US3262611A

US3262611A - Hand opening lid for cylindrical metal beverage can

Info

Publication number: US3262611A
Application number: US416525A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert E Palmer
Original assignee: PALMER Inc
Current assignee: PALMER Inc
Priority date: 1964-12-07
Filing date: 1964-12-07
Publication date: 1966-07-26
Anticipated expiration: 1983-07-26

Description

July 26, 1966 PALMER 3,262,611

HAND OPENING LID FOR CYLINDRICAL METAL BEVERAGE CANS Filed Dec. '7, 1964 INVENTOR. P055127 5, PALMER A TTOIZNEY United States Patent 3,262,611 HAND OPENING LID FOR CYLINDRICAL METAL BEVERAGE CAN Robert E. Palmer, Bay Village, Ohio, assignor to Palmer, Incorporated, Bay Village, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Dec. 7, 1964, Ser. No. 416,525 2 Claims. (Cl. 222-478) This invention relates to sheet metal beverage containers and particularly to a novel dispensing lid for the same.

Conducive to a better understanding of the invention, it may be well to point out that so-called tin cans are commonly used to package beer and carbonated beverages for the reason that such containers are relatively light in weight, unbreakable, and good thermal conductors, so that the contained liquid is more easily chilled than when glass bottles are used.

However, in the past all such cans required special tools to open them.

In order to overcome this drawback, many types of so-called self-opening tin cans have been developed. All of these involve the use of separate pull-tabs, or peelback elements that have to be attached to the can lid. This involves extra materials and assembling operations which greatly increase the final cost of such containers.

The primary object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a one piece beverage can lid that can be easily opened by merely squeezing the can rim between the fingers and the heel of the hand.

Another object is to provide a hand opening lid for tin cans that simultaneously creates two' diametrically opposed openings, such that air may enter one opening while liquid is poured from the other. tained liquid flows from the can in a smooth stream, without the intermittent flow caused by the formation of a partial vacuum within the container, as is the case with all so-called self-opening cans now in use.

A further object is to provide a can lid, of the type stated, that can be stacked in existing can capping machines, the same as common can lids, without the complications caused by the presence of auxiliary opening elements.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification and claims, together with the accompanying drawing, wherein like parts are referred to and indicated by like reference numerals, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the hand opening lid for beverage cans, that is the subject of this invention, showing it in its closed and sealed condition;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 22 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a diametrical sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 33 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view, at the lid hinge line, taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view, at the aperture shear line, taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 55 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of the can, showing the rim compressed, with the pouring apertures ruptured and in their open condition; and,

FIGURE 7 is a diametrical sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 77 of FIG- URE 6.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is seen in FIGURE 1 the hand opening lid for beverage cans, that is the subject of this invention, in its sealed Thus, the conand closed condition, broadly indicated by reference numeral. 10.

The lid comprises a sheet metal disc 11, of a diameter to fit the top end of the cylindrical can body 17 in the conventional manner, through a rim 12.

Reference numerals

15 and 16 indicate two parallel and spaced chord lines, scored on the underside of the lid, which act as base lines for two opposed, upwardly

inclined panels

13 and 14, which are articulated at their peak edges through a hinge line, or bead 20, as is seen most clearly in FIGURE 4.

Reference numerals

18 and 19 indicate stiffening ribs molded in the face of the panels 13 and -14, respectively.

Two W-shaped shear, or rupture,

lines

21 and 22 are coined on opposite sides of the disc 11, immediately beyond the/termini of the hinge line 20, at thereto. The

rupture lines

21 and 22 are coined to a minimum thickness, that is, 0.002" to 0.003", such they will remain pressure tight, but will readily tear or shear when intentionally stressed, as hereinafter described.

The legs of the W-

shaped rupture lines

21 and 22 are located as close to the can rim 12, as possible, preferably spaced ,4 as seen in FIGURE 1.

Reference to FIGURES 2 and 3 will show that the resultant lid structure has a peaked configuration, made up of the two

panels

13 and 14 which rise from the spaced and

parallel score lines

15 and 16 to the hinge line 20, which is above the plane of the

score lines

15 and 16, but below the plane of the can rim 12. Thus, the cans can be readily stacked.

It is a well known fact of physics that a sheet of material lying in a flat plane resists bending when subjected to pressure exerted inwardly of its parallel edges. However, if the sheet tis initially raised at its center, above its base plane, it may be readily deformed by the application of a relatively small compressive force applied at its edges. The latter is the situation created in the construction of my lid, and taken advantage of to provide easy opening of the lid, as now to be described.

To open the can lid 10, the hand is placed over the lid with the heel of the hand bearing against the rim 12 parallel to the lid score line 15 and the fingers hooked over the opposite side of the rim 12 parallel to the second lid score line 16.

The so-positioned hand applies compressive force to the rim causing it to buckle at the points 25, adjacent the ends of the

shear lines

21 and 22 and moving the

score lines

15 and 16 toward each other, as seen in FIGURES 6 and 7.

At the

same time panels

13 and 14 are made to pivot along their

base lines

15 and 16, toward each other,

raising the peak hinge line 20 above the can rim 12, as seen in FIGURE 7.

This action causes the coined

shear lines

21 and 22 to rupture along their entire lengths to form the opposed pouring apertures 23 and 24, as seen in FIGURES 6 and 7.

The contained liquid can be poured flom either aperture 23 or 24, leaving the other one clear for the entrance of air to replace the liquid in the can 17. Thus the liquid flows from the can in a uniform and constant stream, that is easily controlled.

No manipulation, other than the squeezing of the can rim, just described, is required to effect the opening of this beverage can.

It is of course to be understood, that liquids other than beverages may be packaged in this can, such as oil, liquid chemicals, and the like.

It will now be clear that there has been provided a device which accomplishes the objectives heretofore set forth.

While the invention has been disclosed in its preferred form, it is to be understood that the specific embodiment thereof as described and illustrated herein is not to be considered in a limited sense, as there may be other forms or modifications of the invention which should also be construed to come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hand opening lid for cylindrical metal beverage cans, comprising, a closure disc adapted to be permanently secured to the rim of the can, the disc having two,

spaced and parallel, chord lines scored on the underside thereof, and two, opposed, upwardly inclined, panels extending from the chord lines to the center of the disc and articulated at their peak edges through a hinge line; the disc also having two spaced rupture lines, coined to a substantially lesser thickness than the balance of the disc, extending thereacross, at 90 to the hinge line, outwardly of the termini thereof, and adapted to rupture along their entire lengths to define diametrically opposed pouring apertures, when compressive force applied to the can rim causes the panels to pivot inwardly, toward each other, to raise the hinge line vertically, away from the rupture lines.

2. A hand opening lid for cylindrical met-a1 beverage cans, comprising, a closure disc adapted to be permanently secured to the rim of the can, the disc having two, spaced and parallel, chord lines scored on the underside thereof, and two, opposed, upwardly inclined, panels extending from the chord lines to the center of the disc and articulated at their peak edges through a hinge line; a plurality of spaced stiffening ribs formed in the face of the panels between the chord and peak hinge lines; the disc also having two spaced W-shaped rupture lines, coined to a substantially lesser thickness than the balance of the disc, extending thereacross at 90 to the hinge line, outwardly of the termini thereof, with their leg portions lying close to the can rim, and adapted to rupture along their entire lengths to define diametrically opposed pouring apertures, when compressive force applied to the can rim causes the panels to pivot inwardly, toward each other, to raise the hinge line vertically, away from the rupture lines.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES R. CARTER, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A HAND OPENING LID FOR CYLINDRICAL METAL BEVERAGE CANS, COMPRISING, A CLOSURE DISC ADAPTED TO BE PERMANENTLY SECURED TO THE RIM OF THE CAN, THE DISC HAVING TWO, SPACED AND PARALLEL, CHORD LINES SCORED ON THE UNDERSIDE THEREOF, AND TWO, OPPOSED, UPWARDLY INCLINED, PANELS EXTENDING FROM THE CHORD LINES TO THE CENTER OF THE DISC AND ARTICULATED AT THEIR PEAK EDGES THROUGH A HINGE LINE; THE DISC ALSO HAVING TWO SPACED RUPTURE LINES, COINED TO A SUBSTANTIALLY LESSER THICKNESS THEN THE BALANCE OF THE DISC, EXTENDING THEREACROSS, AT 90* TO THE HINGE LINE, OUTWARDLY OF THE TERMINI THEREOF, AND ADAPTED TO RUPTURE ALONG THEIR ENTIRE LENGTHS TO DEFINE DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED POURING APERTURES, WHEN COMPRESSIVE FORCE APPLIED TO THE CAM RIM CAUSES THE PANELS TO PIVOT INWARDLY, TOWARD EACH OTHER, TO RAISE THE HINGE LINE VERTICALLY, AWAY FROM THE RUPTURE LINES.