Improved large opening beverage container

ES 2 298 559 T3

DESCRIPTION

Improved large opening beverage container.

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to beverage containers, and more specifically to metal end closures of a container having a non-detachable ring for selective opening.

Background of the invention

Drink containers are used to store soft drinks, beer, and other consumable liquids. These containers are generally made up of metallic materials such as aluminum and are interconnected to an "end closure" of the beverage after filling. The end closure is sealingly interconnected with an upper end of the beverage container by "double stitching" or other means well known in the art. To open the container for consumption, a "green ring" is typically interconnected at the end that allows the consumer to selectively open the container.

In an effort to save manufacturing and material costs, the thickness of the end closures has been continuously decreased, increasing the likelihood of premature opening along the score lines provided in the center panel. Additionally, with the introduction of large aperture end closures (“LOEs”), which increase the surface area of ​​the tear panel to enhance flow capabilities, it is more difficult for the elderly and other physically challenged users to break the lines of incision with traditional rings as greater force is required. Additionally, prior art loops designed to decrease the opening force required to break score lines can also increase the likelihood that the tear panel will separate from the center panel.

As noted above, some prior art end closures are known to inadvertently break along the hinge point of the tear panel, which can allow the tear panel to inadvertently fall into the beverage container. . This situation is potentially dangerous due to the possibility of potential consumption by a user. To further exacerbate the aforementioned problem, certain beverage containers are now transported in a horizontal, non-upright position that exposes the internal scoring characteristics of the center panel to low pH beverages. Over time, metal exposure to these fluids can decrease the thickness of the metal throughout the primary and secondary incision and increase the likelihood of premature failure and leakage.

Previous attempts to solve some of the problems mentioned above have been addressed in the prior art. For example, American National Can Company US Patent No. 6,024,239 (the '239 patent) describes an improved end closure opening utilizing an improved center ring band located between the front and the raised end. . The '239 patent is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The '239 patent shows a metal end closure adapted for interconnection to a container, comprising a central panel having a product side and a consumer side and a peripheral rim adapted for interconnection to the neck of a container; a tear panel located in the central panel is defined by at least one frangible primary incision; a non-detachable ring hingedly interconnected to the consumer side of said center panel including a front portion at one end and a raised portion at an opposite end, while said front portion extends over a portion of said tear panel; a stiffening stiffening edge integrally interconnected to said central panel and having a first leg and a second leg located close to a central rivet; and finally a central band of said non-separable ring located between said front part and said raised part, considering that said band having an articulated region and a ring interconnected to said rivet, and additionally comprising an empty horseshoe-shaped region with a first leg and a second leg.

There is still a significant need in the beverage industry to create a metal end closure that has a simplistic design and is easy to open, does not open prematurely or leak, and has a tear panel that does not separate. inadvertently from the center panel. Preferably the improved end closure is used in conjunction with a wide opening ("LOE") type end closure, and is designed so that the tear panel opens gradually, thereby reducing splattering. In this way, as described in this document the following invention addresses the problems mentioned and described above.

Summary of the invention

Therefore, one aspect of the present invention is to provide a "non-detachable" or environmentally friendly ring and associated container end closure that can be easily opened even when used in conjunction with LOE and pressurized containers. Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an improved ring and incision configuration that substantially avoid the possibility of the incision panel separating from the central panel and causing potential injury. Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention, a modified ring is provided that

ES 2 298 559 T3 includes a "horseshoe-shaped" cutting portion that is positioned around the rivet of the ring. This improved ring is oriented in the direction of the force when it is pulled in a preferred direction, and further reduces the force of the ring in the hinged area and therefore alleviates the likelihood that it will separate. This horseshoe-shaped cutting portion preferably has a "leg" that is longer than the opposite leg, and thus is oriented in the direction of the force exerted by the front of the ring at a preferred location on the panel. tear.

In a further aspect of the present invention, an improved "reinforced edge" configuration is provided to eliminate metallic slack in the center panel near and around the rivet, or "gathered" area, which decreases the effectiveness of the ring. during the opening. The improved reinforced edge has been shortened, whereby the first leg and second leg have retracted toward the raised end of the ring by approximately 0.10 inches (2.54 mm). To further prevent separation of the score panel, and initiate tearing of the panel in a preferred direction, an improved score origin loop is provided having a larger loop radius of at least about 0.057 inches (1.45 mm); as opposed to prior art 0.047 inches (1.19 mm) respectively, and which creates an incision opening path that is easier to initiate and thus prevents incision path breakage and possible separation tear panel.

Yet another aspect of the present invention is to provide a metal beverage container end that is not susceptible to premature opening, even when the product side of the container end is exposed to acidic and corrosive beverages during shipping or storage. Thus, in one aspect of the present invention a primary and secondary incision is provided in the center panel that is made possible as a result of the improved design of the ring and incision. The improved score has a larger "residual score," that is, a thicker material that results in fewer premature gaps and allows for greater manufacturing tolerances. Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention the primary incision has a residual incision of between 0.0035-0.00424 inches (0.089-0.108 mm) as opposed to the previous residual incisions of 0.0033-0.0036 inches ( 0.084-0.091 mm).

Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention, an easy open end closure is provided, comprising:

a central panel having a product side and a consumer side and a peripheral rim adapted for interconnection to the container;

a tear panel located in the central panel that is defined by a frangible primary incision and a secondary incision, and a non-frangible hinged portion, said tear panel originating with an incision origin loop having a radius of curvature of at least about 0.050 inches (1.27mm);

a non-detachable ring hingedly interconnected to said consumer side of said center panel comprising a front portion at one end and a raised end at an opposite end, said front portion extending over a portion of said tear panel;

a reinforcing stiffening edge located within said center panel and having a first leg and a second leg positioned proximal to said rivet, opposite said tear panel, said first and second legs having a length no greater than about 0.125 inches (3.175 inches). mm); and a central band of said non-separable ring located between said front part and said raised end, said band having an articulated region and a ring interconnected to said rivet, and further comprising an empty horseshoe-shaped region with a first leg and a second leg, said first leg extending a greater distance towards said front part than said second leg, wherein when said front portion of said non-detachable ring is forced downward, a force on said tear panel is oriented away from said incision origin loop.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the consumer side of the end closure of a beverage container and related components;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the end closure of a beverage container shown in Figure 1 as viewed from the product side of the container;

Figure 3A is a top plan view showing a ring and the improved horseshoe-shaped cutting portion of the present invention;

Figure 3B depicts a prior art rivet ring and cutting portion;

Figure 4A is a top plan view of an improved reinforced edge of the present invention;

Figure 4B is a top plan view of the prior art reinforced edge;

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Figure 5A is a top plan view showing the product facing side of an improved scoring loop;

Figure 5B is a prior art scoring loop shown from the product side;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional elevation view of a portion of the center panel of the present invention, identifying a primary and secondary incision, and the residual incision;

Figure 7 is a top plan view of one embodiment of the present invention, identifying the prior art and end closure improvements, and depicting the orientation of the force transmitted on the center panel from the ring;

Figure 8 is a top plan view depicting the prior art and improved reinforced edge of the present invention;

Figure 9 is a top plan view depicting the prior art and improved horseshoe section of the present invention;

Figure 10 is a top plan view depicting the prior art and improved scoring loop of the present invention; Y

Figure 11 is a top plan view depicting the prior art and improved incision origin loop of the present invention.

Detailed description

With reference now to the drawings, Figures 1-6 depict an embodiment of the present invention, in which an end closure 2 is provided which is adapted for double stitching or other means of interconnection to a beverage container. More specifically, Figures 1 and 2 depict the consumer side and the product side, respectively, of one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in a top plan view, the end closure 2 generally comprises a central panel 24 defined on an outer perimeter by a recess 10 that is interconnected to a peripheral flange '3. The center panel 24 is located within the circumference of the socket 10, and generally comprises a ring 4 that is used to selectively open the end closure of the beverage 2. The ring 4 is preferably a "non-detachable ring" which is retained in the end closure 2 after opening. During operation, when the raised end 44 of the ring is pulled upward, the front of the ring 42 is directed downward toward the tear panel 36. Because a force is continuously provided, tear panel 36 is torn away from central panel 24 by an incision, generally comprising a primary incision 12 and a secondary incision 14, with the primary incision generally having a greater depth than the secondary incision 14. As the tear panel 36 begins to separate from the center panel 24 along the incision origin loop 16, the tear panel 36 begins to deflect downward toward the beverage container as the tear moves in the direction of the clockwise (as viewed from the side toward the consumer) and ends at the end of incision 18. Once the tear panel 36 is pushed down from the center panel 24, the ring 4 can be pushed down and the beverage can be consumed in a normal way, while the tear panel 36 remains attached to the center panel throughout. of the articulation point.

The present invention is primarily concerned with large aperture ends (LOE) although, as will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, it can additionally be used for smaller aperture ends traditionally used in beverage containers.

Referring to Figure 2, the product side (internal view) of the present invention shown in Figure 1 is provided here. More specifically, the incision origin loop 16 as well as the end of incision 18 may be shown with greater detail, as well as the rivet 8 used to hingely interconnect the ring 4 to the central panel 24. As further shown in Figure 2, an improved reinforced edge 30 is provided immediately adjacent to the rivet of the ring, and includes a first reinforced edge leg 32 and a second reinforced edge leg 34. The reinforced edge is used to provide reinforcement around the rivet and eliminate slack in the metal, thereby providing a more effective opening and reducing the likelihood of inadvertent tearing in center panel 24 near the hinge point of tear panel 36.

The present invention generally describes four distinguishable features of an improved end closure 2 that serve the purposes of 1) reducing the force required on the ring to open the end closure; 2) substantially eliminating the separation of tear panel 36 from center panel 24; and 3) substantially preventing premature breakage and leakage along the center panel 24 score lines. To achieve these goals, at least four distinguishable features of the present invention are identified in greater detail in Figures 3-6, and include: 1) an improved reinforced edge; 2) a horseshoe-shaped cutting part offset on the ring; 3) an enlarged incision origin loop; and 4) a larger residual incision in the central panel. However, one of ordinary skill in the art should understand that each of these features is considered novel in its own respect, and represents a unique and novel concept that can be used independently or in combination in one embodiment.

ES 2 298 559 T3

Referring to Figure 3A, a top plan view of an improved ring 4 of the present invention is provided here. Figure 3B depicts a prior art ring shown to clarify the distinctions between the two designs. As identified in these drawings, a traditional non-detachable ring 4 includes a raised end 44 of the ring that is used for clamping, in which a user places their fingers under the finger hole 28 as shown in Figure 1. The opposite side of the ring comprises a ring "front" 42 which is used to direct the tear panel 36 downward when the raised end 44 of the ring is pulled up and hinges around the rivet ring 8, which interconnects the ring 4 to the central panel 24. Located substantially around the rivet 8 is a horseshoe shaped cutting portion 6 which allows the ring to be hingedly interconnected to the rivet 8. In an improved embodiment of the present invention, the horseshoe-shaped cutting portion of the ring 6 has leg portions 46 that extend to either side of the rivet 8. In a preferred embodiment, a leg 46 is longer than the leg. opposite, over a distance of at least about 0.035 inches (0.889 mm), which functions to direct the force on the front of ring 42 in a preferred direction. By orienting the direction of the force, the incision and associated tear panel 36 are torn from the center panel 24 in a preferred clockwise direction as viewed from the consumer side shown in Figure 1. By creating a ring that orients the direction of the force in a preferred direction, i.e. away from the incision origin loop 16, the probability that the tear panel 36 will separate from the center panel 24 is greatly reduced and the force required to break the incision line for opening is significantly reduced. Additionally, the opening is more gradual, thus reducing the probability of splashing when opening.

Referring to Figures 4A and 4B, Figure 4B depicts a product side of a prior art reinforced edge 30 in greater detail. Figure 4A depicts the improvement over the prior art design. In the embodiment of Figure 4B, the first leg 32 of the reinforced edge and the second leg 34 of the reinforced edge are shown extending substantially to a midpoint of the rivet 8. In the preferred embodiment of Figure 4A, the first leg 32 of the reinforced edge and the second leg 34 of the reinforced edge have a reduced length and thus are located at a greater distance from the primary incision origin loop 16 and the end of incision 18 of the present invention. By reducing the length of the reinforced edge legs from about 0.225 inches (5.715 mm) to about 0.125 inches (3.175 mm), it has been found that the metal slack is reduced between the scoring loop and the end of the reinforced edge, eliminating this it forms the coin slots adjacent to the rivet and avoiding the "splice creases" of the ring after opening. As one of ordinary skill in the art will understand, a ring "splice crease" is a characteristic opening where the ring rotates approximately 180 degrees without breaking the incision and the opening of the end closure. To create the preferred effect shown in Figure 4A, Applicant has used a redesigned die during manufacturing with improved taper.

Referring to Figures 5A and 5B, Figure 5B is a product side view of a prior art scoring loop, while Figure 5A is a product side view of the improved scoring loop of the present invention. Of note are two distinguishable attributes of the improved incision loop shown in Figure 5A. First, the radius of the incision origin loop 16 has been expanded to at least about 0.050 inches (1.27 mm), and preferably about 0.057 inches (1.448 mm), compared to the old incision origin loop of about 0.047 inch (1.194 mm). Increasing the size of the incision origin loop 16 has been found to ensure a clockwise displacement (viewed from the consumer side) along the incision line, which further eliminates the likelihood of tearing the hinged part and the possibility of the tear panel 36 separating from the central panel 24. Additionally, the end of incision 18 has been directed outward in a direction toward recess 10 to ensure that tear panel 36 is pushed down the front of ring 42, with the tear directed downward away from the portion. hinge 19 of the tear panel at an orientation of approximately 60 to 70 degrees.

As a result of the improvements shown in Figures 3A-5A, it has been possible to increase the metal thickness of the primary incision 12 that is used to initiate the opening of the end closure 2. A representation of the depth can be seen in Figure 6. of the primary incision 12, the secondary incision 14 and the residual incision 38. More specifically, during the fabrication of end closure 2 and center panel 24, critical tolerances must be maintained during the fabrication procedure to ensure that primary incision 12 has sufficient residual incision 38 to prevent premature opening, yet is sufficiently shallow. to promote easy opening. Using the features shown in Figures 3A-5A, manufacturing tolerances related to the depth of primary incision 12 can be reduced, whereby residual incision 38 (material thickness) can now have a safety tolerance of between about 0 0.0035-0.0042 inches (0.089-0.107 mm), as opposed to the prior art residual incision of about 0.0033 to 0.0036 inches (0.084-0.091 mm). This slight modification largely eliminates the likelihood of premature opening, while significantly improving freedom of manufacture. Thus, the various embodiments of the present invention allow a beverage can end that is easier to open and further prevents premature failure along score lines and inadvertent separation of tear panel 36 from the center panel. 24.

Referring to Figure 7, a top plan view of the end closure 2 of the present invention is provided herein. More specifically, an end closure 2 is provided having an orientation of the opening force 54 that is different from the orientation of the opening force 56 of the prior art. When combined with the other new features of the present invention, an improved wide-opening end closure is provided that is easier to open, and less likely to separate the tear panel from the center panel 24. As shown in Fig. Figure 7, the opening force 54 is oriented in a direction that is not parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ring 4. Additionally, further improvements of the invention are provided in

ES 2 298 559 T3 Figure 7, and include a larger radius for the incision origin loop 16, a longer second leg 48 on the horseshoe cut 6, and a shorter first leg 32 and a second leg 34 of the reinforced edge 30.

More specifically, the improved reinforced edge 30, the horseshoe cut 6, and the increased radius of the incision origin loop 16 are respectively provided in Figures 8-11. As seen in Figure 8, an improved pattern of the reinforced edge 30 of the present invention is shown herein, and is superimposed on the prior art reinforced edge 50 which is depicted in broken lines. As illustrated, the first reinforced edge leg 32 and the second reinforced edge leg 34 of the present invention are significantly shorter than the first reinforced edge leg and the second reinforced edge leg of the reinforced edge 50 of the prior art. Furthermore, the first leg 32 and the second leg 34 are located closer to the raised end 44 of the ring, as opposed to the prior art where the first leg 32 of the reinforced edge and the second leg 34 extended substantially to a center line 64 of the rivet 8. Preferably, the first leg 32 and the second leg 34 of the reinforced edge 30 are no closer than 0.090 inches (2.286 mm) from a center line 64 of the rivet 8. This improved design has been shown to reduce the metal slack between the incision origin loop 16 and the reinforced edge 30 and, in this way, helps prevent separation of the tear panel 36 from the center panel 24, and to prevent "splice creases. ”From the ring during opening.

Referring now to Figure 9, an improved horseshoe cut 6 of the present invention is provided here, and more specifically identifies a horseshoe cut where the second leg 48 has been extended relative to the horseshoe cut. 52 of the prior art, and also with respect to the first leg 46 of the horseshoe cut. The prior art horseshoe cut is shown in broken lines, while the improved horseshoe cut 6 is shown in solid lines. Using a horseshoe cut in which the first and second legs have different lengths, the opening force 54 of the tear panel is oriented at an angle that is not parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ring, or approximately 120-175 degrees. , which helps prevent tearing and thus separation of the tear panel 36 from the center panel 24.

Referring to Figures 10 and 11, a top plan view of a frangible incision is provided depicting primary incision 12, secondary incision 14, incision origin loop 16, and an end of incision 18. As shown, incision origin loop 16 is located proximal to rivet 8, with the improvement being that the radius of incision origin loop 58 has been expanded from about 0.047 inches (1.194 mm) to about 0.057 inches (1.448 mm). ) and the end of the incision has been oriented outwards towards the peripheral cover hook. In addition, the point of origin of the radius of the incision origin loop 16 is approximately 0.1590 inches (4.039 mm) from the center line of the rivet 8. Through significant experimentation and trial and error, widening the incision origin loop 16 has been shown to provide the added benefit of creating a clockwise offset along the incision line, further reducing the likelihood that tear panel 36 separates from center panel 24.

To aid in understanding the invention, the following is a list of the components and associated numbering shown in the drawings.

Component No.

End closure

Peripheral loop

Ring

Horseshoe cut

Rivet

Insert

Primary incision

Secondary incision

Incision origin loop

End of incision

Articulated part of the tear panel

Edge profile

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Breast

Central panel

Center panel radius wedged

Ring finger hole

Reinforced edge

Reinforced edge first leg

Reinforced edge second leg

Tear panel

Residual incision ⁴⁰ Purge area

Ring front

Raised end of ring

First leg of the horseshoe cut

Second leg of the horseshoe cut

Reinforced edge of the prior art

Horseshoe cut of prior art

Opening force orientation

Prior Art Opening Force Guidance

Prior art incision origin loop radius

Incision loop radius

Incision

Rivet center line