U.S. patent application number 15/824118 was filed with the patent office on 2018-03-22 for can, panel for a can and a method for making such a panel for can.
The applicant listed for this patent is Ardagh MP Group Netherlands B.V.. Invention is credited to Guy Druesne, Fabrice Leboucher.
Application Number | 20180079551 15/824118 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39473192 |
Filed Date | 2018-03-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180079551 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Leboucher; Fabrice ; et
al. |
March 22, 2018 |
Can, Panel for a Can and a Method for Making Such a Panel for
Can
Abstract
The invention related to a can comprising a body provided with
as panel and a tab connected to the panel, which tab has a front
tab part and a rear tab part for gripping and filling and forming
with the tab front part an opening in the panel along a panel score
line, wherein the tab is in a third position due to a deformation
of a tab-panel connection, to a panel and to a method of making the
panel and/or can.
Inventors: |
Leboucher; Fabrice; (Angers,
FR) ; Druesne; Guy; (La Fleche, FR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Ardagh MP Group Netherlands B.V. |
Deventer |
|
NL |
|
|
Family ID: |
39473192 |
Appl. No.: |
15/824118 |
Filed: |
November 28, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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12809947 |
Sep 20, 2010 |
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PCT/EP2008/010877 |
Dec 16, 2008 |
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15824118 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 17/4012 20180101;
B65D 2517/0016 20130101; B65D 2517/0079 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65D 17/00 20060101
B65D017/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 24, 2007 |
EP |
07025095.6 |
Claims
1. A can, comprising a body provided with a panel and a tab
connected to the panel, which tab has a front tab part and a rear
tab part for by gripping and tilting and forming with the tab front
part an opening in the panel along a panel score line, wherein the
tab is in a tilted position due to a deformation of a tab-panel
connection.
2. The can according to claim 1, wherein the deformation is in the
tab part of the tab-panel connection.
3. The can according to claim 1, wherein the deformation is in the
panel part of the tab-panel connection.
4. The can according to claim 1, wherein the tab is connected to
the panel via a structural connecting element, and the deformation
is in the structural connecting element.
5. The can according to claim 1, wherein the structural connecting
element is an integral part of the panel.
6. The can according to claim 1, wherein the structural connecting
element is a separate structural connecting element.
7. The can according to claim 1, wherein the tab rear part resides
within the can confinement.
8. The can according to claim 1, wherein the tab rear part resides
above a depressed panel part.
9. The can according to claim 1, wherein the deformation comprises
an at least partially plastic deformation.
10. A panel for a can as defined in claim 1.
11. A method for making a panel according to: i) connecting a tab
to the panel; and ii) tilting the tab thereby deforming a tab-panel
connection, such that the tab remains in the tilted position.
12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the tilting step ii) is
carried out by at least one of hooking, levering and helix
spinning.
13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the tilting step ii) is
carried out by glue pulling or magnetic pulling.
14. A panel obtainable by the method according to claim 11.
15. The can according to claim 1, wherein the structured element is
a rivet.
16. A method for making a can, comprising: i) connecting a tab to a
panel; and ii) tilting the tab thereby deforming a tab-panel
connection, such that the tab remains in the tilted position.
17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the tilting step ii)
is carried out by at least one of hooking, levering and helix
spinning.
18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the tilting step ii)
is carried out by glue pulling or magnetic pulling.
19. A can obtainable by the method according to claim 16.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a can, to a panel for a can
and to a method for making such panel or can.
[0002] The can according to the invention may be of the type of a
so called easy opening closure. An easy opening closure is a metal
closure for a can in which an opening may be formed by using one or
more fingers and without the requirement of a separate opening
tool. To that extent the can is provided with a tab for forming an
opening in the panel of the can. The tab functions as a lever. The
tab comprises a tab rear part for gripping by the consumer with one
or more fingers. The tab is actuated by levering the tab whereby
the tab front part contacts the panel. The panel is provided with
an opening defined by a score line which is formed in the panel
surface. After popping the score line with the tilted tab front
part the opening in the panel is formed along the score line. If
intended, the central part of the panel circumvented by the score
line may be torn off using the tab. Accordingly, an easy opening
can is a can in which an opening may be formed without the need of
using a separate opening tool.
[0003] Such can may be filled and subsequently closed by seaming or
soldering the easy opening panel onto the can. Thereafter the
filled easy opening can may be subjected to heating or cooling and
further handling for packaging and transport. This requires that
the tab, in particular the tab rear part remains within the
confinement of the can (in particular within the can seaming edge)
such that interference by a projecting tab part is substantially
avoided. This requirement counters the requirement for easy access
of the tab rear part for gripping with one or more fingers by the
consumer.
[0004] Accordingly, there is a continuous need for providing an
easy opening panel for a can which combines optimal conditions for
the supplier of the panel and can and, for the consumer.
[0005] The present invention has for its object to provide a can
and a panel for such a can which provides an optimal finger access
underneath the rear tab part, and/or allow a lower force to lift
the rear tab part and form the opening in the can.
[0006] Accordingly the present invention provides a can, comprising
a body provided with a panel and a tab connected to the panel,
which tab has a front tab part and a rear tab part for by gripping
and tilting forming with the tab front part an opening in the panel
along a panel score line, wherein the tab is in a tilted position
due to a deformation of the tab-panel connection
[0007] The present invention is based on the insight that a part of
the opening procedure may be carried out by the producer of the
panel or the supplier of the can prior to making the can available
to the consumer. The starting part of the opening procedure goes
through an elastic deformation and subsequent plastic deformation
of the tab-panel connection up to the popping of the score line
whereafter the initial opening and access to the container occurs.
It is in this starting part of the opening procedure up to just
before popping which is to be carried out prior to making the can
available to the consumer. Obviously, the start of the opening
procedure is to be carried out to such extent that the tab in the
tilted position will not interfere with the production and filling
of the can and the transport to the consumer. Furthermore, due to
carrying out the tilting of the tab to the desired extent, the
tab-panel connection will deform first elastically and subsequently
plastically. This will result in a required lower force to be
applied by the consumer for popping the opening and/or the tab
remains in the tilted position due to the applied elastic and
subsequently plastic (permanent) deformation of the tab-panel
connection.
[0008] According to one embodiment occurs the deformation in only
the tab part of the tab-panel connection. In an other embodiment
occurs the deformation in only the panel part of the tab-panel
connection. In both these embodiments is the tab directly connected
to the panel by seaming, soldering or glueing.
[0009] In the alternative is a tab connected to the panel via a
structural connecting element and occurs at least partly the
deformation in this structural connecting element. This structural
connecting element could be an integral part of the panel or could
be a separate structural element such as a rivet. Obviously, in all
these embodiments it is also possible that the deformation not only
occurs in the tab part, in the panel part or in the structural
connecting element, but occurs in the assembly of the tab and panel
or tab, structural connecting element and panel, which form the
tab-panel connection or assembly.
[0010] In order to avoid any interference with the general or
standard production and filling operations it is preferred that the
rear tab part resides within the can confinement.
[0011] The finger access of the tab rear part with the tab in the
tilted position, may be further improved when the rear tab part
resides above a depressed panel part.
[0012] As indicated above the start of the opening procedure goes
through an elastic and subsequent plastic deformation of a
tab-panel connection. Plastic deformation is substantially
permanent. However, elastic and plastic deformation may occur at
the same time in different parts of the tab-panel connection. In
order to have a secured tilted position of the tab, it is preferred
that the deformation of the tab-panel connection comprises at least
partially plastic deformation.
[0013] A subsequent aspect of the invention relates to a method of
making a panel according to the invention. This method comprises
steps of connection a tab to a panel, and subsequently tilting the
tab thereby deforming the tab-panel connection such that the tab
remains in the tilted position. According to one embodiment is the
tilting step carried out by hooking (such as with a hook) by
levering (such as by using a lever) and/or by helix spinning (using
a spinning helix). In all these embodiments an additional
mechanical element is gripping beneath the rear tab part for the
subsequent carrying out of the tilting operation.
[0014] In another embodiment is the tilting step carried out by
glue pulling or magnetic pulling. Both these types of pullings
occur with a mechanical element which is not gripping beneath the
tab but makes contact with the upper surface of at least the rear
tab part. In glue pulling the mechanical element temporarily
contacts and pulls due to a glue action on the tab. Preferred is
magnetic pulling such as by using an electro-magnet using magnetic
force.
[0015] Finally the present invention relates to a panel or can
obtainable with method according to the invention.
[0016] Mentioned and other features and characteristics of the
panel, can and method for making will be further illustrated by
making reference to an embodiment which is different for
illustrative purposes only and not intended to limit the present
invention to any extend.
[0017] In this respect reference will be made to the annexed
figures in which:
[0018] FIGS. 1 and 2 are cross sectional views of the two steps in
making a can provided with a panel according to the invention which
was brought into the tilted position.
[0019] FIG. 1 shows a can 1. The can 1 comprises a body 2 to which
is connected via a seam 3 an easy opening panel 4. The panel 4
comprises a tab 5 having a rear tab part 6 and a front tab part
7.
[0020] The tab 5 is connected to the panel 4 via a structural
connecting element 8. This element 8 is integral with the panel 4
and has the form of a rivet. The rivet 9 is inserted in an opening
10 and is locked into the opening by a widened upper section
11.
[0021] The front tab part 7 is provided with a nose 12 which could
operate with a score line 13 formed into the panel 4. By tilting
the tab 5 after gripping the rear tab part the nose will contact in
the area near the score line and after applying sufficient force
will ultimately pop open the panels 4 along the score line 13.
[0022] The can 1 shown in FIG. 1 may be considered an intermediate
can to be used in the method according to the invention for
producing a panel and can according to the invention.
[0023] FIG. 2 shows the can 14 according to the invention with the
tab 5 brought into the illustrated and shown tilted position.
[0024] According to the preferred production method, an electro
magnet 15 was brought into contact with the rear tab part 6 and
under magnetic force the tab 5 was lifted according to the arrow 16
thereby generating a finger access 17 between panel 4 and rear tab
part 6.
[0025] The tab 5 remains in this shown tilted position due to a
deformation 18 in the tab panel connection 19 systematically
indicated by the oval area. The tilting may have resulted in a
deformation of the tab part 20, and or the rivet part 21 and or
panel part 22 all forming part of the tab-panel connection. The
deformation in the tab 5, in the rivet 9 and or panel 4 may be
elastic and/or plastic. Preferably and ideally is the deformation
at least partially plastic because it is a permanent deformation
and then the tab is secured in the tilted position.
[0026] Finally it is noted that the step according to the invention
for bringing the tab in the tilted position may by carried out with
a modified or additional tooling used in a current apparatus used
in the production of easy opening panels and cans. Such apparatus
comprises an easy opening conversion press, a labeller machine for
filled cans and thelike. Obviously, a stand alone machine may be
used and inserted in any possible area of the production line of
easy opening panels and cans.
[0027] Finally, as shown in FIG. 2 is the finger access optimal and
even maximal if beneath the rear tab part 6 lies a depressed panel
part 23.
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