US3327891A - Can end with inseparable tear strip - Google Patents

Description

' -June27,196 7 G.- F. SMYTH I 3,327,891

CAN END WITH INSEFARABLE TEAR STRIP Filed March 15. 1965 I I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 27, SMYTH CAN END WITH INSEPARABLE TEAR STRIP 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed March 15, 1965 United States Patent 3,327,891 CAN END WITH INSEPARABLE TEAR STRIP George F. Smyth, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Ermal C. Fraze, Dayton, Ohio Filed Mar. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 439,807 9 Claims. (Cl. 22054) This invention relates to easy opening cans and more specifically to such a can which is readily opened by severing a tear strip defined by lines of score from a wall of the can to expose the contents thereof.

Such so-called easy opening cans have been well accepted by the public and in the type used for beer, carbonated beverages, and other liquids where the tear strip defines a pouring spout or opening, one end of the tear strip is permanently joined to a lever or tab. To open the can, this tab is simply lifted which initiates rupture of the score line and then both the tab and the tear strip are removed from the can by a continuous pull on the tab.

These easy opening cans have been highly successful because they eliminate the necessity of an opener or tool and thus are most convenient for use at recreational areas such as beaches, parks and the like. The use of such easy opening cans at recreational areas is on the increase, but unfortunately, while there is a tendency for the public to be careful about the disposal of the cans themselves after use so as not to litter the recreational areas, there is also a tendency for the public to simply discard the removed tab and tear strip after opening the cans at any place the user happers to be. As a result these tear strips and tabs unfortunately can be found littering many recreational areas.

This litter of recreational areas with these tear strips and tabs has become quite a problem to those in charge of maintaining these recreational areas clean and usable. For one thing, being small, these tear strips and tabs are more diflicult to pick up than other larger debris and cannot be satisfactorily raked like other debris. At beaches they become buried in the sand, making their removal most difiicult. Too, present cleaning equipment, it has been found, does not satisfactorily pick up these tear strips and tabs so as to properly clean the recreational areas, and attempts to .use magnetic equipment have been unsatisfactory because the tear strips and tabs are generally formed of nonferrous metal. All in all, the problem of the litter by these severed tear strips and tabs is such that some states and municipalities have been prompted to consider ordinances prohibiting the use of easy opening cans in recreational areas, particularly at beach areas.

Thus, it should be apparent that if easy opening cans are to continue to be increasingly successful, a solution to the problem of littering recreational areas with tear strips and tabs must be solved, yet it is apparent that any solution to this litter problem must still afford the public with the same advantages and conveniences as the present easy opening cans, and it is the purpose of the present invention to achieve this result.

This purpose is achieved by a concept of providing a tear strip and tab which will perform the same function as before, but will remain intact on the can so that both are discarded with the can. In the preferred practice of this concept, a tear strip is formed in the can top by score lines which when ruptured, define a pouring spout. But, unlike the prior easy open can tops, the score lines are not continuous, that is, they do not completely circumscribe a segment of the can top so that the tear strip and its tab never become detached from the remainder of the can top.

There is, of course, another problem which arises when the tear strip and tab remain a part of the can top and that is the problem of interference of the tab and tear strip,

3,327,89l Patented June 27, 1967 particularly Where the can is to be used for drinking directly therefrom. This problem is solved by the present invention by so orienting the tear strip which, after it has been partially severed from the can top, can be reversely bent against the can top to position the tab joined thereto so that the latter can be moved downwardly alongside the wall of the can. In this arrangement, both the tear strip and tab are out of the Way of the pouring spout area and there is no interference from either the tear strip or the tab when the can is handled and used either to drink directly therefrom or to simply pour therefrom.

Thus, to open an easy open can formed in accordance with the teachings of this invention, the tab is lifted out of its initial position fiat against the top of the can so as to initiate a severance of the score line and then pulled in a direction away from the pouring spout area so that the material of the top is severed along the score line. Thereafter, the tab is moved down over the edge of the can top so as to lie fiat against the cylindrical wall of the can. Cans made in accordance with the teachings of this invention thus have the advantages of the present easy opening cans and yet obviate the aforesaid litter problem because the tear strips and tabs never become separated from the cans.

Other features and advantages of the invention may be understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings which are to be regarded as merely illustrative FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a can top formed in accordance with the teachings of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the can top after the line of score has been ruptured and the tab disposed adjacent the side wall of the can;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional View taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged detail view of one type of tab having a piercing point and used to initiate severance of the score line;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of the can top immediately after the tab is lifted and there has been an initial severance of the score line;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view like FIGURE 6, illustrating the position of the tab and the severance of the score line upon further lifting of the tab out of its initial position;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view showing the tab in the position once the score line is completely ruptured; and

FIGURE 9 shows the position of the tear strip and interconnected tab at the completion of the opening of the can.

The can top of the present invention, referring now to the drawing, comprises a body member, indicated in its entirety as 10, which may be made of a aluminum alloy, and which is formed with a rim flange 12 for joining the can top to a cylindrical can body 14 in a well-known manner. The can top 10 is provided with a tear strip 16 defined by a line of score 18 which thins the metal of the can top for ease of rupture so that when the tear strip is separated by severance along the line of score 18, a pouring spout or opening 20 is formed in the top of the can.

The line of score 18 is not continuous, and as best shown in FIGURE 1 the opposite ends thereof terminate in a spaced apart relationship in the vicinity of the center of the can top and thus form the tear strip 16 into a tongue-like configuration. As the line of score 18 is discontinuous, the segment 26 of the can top intermediate the ends of the line of score permanently join the tongue-like 3 tear strip 16 to the remainder of the can top and forms a portion about which the tear strip 16 may be folded once the line of score is ruptured.

In the illustrated embodiment of the can top of the present invention, a tab or lever 22, formed of a length of relatively stifi wire, is joined to the tear strip 16 adjacent the peripheral edge of the can top by a pair of protuberances 24 integral with the can top and which, as best seen in FIGURE 4, overlie the leg 27 of the tab to hold the latter permanently to the tear strip. Thus what may be termed the leading end of the tear strip is connected to the tab 22 and the tear strip is bendable about its opposite end which may be termed the root end of the tear strip.

Although any means desired may be used to permanently join the tab to the tear strip 16, in the embodiment illustrated the spaced apart protuberances 24 are formed by upsetting the material of the tear strip after which the leg 27 of the tab is positioned between the protuberances. After the leg has been properly positioned between the protuberances the latter are peened over to clamp the leg against the tear strip. This method of joining the tab to the tear strip is disclosed and claimed in my copending application for patent, Serial No. 437,021, filed March 4, 1965.

The one end of the tab, referring now to FIGURE 5, is preferably formed with a piercing point 28 which overlies the line of score 18 so that when the handle 30 of the tab 22, formed by a loop of the wire, is lifted from its original position flat against the can top, the piercing point is moved in the opposite direction, i.e., toward the line of score 18 to pierce the latter and initiate rupture of the same.

FIGURES 7, 8 and 9 show various stages or positions of the tab and tear strip relative to the can top 10 as the can is being opened. After the initial rupture of the score 18 through the lever action brought about by lifting the handle 30 of the tab 22 as shown in FIGURE 6, a further lifting of the handle 30, i.e., raising the tab toward the somewhat vertical position as shown in FIGURE 7, produces a further rupturing of the score line 18 and the tear strip folds near the juncture between the tear strip and the tab.

FIGURE 8 shows how the tear strip 16 is lifted from the can top 10 by continued pulling on the handle 30 and by the time the tab is in the position shown in full lines in FIGURE 8, the score line is completely ruptured so that the tear strip can now be easily folded back over the top of the can.

The tear strip 16 formed by the score line 18 is preferably of such a length relative to the diameter of the can top 10 that the end of the tear strip 16 to which the tab 22 is joined, once the tear strip is folded back over the can top, is disposed just clear of the can top.

FIGURE 9 shows the tear strip completely folded back with the free end of the tear strip disposed beyond the edge of the can, which edge in the preferred practice of the invention is the edge diametrically opposite the edge Where the initial severance took place to faciliate the tearing or ripping of the score line.

This slight extension of the free end of the tear strip beyond the edge of the can top 10 places the tab 22 in a position where it can be moved downwardly against the cylindrical wall of the can body 14. In this position, the tab does not interfere with the user grasping the can body to pour or drink directly from the can.

Certain dimensional relationship in the preferred embodiment of the invention may be made apparent by referring to the diameter along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1. It can be seen that the length of the tab is greater than the radius of the can top, i.e. greater than one half of the diameter. It is also apparent that the distance between the leading end of the tear strip and the corresponding end of the diameter along the line 33 is shorter than the distance of the root end of the tear strip from the opposite end of the diameter. Furthermore, the length of the tear strip is greater than the distance from the root end of the tear strip to the corresponding end of the diameter along the line 33.

From the above description of the invention, it can be seen that the tear strip is not completely severed from the can top as the score line is ruptured through manipulation of the tab, although a full pouring opening is formed by the partial severance of the tear strip from the can top. The invention thus provides a can top as easily opened as presently used easy open tops but completely eliminates the litter produced in recreational areas by the separa-table tear strips and connected tabs of the presently used easy opening can tops.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the fact that as the tear strip 16 is not completely severable from the can top, there is no danger of a highly pressurized content of the can, such as a carbonated beverage, discharging the tear strip from the can top. Thus even though the internal pressure could tend to sever the line of score 18, there is no danger of the tear strip separating from the can top at high velocity for the segment 26 integrally joins and anchors the one end of the tear strip to the remainder of the can top.

Although the now preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited thereto, for it is susceptible to changes in form and detail within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

I. In an easy opening can having a top weakened along a score line to form a tear strip and having a tab attached to the leading end of the tear strip for manual severance thereof to leave a pouring opening, the improvement to prevent complete removal of the tear strip and at the same time to keep the tear strip and the tab from interfering with the operation of dispensing the contents of the can through the pouring opening, comprising:

said score line having a loop portion forming a leading end of the tear strip and being interrupted to provide two ends of the score line with the two ends spaced apart to form an opposite root end of the tear strip that is bendable to permit the tear strip to be bent back from the pouring opening,

said leading end of the tear strip being closer to one side of the can than the root end of the tear strip with the root end of the tear strip extending towards the opposite side of the can,

the length of the tear strip being greater than the radius of the can top and being greater than the distance of the root end of the tear strip from said opposite side of the can to place the leading end of the tear strip and the tab attached thereto beyond said opposite side of the can when the tear strip is bent back.

2. In an easy opening can having a circular can top weakened along a score line to form a tear strip and having a tab attached to the leading end of the tear strip for manual severance thereof to leave a pouring opening, the improvement to prevent complete removal of the tear strip and at the same time to keep the tear strip and the tab from interfering with the operation of withdrawing the contents of the can through the pouring opening, comprising:

said score line having a loop portion forming a leading end of the tear strip and being interrupted to provide two ends with the two ends of the score line spaced apart to form a root end of the tear strip that is bendable to permit the tear strip to be bent back from the pouring opening,

said leading end of the tear strip being closer to one side of the can than the root end of the tear strip with the root end of the tear strip extending towards the opposite side of the can,

the length of the tear strip being greater than the radius of the can top and being greater than the distance of the root end of the tear strip from said opposite side of the can to place the leading end of the tear strip and the tab attached thereto beyond said opposite side of the can when the tear strip is bent back from the pouring opening,

said tab having a working end connected to the leading end of the tear strip and a handle end extending longitudinally of the tear strip towards the root end of the tear strip whereby lifting the handle end of the tab bends the leading end of the tear strip inward towards the interior of the can to initiate severance of the tear strip and whereby the tab may be swung to an angle relative to the tear strip to extend down the side of the can when the tear strip is bent back from the pour opening.

3. An improvement as set forth in claim 2 in which the tab is a wire member initially lying flat against the tear strip with the working end of the wire member anchored to the tear strip by a pair of opposite overhanging double-layer tongues formed in the tear strip with the tear strip continuous in the region of each tongue.

4. An improvement as set forth in claim 3 in which the working end of the wire member is formed with a point to pierce the can top at the loop of the score line that forms the leading end of the tear strip.

5. In an easy opening can having a circular top Wall formed of sheet material:

an interrupted line of scoring in said top wall with the ends of the line of scoring spaced apart to form a tongue-like tear strip with a leading end and with a bendable root end permanently joined to the remainder of the top wall to permit the tear strip to be severed along the line of scoring to form a pour opening in said wall and to permit the tear strip to be bent back from the opening; and

a tab connected to the leading end of the tongue-like tear strip to serve as manual means for severance of the tear strip along the line of scoring and to serve as manual means for bending the tear strip back from the opening to avoid interference with use of the opening to empty the can.

6. An easy opening can as set forth in claim 5 in which the tear strip extends along a diameter of the top wall with a distance between the leading end of the tear strip and the corresponding end of the diameter shorter than the distance of the root end of the tear strip from the opposite end of the diameter and with the length of the tear strip greater than the distance from the root end of the tear strip to said opposite end of the diameter whereby the tab extends beyond said opposite end of the diameter when the tear strip is bent back from the pour opening.

7. An easy opening can as set forth in claim 6 in which the longitudinal dimension of the tear strip measured from the root end to the connection of the tear strip with the tab is greater than the distance from the root end of the tear strip to said opposite end of the diameter to permit the tab to be swung back beyond said opposite end of the diameter and below the plane of the top wall of the can when the tear strip is bent back from the pour opening.

8. In an easy opening can having a body member and a closing end wall:

a line of weakness formed in said end wall defining an elongated tear strip, said line of weakness comprising a score line extending from a point on said end wall centrally thereof toward the peripheral edge thereof and returning to a second point centrally of the end wall and spaced from said first mentioned point to thereby form a segment of the end wall integrally joining said tear strip to said end wall, whereby the tear strip defined by said score line will remain joined with the end wall upon rupture of the score line to form a pouring opening in said end wall; and

a tab having one end connected to said tear strip adjacent the said peripheral edge of said end wall for manual rupture ofs aid score line, whereby lifting of the tab will rupture said score line, and continued pulling on the tab will bend said tear strip at said segment, the location of said segment being such that the end of the tear strip adjacent the peripheral edge of the end wall will extend beyond the opposite edge of said end wall when said tear strip is bent following rupture of said score line to permit the tab to be disposed closely adjacent the side wall of said body member.

9. In an easy opening can having a body member and a closing end wall:

a line of weakness formed in said end wall defining an elongated tear strip severable from said end wall to provide an opening therein, said line of weakness comprising a score line extending from a point on said end wall centrally thereof toward the peripheral edge thereof and returning to a second point centrally of the end wall and spaced from said first mentioned point to thereby form a segment of the end wall integrally joining said tear strip to said end wall, whereby the tear strip defined by said score line will remain joined with the end wall upon rupture of the score line to form the opening in said end wall;

a rigid tab; and

means joining an end of said tab to the end of said tear strip opposite to said segment, manipulation of said tab rupturing said score line to lift said tear strip from said end wall whereby said tear strip may be reversely bent back at said segment, the location of said segment being such that the end of the tear strip joined to said tab will extend beyond the 0pposite edge of said end wall after said tear strip is bent following rupture of said score line, whereby the tab may be thereafter moved to a position closely adjacent the side wall of said body member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,269,586 8/1966 Quimby et al 220-54 FOREIGN PATENTS 633,372 7/ 1936 Germany.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. G. T, HALL Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN AN EASY OPENING CAN HAVING A TOP WEAKENED ALONG A SCORE LINE TO FORM A TEAR STRIP AND HAVING A TAB ATTACHED TO THE LEADING END OF THE TEAR STRIP FOR MANUAL SEVERANCE THEREOF TO LEAVE A POURING OPENING, THE IMPROVEMENT TO PREVENT COMPLETE REMOVAL OF THE TEAR STRIP AND AT THE SAME TIME TO KEEP THE TEAR STRIP AND THE TAB FROM INTERFERING WITH THE OPERATION OF DISPENSING THE CONTENTS OF THE CAN THROUGH THE POURING OPENING, COMPRISING: SAID SCORE LINE HAVING A LOOP PORTION FORMING A LEADING END OF THE TEAR STRIP AND BEING INTERRUPTED TO PROVIDE TWO ENDS OF THE SCORE LINE WITH THE TWO ENDS SPACED APART TO FORM AN OPPOSITE ROOT END OF THE TEAR STRIP THAT IS BENDABLE TO PERMIT THE TEAR STRIP TO BE BENT BACK FROM THE POURING OPENING, SAID LEADING END OF THE TEAR STRIP BEING CLOSER TO ONE SIDE OF THE CAN THAN THE ROOT END OF THE TEAR STRIP WIH THE ROOT END OF THE TEAR STRIP EXTENDING TOWARDS THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE CAN, THE LENGTH OF THE TEAR STRIP BEING GREATER THAN THE RADIUS OF THE CAN TOP AND BEING GREATER THAN THE DISTANCE OF THE ROOT END OF THE TEAR STRIP FROM SAID OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE CAN TO PLACE THE LEADING END OF THE TEAR STRIP AND THE TAB ATTACHED THERETO BEYOND SAID OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE CAN WHEN THE TEAR STRIP IS BENT BACK.

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