Patent ID: 6053349
Filing Date: 2000-04-25
Classification: B65D,G09F,Y10S

Abstract:
In a cylindrical beverage can top cover surface, a radially extending separable depressable tongue segment on the cover surface, a lever tab substantially centrally pivoted to the cover surface and extending on one side of the pivot over an adjacent portion of the tongue segment and provided with a fingergrip on the other side; the upward elevating of the grip by fingers causing said one side of the lever hingedly to pivot downwardly against the separable tongue segment, breaking the tongue segment away from and depressing it below the cover surface and into the can, defining a beverage drinking opening in the cover surface; the lever tab being bendable back to a substantially horizontal position parallel to the cover surface and being rotatable about the pivot to successive angular orientations thereabout; a plurality of cover surface position markers provided arcuately about the opening and with which the lever may be rotatably aligned to associate a particular marker position with a particular can user, thereby to avoid inadvertent drinking from a user's can by another user with risk of communicable disease-spreading; and means being provided once the lever has been aligned with a selected marker for locking or restraining the lever in the selected position.