WO2002014167A1

WO2002014167A1 - Can top opening assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2002014167A1
Application number: PCT/KR2001/001193
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kook Han Kim
Original assignee: World Can Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2000-08-17
Filing date: 2001-07-11
Publication date: 2002-02-21
Also published as: KR200210336Y1; AU2001269595A1

Abstract

The present invention discloses steel can top opening assembly, for readily opening the can openings by use of lever principle. In the invention, a pull tab (4) having a finger hole (4a) is fixed by rivet (5) to a score piece (2) along score line (3) on the end plate (1). Reinforcement means is disposed on the score piece (2) having non-score portion (3a) at the center of the end plate (1). At the time of initiating opening the pull tab (4) is rotatably fixed by the rivet (5). Before opening the score piece (2) the pull tab (4) is disposed on the end plate of the score piece (2).

Description

CAN TOP OPENING ASSEMBLY

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a steel can for beverages, more specifically, to an improved steel can top opening assembly for readily opening the can openings by use of lever principle.

Background Art The can containers for beverages made of thin steel or aluminium alloys are filled of the contents and sealed by a forming process such as seaming the end plate of the can.

The end plate employs the opening assembly for fetch of the contents in the can container by pulling and opening the score piece on the end plate .

Fig. 1 shows a conventional can top opening assembly.

A score piece 2 in the shape of water drop to break the seal is disposed at the end plate 1, and at one end thereof a pull tab 4 having a finger hole 4a is fixed by the score piece 2 and rivet 5.

In order to take the can contents, the user pulls the pull tab 4 and the finger hole 4a upward with the finger.

The support 4b formed in the pull tab 4 is broken from the end plate 1 and the score piece 2 becomes separate in part from the end plate 1 along the score line 3.

Once the score piece 2 is in part broken from the end plate by pulling upward the pull tab, the user pulls the pull tab 4 holding the finger in the finger hole 4a with all finger's force to make apart the score piece 2 along the score line 3 from the end plate 1. Then the user can take the contents from pouring opening 6 in complete open.

However, conventional can opening assembly is not readily available with a little force from the end plate 1 and sometimes it cause injury by the score piece 2 edge on the user. Further, the score piece broken from the end plate 1 contaminates the environment due to throw away of the score piece.

In order to solve the above disadvantages, improved can top opening assembly has been suggested as shown in Fig. 2. Another type of the can top opening assembly accompanies the score piece 2 inward pushed into the can to open the opening hole 6.

Fig. 2 shows the other embodiment of the conventional can top opening assembly. Score line 3 in the shape of

"U" is formed at the end plate 1. A pull tab 4 is formed to include_, a finger hole 4a and press portion 4c and fixed by the rivet 5 on the end plate 1. The pull tab 4 includes a bending portion 4d to bend downward at the state of holding the finger hole 4a as the pull tab 4 is pulled over.

When the pull tab 4 with the finger hole 4a is pulled upward from the end plate 1 to open the pouring opening 6, the press portion 4c in opposite of the finger hole 4a serves to press the score piece 2 to break from the score line 3.

Pulling the pull tab 4 in holding the finger hole 4a acts to bend the bending portion 4d and to press the press portion 4c downward the score piece 2, so that the pouring opening 6 becomes completely open as shown in Fig. 3.

Although the pull tab 4 restores its original position by flattening the bending portion 4d, the score piece 2 in the can keeps folded state to be an open state of the pouring opening 6, and thus the user can take the contents through the pouring opening 6.

However, the conventional can containers have revealed some disadvantages. Length of the press portion 4c on the score piece 2 is limited to be short in order to avoid distortion of score piece 2. The short press portion necessitates high strength concentration to carry out the opening operation. In the opening operation, it is inevitable to sink the score piece 2 into the inside can because the score piece is bent downward.

Third, any auxiliary means such as straw or guide piece cannot be installed with the score piece.

Disclosure of the Invention

The present invention is derived to solve the problems, and has an object to provide a can opening assembly to upwardly open by using a lever principle. The present invention has a further object to provide a can opening assembly with the auxiliary means to be exposed upwardly on the top .

In order to accomplish the above objects, there is provided a can opening assembly including a score piece formed along the score line on the end plate, and a pull tab having a finger hole being fixed by rivet at the score piece. The can opening assembly comprises a reinforcement means disposed on the score piece, and a pull tab rotatably fixed by the rivet at the score piece on the surface of the end plate.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional can top opening assembly; Fig. 2 is the other embodiment of the conventional can top opening assembly;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of Fig. 2 to show the open state of the pouring opening; Fig. 4 shows a used state by the person;

Fig. 5 is a disassembled perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 6 is an assembled perspective view of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7A shows a partial open state of the score piece by pulling operation;

Fig. 7B shows the pull tab rotated for the degree of

180° C;

Fig. 7C is a complete open state of the score piece by repeatedly pulling operation of the pull tab; Fig. 8A and 8B show the longitudinal sectional views of the other embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 9 shows the drawing state by the guide piece for eating.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Drawing references to the conventional elements are applied as the same. Figs. 5 to 9 describe the embodiments of the present invention.

At the center of the end plate 1, a score line 3 in the shape of a water drop is formed to have a non-score portion 3a. The non-score line portion 3a enables the score piece 2 to be suspended from the pouring opening 6 on the end plate 1. The score line 3 is described to have a water drop shape to open with less force but may include another shape such as "U" .

At one end of the pull tab, i.e., in opposite of the non-score portion 3a, the pull tab 4 having the finger portion 4a in a ring-shape is rotatably engaged by the rivet 5. Before the can is opened during the circulation, the pull tab 4 is disposed on the score piece 2 as in Fig. 6. On the score piece 2 a reinforcement means is disposed to serve for a lever in opening the pouring opening 6. Figs. 5 and 6 show that the score piece 2 is bendable formed upward or downward, so that the score piece 2 is configured not to be bent on the score portions but the above is not limitative to the invention scope.

A plurality of bead portions may be formed upward or downward on the score piece 2 in wave, straight or curve shape to the pull tab 4.

It is preferable to prudently form the reinforcement means on the score piece 2, to support an end of the pull tab 4 in tearing operation of the score piece 2 (Figs. 5 and 6 ) .

Fig. 8a and 8b show longitudinal sectional view of the other embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 9 shows the drawing state by the guide piece for eating. At the bottom of the end plate 1 a flange 10a of a guide piece 10 is fixed at the outer periphery of the score piece 2. The center of the guide piece 10 is fixed by non-toxic adhesive, 10a, under the score piece 2. Before opening of the score piece 2 the guide piece 10 is kept folded.

A person desires to open the pouring opening 6 by tearing the score piece 2 along the score line 3.

The tearing operation is performed by a person holding the can in one hand and with a finger or thumb engaged with the pull tab, pulling the pull tab upward and forward from the can.

In Fig. 7A, the pull tab 4 on the score piece 2 is upwardly pulled by the finger hole 4a. As the initial opening portion of the score piece 2 is pressed downward by pulling upward the finger hole 4a, the score piece 2 fixed to the pull tab 4 becomes broken along the score line 3 to open the pouring opening 6.

After the pouring opening 6 is partially opened (Fig.

7A) , the person rotates the pull tab 4 by 180° (Fig. 7B) . One end of the pull tab 4 protrudes over the can side and the other end of the pull tab 4 is contact with the upper surface of the score piece 2 in convex surface. The pull tab 4 is pulled upward in an arrow direction with his/her thumb. Because the score piece 2 is in convex surface, the score piece 2 is cut without self-distortion along the score line 3. Thus, the pouring opening 6 is completely opened with respect to the non-score portion 3a (Fig. 7C) . The other embodiment of the present invention is described in Fig. 8 such that a guide piece 10 may be formed at the bottom of the end plate 1. The center of the guide piece 10 is attached at the bottom of the scoring piece 2 and a flange 10a of the guide piece 10 is attached at the bottom of the end plate 1. During initial lifting operation of the score piece 2, the center of the guide piece 10 is attached to the score piece 2 to expose from the end plate 1. As the guide piece 10 is shown the score piece 2 is completely pulled upward, so that the portion attached to the score piece 2 from the score piece 2 is divided (Fig. 9) . As a result, the person can take the beverages in the can by using the guide piece 10 outwardly exposed from the pouring opening 6.

As described above, the present invention has advantages than the conventional can opening assembly.

First, the pouring opening 6 is opened by score piece 2 from the end plate 1 by use of the lever principle by upward pulling the pull tab 4, so that any person can easily open the can opening with less force.

Second, the score piece 2 is upwardly bent by bending operation of the pull tab 4, while the conventional can opening assembly provides the score piece 2 inwardly sunk in the can. Third, the score piece 2 is bent upwardly during opening operation of the pouring opening 6, which enables the auxiliary means such as straw or guide piece 10 to be readily intaken the can contents by the person.

Claims

1. A can top opening assembly including a score piece formed along the score line on the end plate, and a pull tab having a finger hole being fixed by rivet at the score piece, characterized in that a reinforcement means is disposed on the score piece with non-score portion in the center of the end plate; and a pull tab rotatably fixed by rivet at the score piece is positioned on the surface of the end plate before opening.

2. The can top opening assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reinforcement means is upward or downward bent on the score piece.

3. The can top opening assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reinforcement means has a plurality of beads upward or downward protruding on the score piece in the shape of wave or straight line.

4. The can top opening assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flange is disposed at the outer periphery of the score piece at the bottom of the end plate and a guide piece is fixed at the bottom of the score piece at the center portion.