seamer, an empty can is placed on the lifter, and the can is passed to the discharge turret while the lifter is raised. At the same time, the can bottom 4 is supplied and tightening is performed. Therefore, it is necessary to set the concave portion attached to the SOT side (can lid 3 side) of the empty can at a position that does not hinder the guide support in the turret 100, the acceleration arm 104, the can feed chain 106, and the like.

  With regard to the above points, the present inventors have verified a plurality of existing manufacturing facilities, and it is necessary to pay close attention to the guide and support in the accelerating arm 104 and the can feed chain 106 for the recess provided on the SOT side of the empty can. And gained knowledge. And the position where the acceleration arm 104 and the can feed chain 106 contact an empty can in common in several existing manufacturing facilities was confirmed. The results are shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the common contact region S <b> 1 of the acceleration arm 104 is a 5 mm wide region extending from the upper end of the can lid 3 to a range of 17.5 to 22.5 mm. The common contact region S2 of the can feed chain 106 is a region having a width of 4 mm extending from the upper end of the can lid 3 to a range of 31.5 to 35.5 mm.

  Here, if the concave portion is in the region S3 between the common contact regions S1 and S2, the surface where the acceleration arm 104 and the can feed chain 106 are in contact with the empty can is a non-concave surface. Does not occur. However, since the width of the region S3 is 9 mm, it is too narrow as a width for the concave portion where the finger is caught. Therefore, it seems that there is substantially no significance in forming a holding recess on the SOT side.

  However, as a result of diligent examination and evaluation by the inventor, if the empty can partially contacts the acceleration arm 104 and the can feed chain 106 (for example, the contact width is 2 mm), the guide and The knowledge that support is not hindered was obtained. That is, even if there is a recess in a part of the common contact area S1, S2, as long as the acceleration arm 104 and the can feed chain 106 are in contact with the empty can in another part of the common contact area S1, S2. We obtained knowledge that there will be no hindrance to guide and support. For reference, the positional relationship between the recess 16 shown in FIG. 2 and the common contact areas S1 and S2 is shown in FIG. Of the common contact areas S1 and S2, the areas with double hatching shown in FIG. 7 are areas where the acceleration arm 104 and the can feed chain 106 are partially in contact with each other.

From this knowledge, the following can be said.
That is, when the partial contact width between the accelerating arm 104 and the can feed chain 106 and the empty can is 2 mm, a region S4 having a width of 14 mm between the position of 19.5 mm and the position of 33.5 mm from the can lid 3. It can be said that there should be a non-concave surface of an empty can on which the acceleration arm 104 and the can feed chain 106 are in contact with each other. This 14 mm is the basis for setting the width of the concave portion 16 described in “3. (2)” to 14 mm or less. In addition, the contact width can be set to other than 2 mm. If the contact width is less than 2 mm, stable guide support may be impaired. If the contact width exceeds 2 mm, the upper limit that can be set as the width of the recess 16. In this embodiment, the contact width is set to 2 mm for the reason that the value becomes small.

  In the case of securing at least 2 mm as the contact width, the position of the recess 16 (position of the upper line 16a) described in “3. (1)” above is considered as follows.

First, in the case of the linear upper line 16a shown in FIG. 4, the upper line 16a needs to be located in the range of 19.5 mm to 22.5 mm from the upper end of the can lid 3 because of existing manufacturing equipment. I can say that.
Next, in the case of the sinusoidal upper line 16a shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the upper line 16a is located at a position where the valley portion 18b is 19.5 mm or more away from the upper end of the can lid 3 because of existing manufacturing equipment. It can be said that the peak portion 18a needs to be in a position that is not separated from the upper end of the can lid 3 by 22.5 mm or more.
Therefore, the upper line 16a according to the present embodiment needs to be at least partially located in the range of 19.5 to 22.5 mm from the upper end of the can lid 3 as described above, regardless of the mode. It is.

  Similarly, in the case where at least 2 mm is ensured as the contact width, the amplitude of the waveline described in the above “3. (4)” is considered again as follows.

  That is, as understood from FIG. 7, when the upper line 16 a is in the common contact region S <b> 1, the region where the acceleration arm 104 partially contacts (double hatched region) decreases as the amplitude decreases. Therefore, considering the contact area, it is not preferable that the amplitude is too small. The lower limit of the amplitude in consideration of the case of different conditions such as a case where a part of the upper line 16a is not in the common contact region S1 or a case where the number of the crests 18a and the troughs 18b is 4 to 7, The value can be tolerated up to 0.25 mm. On the other hand, the upper limit value of the amplitude can be allowed up to 1.75 mm from the viewpoint of expanding molding. Therefore, the amplitude of the waveline according to the present embodiment may be in the range of 0.25 mm to 1.75 mm.

  As described above, since the existing manufacturing equipment is taken into consideration for the specific mode of the recess 16, the existing manufacturing equipment is manufactured into the cans 1a to 1c in the same manner as other general cylindrical can bodies. Can handle empty cans before

5. Analysis result of can body (can body height variation)
(1) Analysis of can body of cans 1a to 1c About can body 2 (hereinafter referred to as can bodies 2a, 2b and 2c, respectively) of three types of cans 1a to 1c shown in FIGS. The height change was analyzed. In addition, as a comparative example, the lower line 16b of the can body 2a was shifted downward, and the height change after the expansion molding was analyzed for the can body 2d in which the width of the concave portion 16 was increased to 17.5 mm. The analysis results are shown in FIG.

  FIG. 8 shows the height of the can body when the can bodies 2a to 2d are developed. As shown in FIG. 8, the height variation of the can body 2a is the smallest, and the height variation of the can body 2d according to the comparative example is the largest. The can body 2b, 2c has almost the same height variation, and the variation range is smaller than that of the can body 2d according to the comparative example. Here, as clearly shown with respect to the can bodies 2b, 2c, and 2d, the height lines are alternately repeated with three peaks and valleys. The position of the peak of the height line corresponds to the position of the valley 18b of the wave line in the can bodies 2b to 2d, and the position of the valley of the height line corresponds to the position of the wave in the can bodies 2b to 2d. This corresponds to the position of the line peak 18a.

  Considering FIG. 8, first, as can be seen by comparing the can body 2 a and the can body 2 d, it can be seen that the variation in height increases as the width of the concave portion 16 increases. If the variation in height exceeds the allowable range, the subsequent tightening of the can bottom 4 becomes defective. From this, it can be seen that the maximum value of the width of the recess 16 is limited. The can bodies 2a to 2d all have a height variation within an allowable range, but the width of the recess 16 (17.5 mm) is adopted for the can body 2d in relation to existing manufacturing equipment. I can't.

  Moreover, as can be clearly seen with respect to the can bodies 2b, 2c, and 2d, the number of the crests of these height lines is three corresponding to the number (three) of the valleys 18b of the wave line, It can be seen that each has the same level of height. That is, one end (upper end) of the can body 2 has three points (mountains) in the circumferential direction. Therefore, since the surface is defined as one by the principle of three-point support, the can lid 3 can be satisfactorily tightened on the surface. Therefore, as described above, the more preferable number of peak portions 18a and valley portions 18b in the wave line is three.

(2) Analysis of other can barrels When a plurality of can barrels having different conditions from the four can barrels 2a to 2d described above were analyzed for changes in height after expanding, the following knowledge was obtained.

  First, as the number of peak portions 18a and valley portions 18b in the wave line increases, the variation in the height of the can body (specifically, standard deviation and range (difference between the maximum value and the minimum value)). ) Was confirmed to be large. It is estimated that this is because the molding angle becomes tight and the variation increases due to an increase in the number of peak portions 18a and valley portions 18b. Therefore, from the viewpoint of variation in the height of the can body, it can be said that there is an upper limit to the number of peak portions 18a and valley portions 18b in the wave line. And considering also the viewpoint of ease of manufacture by the above-described expansion molding, the upper limit of the number of peak portions 18a and valley portions 18b in the wave line is seven, preferably five. Was guessed.

  Further, it was confirmed that the variation in the height of the can body increases as the amplitude of the wave line increases. As in the case of the number of peak portions 18a and the like, this is presumed to be caused by the fact that the molding angle becomes tight due to the increase in amplitude. Therefore, from the viewpoint of the variation in the height of the can body, it can be said that there is an upper limit to the amplitude of the wave line, and it was estimated that it would be 1.75 mm.

  In addition, it was confirmed that the can body having the concave portion constituted by the curves in which the upper line and / or the lower line are asymmetric with respect to the central axis Y respectively has a very large height variation. More specifically, the height range greatly exceeded the allowable value. This is presumed to be caused by the fact that the expansion is not uniform during the expansion molding. Therefore, from the viewpoint of variation in the height of the can body, when the upper line and / or the lower line defining the concave portion 16 are curved, as described above, they are symmetrical with respect to the central axis Y. In addition, it can be said that it is preferable to form a wave-like line in which peak portions 18a and valley portions 18b are alternately repeated.

6). According to the can 1a~1c according to the present embodiment described operational effects more present embodiment, embodiments of recesses 16 are determined in consideration of the various aspects described above. Therefore, at the time of manufacture, the height variation of the can body 2 can be suppressed while improving adaptability to existing manufacturing equipment. Further, the can 1 as a product can particularly ensure ease of holding when the user holds it from above, and at the same time, can improve design.

  In addition, although the can which concerns on this embodiment mentioned above is a thing suitable for a 3 piece can, the application to a 2 piece can is not excluded. Also, a method using an electromyogram is known as a method for objectively evaluating the ease of holding, but the description of the evaluation result by the electromyogram is omitted here.

7). Modifications As long as the gist of the present invention is not deviated, the design of the aspect of the recess 16 described in the above embodiment can be changed as appropriate. For example, the longitudinal section of the recess 16 can be appropriately designed such that the central portion of the recess 16 is not a flat surface but an arcuate curved surface.

  In addition, while the upper line 16a and the lower line 16b of the recess 16 are respectively wave lines, they can be shifted in the circumferential direction (for example, the phase is shifted by a half wavelength). Further, regarding the upper line 16a and the lower line 16b, the number of peak portions 18a (or the number of valley portions 18b) can be made different from each other, or the magnitudes of amplitudes can be made different from each other. is there.

  Furthermore, as the wave line in the recess 16, a wave other than a sine wave, such as a rectangular wave or a trapezoidal wave, can be employed. However, it is most desirable to use a sine wave as the wave line in consideration of the ease of expanding molding.

  1, 1a, 1b, 1c: Can, 2, 2a, 2b, 2c: Can body, 3: Can lid, 4: Can bottom, 10: Body body, 12, 14: Reduced diameter part, 16: Recessed part, 16a: Upper line, 16b: Lower line, 17a: Upper cylinder part, 17b: Lower cylinder part, 18a: Mountain part, 18b: Valley part, 100: Turret, 102: Filler, 104: Acceleration arm, 106: Can feed chain S1, S2: common contact area, Y: central axis

Claims (4)

Of the can lid and the can bottom, at least the can lid is a can that is wound around one end of a cylindrical can body,
In the position of the can lid side than the can bottom side, provided with a concave portion formed in the circumferential direction on the side wall of the can body,
At least one of the upper line and the lower line defining the recess is a wave-like line in which crests and troughs having the same amplitude are alternately repeated in the circumferential direction,
The number of the peaks and valleys is either 3 to 7, respectively.
At least a part of the upper line is located in a range of 19.5 to 22.5 mm from the upper end of the can lid,
At least a part of the lower line is located in a range of 31.5 to 35.5 mm from the upper end of the can lid,
The width of the upper line and the lower line is in the range of 12-14 mm,
The amplitude of the peak part and the valley part belongs to a range of 0.25 to 1.75 mm.   The can according to claim 1, wherein the upper line and the lower line are both sinusoidal lines and parallel to each other. One of the upper line and the lower line is a sinusoidal line,
The can according to claim 1, wherein the other of the upper line and the lower line is a straight line.   The can according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the number of the crests and troughs is three each.

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