Plastic-metal can

Claim 2

A plastic-metal can comprising a plastic container and a metal cover, said cover and container being double seam sealed together, said double seam comprising: at least two circumferential areas where the plastic of the double seam is compressed to a thickness less than one-half of its original thickness before seaming, the plastic container being further defined in that it is fabricated from a plastic selected from plastics having a modulus of elasticity which is between about 0.10 X 106 and about 0.40 X 106 psi.

Claim 3

A plastic-metal can comprising a plastic container and a metal cover, said cover and container being double seam sealed together, said double seam having a first crimp and seal and a second crimp and seal, the plastic of the double seam in the first crimp and seal being compressed, at the point of maximum compression, to a thickness of less than one-half of its original thickness before seaming, and the plastic of the double seam in the second crimp and seal being compressed, at the point of maximum compression, to a thickness of less than one-half of its original thickness before seaming, the plastic container being further defined in that it is fabricated from a plastic selected from plastics having a modulus of elasticity which is between about 0.10 X 106 and about 0.40 X 106 psi.

Claim 4

A plastic-metal can comprising a plastic container and a metal cover, said cover and container being double seam sealed together, said double seam having a first crimp and seal and a second crimp and seal, the plastic of the double seam in the first crimp and seal being compressed, at the point of maximum compression, to a thickness of less than one-half of its original thickness before seaming, and the plastic of the double seam in the second crimp and seal being compressed, at the point of maximum compression, to a thickness of less than one-half of its original thickness before seaming, the plastic container being further defined in that it is fabricated from a plastic selected from plastics having a modulus of elasticity which is between about 0.10 X 106 and about 0.40 X 106 psi.

Claim 5

A plastic-metal can comprising a plastic container terminating in an upper radial flange, and a metal cover having a peripheral curved flange, said cover and container being double seam sealed together with a double seam having a first crimp and seal formed by curling and compressing said peripheral curved flange of said cover to sandwich said radial flange of said container, and a second crimp and seal formed by curling and compressing said cover and radial flange at a point radially inwardly from said sandwiched portion, said plastic of said contaiNer being compressed, at the point of maximum compression, to a thickness of less than one-half of its original thickness before seaming in both said first and second crimp seals, the plastic container being further defined in that it is fabricated from a plastic selected from plastics having a modulus of elasticity which is between about 0.10 X 106 and about 0.40 X 106.

Claim 6

A plastic-metal can comprising a plastic container terminating in an upper radial flange, and a metal cover having a peripheral curved flange, said cover and container being double seam sealed together with a double seam having a first crimp and seal formed by curling and compressing said peripheral curved flange of said cover to sandwich said radial flange of said container, and a second crimp and seal formed by curling and compressing said cover and radial flange at a point radially inwardly from said sandwiched portion, said plastic of said contaiNer being compressed, at the point of maximum compression, to a thickness of less than one-half of its original thickness before seaming in both said first and second crimp seals, the plastic container being further defined in that it is fabricated from a plastic selected from plastics having a modulus of elasticity which is between about 0.10 X 106 and about 0.40 X 106.

Claim 7

The plastic-metal can of claim 3 wherein the ratio of the modulus of elasticity of the plastic comprising the container to the modulus of elasticity of the metal comprising the cover is between about 0.33 X 10 2 and about 4.0 X 10 2.

Claim 8

The plastic-metal can of claim 3 wherein the plastic comprising the container is selected from polymers and copolymers of the group consisting of high density polyethylene, polypropylene and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, and the metal comprising the cover is selected from the group consisting of tin-plated steel and aluminum.

Claim 9

The plastic-metal can of claim 3 wherein the metal cover is aluminum and the ratio of the modulus of elasticity of the plastic comprising the container to the modulus of elasticity of the aluminum is between about 1.0 X 10 2 and about 4.0 X 10 2.

Claim 10

The plastic-metal can of claim 3 wherein the metal cover is tin-plated steel and the ratio of the modulus of elasticity of the plastic comprising the container to the modulus of elasticity of the tin-plated steel is between about 0.33 X 10 2 and about 1.33 X 10 2.