End Closure With Full Panel Opening
AssigneeBall Corporation
InventorsJason M. Kaanta, Mark A. Jacober, Howard C. Chasteen, Michael D. Richardson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A container for food and beverages with a fully opening end panel is provided. An end closure of the container has a generally circular end panel defined by a score line. A rotational opening tool is providing for contacting the end panel and separating the end panel from the score line upon rotation of the tool.
Claims19
A container with a selectively removable full panel opening, comprising:
- a substantially cylindrical container body with a closed bottom and a neck on an upper portion of the container body;
- an end closure interconnected to said neck;
- the end closure comprising an end panel selectively separable from the container body about a score line which is positioned proximate to the neck of the container;
- an opening device which covers the neck of the container and is rotatable relative to the container body;
- the opening device comprising a ramp on a lower portion for contacting at least one lobe extending from a portion of the end panel, and wherein upon rotation of the opening device an upward force is applied to the end panel to separate the entire end panel from the container body about the score line.
A combination of a full panel opening end closure adapted for interconnection to a neck of a container and a complementing removal tool, comprising:
- a peripheral curl adapted for double seaming to a neck of the container;
- a chuck wall interconnected to said peripheral curl and extending downwardly therefrom;
- a countersink having a safety fold interconnected to a lower portion of said chuck wall, at least a portion of the countersink comprising a bearing surface;
- an inner panel wall interconnected to said countersink;
- a removable central panel interconnected to said inner panel wall, wherein said inner panel wall and said removable central panel are separable from said countersink about a circular score line;
- a generally circular shaped opening device in communication with said bearing surface of said countersink and comprising a helical ramp for contacting the central portion of the end panel and separating the entire end panel from the end closure.
A method of selectively removing a full panel opening from a container, comprising:
- providing a generally cylindrical container body having a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion having a neck and the bottom portion comprising a closed bottom and defining a volume therebetween;
- providing an end closure with a peripheral curl double seamed to said neck, a chuck wall adjacent to said peripheral curl, a countersink having a safety fold interconnected to said chuck wall, at least a portion of the countersink comprising a bearing surface, an inner panel wall adjacent to said countersink, and a removable central panel adjacent said inner panel wall, wherein said inner panel wall and said removable central panel are separable from said countersink about a circular score line;
- providing a generally circular shaped opening device which is adapted to engage a portion of the end closure;
- selectively aligning the opening device with the end closure;
- and
- securing the opening device to the end closure by applying a combination of downward force and rotational movement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.