EP1669299A1

EP1669299A1 - Pull-tab for a drinks can

Info

Publication number: EP1669299A1
Application number: EP05077795A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Corstiaan Johannes Van Goolen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-12-10
Filing date: 2005-12-07
Publication date: 2006-06-14
Also published as: NL1027703C1

Abstract

Pull-tab for a drinks can, in order to be able to close said can, once the can has been opened so that dirt or other contaminants cannot enter the can. The pull-tab (2) is attached via a lip (3) to a turning pin (4) which is at right angles to the top surface (1) of the can. According to the invention said lip has a circumference which is such that the drinking aperture (6) to be formed by breaking the tear line (5) can be completely covered.

Description

The present invention relates to a pull-tab for a drinks can. The top surface of present-day drinks cans comprises a pull-tab which is attached via a lip connected thereto to a turning pin which is at right angles to the top surface of the can. In order to open the can, the pull-tab is moved away from the top surface at the end which is remote from the pin. This results in an area of the top surface enclosed by a weakened tear line being pushed inwards by the opposite end of the pull-tab, creating a drinking aperture.
Such drinks cans are well known and are used in large numbers by consumers. However, one drawback of these cans is that once such a can has been opened, it cannot be closed again, and the entire contents have to be consumed more or less at once. As such drinks cans are used particularly often in recreational areas, such as beaches and the like, there is a risk of sand, dirt and/or insects, such as wasps, getting into an opened can, with all the consequences this entails.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a drinks can which can be closed in a simple manner after opening, so that no insects or other contaminants can get into the can.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by dimensioning the lip of the pull-tab by which the pull-tab is attached to the top surface of the can, such that the outer circumference thereof substantially corresponds to the circumference of the tear line or the drinking aperture.
The invention is effectively based on the fact that, once the can has been opened, the pull-tab can be rotated about the turning pin at right angles to the top surface of the can. By dimensioning the lip such that its dimensions correspond to those of the drinking aperture, this lip can be turned to cover the drinking aperture by rotating the pull-tab and closing this drinking aperture in such a manner that no dirt or other contaminants can get into the can.
According to a variant of the invention, the pull-tab itself may be provided with a plastic attachment piece having a circumference which is such that the drinking aperture to be formed can be completely covered. In this manner, the pull-tab itself together with the attachment piece forms a lid for the drinking aperture, and the lip can have the same dimensions as in the state of the art.
The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the attached diagrammatic drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a top view of a drinks can with pull-tab according to the present invention;
Fig. 2 shows a view of a drinks can similar to that of Fig. 1 with a differently designed pull-tab;
Fig. 3 shows a section of the closure according to Fig. 1; and
Fig. 4 shows a section of the closure according to Fig. 2.

Fig. 1 shows a view of the top surface 1 of a drinks can on which a pull-tab 2 is attached to a turning pin 4 extending at right angles from the top surface via a lip 3 connected thereto. The turning pin is positioned in the centre of the top surface 1. The top surface is provided with a weakened tear line 5 which delimits a drinking aperture 6 to be formed. The outside of the tear line is delimited by a raised ridge 7, which forms a reinforcement of the area adjoining the drinking aperture.
As can more clearly be seen in the section in Fig. 3, the can is opened by moving the pull-tab 2 in the direction of the arrow P. The pull-tab effectively pivots about the lip 3 and the end 2a of the pull-tab will consequently move downwards and press against the area of the top surface which is inside the tear line 5. As a result, the tear line 5 will break and the drinking aperture 6 is formed. Up to this point, this is the known state of the art.
According to the invention, the lip is enlarged to such an extent that its circumference is able to completely cover the drinking aperture formed. Once the can is opened, the assembly comprising the pull-tab 2 and lip 3 can be rotated about the turning pin 4 in the direction of arrow R, so that the lip 3 completely covers the drinking aperture. In this position, it is not possible for dirt and/or insects to get into the can.
Fig. 2 shows another embodiment of the invention, In this case, the pull-tab is of the standard design known from the state of the art. Instead of an enlarged lip 3, a plastic attachment piece 8 is arranged on the pull-tab 2, which attachment piece has a circumference which is such that the drinking aperture to be formed can be completely covered. This attachment piece can be made from any suitable plastic and can be attached to the free end of the pull-tab 2 by means of a clamping fit.
The invention is effectively based on the idea that the pull-tab can be rotated in the plane of the top surface of the can, so that the pull-tab, in addition to the function of opening the can, also acquires the function of closing the drinking aperture formed.
It will also be clear that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment shown and discussed here, but that a large number of variants and modifications are possible within the scope of the attached claims.

Claims

Pull-tab for a drinks can, which is attached via a lip connected thereto to a turning pin which is at right angles to the top surface of the can, the top surface being provided with a weakened tear line which delimits a drinking aperture to be formed, characterized in that the lip (3) has a circumference which is such that the drinking aperture (6) to be formed can be completely covered.
Pull-tab according to Claim 1, characterized in that the lip (3) is provided with elastic material along its circumferential edge, such as silicone rubber.
Pull-tab for a drinks can, which is attached via a lip connected thereto to a turning pin which is at right angles to the top surface of the can, the top surface being provided with a weakened tear line which delimits a drinking aperture to be formed, characterized in that the pull-tab (2) is provided with a plastic attachment piece (8) having a circumference which is such that the drinking aperture (6) to be formed can be completely covered.
Pull-tab according to Claim 3, characterized in that the edges of the attachment piece (8) are designed such that the attachment piece can engage on the drinking aperture in a positive-locking manner.
Attachment piece for a pull-tab according to Claims 3 and 4.