U.S. patent number 3,662,914 [Application Number 05/083,805] was granted by the patent office on 1972-05-16 for can end with removable tab closure.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Campbell Soup Company. Invention is credited to William J. Slade.
United States Patent |
3,662,914 |
Slade |
May 16, 1972 |
CAN END WITH REMOVABLE TAB CLOSURE
Abstract
A can end has a pouring aperture and a smaller venting aperture
both of which are covered and sealed by an elongated removable tab
having integral rivet portions corresponding to the size and
configuration of the apertures in the can and positioned within the
apertures. The integral rivet portions are riveted to compress a
gasket between the tab and the top of the can but the formation of
the rivet is incomplete so that the tab may be manually removed
from the can end by pulling the rivet portions of the tab out of
engagement with the apertures in the can end. A finger grip is
provided on the tab remote from the pouring aperture, and the tab
is constructed to bend along a line transverse to and between the
rivet portions so that the rivet engaged within the vent aperture
is withdrawn from the vent aperture before the other rivet portion
is withdrawn from the pouring aperture. A portion of the can end at
the side of each aperture closest to the finger grip is weakened by
the score lines permitting the can to distend upon upward
displacement of the finger grip to reduce the pulling force
required to remove the integral rivets from the apertures.
Inventors: |
Slade; William J. (Moorestown,
NJ) |
Assignee: |
Campbell Soup Company (Camden,
NJ)
|
Family
ID: |
22180818 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/083,805 |
Filed: |
October 26, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/271; 220/270;
220/231 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
17/506 (20130101); B65D 2517/0013 (20130101); B65D
2517/0094 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
17/00 (20060101); B65D 17/50 (20060101); B65d
039/00 (); B65d 041/00 (); B65d 043/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;220/60,42B,44,29,24A,47
;222/484-485 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Hall; George T.
Claims
I claim:
1. In a can end for a container, said can end having means defining
a first aperture to permit pouring of contents from the container
and a second aperture to permit venting of the container during
pouring, a removable elongated tab disposed on one side of said can
end, said tab having first and second rivet portions engaging in
respective ones of said apertures, each rivet portion having a rim
engaging the other side of said can end around its associated
aperture to removably secure said tab to said can end, grip means
located on said tab a greater spaced distance from said first rivet
portion than from said second rivet portion, and means providing at
least one weakened zone transversely of said tab to permit bending
of said tab between said rivets upon displacement of said grip
means away from said can end, so that displacement of the grip
means causes the second aperture to be uncovered before the
first.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said tab has a surface
surrounding said rivets and confronting said one side of the can
end around said apertures, and including gasket means disposed
between said tab surface and said one side of the can end.
3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said apertures are
circular with said first aperture having a diameter larger than the
diameter of said second aperture and said rivet portions engage
snugly in their respective apertures.
4. Apparatus according to claim 1 including means providing
distensible zones in said can end adjacent a portion of each
aperture located closest to said grip means.
5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said distensible
zone-producing means includes a series of score lines in said can
end extending outwardly away from each aperture in said one side of
said can end.
6. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said closure means and
said tab are each of steel construction.
7. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said tab has a peripheral
flange projecting away from said can end and said means providing
said weakened zone include abrupt shoulder portions formed on said
flange.
Description
The present invention relates to can ends of the type having
removable tab openers.
At present there are available can ends having integral tear strips
for permitting a large opening to be made in the can end without
the necessity of employing conventional can opening means.
Containers having the aforementioned type of can ends have found
wide acceptance. However, it is known that the depth of the score
lines along the tear strip must be controlled accurately in the
manufacturing process in order to ensure removal of the strip with
a minimum of effort. Because of the lower strength of aluminum, the
depth of the score lines is not as critical in aluminum as in steel
and aluminum has been the choice of container manufacturers for
tear strip closures. However, aluminum can ends when used on cans
fabricated of other metals such as steel create other problems
which make them less desirable than steel can ends. In addition,
aluminum is more costly than steel. Thus, can ends which are
fabricated of steel are desirable.
With the foregoing in mind, it is a primary object of the present
invention to provide a novel container closure having a removable
tab opener.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an
improved steel can end which may be mated with a container of like
material and which may be easily opened to permit access to the
product within the container.
As a further object, the present invention provides a new can end
having a removable tab opener which is capable of being removed
with a minimum of effort and which is economical to fabricate.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an
improved can end having a relatively large pouring aperture and a
smaller venting aperture and having a removable tab which is
constructed to uncover the venting aperture prior to uncovering the
pouring aperture.
More specifically, the present invention provides a can end shaped
to mount on the open end of a container and having an elongated,
removable tab means with one partial rivet snugly engaged in a
pouring aperture and another partial rivet snugly engaged in a
smaller venting aperture in the can end. Gasket means is provided
between the underside of the tab means and the top of the can end
around each aperture, and each partial rivet has a rim engaging the
underside of the member to compress the gasket and effect an air
and fluid tight seal. Grip means is provided on the tab means at a
location remote from the pouring aperture and to one side of the
venting aperture, and the tab means has a transverse zone which is
weak in bending between its rivet portions so that the grip may be
pivoted to cause uncovering of the venting aperture prior to the
pouring aperture for equalizing the pressure inside the container.
It addition, means is provided to weaken the portion of each
aperture which is closest to the grip means to enable the can end
to distend along a portion of each aperture for reducing the force
required to effect disengagement of the tab from the can end.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present
invention should become apparent from the following description
when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in
which:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a can end embodying the present
invention;
FIG. 1a is an exploded perspective view showing the can end of the
present invention with its tab means separated from the can
end;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the can end of FIG.
1;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 3--3, FIG. 2,
and illustrating the downwardly concave configuration of the
depressed portions of the tab means before they are partially
riveted to secure the tab to the can end;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of
the partially riveted portions of the tab means, the view
illustrating a rim formed around each riveted portion upon
compression between die members;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating
compressed gasket means located between the tab means and the can
end, the compression resulting from the formation of the rims
around the partially riveted portions; and
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a form of gasket employed in the
present invention.
Referring now to the drawing, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 a can
end 10 embodying the present invention. As illustrated therein, the
can end is shaped to engage the open end of a cylindrical container
body 12 and includes a circular pouring aperture 13 located
adjacent its periphery and a smaller circular venting aperture 14
located centrally of the can end. The apertures 13 and 14 are
covered and sealed by a tab 15 positioned on the top of the can end
and which is removable to uncover the apertures preparatory to the
pouring of contents from the container 12. In the present instance,
both the can end 10 and tab 15 are fabricated from steel.
As noted heretofore, aluminum has been the choice of container
manufacturers for tab-type can ends because its relatively low
strength permits fabrication of can ends having removable tabs
which are capable of being opened with a minimum of effort.
Although steel is economically more desirable for can ends than
aluminum its strength has presented a drawback to the production of
can ends which are capable of being opened with substantially the
same effort as required for aluminum closures. Accordingly, a can
end which is relatively easy to open and which is economical to
produce is highly desirable.
The present invention provides a can end which eliminates the
aforementioned limitations of prior art by being economical to
manufacture and capable of being opened with a minimum of effort.
To this end, the tab 15 has a rivet-like portion 16 matingly
engaged in the pouring aperture 13 and another rivet-like portion
17 matingly engaged in the venting aperture 14 (see FIG. 3). The
tab 15 has a flat surface 15a confronting the top of the can end 10
and surrounding the rivets 16 and 17; and gasket means, in the
present instance a flat, oval, resilient element 20 (FIG. 6) having
apertures 21 and 22 for receiving the rivets 16 and 17,
respectively, is disposed between the surface 15a and the top of
the can end 10 to provide an air and fluid-tight seal therebetween.
As may be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the tab 15 is removably secured to
the can end 10 by means of rims 16a and 17a which engage the
underside of the can end around the apertures 13 and 14 and which
are formed by partially deforming the rivets 16 and 17,
respectively, between dies which engage opposite sides of the
rivets 16 and 17 as illustrated in broken lines in FIG. 4. During
the riveting operation, as may be seen in FIG. 5, the gasket 20 is
compressed slightly around the edges of the apertures 13 and 14 and
between the tab 15 and can end 10 to form a fluid and air tight
seal at the apertures. As an alternative to having a separate
gasket 20, the gasket may be molded directly on the underside of
the tab around the rivet portions 16 and 17.
The tab 15 is readily removable from the can end 10. To this end,
grip means, in the present instance an elongated opening 25, is
provided in the tab 15 at the end of the tab remote from the
pouring aperture 13. The opening 25 extends transversely to the
longitudinal dimension of the tab 15, and the opening 25 is sized
to receive a person's index finger. As may be seen in FIGS. 2 and
3, a flange 26 projects upwardly from the tab 15 around its
periphery and surrounds the opening 25, and a slight gap 27 is
provided between the top of the can end 10 and the underside of the
grip to enable a person to obtain a firm hold on the tab 15
preparatory to its being disengaged from the can end 10.
The tab 15 is disengaged from the can end 10 when the grip 25 is
displaced upwardly (see FIG. 1a). It is to be noted, however, that
some with certain products, and particularly those which are
packaged hot and then cooled, a vacuum may be created in the
container. As a result, the pressure differential on opposite sides
of the rivets 16 and 17 would normally tend to increase the effort
required to disengage the tab 15.
In accordance with the present invention, the tab 15 is constructed
in such a manner as to first uncover the venting aperture 17 before
disengagement of the tab from the pouring aperture is initiated.
For this purpose, means is provided to weaken the tab 15 in a
transverse zone between the rivets 16 and 17. In the present
instance, the weakened zone is provided by terminating the flange
end at abrupt shoulders 30, 30 adjacent opposite sides of the rivet
16. Thus, when the grip 25 is displaced upwardly, the tab 15 bends
to enable the grip 25 to be pivoted upwardly to first withdraw the
rivet 17 from the venting aperture 14. Further upward movement of
the grip 25 permits the rivet 16 to be withdrawn from the pouring
aperture 13 with a minimum of effort.
In order further to reduce the effort required to remove the tab
15, means is provided along the portions of the apertures 13 and 14
closest to the grip 25 to enable the can end to distend adjacent
the apertures upon withdrawal of the rivet rims 16a and 17a from
the apertures 13 and 14, respectively. In the present instance, the
distension-providing means includes a series of radially extending
score marks 32 and 33 in the top of the can end 10 adjacent the
apertures 13 and 14, respectively. Thus, the strength of the can
end 10 is reduced in these two zones to enable the tab 15 to be
removed with a minimum of effort.
In view of the foregoing, it should be apparent that an improved
can end which is economical to manufacture and which may be opened
with a minimum of effort has been provided.
While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been
described in detail, various modifications, alterations and changes
may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the
present invention as defined in the appended claims.
* * * * *