Receptacles – Closures – With closure opening arrangements for means
Patent
1981-06-16
1982-11-16
Hall, George T.
Receptacles
Closures
With closure opening arrangements for means
B65D 1732, B65D 4132
Patent
active
043591701
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a can closure provided with an opening tab and consisting of a plastic material or the like.
Can closures provided with opening tab are previously known, for instance plate cans for various drinks. These can closures have, however, the disadvantage, that it is relatively unpleasant for the lips when drinking directly out of the opening obtained after the tab has been torn off, among other things due to the flange edge extending up over the plane of the closure. There is also a risk to spill the drink at the side of the mouth. Moreover, there is the disadvantage, that after only tearing up the tab, i.e. not tearing off, the tab can not again close the opening.
It is among other things an object of this invention to eliminate the above mentioned disadvantages by means of a can closure which is simple to manufacture. The closure is formed particularly for use in connection with sheet can body material, for instance board material suitably treated for the content of the can.
As previously known the can closure according to the invention includes a peripheral fastening flange formed with a wall faced inwardly towards the center of the closure and forming outer side wall for a groove, the inner side wall of which transforms into a central portion, which relative to a plane through the top edge of the flange at least partly has a convex configuration. In order to achieve the above mentioned objects and also give other advantages, the present invention is characterized in that the groove along a smaller portion of the flange is interrupted by an up-bent elevation which is substantially flush with the top edge of the flange and extends between this edge and the central portion, and that an opening tab extends from or near the top edge of the flange along the elevation up to at least the transition to the central portion.
Owing to the plane up-bent elevation provided with the opening tab it is more pleasant to drink directly from the can than from previously known cans. Moreover, all content can be emptied from the can as distinguished from for instance the above mentioned plate cans, which only with certain difficulties can be completely emptied. As also distinguished from said known plate cans, an opening tab in a can closure according to the invention renders it possible not to be torn off at its inner end and the opening can easily be resealed if a portion of the can content is not consumed.
Said advantages give in combination with the groove and the central portion in a can closure according to the invention further advantages. The central portion is expandable outwardly upon an increased pressure within the can, wherein the groove acts as a bellows or membrane and takes up forces deriving from deformation upon said expansion. This renders it possible to use for instance a thin cylinder of board or the like as the can mantle, which is a substantially cheaper material than for instance plate, and such cylinders can easily be manufactured on site where the filling of the cans takes place. Up to now can manufacture has taken place in factories adapted thereto and the cans have been transported to the user. Moreover, pressure for instance occurred during the pasteurization of tin cans is taken up by the central portion, which herewith is bowed outwardly, whereupon the central portion, after that the pressure in the can upon preceding cooling has released and vacuum has occurred in the can, is automatically by spring action returned to its original shape. In for instance a can containing aerated liquids an internal pressure can be obtained which elastically expands the central portion, wherein the groove resiliently takes up the forces deriving from this deformation.
A preferred embodiment of a can closure according to the invention is described in the following with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 is a section along the line I--I in FIG. 2 and also shows a portion of the mantle of the can for illustrating the fastening of the can closure to the mantle, and
FI
REFERENCES:
patent: 3927794 (1975-12-01), Erdman
patent: 4210256 (1980-07-01), Amberg et al.
patent: 4311249 (1982-01-01), Joyce
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