WO2005030591A1

WO2005030591A1 - Beverage can with pull tab integrally formed thereon

Info

Publication number: WO2005030591A1
Application number: PCT/KR2004/002382
Authority: WO
Inventors: Eun-Jeong Ahn
Original assignee: Eun-Jeong Ahn
Priority date: 2003-10-02
Filing date: 2004-09-17
Publication date: 2005-04-07
Also published as: KR200345971Y1

Abstract

A beverage can with a pull tab integrally formed thereon. A can lid section of the upper wall is pressed upward to project upward, cut except a connecting portion for connecting the can lid section to the upper wall, and pressed downward to allow an edge of the can lid section to be placed under the upper wall. An inner edge of the upper wall is curved upward. An arc-shaped portion of the curved inner edge, opposite to the connecting portion, serves as a pull tab portion. The upper wall is cut around the arc-shaped portion and formed with score lines around other portions of the curved inner edge such that a straw insertion hole and a gas discharge hole are defined adjacent to both ends of the arc-shaped portion. The can lid section forms an air-tight seal with the upper wall due to a rubber coating.

Description

BEVERAGE CAN WITH PULL TAB INTEGRALLY FORMED THEREON

Technical Field

The present invention relates, in general, to a beverage can with a pull tab integrally formed thereon and, more particularly, to a beverage can with a pull tab integrally formed thereon, in which the pull tab provided to define an opening in an upper wall of the beverage can is formed integrally on the upper wall of the beverage can, instead of being riveted to the upper wall of the beverage can, thereby allowing a user to easily open the beverage can and a manufacturer to obviate the need of separately forming the pull tab and save material to reduce a manufacturing cost.

Background Art

Generally, a beverage can is made of aluminum in consideration of long-term storage, easy transportation, and convenient use. As a component element of the beverage can, a pull tab is attached to an upper wall of the beverage can using an appropriate technique well known in the art, such as riveting, and a can lid portion is delimited on the upper wall by a score line. Therefore, as one end of the pull tab is gripped and raised, the other end of the pull tab presses down the can lid portion encompassed by the score line. Then, the can upper wall is torn along the score line, and the can lid portion is bent toward the interior of a can body to define a can opening in the can upper wall, whereby it is possible to drink a beverage through the can opening. However, the conventional beverage can constructed as described above suffers from defects in that, since the pull tab is riveted to the upper wall of the beverage can to be positioned in close proximity to a surface of the upper wall, a space between the can lid portion and the pull tab becomes too narrow. Therefore, when a user opens the beverage can to drink liquid contained in the beverage can, it is difficult to get the finger under the pull tab. In this regard, while it is the norm that a fingernail is used to lift the pull tab when opening the beverage can, continued use of the fingernail for lifting up the pull tab causes the fingernail and adjacent areas of a finger to become sore. Further, some users such as children cannot properly open the pull tab without employing a flat tool which is inserted between the can lid portion and the pull tab to lift the pull tab, whereby inconvenience is caused. Moreover, because the pull tab for opening the can lid portion should be separately riveted to the upper wall of the beverage can, the manufacture of the beverage can is complicated and expensive because of the need to prepare a separate machine for forming the pull tab. To cope with this problem, recently, another beverage can has been disclosed in the art, in which a separate pull tab is not riveted to an upper wall of the beverage can, and, instead, an opening tab to be pressed to define a discharge opening in the upper wall of the beverage can is formed integrally with the upper wall. The opening tab is formed by a score line, and an auxiliary opening tab is formed to allow the pull tab to be easily opened. The reason why the auxiliary opening tab is formed is in that, when liquid contained in the beverage can is a carbonated beverage, since carbonic acid gas expands in the beverage can to increase a pressure of the interior of the beverage can, it is difficult to open the opening tab by pressing the opening tab. Therefore, after the carbonic acid gas is discharged through the auxiliary opening tab having a small diameter, the opening tab can be opened to drink the beverage. Nevertheless, this type of beverage can encounters a problem in that, since the respective opening tabs must be sequentially opened, usage is bothersome. Also, because the beverage can is not easily opened due to expansion of the beverage contained therein, the beverage can is not gaining popularity.

Disclosure of the Invention

Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a beverage can with a pull tab integrally formed thereon, in which the pull tab provided to define an opening in an upper wall of the beverage can is formed integrally on the upper wall of the beverage can, instead of being riveted to the upper wall of the beverage can, thereby allowing a user to easily open the beverage can and a manufacturer to obviate the need of separately forming the pull tab and save material to reduce a manufacturing cost. In order to accomplish the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a beverage can having an opening which is defined in an upper wall of the beverage can to allow a user to drink liquid contained in the beverage can, wherein a can lid section of the upper wall of the beverage can is first pressed upward into an elliptical shape to stretch and project upward from a plane of the upper wall; the can lid section having the elliptical shape is cut from the upper wall except a connecting portion which is formed at one major axis end of the can lid section and connects the can lid section to the upper wall, to define an elliptical opening in the upper wall; the stretched can lid section is then pressed downward so that a diameter of the can lid section measured on a minor axis is greater than that of the elliptical opening measured on a minor axis, to allow an edge of the can lid section to be placed under the upper wall; an inner edge of the upper wall, which defines the elliptical opening, is curved upward; an arc-shaped portion of the curved inner edge, which is positioned at the- other major axis end of the can lid section opposite to the connecting portion, serves as a pull tab portion which can be bent at both ends thereof when gripped and raised; first opposite side portions of the curved inner edge, which are separated from both ends of the arc-shaped portion and extend in a direction of a major axis, are curled to serve as protective portions; second opposite side portions, which are positioned between the arc-shaped portion and the first opposite side portions of the curved inner edge, are cut away; the upper wall of the beverage can is cut around the arc-shaped portion to allow the arc-shaped portion serving as the pull tab portion to be gripped and raised when desired; the upper wall of the beverage can is formed with score lines around the first and second opposite side portions such that a straw insertion hole and a gas discharge hole are respectively defined at positions corresponding to the second opposite side portions; and the can lid section placed under the upper wall forms an air-tight seal with the upper wall due to a rubber coating.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a manufacturing procedure of a beverage can with a pull tab integrally formed thereon, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a closed state of the beverage can according to the present invention; FIGs. 3a through 3d are partial enlarged perspective views illustrating an opening procedure of the beverage can according to the present invention; FIG. 4 is a bottom view illustrating an upper wall of the beverage can according to the present invention; FIG. 5 is a top view illustrating the upper wall of the beverage can according to the present invention; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 3a; and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B of FIG. 3a.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Reference will now be made in greater detail to a preferred embodiment of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings . Wherever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts. FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a manufacturing procedure of a beverage can with a pull tab integrally formed thereon, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The beverage can 1 according to the present invention is made of aluminum. In the beverage can 1 according to the present invention, a separate pull tab as disclosed in the conventional art is not riveted to an upper wall 14 of the beverage can 1. In order to allow a user to easily open the beverage can 1 and drink liquid contained therein, a can lid section 3 for defining an opening 6 is formed integrally with the upper wall 14 of the beverage can 1. The can lid section 3 has a pull tab portion 2, protective portions 9, and a can lid portion 5. Describing the manufacturing procedure of the beverage can 1, first, the upper wall 14 having a flat configuration is pressed upward. That is to say, the can lid section 3 of the upper wall 14 of the beverage can 1 is first pressed upward into an elliptical shape to stretch and project upward from a plane of the upper wall 14. The can lid section 3 having the elliptical shape is cut from the upper wall 14, except a connecting portion 7 which is formed at one major axis end of the can lid section 3 and connects the can lid portion 5 to the upper wall 14, to define the elliptical opening 6 in the upper wall 14. An inner edge 15 of the upper wall 14, which defines the elliptical opening 6, is curved upward. An arc-shaped portion of the curved inner edge 15, which is positioned at the other major axis end of the can lid section 3 opposite to the connecting portion 7, serves as the pull tab portion 2 which can be bent at both ends thereof when gripped and raised. Both ends of the pull tab portion 2 serve as bent portions 12. First opposite side portions of the curved inner edge 15, which are separated from both ends of the pull tab portion 2 and extend in a direction of a major axis, are curled to serve as the protective portions 9. Second opposite side portions, which are positioned between the pull tab portion 2 and the first opposite side portions of the curved inner edge 15, are cut away. The upper wall 14 of the beverage can 1 is cut around the pull tab portion 2 to allow the pull tab portion 2 to be gripped and raised when desired. Therefore, a cut line 13 is formed on the upper wall 14 of the beverage can 1. The upper wall 14 of the beverage can 1 is formed with score lines 10 around the first and second opposite side portions of the curved inner edge 15. The stretched can lid portion 5 is then pressed downward so that a diameter of the can lid portion 5 measured on a minor axis is greater than that of the elliptical opening 6 measured on the minor axis, to allow an edge of the can lid portion 5 to be placed under the upper wall 14. The can lid portion 5 which is placed under the upper wall 14 forms an air-tight seal with the upper wall 14 due to a rubber coating 8. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a closed state of the beverage can according to the present invention. In order to allow a user to easily open the beverage can 1 and drink liquid contained therein, the can lid section 3 is formed integrally on the upper wall 14 of the beverage can 1 having a predetermined configuration. The can lid section 3 has the pull tab portion 2, the protective portions 9, and the can lid portion 5. The can lid section 3 is delimited by an elliptical outline to define the opening 6 in the upper wall 14 of the beverage can 1. The can lid section 3 is pressed upward from the upper wall 14 into an elliptical shape to stretch and project upward from the plane of the upper wall 14 and cut from the upper wall 14, except the connecting portion 7 which connects the can lid portion 5 to the upper wall 14. The stretched can lid portion 5 is then pressed downward so that a diameter of the can lid portion 5 measured on the minor axis is greater than that of the elliptical opening 6 measured on the minor axis, to allow the edge of the can lid portion 5 to be placed under the upper wall 14. The inner edge 15 of the upper wall 14 which defines the elliptical opening 6 is curved upward along the elliptical outline. The upper wall 14 of the beverage can 1 is cut around the pull tab portion 2 so that the cut line 13 is formed on the upper wall 14 of the beverage can 1. The first opposite side portions of the curved inner edge 15, which are separated from both ends of the pull tab portion 2 and extend in a direction of the major axis, are curled to serve as the protective portions 9. The protective portions 9 formed in this way function to prevent the fingers or lips from being hurt. Both ends of the pull tab portion 2 are slightly cut in a direction of the minor axis to serve as the bent portions 12 where the pull tab portion 2 can be easily bent substantially at a right angle when being gripped and raised. The second opposite side portions of the curved inner edge 15, which are positioned between the pull tab portion

2 and the protective portions 9, are cut away. The upper wall 14 of the beverage can 1 is formed with the score lines 10 around the first and second opposite side portions such that a straw insertion hole 4 and a gas discharge hole 11 are respectively defined at positions corresponding to the second opposite side portions. A straw can be inserted into the interior of the beverage can 1 through the straw insertion hole 4, and when the liquid contained in the beverage can 1 is a carbonated beverage, carbonic acid gas can be discharged to the outside through the gas discharge hole 11 to allow the can lid portion 5 to be easily opened. When the pull tab portion 2 is gripped and raised, the upper wall 14 of the beverage can 1 is torn along the score lines 10 formed around the protective portions 9. Because the can lid portion 5 of the can lid section

3 overlaps with the upper wall 14, since the can lid portion 5 is cut along the cut line 13 from the upper wall 14 to be separated from the upper wall 14, in order to prevent the liquid contained in the beverage can 1 from leaking outside or being changed in its quality, the can lid portion 5 forms an air-tight seal with the upper wall 14 due to a rubber coating 8 which is harmless to the human body. FIGs. 3a through 3d are partial enlarged perspective views illustrating an opening procedure of the beverage can according to the present invention. Sequentially describing an opening procedure of^' the beverage can according to the present invention, the can lid section 3 is elliptically outlined to define the opening β in the upper wall 14 of the beverage can 1, through which liquid contained in the beverage can 1 can be discharged. Only a portion of the can lid section 3 is connected to the upper wall 14 through the connecting portion 7 to allow the can lid section 3 to be detached from the upper wall 14 as occasion demands, by which the can lid portion 5 is created. The can lid section 3 has the pull tab portion 2 which is delimited by the cut line 13. The can lid section 3 further has the straw insertion hole 4, the gas discharge hole 11 and the protective portion 9 which are delimited by the score lines 10. Accordingly, when a user wants to drink liquid contained in the beverage can 1, the curved inner edge 15 of the pull tab portion 2 which is held parallel to the upper wall 14 is slightly raised. At this time, since the pull tab portion 2 is cut from the upper wall 14 along the cut line 13, the pull tab portion 2 is easily raised. Then, by gripping and pulling upward the pull tab portion 2, the pull tab portion 2 is bent at the bent portions 12 by a right angle toward the protective portions 9. By continuously pulling the pull tab portion 2 bent at a right angle, as the upper wall 14 is torn along the score lines 10, the gas discharge hole 11 and the straw insertion hole 4 are created. In the case that the liquid contained in the beverage can 1 is a carbonated beverage, since it is difficult to properly press downward the can lid portion 5 due to a pressure of carbonic acid gas, according to the present invention, the carbonic acid gas can be discharged in advance to the outside through the gas discharge hole 11. In the case that the liquid contained in the beverage can 1 is fruit juice or a non-carbonated beverage, by pressing downward the can lid portion 5, the opening β can be easily created irrespective of gas discharge. Also, a straw can be inserted into the beverage can through the straw insertion hole 4. Accordingly, in the can lid section 3 of the present invention, even when the liquid contained in the beverage can 1 is a carbonated beverage, since carbonic acid gas is discharged to the outside through the -gas discharge hole 11, by pressing the can lid portion 5 downward, the can lid portion 5 is detached from the upper wall 14 of the beverage can 1 to open the opening 6. At this time, due to the fact that the can lid portion 5 forms an air-tight seal with the upper wall 14 due to the rubber coating 8 which is harmless to the human body, the can lid portion 5 can be easily detached from the upper wall 14 through the application of force. FIG. 4 is a bottom view illustrating the upper wall of the beverage can according to the present invention; and FIG. 5 is a top view illustrating the upper wall of the beverage can according to the present invention. In the present invention, the stretched can lid portion 5, which is cut from the upper wall 14 of the beverage can 1 to define the opening 6, is then pressed downward, so that a diameter of the can lid portion 5 measured on the minor axis is greater than that of the elliptical opening 6 measured on the minor axis, to allow the edge of the can lid portion 5 to be placed under the upper wall 14. Thus, by continuously pulling the pull tab portion 2 which is bent at a right angle, as the upper wall 14 is torn along the score lines 10, the gas discharge hole 11 and the straw insertion hole 4 are created in the upper wall 14 of the beverage can 1. The rubber coating 8 is applied to sufficiently cover the can lid portion 5 which is cut from the upper wall 14 along the cut line 13. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 3a; and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B of FIG. 3a. As described above, the can lid section 3 of the beverage can 1 according to the present invention is formed integrally with the upper wall 14. The can lid section 3 is cut along the cut line 13 to form the can lid portion 5 so that only a portion of the can lid portion 5 is connected to the upper wall 14 through the connecting portion 7. The can lid portion 5 and the upper wall 14 form an air-tight seal with each other due to the rubber coating 8. The upper wall 14 is formed with score lines 10 to allow the upper wall 14 to be easily torn when the pull tab portion 2 is pulled after being bent at a right angle, to thereby create the straw insertion hole 4 and the gas discharge hole 11.

Industrial Applicability

As apparent from the above descriptions, the beverage can according to the present invention provides advantages in that, since a pull tab provided to define an opening in an upper wall of the beverage can is formed integrally on the upper wall of the beverage can, instead of being riveted to the upper wall of the beverage can, it is possible to allow a user to easily open the beverage can and a manufacturer to obviate the need of separately forming the pull tab and save material to thereby reduce a manufacturing cost. Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A beverage can having an opening which is defined in an upper wall of the beverage can to allow a user to drink liquid contained in the beverage can, wherein a can lid section of the upper wall of the beverage can is first pressed upward into an elliptical shape to stretch and project upward from a plane of the upper wall; the can lid section having the elliptical shape is cut from the upper wall except a connecting portion which is formed at one major axis end of the can lid section and connects the can lid section to the upper wall, to define an elliptical opening in the upper wall; the stretched can lid section is then pressed downward so that a diameter of the can lid section measured on a minor axis is greater than that of the elliptical opening measured on a minor axis, to allow an edge of the can lid section to be placed under the upper wall; an inner edge of the upper wall, which defines the elliptical opening, is curved upward; an arc-shaped portion of the curved inner edge, which is positioned at the other major axis end of the can lid section opposite to the connecting portion, serves as a pull tab portion which can be bent at both ends thereof when gripped and raised; first opposite side portions of the curved inner edge, which are separated from both ends of the arc-shaped portion and extend in a direction of a major axis, are curled to serve as protective portions; second opposite side portions, which are positioned between the arc-shaped portion and the first opposite side portions of the curved inner edge, are cut away; the upper wall of the beverage can is cut around the arc-shaped portion to allow the arc-shaped portion serving as the pull tab portion to be gripped and raised when desired; the upper wall of the beverage can is formed with score lines around the first and second opposite side portions such that a straw insertion hole and a gas discharge hole are respectively defined at positions corresponding to the second opposite side portions; and the can lid section placed under the upper wall forms an airtight seal with the upper wall due to a rubber coating.