Metal containers can be used to store beverages. Typical cans having a one-piece drawn and ironed body or a body open at both ends with a separate closure member at the top and bottom generally have simple upright cylindrical side walls. It can be desirable to form the side walls into different and/or more complex shapes for reasons related to aesthetics and/or product identification. For example, it can be desirable to shape a can so as to resemble a glass bottle.
A metal preform (“preform”) can be made from a metal sheet (e.g., aluminum sheet, aluminum-based alloys, steel, etc.) having, for example, a recrystallized or recovered microstructure and with a gauge in the range of about 0.004 inches to about 0.015 inches. Thinner and thicker gauges are also possible, such as between about 0.002 inches and about 0.020 inches. The preform can be a closed-end tube made by, for example, a draw-redraw process or by back-extrusion. The diameter of the preform can (but need not) lie somewhere between the minimum and maximum diameters of the desired container product. Threads can be formed on the preform prior to subsequent forming operations. The profile of the closed end of the preform can be designed to assist with the forming of the bottom profile of the final product.
Because vessels, such as those in the shape of a bottle, have certain axial strength criteria to prevent damage to the bottle during the life-cycle of the bottle, including filling, packaging, shipping, shelving, and consumer usage, materials used for the vessels are limited. Materials that are too soft are unsuitable due to the axial strength criteria. Additionally, material that is too thick, which would help to improve axial strength, is unsuitable due to weight and cost limitations for producing and shipping consumer products. Heating certain metals can degrade strength and structure of the final product, so metal selection and heating processes may be limited for producing metal vessels in the shape of glass bottles or otherwise, as well.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds