Can end for pressurized metal food can with shielded vent score

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10106306-B2
Application number	US-201615289421-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2016
Priority date	May 30, 2014
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

A vented metal can end is provided. The can end includes a tab and a tab rivet. The can end includes an outer score and a vent score. The vent score is formed in the end wall and located beneath the nose of the tab. The vent score is positioned such that the tab rivet is located between the vent score and the center point of the end wall and the vent score is also located between the outer score and the tab rivet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A metal food can end configured to be coupled to a pressurized metal can body via a seam, the can end comprising:
a curl section defining an outer perimeter of the can end, the curl section terminating in a free edge, the curl section configured to be crimped with an end of the metal can body to form the seam;
an end wall located within and surrounded by the curl section, the end wall comprising:
a center panel;
a bead panel located outside of and surrounding the center panel, the bead panel including at least one bead formed in the bead panel; and
a score track located outside of and surrounding the bead panel;

a tab having a nose portion and a finger portion;
a tab rivet coupling the tab to the end wall such that the nose portion of the tab is located between the curl section and the tab rivet and the finger portion is positioned on the opposite side of the tab rivet from the nose portion and extending toward a center point of the end wall;
an outer score formed in the score track, the outer score surrounding the bead panel, the outer score configured to be broken by the nose portion of the tab to facilitate removal of a portion of the end wall located within the outer score; and
a vent score formed in the end wall and located beneath the nose of the tab, the vent score positioned such that the tab rivet is located between the vent score and the center point of the end wall and the vent score is located between the tab rivet and the outer score, wherein the vent score is concentric with an outer surface of the tab rivet.

2. The metal food can end of claim 1 wherein the thickness of the end wall at the vent score is less than 80% of the thickness of the end wall at the center panel.

3. The metal food can end of claim 2 wherein the vent score has a leftmost edge and a rightmost edge, and the vent score is a continuous curved score extending between the leftmost edge and the rightmost edge, wherein an angle formed between lines perpendicular to the vent score at the leftmost edge and at the right most edge is greater than 40 degrees.

4. The metal food can end of claim 3 wherein the angle formed between the lines perpendicular to the vent score at the leftmost edge and at the rightmost edge is less than 270 degrees.

5. The metal food can end of claim 1 wherein the end wall further comprises a finger well located within and surrounded by the center panel, wherein the finger well is recessed below the center panel and the bead panel.

6. The metal food can end of claim 1 coupled to a can body via a seam.

7. The metal food can end of claim 6 wherein the can body defines a contents cavity, wherein contents are located in the contents cavity and the can body is hermetically sealed and the contents cavity is at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure.

8. A metal food can end configured to be coupled to a pressurized metal can body via a seam, the can end comprising:
a curl section defining an outer perimeter of the can end, the curl section terminating in a free edge, the curl section configured to be crimped with an end of the metal can body to form the seam;
an end wall located within and surrounded by the curl section, the end wall comprising:
a center panel;
a bead panel located outside of and surrounding the center panel, the bead panel including at least one bead formed in the bead panel; and
a score track located outside of and surrounding the bead panel;

a tab having a nose portion and a finger portion;
a tab rivet coupling the tab to the end wall such that the nose portion of the tab is located between the curl section and the tab rivet and the finger portion is positioned on the opposite side of the tab rivet from the nose portion and extending toward a center point of the end wall, wherein the tab rivet further comprises a flange extending radially outward from an upper end of the tab rivet;
an outer score formed in the score track, the outer score surrounding the bead panel, the outer score configured to be broken by the nose portion of the tab to facilitate removal of a portion of the end wall located within the outer score; and
a vent score formed in the end wall and located beneath the nose of the tab, the vent score positioned such that the tab rivet is located between the vent score and the center point of the end wall, wherein the vent score is concentric with an outer surface of the tab rivet, wherein at least a portion of the vent score is located beneath the flange of the tab rivet.

9. The metal food can end of claim 8 wherein an outer edge of the flange of the tab rivet is located vertically above the vent score and is located radially between an outer edge and an inner edge of the vent score.

10. A metal food can end configured to be coupled to a pressurized metal can body via a seam, the can end comprising:
a curl section defining an outer perimeter of the can end, the curl section terminating in a free edge, the curl section configured to be crimped with an end of the metal can body to form the seam;
an end wall located within and surrounded by the curl section, the end wall comprising:
a center panel;
a bead panel located outside of and surrounding the center panel, the bead panel including at least one bead formed in the bead panel;
a finger well located within and surrounded by the center panel, wherein the finger well is recessed below the center panel and the bead panel; and
a score track located outside of and surrounding the bead panel;
wherein the center panel includes an inwardly sloped segment extending from the bead panel to a perimeter of the finger well, wherein a radial length of the sloped segment of the center panel is greater than 20% of an outer radius of the can end;

a tab having a nose portion and a finger portion;
a tab rivet coupling the tab to the end wall such that the nose portion of the tab is located between the curl section and the tab rivet and the finger portion is positioned on the opposite side of the tab rivet from the nose portion and extending toward a center point of the end wall;
an outer score formed in the score track, the outer score surrounding the bead panel, the outer score configured to be broken by the nose portion of the tab to facilitate removal of a portion of the end wall located within the outer score; and
a vent score formed in the end wall and located beneath the nose of the tab, the vent score positioned such that the tab rivet is located between the vent score and the center point of the end wall, wherein the vent score is concentric with an outer surface of the tab rivet.

11. A metal food can end configured to be coupled to a pressurized metal can body via a seam, the can end comprising:
a curl section defining an outer perimeter of the can end, the curl section terminating in a free edge, the curl section configured to be crimped with an end of the metal can body to form the seam;
an end wall located within and surrounded by the curl section, the end wall comprising:
a center panel;
a bead panel located outside of and surrounding the center panel, the bead panel including at least one bead formed in the bead panel;
a finger well located within and surrounded by the center panel, wherein the finger well is recessed below the center panel and the bead panel; and
a score track located outside of and surrounding the bead panel;
wherein the center panel includes an outer planar section, an inner planar section and a transition section between the outer planar section and the inner planar section, wherein the inner planar section is recessed below the outer planar section and is located above the finger well, wherein the transition section is a sloped sectio

Assignees

• Silgan Containers Llc

Inventors

• Dunn David

Classifications

• B65D17/4011 Primary

  for opening completely by means of a tearing tab · CPC title

• B65D2517/007

  located within tear-out/push-in panel · CPC title

• B65D79/005 Primary

  Packages having deformable parts for indicating or neutralizing internal pressure-variations by other means than venting · CPC title

• B65D2517/0016

  pivot tab, push-down and pull-out tear panel · CPC title

• B65D2517/0092

  formed as a partial score line located close to the tab connection · CPC title