Patent ID: 7617945
Filing Date: 2009-11-17
Classification: B65D,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A combination of a container lid and a pull tab opener; said container lid comprising a frangible push-in closure, which is at least partially severable from said container lid; said pull tab opener being pivotally secured to said container lid at a certain fixation point near said frangible push-in closure; said pull tab opener comprising a nose portion with a nose end and a tail portion with a tail end, at least a portion of said nose portion overlying portions of the container lid and at least a portion of said frangible push-in closure; said pull tab opener being pivotally secured to said container lid, at a portion on said pull tab opener which is between said nose portion and said tail portion, said portion being referred to as the pull tab pivot portion, such that when the tail portion of the pull tab opener is lifted upwardly away from or above said container lid top surface then the pull tab opener is pivoted about said pull tab pivot portion and said nose portion of the pull tab opener is urged downwardly towards or against the underlying portions of said container lid and of said frangible push-in closure; wherein at least the portions of the container lid and of the frangible push-in closure, underlying the nose portion of the pull tab opener, are shaped so as to have a depression below the original surrounding general level of the container lid top surface, said depression starting adjacent to said fixation point and extending towards and including a portion of the frangible push-in closure, creating a certain free space or a certain free clearance underneath the nose portion of the pull tab opener and above the underlying portions of the container lid and the frangible push-in closure, said certain free clearance allowing the pull tab opener to pivot through a certain free clearance angle downwards, rotating or pivoting about the pull tab pivot portion, before the bottom surface of the nose portion of the pull tab opener engages or touches the top surfaces of the underlying portions of the container lid and of the frangible push-in closure, said certain free clearance angle being referred to as the free depression angle, and wherein the process sequence of opening the container lid and breaking open said frangible push-in closure comprises at least two distinguishably individual and separate incremental process steps, which occur consecutively or sequentially, wherein the first incremental process step comprises the step of pivoting the pull tab opener through said free depression angle, so as to move the nose portion of the pull tab opener downwards towards the frangible push-in closure, traversing said certain free clearance and pivoting through said free depression angle, until the bottom surface of the nose portion reaches and touches the top surface of the underlying depressed portions of the container lid and/or of the frangible push-in closure, during which first step a first incremental force is required to be applied or exerted on the pull tab opener, the magnitude of said first incremental force being equal to the force required to overcome only the elastic resistance of the pull tab pivot portion against being bent; and wherein the subsequent second incremental process step comprises the step of urging the nose portion of the pull tab opener to break open the frangible push-in closure, during which second step a second incremental force is required to be applied or exerted, in addition to the first incremental force, the magnitude of said second incremental force being equal to the force required to break open the frangible push-in closure, wherein said second incremental force is larger than said first incremental force; in other words, said depression in the selected areas of the container lid and of the frangible push-in closure, underlying the nose portion of the pull tab opener, which creates said certain free space or said certain free clearance between the bottom surface of the nose portion of the pull tab opener and the top surfaces of the underlying areas, resulting in said free depression angle, creates and introduces a delay in the onset of the larger second incremental force which is required to break open the frangible push-in closure, thus making it easy to go through the first incremental process step, by applying only the smaller first incremental force to the pull tab opener which is required to overcome only the elastic resistance of the pull tab pivot portion against being bent, before the need to apply the larger second incremental force which is required to break open the frangible push-in closure.