US3536227A - Easy opening end closure for containers - Google Patents

Description

United States Patent Herman R. Markert Hlrtsvllle, South Carolina 795,300

Jan. 30, 1969 Oct. 27, 1970 Inventor App]. No. Filed Patented EASY OPENING END CLOSURE FOR CONTAINERS Primary Examiner-George T. Hall Attorney-C. Gordon McBride ABSTRACT: An easy-opening end closure for a container including a circular end wall having a peripheral bead and a line of weakness adjacent said bead to which is attached by means of a rivet in overlying relationship a ring-type pull tab having a handle portion and body portion. An arcuately shaped side edge extends along the tab handle portion and body portion in nested relationship with the peripheral bead and with the major portion of the end wall exposed on the other side of the tab. A projection is provided on the arcuate side edge of the tab adjacent the tab front end for rupturing the line of weakness when the tab is lifted permitting removal of the portion of the end wall defined by the line of weakness.

Patented Oct. 27, 1970 INVENTOR Herman R. Marker! ATTORNEY EASY OPENING END CLOSURE FOR CONTAINERS This invention relates to containers and more particularly to an easy-opening container of the pull tab, full panel removal llp Many containers in use today for packaging various materials utilize a manually operated device referred to generally as a pull tab" for rupturing weakened lines on the metal wall of the container to provide an opening for removal of the container contents. Such pull tabs are generally secured by means of a rivet or the like to the container wall, in particular the container end wall, and may be of the ring-type arranged to be lifted easily by the user's fingers for easy removal of a portion of the end wall to provide the desired opening. Such easyopening end walls or closures for containers may be of various types and one widely used type provides for removal with the use of such a pull tab of the major portion of'the container end wall or what is referred to as a "full panel removal.

One such easy opening, full panel removal can end utilizing a pull tab is shown in US. Pat. No. 3,381,848 entitled EASY OPENING CAN END which shows a ring type pull tab riveted to a can end provided with a line of weakness or score line defining a removable panel. A force applying end or projection is provided on the front end of the tab so that manual lifting of the tab ruptures the line of weakness permitting easy removal of the panel constituting the major portion of the can end. In addition, as shown in the aforementioned patent, it is not uncommon to provide a depressed area on the can end adjacent the pull'tab ring portion so as to provide access for the users finger when the pull tab is to be lifted.

In such present day easy-opening can ends, the pull tab and associated can end depression is generally centrally located relative to the can end so that the exposed area of the can end surrounding the pull tab and depression is relatively narrow. The central location of such a pull .tab is considered necessary with present day designs in order to obtain the desired leverage and to facilitate the full panel removal operation. The lack of any substantial expanse of area on such easy-opening containers is a real inconvenience and problem area for the retailer such as the grocer who generally marks the price for the goods packaged in such containers on the end wall. As can be understood, the space limitation on the can end makes it difficult if not impossible to properly stamp the selling price on such container ends using price stamping devices of the type in common use today.

Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to'provide a new and novel easy-opening end c'losurefor a container.

Another object of this invention 'is' to provide a new and novel pull tab end closure for a container which permits a substantial area on the container end to be exposed for simple and easy price markingusing conventional stamping devices.

A further object of this invention is to provide anew and novel pull tab end closure for a container of the full panel removal type which utilizes a single rivet forsecuring the pull tab to theend closure but which permits simple and easy full panel, pull tab removal operation throughout a wide range of lateral pivotal movement of the tab-relative to the end closure.

This invention further contemplates the provision of a new and novel easy-opening end closure having a pull tab for full panel removal in which the pull tab may be lifted with a minimum of effort for full panel removal, which utilizes a pull tab that is extremely compact and simple in construction so as to occupy a minimum of space on the container end wall, which permits the utilization of a well-known riveted construction for securing the pull tab to the container end wall and which eliminates the need for the precise location of the force applying end of the tab relativeto the end wall line of weakness.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

The objects of this invention and other related objects are accomplished by providing a circular end wall of sheet material such as metal on which is provided a peripheral bead defining a marginal edge. A circular line of weakness is alsoprovided on the end wall closely adjacent the peripheral head which defines a removable panel. A pull tab having a rearwardly positioned handle portion and a'body portion having a front end is secured by rivet means in overlying relationship with the end wall. An arcuately shaped side edge conforming substantially to the arcuate shape of the peripheral bead is provided on the pull tab which extends along the handle portion and body portion and the pull tab is positioned with this arcuately shaped side edge in closely spaced relationship with the peripheral bead to leave exposed the major portion of the end wall defined by the other side edge of the tab. A laterally extending, force applying projection is provided on the arcuately shaped side edge of the tab adjacent the front end and the tab is positioned with this force applying projection lying in a preselected location closely adjacent the line of weakness.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a container incorporating theend closure of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the container of FIG. 1 illustrating the end closure of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the end closure of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows; and

7 FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of a portion of the pull tab incorporated in the end closure of FIG. 2 taken substantially in thedirection of the arrow 5 of FIG. 2.

As generally illustrative of the invention, there is shown in the drawing, an end closure constructed in accordance with the invention and designated generally in FIG. 2 by the letter E. The end closure E is arranged to be positioned by a conventional seaming operation in closing relationship with one-end of a container designated generally in FIG. 1 by the letter C The container C may be of the type having a laminated'paper foil body and referred to generally as a composite container. The end closure E includes a'circular end wall such as a can end designated generally by the numeral 11 to which is secured, as will be explained hereinafter, a pull tab preferably body C. As is well known, such a seaming operation produces an end seam 13 by means of which the closure E is secured to the end of container C in sealing relationship as shown .in FIGS. 1, 2.

A circular line of weakness or score line 14 is provided in the can end 11 which is positioned closely adjacent the peripheral bead 13 so as to define a central panel 16 arranged to be completely removed'for opening'the container C and providing access to its contents. The score line 14 is suitably formed so as-to provide for easy rupture and tearing away of the panel l6from the remaining portion of the container end 11, and, as is well-known, thistype of easy-opening container end is generally referred to as full panel removal type.

The pull tab 12 incorporated in the end closure E is preferably of the ring type and comprises a rearwardly positioned handle portion 17 and a body portion 18 having a front end 19. The handle portion 17 defines an open circular area 21 through which the users finger or fingers may be inserted to permit lifting of the tab 12 and opening of the container C.

The body portion 18 is formed with a depressed area or web 24 portions of which are removed to provide openings 26, 27 as shown in FIGS. 2-4. The smaller opening '27 is arranged-to accommodate a hollow rivet 28 formed by upsetting the material of the can end 11. The rivet 28 has its upper end extruded radially outward to form acircumferentially extending bead which overlaps the rim of the web opening 27 in th w ll. known manner. V

The tab 12 maybe formed from sheet material byany wellknown metal forming operation such as a stamping operation with at least a portion of the raw edges of the tab being turned difi'lcult if not impossible. With the novel positioning of the projection 29 on applicantls pull tab in combination withthe configuration of the tab; such lateral pivotal movement is permitted around the rivet 28 asa pivot point in the direction of the arrow [even to the extend wherein thejlifted tab l2moves to approximately the center of the panel 16 without affecting inwardlyasshown best in FIG. 4. For instance, the metal a forming the ring 17 is turned inwardly at m asshown "in FIG. 4 to provide a smooth ring or handle portion 17. The pull tab I2 is provided withan arcuately shaped side the rupturing of the line of weakness 14 by the projection 29 in the manner described above. During such lateral pivotal I movement of the tab 12 in applicant's. invention, the projecedge 27extending along the handle portion 17 and body portion 18 as shown best in FIGS; '2, 3. The arcuate shape of the tab side edge 27 conforms substantially to the arcuate shape of the circular peripheralbead- 13, or seam 13 of the container. 'end 11 thereby permitting theside edge to' be positioned closely adjacentthe bead 13 when the pull tab 12 is'secured to the container end 1 l by means of the rivet 28 as shown.

The'other side edge-28 of the tab 12 also extending along the handle portion 17 and body portion 18 defines an exposed major portion of the container end- 11, the pull tab' 12 overlying only a minimum portion of-the end 11 as shown. This major'p'ortion of the panel 11, identified by the numeral 11a,

therefore permits suitable 'indicia such as prices or the like to a be stamped thereon using conventional stamping'devices by merchants such as grocers or the like. 7

A laterally extending force applying projection 29, is

formed on the tab side edge 27 adjacent the tab front end 19 which ruptures the line of weakness or score line 14 when the tab 12 is lifted. As shown best in FIGS. 3, 5, this projection 29 is formed by indenting the tab side :edge 2'] to provide inclined surfaces 29a, 29b terminating in'a pointor tip 29c lying in a preselected location adjacent the line of weakness 14 in the V position of the tab 12 on the end 11 shown in FIG. 3LThe tip 290 preferably is positioned closely adjacentthc inner edge of the score line 14. I

In order to facilitate the-grasping of the handle portion or ring 17 of the tab 12, the can end 11 is preferably provided with a depression 31 which underlies a portion of the ring 17 as shown. Thus, thevertical gap between, the handle 17 and i the bottom of the depressionl3l facilitates the grasping ofthe.

handle 17 by the user to lift the tab 12. e

tion 29 remains substantially adjacent the score line 14 while described above. y

While there has been described-what atpre'sent is considered to be the preferred-embodiment of the" invention, it will be understood by those. skilled inthe art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without decontinuing toperinit the easy rupturing action of the score line parting from the invention. e I

shape of said circular peripheral bead and extending along said handle portion and said body portion, a laterally extending, force applying projection on said arcuately shaped side To open the container C with whieh'the end closure E is as sociated, the handle portion 17 of the tab 12 is lifted upwardly by the user so that the tab12 pivots on the rivet 28 depressing Y the front end portionof the tab on the opposite side of the 'rivet 28 from the handle1l7 moving the projection 29 downwardly 'lhe tip.2 9c therefore ruptures the score line 14' on both sides of the tip'29c pushing downwardly adjacent portions of the panel 16 inthe' well-known manner. A rearward pull then exerted on the tab 12 rupturing the remaining portion of thescore' line 14 permitting the panel 1610 be completely removed together with the tab 12.. 7

As has been pointed out inthe aforementioned patent, previous easy-opening end closures using a pull tabsecured by a single rivet permitted relative lateral pivotal'movement between the tab and container end moving the puncturing or force applying end of the tab from the preselected Iocatio'nto" edge adjacent said front end, rivet means adjacent said body portion front end arranged to secure said pull tab in overlying relationship with said end wall with said arcuately shaped side edge in closely spaced relationship with said peripheral bead toleave exposed'the major portion of said, end wall defined by the other side edge of said taband with said force applying projection lying in a preselected location closely adjacent said line of weakness.

2. An end closure in accordance with claim 1 wherein said handle portion is of annular shape.

3. ,An end closure in accordancewith claim 1 including a,

concave depression in said end wall in underlying relationship with at least a portion of said handle portion.

4. An end closure in accordance with claim 1 wherein said tab other edge is substantially straight and wherein said body portion includes a depressed web portion defined by said side edges, front end and handle portion, said web portion having an opening for'accommodating said rivet means to secure said pull tab to said end wall.

:5. An' endclosure in accordance with claim 1 wherein said projection is of wedge shape having a tip positioned closely adjacent said line of weakness, and on an axis extending substantially perpendicular to saidarcuately shaped side edge.

' "6.An end closure in accordance with claim 1 wherein said a location where severence along the lineol' weakness became rivet means comprises a single rivet pivotally securing said pull tab to said end wall so that said pull tab may be moved to any desired position. 1 a

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