Receptacles – Closures – With closure opening arrangements for means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-23
2001-06-26
Newhouse, Nathan J. (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Closures
With closure opening arrangements for means
C220S661000, C220S906000, C222S528000, C222S535000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250491
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to cans and, more particularly, to a side openable can having a bottom sealed end, a sidewall and a top sealed end, comprising opening means for producing an opening at the upper portion of the sidewall, the opening means being mounted to the upper portion of the sidewall.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As well known to those skilled in the art, a conventional can comprises a bottom sealed end, a sidewall, a top sealed end and an opening means, the opening means being typically positioned on the top sealed end.
Pursuant to the conventional can, when the front portion of a tear lever is pulled upward, the rear portion of the tear lever presses a tear flap downwardly by leverage, thereby partially separating the tear flap from the top of the can. In such a case, the partially separated tear flap is pushed into the interior of the can.
However, the conventional opening means is unhygienic and causes a user inconvenience in drinking. That is, dusts and impurities, adhering to the top of the can during storage and circulation, may get into the interior of the can in the process of opening the can. Further, such dusts and impurities may get into the user's mouth in the process of drinking the beverage of the can. And, since the opening means is provided on the top of the can, in order to drink the beverage from the can, it must be turned upside down, thus causing inconvenience to the user having to lean his neck backwards. Additionally, the entire beverage is not discharged from the can and a small amount of beverage remains because the opening is formed to be spaced apart from the top edge of the sidewall of the can.
SUMMARY 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 side openable can hygienic and convenient to use.
In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a side openable can having a bottom sealed end, a sidewall and a top sealed end, comprising opening means for producing an opening at the upper portion of the sidewall, the opening means being mounted to the upper portion of the sidewall.
In another embodiment, the opening means comprises a tear flap formed integrally in the upper portion of the sidewall of the can and defined by a tear line, a tear lever fixed to the outside surface of the tear flap and used for tearing the tear flap away from the can, a spout holder having a holding rim and a support rib, the spout holder being attached interiorly to the sidewall of the can with a front surface of the holding rim interiorly bonded to the sidewall of the can around the tear flap, the holding rim having an insertion slit along its inside edge, the support rib having a depression, and a drinking spout having an insertion flange and an elastic expansion part, the insertion flange being formed along the side edge of the elastic expansion part and being inserted into and fixed by the holding rim of the spout holder, the elastic expansion part being elastically expanded upon tearing away of the tear flap.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 327424 (1992-06-01), Pierce
patent: 3980214 (1976-09-01), Dahlquist
patent: 4561557 (1985-12-01), Park et al.
patent: 5415313 (1995-05-01), Sang-Seo
patent: 5556004 (1996-09-01), Brucker
patent: 5685464 (1997-11-01), Krueger
patent: 5743445 (1998-04-01), Benarrouch
patent: 6015060 (2000-01-01), Rightenour et al.
Christie Parker & Hale LLP
Newhouse Nathan J.
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