1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to containers and, more particularly, to cans ends. The invention also relates to methods of making can ends.
2. Background Information
Many metallic containers for holding products (e.g., without limitation, food; beverages) are sometimes provided with an easy open end, wherein a pull tab is attached to a tear strip or panel that is defined by a scoreline. The pull tab may be lifted and then pulled to provide an opening for dispensing the contents of the container.
As shown in
Scorelines, such as the arch-shaped back scoreline 21 of
There is, therefore, room for improvement in can ends, and in methods of making can ends.
These needs and others are met by embodiments of the invention, which are directed to a can end (e.g., easy open can end) having a rivet base scoreline structured to improve the opening mechanics (e.g., without limitation, reduce pop and pull forces) of the can end, in order to provide the end user with increased opening convenience, without sacrificing the ability of the can end to withstand scoreline abuse commonly experience, for example, from shipping, corrosion or any other forces common to easy open can ends.
As one aspect of the invention, a can end is provided, which is structured to be affixed to a can body. The can end comprises: a severable panel having a product side structured to face toward the can body when the can end is affixed to the can body, and a public side structured to face away from the can body when the can end is affixed to the can body; a peripheral scoreline defining the periphery of the severable panel; an opening mechanism coupled to the severable panel, the opening mechanism being actuatable to sever the peripheral scoreline; a rivet coupling the opening mechanism to the severable panel, the rivet having a base disposed at the severable panel and a stem extending outwardly from the severable panel; and a rivet base scoreline in the public side of the severable panel. The rivet base scoreline is disposed about 0.025 inch or less from the stem of the rivet.
The severable panel may have an interior, and the rivet base scoreline may include an arcuate head portion, first and second arm portions extending from the arcuate head portion and first and second ends. The rivet may have an inboard side facing the interior of the severable panel, and an outboard side facing the periphery of the severable panel. The arcuate head portion of rivet base scoreline may be disposed on the inboard side of the rivet. The first and second arm portions of the rivet base scoreline may generally extend toward the outboard side of the rivet. The base of the rivet may have a radius of curvature, wherein the radius of curvature forms an intersection between the stem of the rivet and the public side of the severable panel. The arcuate head portion of the rivet base scoreline may be contiguous with the radius of curvature of the base of the rivet.
The opening mechanism may be a pull tab including a nose and a lift portion disposed opposite and distal from the nose. The rivet may have a diameter and a centerline. The pull tab may have a dimension, X, measured by the distance between the nose of the pull tab and the centerline of the rivet, and a dimension, Y, measured by the total length of the pull tab between the nose of the pull tab and the lift portion of the pull tab. In one non-limiting embodiment, the ratio X/Y may be about 0.20 or less, and the diameter of the stem of the rivet may be about 0.1875 inch or less.
The arcuate head portion of the rivet base scoreline may have a first radius of curvature, and the first and second arm portions of the rivet base scoreline may have a second radius of curvature. The first radius of curvature of the arcuate head portion may be the same as the second radius of curvature of the arm portions. The first and second arm portions of the rivet base scoreline may extend beyond the outboard side of the rivet toward the periphery of the severable panel, and the first and second ends of the rivet base scoreline may curve back away from the periphery of the severable panel.
The opening mechanism may have a longitudinal axis. Upon actuation of the opening mechanism, the rivet base scoreline is structured to propagate toward the peripheral scoreline of the can end, thereby defining a bend axis. The bend axis may extend generally perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal axis of the opening mechanism, and may be disposed between the outboard side of the rivet and the peripheral scoreline proximate to the peripheral scoreline. The opening mechanism may be structured to be lifted, pivoted to a substantially inverted position and pulled, in order to remove the severable panel. Responsive to being lifted, the opening mechanism may be structured to initially sever the peripheral scoreline and, responsive to being pivoted to the substantially inverted position, the opening mechanism may be structured to sever at least 40 percent of the peripheral scoreline.
The opening mechanism may be a pull tab. The pull tab may include a nose portion and a lift portion disposed opposite the nose portion. The nose portion of the pull tab may overlay at least a portion of the rivet base scoreline, and may include a number of apertures structured to be aligned with corresponding portions of the rivet base scoreline thereunder.
As another aspect of the invention, a method of making a can end is provided. The method comprises: forming a rivet on a panel portion of the can end, the panel portion having a public side and a product side, the rivet including a base disposed on the public side of the panel portion and a stem extending outwardly from the public side of the panel portion; and scoring the public side of the panel portion to form a rivet base scoreline, the rivet base scoreline being disposed about 0.025 inch or less from the stem of the rivet.
The method may further comprise: forming a pull tab including a nose portion and a lift portion disposed opposite the nose portion, the nose portion including a rivet hole and a number of apertures disposed proximate to the rivet hole, sliding the nose portion of the pull tab over the stem of the rivet in order that the stem of the rivet is disposed in the rivet hole of the nose portion, and aligning the number of apertures of the nose portion of the pull tab with corresponding portions of the rivet base scoreline thereunder. The method may further comprise applying a post score repair agent to the can end, the repair agent being received through the number of apertures of the nose portion of the pull tab, in order to coat the rivet base scoreline.
A full understanding of the invention can be gained from the following description of the preferred embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
For purposes of illustration, embodiments of the invention will be shown and described as applied to a circular can end having a safety fold, although it will become apparent that they could also be applied to enhance the opening mechanics of any known or suitable type of container end (e.g., without limitation, circular can ends with an alternative number and/or configuration of safety folds; standard can ends without a safety fold; non-circular can ends with or without a safety fold) made from any suitable material (e.g., without limitation, a suitable metallic material such as aluminum or steel).
Directional phrases used herein such as, for example, clockwise, counterclockwise, up, down, top, bottom and derivatives thereof, relate to the orientation of the elements shown in the drawings and are not limiting upon the claims unless expressly recited therein.
As employed herein, the statement that two or more parts are “coupled” together shall mean that the parts are joined together either directly or joined through one or more intermediate parts.
As employed herein, the term “can” refers to any known or suitable container, which is structured to contain a substance (e.g., without limitation, liquid; food; any other suitable substance), and expressly includes, but is not limited to, beverage cans, such as beer and soda cans, as well as food cans.
As employed herein, the term “can end” refers to the closure that is structured to be coupled to the can, in order to seal the can.
As employed herein, the term “can end shell” is used substantially interchangeably with the term “can end.” The “can end shell” or simply the “shell” is the member that is acted upon and is converted by a suitable tooling assembly within a conversion press in order to provide the desired can end.
As employed herein, the term “repair agent” refers to a liquid, lacquer or other suitable coating (e.g., without limitation, sealant), which is applied to the can end after it has been scored, in order to cover and protect (e.g., seal) the scoreline(s) of the can end.
As employed herein, the term “number” shall mean one or an integer greater than one (i.e., a plurality).
A peripheral scoreline 111 on the public side 107 of the can end 101 defines the periphery 113 of the severable panel 103. An opening mechanism, such as the pull tab 115 which is shown, is coupled to the severable panel 103, and is actuatable to sever the peripheral scoreline 111, as will be described hereinbelow. A rivet 117 couples the pull tab 115 to the severable panel 103. The rivet 117 includes a base 119 disposed at the severable panel 103, and a stem 120 extending outwardly from the severable panel 103, as shown in
Continuing to refer to
Among other benefits, by being contiguous with the base 119 of the rivet 117, the rivet base scoreline 121 substantially improves the opening mechanics of the can end 101. Specifically, as will be described in greater detail hereinbelow, it results in decreased opening forces being required to be exerted by the end user, while maintaining a predetermined requisite scoreline residual (e.g., without limitation, about 0.002 inches to about 0.003 inches) so that the can end 101 and, in particular, the scorelines (e.g., without limitation, peripheral scoreline 111; rivet base scoreline 121) are capable of withstanding abuse caused, for example, from shipping, corrosion and other forces to which easy open can ends are commonly exposed.
As shown in
As shown in
Continuing to refer to
Yet another benefit afforded by the reduced diameter 243 (
Stated another way, the mechanical levering capabilities of the pull tab 115 are dictated, in large part, by the distance 152 between the rivet centerline 118 and the end 153 (e.g., lift portion) of the pull tab 115, as well as the distance 154 between the end 153 (e.g., lift portion) of the pull tab 115 and the edge (e.g., stem 120) of the rivet 117. Reducing the size (e.g., diameter) of the rivet 117 increases the distance 154 relative to distance 152, thereby adding length to the lever arm of the pull tab 115 and improving its opening mechanics (e.g., decreasing the force required to be exerted on the pull tab 115 to open the can end 101).
The first and second ends 229,231 of the rivet base scoreline 221 may curve back, away from the periphery 213 (partially shown in
The first and second arm portions 125,127 and/or first and second ends 129,131, respectively, thereof may extend beyond a tangential axis 238, which extends laterally outwardly from, and tangential to, the outboard side 235 of the rivet 217, as shown in
The first and second arm portions (e.g., 425,427) of the rivet base scoreline (e.g., 421) can have any known or suitable radius of curvature. For example and without limitation, unlike the first and second arm portions 125,127 of rivet base scoreline 121, previously discussed with respect to
The rivet base scoreline (e.g., 521,621,721) may have any known or suitable length. For example, scorelines 521,621, and 721, shown in
In view of the foregoing EXAMPLES, it will be appreciated that the size and/or configuration of the rivet 117 (
As shown in
A method of opening the can end 101 is depicted sequentially in
The second opening stage, shown in
The third and final opening stage, which is shown in
As shown in Table 2, the opening mechanics associated with the exemplary can end 101 are substantially improved as compared to conventional can ends (see, for example, can end 1 of
The improved opening mechanics of the exemplary can end 101 as compared to a conventional easy open can end (see, for example, can end 1 of
It will be appreciated that the method depicted in
Accordingly, the disclosed can end 101 and associated method of making the same, provide a unique rivet base scoreline 121 that substantially improves the opening mechanics of the can end 101. Additionally, the unique pull tab 115 of the can end 101 enables the rivet base scoreline 121 to be efficiently and effectively coated, as necessary, despite the fact that it is disposed on the public side 107 of the can end severable panel 103, at least partially beneath the pull tab 115.
While specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the claims appended and any and all equivalents thereof.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/945,614, filed Jun. 22, 2007.
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