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A steel can end construction for a special liquid product to be protected against contamination in which a pouring opening is to be formed in the can end by pulling the can end metal area defined by an endless score line with a centrally located aluminum pull tab riveted to the steel can end to comp

A steel can end construction for a special liquid product to be protected against contamination in which a pouring opening is to be formed in the can end by pulling the can end metal area defined by an endless score line with a centrally located aluminum pull tab riveted to the steel can end to completely tear the metal within the score line from the can end. The tearing operation is performed by a person holding the can in one hand and with a finger or thumb engaged with the pull tab, pulling the pull tab upward and forward from the can.

대표청구항 ▼

In a steel can end of a type having a seam flange adapted to be connected by seam means to a can body, in which said can end has a recessed corner located below said seam flange with a flat circular panel extending inward from said recessed corner, in which a score line is formed in said panel defin

In a steel can end of a type having a seam flange adapted to be connected by seam means to a can body, in which said can end has a recessed corner located below said seam flange with a flat circular panel extending inward from said recessed corner, in which a score line is formed in said panel defining a metal area to be torn from said panel by an aluminum pull tab having a ring portion and a nose porrtion, and in which said nose portion is riveted to said metal area so that pulling of the pull tab tears said metal area from the panel to form a pouring opening, wherein the improvement comprises: (a) a steel can end having an endless score line formed in said panel, in which said score line has a generally pear shape extending radially from a small rounded inner end located adjacent the center of the panel to a larger rounded outer end located adjacent the periphery of the panel, and has outwardly diverging straight sides connecting said inner and outer rounded ends to define the pouring opening to be formed in the can end panel; (b) the nose portion of said aluminum pull tab riveted to said panel metal area has flat top and bottom panels and an enlarged rivet opening formed in said nose bottom panel, the nose bottom panel being integrally connected laterally at each side of said rivet opening through spaced inner nose shoulder walls directly with said nose top panel, said nose top and bottom panels and spaced shoulder walls converging to form a stepped tip, and said integral lateral connections of the nose bottom panel with the nose top panel strengthening and stiffening said flat nose bottom panel against bending between said rivet opening and said stepped tip when the pull tab is pulled to form a pouring opening in said can end panel; (c) the can end panel metal area within the small rounded inner end of said pear-shaped endless score line is formed with concentric integral rivet means which extends through said enlarged rivet opening in said flat nose bottom panel and is riveted to said flat nose bottom panel, whereby the stiffened flat nose bottom panel is held at all times in contact with said can end panel metal area within said score line; and (d) the ring portion of said pull tab integral with said nose portion has weakened connection with said nose portion to permit ready bending of the pull tab at said weakened connection when the pull tab is pulled to form a pouring opening in said can end panel; (e) whereby the metal area within the endless score line may be completely torn from the can end by a person holding the can in one hand and grasping the tab pull ring portion with a finger or thumb of the other hand and pulling the tab ring portion upward and forward toward the person to first bend the pull tab at said weakened connection and then to initially rupture the score line behind and around the rivet means, accompanied by lever action of the contiguous pull tab nose flat bottom panel and contacted can end metal area within the score line applied by pull tab nose tip engagement with said metal area to form a bend in said metal area in front of said nose tip while tearing along the score line to such bend, and then by continuing forward pulling, completely tearing the metal area from the can end panel along the remainder of the score line to the rounded outer end of the score line to form a pouring opening.