Project patent: Invention of protective foil for cans delivers enhanced hygiene

30 Apr 2019 --- An inventor from the Republic of North Macedonia has designed and patented a lightweight sleeve which can be applied to the top of beverage cans to significantly increase hygiene levels. Patented as “Protective foil of food products packed in a can bottle” by the Macedonian State Office of Industrial Property, Tome Balalovski has entered his design in the international patent organization and is now seeking manufacturers to facilitate the commercial launch of the can protector.

Balalovski set out to design a solution that would bring greater hygiene levels to beverage cans, which can become dusty and dirty or in other ways contaminated before reaching the consumer. “I had many negative experiences of this from my long-standing inventory experience. Surely, it is not ethical or healthy to sell such cans [without a top protector],” he tells PackagingInsights.

A specially designed machine descends onto the can top and applies the pre-made protective sleeves to each can.Aluminum foil lids alone are not sufficient to protect cans from dirt and contamination, according to Balalovski. Neither are the more expensive toppers molded of polypropylene plastic, which also do not protect the can where the lower lip of the consumer comes into contact with the product. Balalovski’s foil protector, however, protects the can several centimeters below the area where the consumer’s lip touches the can.

The inventor believes that consumers will find comfort in the knowledge that their beverage has been adequately protected in the factory and throughout the supply chain if the top protector is applied. It is an appliance that will, by extension, “increase the reputation and financial benefits of can manufacturers, brands and distributors,” he says.

Importantly, the foil protector fits the size and shape of traditional cans used worldwide, but how does it run on a beverage canning line?Tome Balalovski.

“Beverage canning lines are typically single or group line, so it depends on the production line used by the factory. The intention of my patent invention is to apply the protector immediately after filling and closing the cans. A specially designed machine descends onto the can top and applies the pre-made protective sleeves to each can.”

Balalovski explains that the protective foil can be made from aluminum, nylon, aluminum-nylon, paper or a combination of these materials, all of which have recyclable qualities.

The protective foil does not come at the expense of brand recognition.“However, my personal and strong recommendation is to use heat shrink capsule foil or heat shrinking film foil. If heat-shrink foil material is used, then the cans with the applied sleeves need to pass through the thermotunnel – followed by the standard packaging procedure.”

The can protector will be available on the market once an interested can manufacturer decides to invest in the design. The foil protector can be applied to any type of beverage that is canned, including juices, beer, wine and coffee.

“I believe that this design can bring benefits to manufacturers, brands and consumers around the world. I am looking for a factory that is interested in negotiating patent licensing of this product, according to the principle of ‘first come, first served,’” Balalovski concludes.

By Joshua Poole