US3246791A - Can-opening arrangement - Google Patents

Description

April 19, 1966 c. T. ASBLJRY 3,246,791

CAN-OPENING ARRANGEMENT Filed Aug. 12, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG-5 Fl G 5 FIG. I 5 INVENTOR.

CHARLES T. ASBU RY ATTORN EYS April 19, 1966 c. T. ASBURY 3,246,791

CAN-OPENING ARRANGEMENT Filed Aug. 12, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F l G I INVENTOR.

FlG-| 0 CHARLES T. ASBURY ATTORN EYS United States Patent 3,246,791 CAN-OPENIN G ARRANGEMENT Charles T. Ashury, 717 Isle of Palms,

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Filed Aug. 12, 1963, $91. No. 301,566 1 (Zl'aim. ((1220-27) This invention relates to containers and the like and is particularly concerned with containers havingtear-open or snap-open closure means.

Tear-open and snap-open cans andthe like are standard items of commerceandin connection'with most of these containers, beverage cans for example, the container lid" is provided with a scored region that can be snapped outto provide a pouring opening or so that the entire lid can be torn out to expose the container contents. major difiiculty that has been encountered in connection with the manufacture of'such snap-open or tear-open lids is the connectionof-a teari'ngkey to the lid material.

Welding is objectionable andcold welding has proved to be defective, andthe manner in which the keys are presently connected'tothe lids is to form ablister on the lid forming a rivet integral therewith and to-place the key over the rivet and flatten out the rivet: This manner of securing a key to the lidis time consuming and expensive and represents almost a-rnajor operation in the manufacture of such lids.

I have discovered by test and' experimentation, that' lids for beverage cans be constructed and arranged so that the tab that is normally torn out to open the container can be pushed in, thereby eliminatingthe necessity of putting a tearing key on the lid, thereby, in turn,

eliminating the necessity for forming the aforementioned blister in the lid that rivets the key thereto.

I have found that containers can -be readily and quickly opened by pushing the scored region inwardly and that this idea can'even' be employed for tearing out'complete lids when the lid is properly scored.

Having the foregoing in mind; it is an object of this invention to provide an easy-opening container in which riveted on keys and thelike are eliminated.

Still another objectof. this invention is the provision of a. container having a scored lid in'which the lid can' be opened by pressing a portion thereof inwardly;

Still another object of this invention is the provision" of a container having'a scored lid which can be substantially completely torn outbyipushing ina portion of the lid and employing this portion as a key to tear .the licliout;

Still a further object of this invention is the provision of a beverage can having a lid with a weakened zone therein that can be pushed into the can to provide a pouring or drinking opening for the can, and which weakenedzone is protected against accidental displacement because of handling of the can.

These and other objects and. advantages of this inventionewill become more apparent upon reference to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanylngwdrawings, inwhich:

FIGURE 1. is. a. perspective view showing a can lid formed according to my invention;

FIGURE 2 isva view. similar to FIGURE 1 showing a'modified arrangement;

FIGURE 3 shows a still further modified arrangement;

FIGURE 4' is a section on line 44 of FIGURE 3 showing the tab pushed inwardly;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing how the portion of the lid to be pushed in could be reinforced on the outside of the lid;

FIGURE 6 shows a modification where the portion 3,246,791 Patented Apr. 19; 1966 of the lid to be pushed inwardly is so constructed that the tearing out of the portion can be readily started;

FIGURE 7 is a view showinga modification in which substantially the entire lid is arranged to be tornout;

FIGURE 8 shows a modified arrangement, including a protective device for preventing accidental opening of' the canlid;

FIGURE 9 is a section on line 99 of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 10 is a view like FIGURE 8, but shows the can without a-safety'device;

1 FIGURE 11 is a section online 11"11 of FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 121's a perspective viewshowing amodified type opening arrangement according to my invention;

FIGURE 13, is a sectional view indicated by line 131' 3 on-FIGURE l2, and

FIGURE 14 is a perspective view similar to-FIGURE 8" but showing a somewhat different arrangement;

Referring to the drawings-somewhat more in detail; in FIGURE 1 there is shown a can having body'ltl' and lid'll'securedthereto according to conventional practices such as by rolling the periphery of the lid and the upper lid-of the can body into sealed relationship;

Lid 12 has a region thereon defined by a score line 14L This score line preferably does not definea closed path and may be in either the top or the bottom of the lid andis of such depththat while the-lid will hold pressure on the-contents therein, if necessary, the lid can easily be torn along score line 14; The lid, of course, isusually ofmetal as-is the can body as well.

According to the presentinvention, the regionwithin the score line 14'- and which may he referred to as a tab, is adapted for being pushed inwardly into the can asindicated bythe dot-dash outline-16, thereby to providea drinking or pouring opening for the can. This is. accomplished by applying pressure to the tab as by the thumb orwith any, suitable instrument. The applying ofrpressure to-tab identified at l fi 'inthe proper region isrfacilitated by forming a raised portion 20 on the tab in the-region of the partthereof where'the tearing of the tab from the lid is to commence.

In FIGURE"2, the tab, identified at 22 is stiffened'by providing a stitfeningmember 24 secured thereto, which may be on the underside of the lid and which member maybe in the form of a relatively thin piece of sheet metalform'ed'to an angle or a channeli This stiffening member can be secured to the. lid'by adhesive or by a metallic fusion process.

In FIGURE 3 I'show a tab 26 of somewhat different.

configuration and't-histab' has araised portion 28 thereon: extending substantially at full length thereof. This raised. portion extends upwardly a substantial amount fromthe tab, although not projecting beyond the upper edge of the: completed'can, and isusefulfor permitting the tab 26 to be pushed far down into the can. By applying pressure to'the left part of the raised portion 28,.tl1'extearing outvof portion 26'can be commenced and by shifting thepressure along the raised part'toward the.

unscoredendof: tab 26; the tearing out of the tab can be, caused? to project: and 7 the tab will extend down into the can' as indicated in FIGURE 4:

In FIGURE SIshow. how atab 30 can'be reinforced by reinforcing member 32 secured to the topthereof, this reinforcing. member taking theform of thin'sheet metal or the like whichcan becorrugated tostiffen the reinforcing member and also to provide. a region for applying pressure to the tab. 'It will be understood that when the reinforcing member is on the top of the tab as in FIGURE 5, it could be a plastic material or the like and highly satisfactory results would be had.

In FIGURE 6 I show a tab 33 which is so spaced that the end thereof where tearing will be commenced,

indicated at 35, is of such reduced size that a great deal of pressure is not required for initiating the tearing. The

tab has a raised portion 37 therein which stifiens the tab and which facilitates the application of pressure to the tab at the right place.

In FIGURE 7 there is shown a can in which the lid 40 has a first score mark 42 around the outer periphery and a second score mark 44 spaced inwardly therefrom. The two score marks define a region 46 that can be torn out from the can lid so that the entire lid is removed from the can and the contents completely exposed.

At one point about the periphery of the can, the score marks 42 and 44 are joined by an arcuate score mark 48 which defines a tab 50 of substantial size and which tab 50 may have stifiening means associated therewith which could take the form of the raised portion 52 that would also serve as a region for applying pressure to the tab. In the arrangement of FIGURE 7, the tab 50 is pushed inwardly by applying pressure thereto and the tab is of suflicient size that the end of the strip 46 can be grasped between the thumb and finger and the entire lid torn out from the can.

FIGURES 8 and 9 show an arrangement in which the tab 60 defined by score line 62 is provided with the raised portion 64 extending over substantially the entire area of the tab region. The projection 64 tapers upwardly from the innerside of the tab toward the outside of the can and is highest where the tab will commence to tear. This raised portion is relatively large and pressure can easily be applied thereto either by the thumb or with a suitable instrument.

To prevent accidental tearing out of the tab, which might occur in the handling of thecan, there is provided adjacent the tab a raised portion 66 in lid 68 which extends upwardly to a level slightly higher to that of raised portion 64, but not above the upper rim of the can. This will be seen in FIGURE 9 and it will be evident that raised portion 66 is a safety feature that prevents the tab from being accidentally knocked inwardly. At the same time, it will be understood that the tab 60 could be knocked inwardly deliberately by striking it with another can or a small instrument.

FIGURES and 1-1 show an arrangement similar to that of FIGURES 8 and 9 except no safety device is shown. Instead, the tab 70 in FIGURES 10 and 11 as defined by score line 72 is so arranged that the tearing thereof commences close by the rim 74 of the can so that the rim itself provides the safety device for preventing accidental opening of the can.

The tab in FIGURES 10 and 11 includes the raised portion 76 which stitfens the tab and provides the region for the application of pressure thereto.

FIGURES 12 and 13 show a modified arrangement wherein lid 80 is provided with two tabs 82 and 84 defined by the score lines 86 and 88, respectively, whereby both tabs can be pushed in to provide, respectively, a pouring opening and an air inlet opening.

The tabs of the FIGURES 12 and 13 arrangements are further characterized in that a safety rib 88 was provided upstanding about the outer portion of each tab. The upstanding rib 88 may be combined with a recess portion 90 in the central part of the tab and this combination will form a sort of pocket in which the thumb can be placed whereby there will be little if any chance that the thumb will slip ofif the tab or be cut or scraped by the edge of the lid surrounding the tab after the tab has been pushed inwardly.

FIGURE 14 shows an arrangement wherein the lid has a portion 102 formed upwardly therein similar to the portion 64 of lid 68 in FIGURE 8. This portion extends upwardly to a height less than that of rim 104 to protect the portion against accidental opening during handling of the can. Adjacent portion 102 is another raised portion 106 which serves as a thumb guard and a safety projection, and this portion extends upwardly substantially to the upper level of rim 104.

I have found that by forming the projections 102 and 106 as shown, the lid is weakened in the region at 108 similarly to what would occur if the lid were scored as shown at 62 in FIGURE 8 and that the lid can be opened by applying pressure on projection 102 even though the lid has no specific score marks thereon.

All of the foregoing modifications are characterized in that no riveting of a tearing key is required and no welding is required, except for added metallic stiffening elements which might be utilized on the underneath side of the lid and all of the arrangements shown can be opened manually without any instruments or other devices.

It will be understood that this invention is susceptible to modification in order to adapt it to ditferent usages and conditions; and accordingly, it is desired to comprehend such modifications within this invention as may fall within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A pressure container comprising; a sheet metal body and a sheet metal lid sealed thereto, a tab portion in the lid adapted to have pressure applied thereto from outside the container so the tab portion is pressed inwardly of the container, said tab portion being elongated, a score mark in the lid extending along the long sides of said portion and across one end thereof and forming a tearable weakened region in the lid which will rupture upon the application of pressure to said portion, the unscored part of the periphery of said tab portion at the other end thereof forming a hinge region about which the tab portion turns when it is pressed inwardly of the container, said tab portion having an upwardly formed region therein near. said one end thereof and a recess therein adjacent said region, said region and recess combining to form a configuration for receiving the thumb or other implement for applying pressure to the tab portion to push it into the container and which configuration will prevent the thumb or other implement from slipping off said tab portion during the application of pressure thereto, said score mark extending part way only through said lid and leaving sufiicient thickness of said lid at said score mark to prevent pressure in the container from causing rupture of the lid at the score mark.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 606,471 6/1898 Morfoot 220-54 985,634 2/ 1911 Rodgers 22254l 1,715,169 5/1929 McKee 2297 1,743,283 1/ 1930 Porges 222-541 1,805,003 5/1931 Newman 22027 2,185,180 1/1940 Brennan 22054 2,738,090 3/ 1956 Davis 229--7 2,787,394 4/1957 Baumann 22027 2,899,100 8/ 1959 Wolkenberg 22048 2,946,478 7/ 1960 Clair 22054 3,076,584 2/ 1963 Sherlock 222541 3,143,256 8/1964 Lazure 222-541 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

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