Can and an urging member therefor

Abstract

An urging member and a can using such member as a base of the can, are provided for containing in the can a product comprising solid component(s) and liquid component(s). The can with the product, at least in a ready-for-sale state, comprises a lid hermetically sealing the can and at least partially openable to allow at least partial removal of the product, the base opposite the lid constituted by the member and a side wall extending therebetween. The member is for urging inwardly by a user applying, at least in use of the can when the lid has been at least partially opened, an urging force, allowing changing the state of the member between a first state, in which the can has a first contained volume and a second, deformed state, in which the can has a second contained volume smaller than the first contained volume.

1 . An urging member for use as a base of a can containing a product comprising at least one solid component and at least one liquid component, the can with the product when in a ready-for-sale state having in addition to the base, a side wall and a lid hermetically sealing the can and at least partially openable to allow at least partial removal of the product from the can, the urging member having a body comprising a metal material and having a peripheral edge lying in a reference plane, said body being configured to be urged in a pre-determined direction, when the peripheral edge is fixedly held in place, by a user applying to the body at a location spaced from the peripheral edge an urging force, thereby changing the state of the urging member from a first state to a second, deformed state, both states being characterized by a volume contained between (a) the body, (b) a first imaginary surface parallel to the reference plane and spaced therefrom in said direction to a distance greater than that between the reference plane and any point of said body in the deformed state, and (c) a second imaginary surface perpendicular to the first imaginary surface and extending between the first imaginary surface and said peripheral edge; said volume being a first volume in the first state of the body and a second, reduced volume smaller than the first volume in the second, deformed state of the body; the urging member being configured to be fixedly connected at its peripheral edge to the side wall of the can at its end opposite to that at which the lid is to be connected, with the pre-determined urging direction directed towards the inside of the can, so as to constitute a base in the can with the product in the ready-for-sale state, the base being configured, at least in use of the can when the lid has been at least partially opened, to be urged inwardly by a user applying thereto said urging force, thereby changing the volume of the can between a first volume of the can in the first state of the urging member and a second, reduced volume of the can smaller than the first volume in the second, deformed state of the urging member. 
     
     
         2 . The urging member according to  claim 1 , wherein said urging member when in the can with the product in the ready-for-sale state, is configured to be brought into a maximally deformed state, at which the can has a minimal contained volume, only after the lid has been at least partially opened. 
     
     
         3 . The urging member according to  claim 1 , wherein the body is produced separately and is configured to be integrally mounted to the side wall at the peripheral edge thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The urging member according to  claim 1 , wherein the urging member is configured to be repeatedly elastically deformed between the first state and the second state upon the corresponding application and release of said urging force by a user. 
     
     
         5 . The urging member according to  claim 4 , wherein the urging member is configured to be elastically deformed between the first and second states by the respective application and release of the urging force a number of times, said number being at least more than twenty. 
     
     
         6 . The urging member according to  claim 1 , wherein the urging member has a configuration, which allows the urging of the urging member by a user from the first state to the second state, the metal from which the body is made being sufficiently stiff to prevent the urging of the urging member if this member of the same thickness were to be free of said configuration. 
     
     
         7 . The urging member according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the body further comprises a central area and an intermediate area extending between the central area and the peripheral edge;   the orientation of the intermediate area relative to the central area and to the peripheral edge is different in the first and second states of the urging member, and   optionally in the first state the intermediate area extends from the peripheral edge towards an exterior of the can and in the second, deformed state of the urging member, the intermediate area extends towards an interior of the can.   
     
     
         8 . The urging member according to  claim 7 , wherein in the initial state of the urging member, the body of the urging member is generally convex in shape, and in the deformed state of the urging member, the body of the urging member is generally concave in shape. 
     
     
         9 . The urging member according to  claim 7 , wherein the shape of the central area is configured to be maintained unchanged between the first and second states of the urging member. 
     
     
         10 . The urging member according to  claim 7 , wherein the configuration of the body is such that the intermediate area deforms preferentially to the central area under the application by the user of said urging force to the urging member. 
     
     
         11 . The urging member according to  claim 1 , wherein the ready-for-sale state of the can is a state which the can with the product has after having undergone the entire manufacturing process. 
     
     
         12 . The urging member according to  claim 11 , wherein during said process, the can with the product is configured to withstand pressure differential between the inside and outside of the can of 150 KPa without buckling. 
     
     
         13 . The urging member according to  claim 1 , wherein a ratio between the reduced volume and the initial volume of the can is at least between 0.5-0.95. 
     
     
         14 . The urging member according to  claim 1 , wherein the can in its ready-for-sale state has an exterior surface bearing instructions for a user to (a) open a portion of the lid to an extent sufficient for the liquid component to be pushed therethrough while preventing the solid component from leaving the can, (b) orient the can so that the open portion of the lid faces at least partially downwards, and (c) apply and release an urging force on the base of the can repeatedly. 
     
     
         15 . An urging member for use as a base of a can, the can with the product when in a ready-for-sale state having in addition to the base a side wall and a lid, the urging member comprising a body comprising metal and having a peripheral edge lying in a reference plane, said body being configured to be repeatedly elastically deformed, when the peripheral edge is fixedly held in place, by a user repeatedly applying to the body and releasing an urging force, thereby repeatedly changing the state of the urging member between a first state and a second, deformed state, both states being characterized by a volume contained between (a) the body, (b) a first imaginary surface parallel to the reference plane and spaced therefrom in said direction to a distance greater than that between the reference plane and any point of said body in the deformed state, and (c) a second imaginary surface perpendicular to the first imaginary surface and extending between the first imaginary surface and said peripheral edge; said volume being a first volume in the first state of the body and a reduced volume smaller than the first volume in the second deformed state of the body; the urging member being configured to be fixedly mounted to the side wall of the can with the pre-determined urging direction directed towards the inside of the can so as to allow it, at least in use of the can when the lid has been at least partially opened, to be deformed inwardly and elastically returned back, between the first and the second states, respectively, in a repeated manner upon the respective repeated application and release of said urging force, resulting in a corresponding change of the contained volume of the can. 
     
     
         16 . A can for containing a product comprising at least one solid component and at least one liquid component, the can with the product at least in a ready-for-sale state comprising a lid hermetically sealing the can and at least partially openable to allow at least partial removal of the product from the can, a base opposite the lid and a side wall extending therebetween;
 the base being in the form of a body comprising a metal material and constituting an urging member configured to be urged inwardly by a user applying thereto, at least in use of the can when the lid has been at least partially opened, an urging force, thereby allowing changing by the user the state of the urging member between a first state, in which the can has a first contained volume and a second, deformed state, in which the can has a second contained volume smaller than the first contained volume.   
     
     
         17 . The can according to  claim 16 , wherein the base has a peripheral edge, along which the body is fixedly connected to the side wall. 
     
     
         18 . The can according to  claim 16 , wherein the urging member is configured to be repeatedly deformed between the first state and the second state upon the corresponding application and release of said urging force by a user to cause the corresponding repeated change of the contained volume of the can. 
     
     
         19 . The can according to  claim 18 , wherein the urging member is configured to be elastically deformed between the first and second states by the respective application and release of the urging force a number of times, said number being more than twenty. 
     
     
         20 . The can according to  claim 16 , wherein the urging member has a configuration, which allows the urging of the urging 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 the urging of the urging member if this member of the same thickness were to be free of said configuration.