Patent Application
20110232423
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of pop top beverage container openers and more particularly to a combination opener and cover for inhibiting spillage and loss of carbonation following the opening thereof.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Early metal beverage cans had to opened by a can-piercing tool commonly referred to as a “churchkey”. A beverage can was opened by punching two triangular holes in the lid—a large one for drinking, and a second (smaller) one to admit air. In 1962 Ermal Cleon Fraze of Dayton, Ohio, invented an integral rivet and pull-tab arrangement referred to as “ring pull”, which had a ring attached at the rivet for pulling, and would come off completely to be discarded. Mr. Fraze was awarded U.S. Pat. No. 3,349,949 for his pull-top can design. While that invention provided improved convenience, the pull-tabs were an environmental problem. People opened cans, ripped off the pull-tabs and threw them to the side because there was nothing else to do with these removable metal pieces. Pets and wildlife died from ingesting them, as did a few people who dropped them into a can and accidentally choked on them. These pull-tabs wound up everywhere—from beaches and parks, to playgrounds and garbage disposals.
A stay-on tab beverage can typically comprises a scored closure formed directly atop the lid of an aluminum can and an opening ring riveted to the top and having a portion overlaying the scored closure and a longer portion extending away from the scored closure such that the pull ring forms a lever of the first class whose fulcrum is the rivet. By lifting the pull ring, sufficient force is applied to the scored closure to force it downward into the container, thereby creating an opening in the lid. In this arrangement, the scored closure and pull ring remain attached to the can and are disposed of together after the contents of the can have been consumed.
Prior to opening, the pull ring lays flat against the can lid, typically below the can's rim. To open the can, a user typically will use fingernails to raise the pull ring a sufficient distance to allow the pull ring to be grasped between a thumb and forefinger. When so grasped, the pull ring is pivoted upwardly about the rivet fulcrum to bend the scored closure down into the can.
The above-described beverage can with self-contained opener is rather universally utilized. However, it has certain drawbacks. The act of initially lifting the pull ring sufficiently far to allow it to be grasped, often results in broken fingernails especially with women who tend to have longer manicured nails. Moreover, bartenders and the like must perform the opening maneuver frequently during the course of a workday and this can lead to significant discomfort.
A variety of tools are disclosed in the prior art for facilitating the opening of pop top cans. However, these tools tend to be devices separate from the can itself and are not always handy to a user. For example, the Farelli U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,497 and the Phillips U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,622 describe such tools.
Another drawback to pop top beverage containers is that once they are opened, they are difficult to reseal to prevent accidental spillage and to maintain the contents fresh. What is needed is a combination tab lever lifting device and cover. The Takayama U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,059 describes a cover arrangement for a beverage can in which a semicircular film layer having an adhesive band around its perimeter is designed to fit under the pull ring of a beverage can and it adhesively attach to the can lid in covering relation to the opening in the lid. It cannot be used to open a pop top beverage can. The Sarnoff et al. U.S. Patent Des. 358,311 illustrates a snap-on cover that engages the can rim and which includes an integrally formed radial extension having a slot in which a beverage can pull ring will fit and by lifting the device, the scored closure will be punctured and following that maneuver, the cover can be removed from the pull ring and then snapped over the can's lid. While this device of the Sarnoff et al. '311 patent performs the desired function, it is overly costly to produce and thus cannot reasonably be incorporated as a feature of the can itself and thus must be considered a reusable rather than a disposable combination opener/cover for a pop top beverage can.
Thus, there is a need for a very low cost accessory that can be incorporated as a feature of the beverage can and first used to facilitate the opening of the scored closure and then selectively moved into a sealingly relationship with the now-opened can in a simple maneuver. The present invention provides just such a device. It cannot be used to open a pop top beverage can.
In its simplest form, the present invention preferably comprises a molded plastic, somewhat flat sheet, that is in the form of a semicircle where the diameter of the semicircle has an arcuate notch at its center and is adapted to partially surround the rivet used on practically all pop-top can lids to hold the pull ring to the beverage can lid. The diameter of the semicircle is dimensioned so that the device will fit within the upstanding rim of the beverage can with a relatively close tolerance. The undersurface of the semicircular piece is slightly concave over a majority of its surface to conform to the slightly domed contour of most beverage can lids. Located approximately midway along circumference of the semicircle is a rounded tab that is slit or scored to form a “living hinge” allowing it to be bent upward when a user is ready to open the can. In its initial position, the device of the present invention underlays the pull ring and when the tab on the device is grasped between a thumb and forefinger and lifted, it will act as a lever to raise the pull ring causing the rings' front portion to bear down on the can's scored closure causing it to rupture and expose the beverage can's opening. At this point, a user may pour the contents of the can into a glass or drink directly from the open spout.
When it is desired to reclose a beverage can with the contents partially consumed, the user merely grasps the now-bent rounded tab and rotates the semicircular closure member about the rivet until the device is in covering relation with respect to the can's opening.
The foregoing features, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, especially when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
This description of the preferred embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description of this invention. In the description, relative terms such as “lower”, “upper”, “horizontal”, “vertical”, “above”, “below”, “up”, “down”, “top” and “bottom” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally”, “downwardly”, “upwardly”, etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawings under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. Terms such as “connected”, “connecting”, “attached”, “attaching”, “join” and “joining” are used interchangeably and refer to one structure or surface being secured to another structure or surface or integrally fabricated in one piece, unless expressively described otherwise.
Referring first to
Formed midway along the diameter 14 is an arcuate notch 18 which is adapted to fit about the rivet commonly used to secure the pull ring of a pop top beverage can to the lid itself.
With continued reference to
Centered midway along the circumferential boundary of the sheet 12 is a rounded tab 22. The tab 22 is slit or relieved as at 24 to form a living hinge that facilitates its ability to be bent upwards so as to extend generally perpendicular to the plane of the sheet 12 as is seen in
Without limitation, the sheet 12 may be formed from a suitable plastic that is approved for use with consumable products and with polypropylene being preferred.
In that the device of the present invention can be readily fabricated in an injection molding operation using a suitable die, it can be produced in mass at a small fraction of a cent and treated as a disposable with the can itself.
This invention is clearly new and useful. Moreover, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in this art at the time it was made, in view of the prior art.
It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, and those made apparent from the foregoing description, are efficiently attained and since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters contained in the foregoing construction or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
The applicant claims the benefit of pending provisional application Ser. No. 61/316,479, filed Mar. 23, 2010, and entitled “Combination Beverage Can Opener and Cover”, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61316479 | Mar 2010 | US |
