Can, Panel for a Can and a Method for Making Such a Panel for Can

Abstract

The invention related to a can comprising a body provided with as panel and a tab connected to the panel, which tab has a front tab part and a rear tab part for gripping and filling and forming with the tab front part an opening in the panel along a panel score line, wherein the tab is in a third position due to a deformation of a tab-panel connection, to a panel and to a method of making the panel and/or can.

Claims

1. A can, comprising a body provided with a panel and a tab connected to the panel, which tab has a front tab part and a rear tab part for by gripping and tilting and forming with the tab front part an opening in the panel along a panel score line, wherein the tab is in a tilted position due to a deformation of a tab-panel connection.

2. The can according to claim 1, wherein the deformation is in the tab part of the tab-panel connection.

3. The can according to claim 1, wherein the deformation is in the panel part of the tab-panel connection.

4. The can according to claim 1, wherein the tab is connected to the panel via a structural connecting element, and the deformation is in the structural connecting element.

5. The can according to claim 1, wherein the structural connecting element is an integral part of the panel.

6. The can according to claim 1, wherein the structural connecting element is a separate structural connecting element.

7. The can according to claim 1, wherein the tab rear part resides within the can confinement.

8. The can according to claim 1, wherein the tab rear part resides above a depressed panel part.

9. The can according to claim 1, wherein the deformation comprises an at least partially plastic deformation.

10. A panel for a can as defined in claim 1.

11. A method for making a panel according to: i) connecting a tab to the panel; and ii) tilting the tab thereby deforming a tab-panel connection, such that the tab remains in the tilted position.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the tilting step ii) is carried out by at least one of hooking, levering and helix spinning.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the tilting step ii) is carried out by glue pulling or magnetic pulling.

14. A panel obtainable by the method according to claim 11.

15. The can according to claim 1, wherein the structured element is a rivet.

16. A method for making a can, comprising: i) connecting a tab to a panel; and ii) tilting the tab thereby deforming a tab-panel connection, such that the tab remains in the tilted position.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the tilting step ii) is carried out by at least one of hooking, levering and helix spinning.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the tilting step ii) is carried out by glue pulling or magnetic pulling.

19. A can obtainable by the method according to claim 16.

Description

[0017] In this respect reference will be made to the annexed figures in which:

[0018] FIGS. 1 and 2 are cross sectional views of the two steps in making a can provided with a panel according to the invention which was brought into the tilted position.

[0019] FIG. 1 shows a can 1. The can 1 comprises a body 2 to which is connected via a seam 3 an easy opening panel 4. The panel 4 comprises a tab 5 having a rear tab part 6 and a front tab part 7.

[0020] The tab 5 is connected to the panel 4 via a structural connecting element 8. This element 8 is integral with the panel 4 and has the form of a rivet. The rivet 9 is inserted in an opening 10 and is locked into the opening by a widened upper section 11.

[0021] The front tab part 7 is provided with a nose 12 which could operate with a score line 13 formed into the panel 4. By tilting the tab 5 after gripping the rear tab part the nose will contact in the area near the score line and after applying sufficient force will ultimately pop open the panels 4 along the score line 13.

[0022] The can 1 shown in FIG. 1 may be considered an intermediate can to be used in the method according to the invention for producing a panel and can according to the invention.

[0023] FIG. 2 shows the can 14 according to the invention with the tab 5 brought into the illustrated and shown tilted position.

[0024] According to the preferred production method, an electro magnet 15 was brought into contact with the rear tab part 6 and under magnetic force the tab 5 was lifted according to the arrow 16 thereby generating a finger access 17 between panel 4 and rear tab part 6.

[0025] The tab 5 remains in this shown tilted position due to a deformation 18 in the tab panel connection 19 systematically indicated by the oval area. The tilting may have resulted in a deformation of the tab part 20, and or the rivet part 21 and or panel part 22 all forming part of the tab-panel connection. The deformation in the tab 5, in the rivet 9 and or panel 4 may be elastic and/or plastic. Preferably and ideally is the deformation at least partially plastic because it is a permanent deformation and then the tab is secured in the tilted position.

[0026] Finally it is noted that the step according to the invention for bringing the tab in the tilted position may by carried out with a modified or additional tooling used in a current apparatus used in the production of easy opening panels and cans. Such apparatus comprises an easy opening conversion press, a labeller machine for filled cans and thelike. Obviously, a stand alone machine may be used and inserted in any possible area of the production line of easy opening panels and cans.

[0027] Finally, as shown in FIG. 2 is the finger access optimal and even maximal if beneath the rear tab part 6 lies a depressed panel part 23.