GB2291030A

GB2291030A - Device for opening a container

Info

Publication number: GB2291030A
Application number: GB9413256A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Barry Silverwood Brown; Nigel Tungate
Original assignee: DOCS COLOUR WORD AND IMAGE PRO
Current assignee: DOCS COLOUR WORD AND IMAGE PRO
Priority date: 1994-07-01
Filing date: 1994-07-01
Publication date: 1996-01-17
Also published as: GB9413256D0

Abstract

A closure member 18 fig 3 or 4 fig 8 includes a lever or tab 10 fig 3 or 8 fig 8 upward or downward pressure on the end of which leads to the full or partial opening of the closure. The tab may be rotatable about rivet 12 fig 3 or 10 fig 8 into an operative position such that one end of the lever or tab overhangs an edge of a container. The closure member may be in the form of a crown cap or a ring pull attached to a drinks container. The lever member may include a puncture element such as conical projection 22 to puncture a detent 20 to allow air into the container as the contents are removed. <IMAGE>

Description

A CAN OR BOTTLE OPENER.

This invention relates to a method and means for opening a container and is particularly but not exclusively concerned with a device for use with a can or bottle.

So-called tear tab closures present on an end wall of drinks cans are well-known and generally comprise a tab which is separable along a frangible score line.

The tab usually has a pull-ring attached to it by a rivet and the pull-ring is first bent upwardly with respect to the tab after which pulling on the ring separates the tab from the endfiwall of the can.

In some cases the tab is completely removed from the can by this action, when disposal caused environmental problems.

In other cases, the tab is pushed downwardly into the confines of the can whereby any deposit on the end of the can is known to fall into the can and to contaminate the contents.

The act of raising and gripping the ring is difficult because of the close lying proximity of the ring to the end wall of the can and is known to cause damage to the finger-nails of the user.

When the container is a bottle with a crown cap, a separate bottle opener must be used in order to prise the cap from the top of the bottle. If a bottle opener is not readily to hand the crown cap is difficult if not impossible to remove.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved method of and means for opening a container which overcomes one or more of the difficulties described above and/or to provide improvements generally.

According to the invention there is provided a method and apparatus for creating a pour opening in a container by means of a closure member which is retained on an end of the container, wherein a tab is first rotated about a pivot pin fixed to the closure member such that one end of the tab overhangs a peripheral edge of the container and upward or downward pressure is then applied to the overhanging end of the tab to cause the tab to create an opening in the container.

In an embodiment of the invention there is provided a container having a side wall, a lower end wall and an upper end wall, the upper end wall being provided with a readily tearable line of weakness and a hinge line, a tab pivotable at one of its ends to the upper end wall adjacent its periphery and within the bounds of the line of weakness and adapted to be pivoted to cause its other end to overhang the periphery of the container, such that upward pressure may be brought to bear on the overhanging end to cause the closure member to tear along its lines of weakness and bend along its hinge line.

A second aspect of the present invention is concerned with the shortcomings of existing tab closure systems and the like relating to lack of accessibility of the tab for opening purposes. As already indicated above, the proximity of the ring to the end wall of the can makes the ring relatively inaccessible, and this second aspect of the invention provides accessible lever means to reduce or overcome this problem.

In accordance with a first broad aspect of this second aspect of the invention, the invention provides an accessible lever member which is actuable to exert a levering effect on a closure member to effect full or partial opening of same.

In one embodiment, the lever member is in the form of a pivotable tab which can be moved from its stowed or storage position to a projecting or in-use position, in which it extends beyond a peripheral edge of the drinks container.

Then, upward or downward force on the lever member can be arranged to cause full or partial opening of the closure member.

By having the lever member pivotable so that it can move to an accessible position the advantage provided is that the user can easily exert upward or downward loading on the lever member to effect opening or closing of the drinks container.

In another embodiment, the lever member is associated with a crown cap closure device and arranged so as to be available to exert a leverage effect on the cap to effect opening of same. In one embodiment, the lever member is pivotable between stowed and active positions. It is envisaged that the lever member might be fixed to the crown cap without the need for a pivot arrangement. This latter possibility may be particularly so in the case where the profile of the associated bottle permits the lever member to be readily engaged by the user's finger ends while nevertheless not interfering with storage of the closed bottle.

Two embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of part of a container according to the invention; Figures 2, 3 and 4 are plan views of an upper end wall of the container in stages of opening operation of the container; Figure 5 is a section view on the line V-V of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a side elevation of an alternative embodiment applied to a bottle; Figures 7 and 8 are perspective views of stages of an opening operation of the bottle of Figure 6.

As seen in Figures 1 to 5 a drinks can 2 has a side wall 4 and an upper end wall 6 with a peripheral rim 8. A tab 10 is pivotable around a rivet 12 secured to part of the upper end wall 6.

The upper end wall has a readily tearable line of weakness 14 and a hinge line 16, which together define a closure member 18. The end wall is also provided with a shallow detent 20 and the tab 10 is formed with a conical portion 22.

In order to open the can to gain access to its contents the tab 10 is first pivoted about the rivet 12 from its position seen in Figures 1 and 2, to that position shown in Figure 3 where the major part of the tab overhangs outside the rim 8. As the tab approaches the position seen in Figure 2 the leverage applied to the tab by the rim 8 to the underside of the tab causes the closure member 18 to rupture at the area 18A of the tear line 14. Thereafter digitally applied pressure to the underside of the tab 10 lifts and completes the tearing action along the lines of weakness 14 when the closure member bends back along the hinge line 16. Access is thus created to the contents of the can through the hole 24 so created as seen in Figures 4 and 5.

When the tearing action is completed the free end of the tab is depressed to cause the conical portion 22 to puncture the end wall 6 at the detent 20 to allow air to pass into the can as the contents are removed by pouring or, alternatively by drinking through the hole 24. This facility makes for ease of pouring without any undue sputtering.

Although reference has been made in the above description to a drinks can, the invention can be applied with equal advantages to a can containing other contents, e.g. oil, horticultural materials such as slug pellets, plant feed.

In the alternative arrangement illustrated in Figures 6, 7 and 8 a bottle closure and opening device is illustrated.

A bottle B is provided with a crown cap 2 which has a conventional crimped skirt 4 around its periphery.

Formed in one with the crown cap is a downwardly depending tongue 6 and a lifter bar 8 is pivotally connected to the tongue by a rivet 10.

In use, the lifter bar 8 is first pivoted about the rivet 10 into the vertically upward position as seen in Figure 8. Digital pressure is then applied to the free end of the bar towards and over the top of the bottle which prises the crown cap off the neck of the bottle.

Thus there is no need for the user to carry a separate bottle opener in order to open crown cap bottles.

Claims

CLAIMS :

1 A closure member adapted for use with a container and having an accessible lever member, wherein said lever member is actuable to exert a levering effect on said closure member to achieve full or partial opening of same.

2 A closure member according to claim 1 wherein said lever member is in the form of a pivotable tab.

3 A closure member according to claim 2 wherein said pivotable tab can be moved from a stored or storage position to a projecting or in use position in which said tab extends beyond a peripheral edge of a container.

4 A closure member according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the arrangement is such that upward or downward force on the lever member causes full or partial opening of the closure member.

5 A closure member according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said closure member is a crown cap device and the lever member is arranged so as to be actuable to exert leverage on said cap and effect opening of an associated container.

6 A closure member according to claim 5 wherein said lever member is fixed to the crown cap without a pivot arrangement.

7 A closure member according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said closure member is attached to a drinks container.

8 Apparatus for creating a pour opening in a container by means of a closure member which is retained on an end of the container, wherein, in use, a tab is first rotated about a pivot pin fixed to said closure member such that one end of said tab overhangs a peripheral edge of said container and upward or downward pressure is then applied to said overhanging end of said tab to cause said tab to create an opening in the container.

9 Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said container is provided with a side wall, a lower end wall and an upper end wall, said upper end wall being provided with a readily tearable line of weakness and a hinge line, a tab being pivotably connected at one of it's ends to the upper end wall adjacent its periphery and within the bounds of the line of weakness, and said tab being adapted to be pivoted to cause its other end to overhang the periphery of the container, such that upward pressure may be brought to bear on the overhanging end to cause the closure member to tear along its line of weakness and bend along its hinge line.

10 A closure member according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein said lever member comprises a puncture element adapted to puncture a wall of an associated container.

11 A closure member according to claim 10 wherein said puncture element is adapted to puncture a detent formed in an end wall of said container.

12 A closure member substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

13 Apparatus for creating a pour opening in a container substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

14 A container comprising a closure according to any one of claims 1 to 12.