US 5,129,541 AGranted

Easy open ecology end for cans

AssigneeBuhrke Industries, Inc.

InventorsLee R. W. Voigt, Jeffrey A. Dobrzynski

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An easy open can end is disclosed having an attached tear strip across a portion of the can end outlined by a score line, and a round-shaped pull tab secured to the can end adjacent the attached tear strip, the pull tab including a nose portion having a clevis formed in an offset location relative to the pull tab's longitudinal centerline, the can end including a pivot ridge member formed in a centered position relative to the logitudinal centerline of the attached pull tab for assisting in maximizing the offset forces applied by the pull tab's nose portion. The offset clevis operates to create reduced opening forces when opening the can end, including a reduced initial "pop" pressure and a reduced "tear" pressure. These reduced forces result by having the offset clevis cause the initial "pop" opening to occur along only one side of the tear strip's score line and then the opening tear occurs sequentially along the remainder of the score line. This permits use of a score line of reduced depth, thereby leaving additional residual metal at the score line area, which increased residual metal results in less can leakage due to less incidents of unwanted score line fracture. The present invention's offset clevis tab pull is usable with can ends formed of steel and aluminum.

Claims8

Dependent claims

An easy open end plate assembly for cans, comprising in combination:

a can end plate formed of a thin sheet material and having a configured score line partially cut through the thickness of said end plate so as to define a tear strip portion, said partial cut score line leaving a score residual of said sheet material in said can end plate;
a ring pull tab member having grab portion at one end, a nose portion at another end, and an intermediate hinge portion hingedly secured to said can end plate so that said nose portion lies adjacent said tear strip portion;
a clevis member formed on said nose portion at a location offset from the longitudinal centerline of said ring pull tab member, whereby said offset clevis member is operable, when a lifting force is placed on said grab portion, to direct the initial opening force of said nose portion along only one side portion of said score line so as to initially open said can end plate, and thereafter said offset clevis member causes a sequential tearing of the remainder of said score line until said tear strip is fully opened, thereby resulting in minimal opening forces, whereby said score residual can be of sufficient thickness to minimize inadvertent fracture of said score;
and
a pivot ridge member formed in said can end plate so as to extend towards said nose portion adjacent the longitudinal centerline thereof, said pivot ridge member being aligned generally transverse of said nose portion, whereby said pivot ridge member permits said nose portion to pivot thereabout in a direction offset of said longitudinal centerline so as to assist said offset clevis member in maximizing the initial opening force provided by said offset clevis member along said one side portion of said score line.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/710,165Filed 4 Jun 1991
Granted: 14 Jul 1992
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

B65D 17/4012
Characterised by having the line of weakness provided in an end wall: for opening partially by means of a tearing tab
B65D 2517/0014
Action for opening container: pivot tab and push-down tear panel
B65D 2517/0073
Ribs or projections in container end panel: located under tab hand grip to facilitate initial lifting of the tab
B65D 2517/0079
Local recess in container end panel: located beneath tab hand grip to facilitate initial lifting