Ardagh Mp Group Netherlands B.v.

Impress Metal Packaging S.a.

Jean-Francois Jouillat

Jelmer Eelke Jongsma

Expandable containers having lids for providing headspace control in food can are disclosed. In one embodiment, a process for producing a lid closure for cans containing foodstuff, the lid providing tightness during sterilization or pasteurization in a continuous autoclave, said cans being closed with a can closure may include (1) producing the can closure from an annular ring adapted for seaming to the can body and a lid panel having an outer ring band sealingly affixed onto an inner flat web; and (2) reshaping a central area of the lid panel by deep drawing to a smooth bowl shape or a dome shape with a plane surface, as original shape, a material of this central area thereby solidified or hardened to such an extent that under an increased pressure in a headspace of the can during a passage thereof through an autoclave station, the central area changes to an axially outwardly bulged shape that is mirror-inverted with respect to the original shape and, during a subsequent cooling of the can, the central area automatically returns substantially to the original shape thereof. The reshaping may be done prior to attaching the lid to the filled can, and the lid pane may be limited by an outer ring band.

Expandable container having lid for providing headspace control in a food can

The invention relates to lids for cans for receiving foodstuff which are to be subjected to a thermal treatment above 50&#xb0; C. as sterilization or at least pasteurization. The lid () has an annular ring () seamable to the can body which ring can be firmly and sealingly connected with the can body rim portion and a cover panel () which is sealingly disposed () to said ring. The annular ring comprises a flat web () that points towards a vertical central axis () of the lid and is axially outwardly inclined () with respect to a horizontal plane (). The cover panel () is sealed to the flat inclined web by means of a radially outer ring band (). A central area () that is surrounded by the ring band is axially inwardly preformed towards an interior in a dome or bowl-shaped fashion and thereby stabilized. After closing of the can, it is subjected to the thermal treatment. Upon a change in pressure (in the closed can) occurring during this thermal treatment the cover panel changes from the preformed position () to an axially outwardly directed bowl/dome-shaped position ('). After cooling the closed can, the cover panel () returns&#x2014;at least substantially exactly&#x2014;into its preformed position.

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Bauge, France

Jean-Francois Jouillat