Patent ID: 6112933
Filing Date: 2000-09-05
Classification: B65D,Y10S

Abstract:
A cap adapted for mounting on a necked-in can that includes an outer cylindrical wall having a top opening and an upper portion that is recessed radially inwardly toward the top opening, a top closure member having an outer periphery coupled to the upper portion of the outer cylindrical wall to form a chime, a dome portion extending radially inwardly from the outer periphery, and a top discharge portion coupled to the dome portion to form a top annular rim, the cap comprisinga shell including a cylindrical side wall and a top wall appended to an upper portion of the side wall, the side wall extending downwardly from a perimeter of the top wall, the side wall and top wall cooperating to define an interior region of the shell, the side wall having a cylindrical interior surface lying in the interior region of the shell, the side wall being formed to include a tool-receiving aperture opening into the interior region of the shell, the side wall including a downwardly facing top boundary edge defining a top boundary of the tool-receiving aperture, the top boundary edge having a radial width and a first arc length,a mount coupled to the shell and positioned to lie in the interior region of the shell, the mount being adapted to engage the top annular rim of the necked-in can to mount the cap on the necked-in can, a lower portion of the side wall being adapted to be positioned to lie around and outside the chime and above a portion of the outer wall of the necked-in can when the cap is mounted on the necked-in can, anda ridge appended to the interior surface of the side wall and positioned to lie in the interior region of the shell, the ridge cooperating with the side wall to provide the cap with a thickened portion adjacent to and above the tool-receiving aperture, the ridge including a downwardly facing ridge edge that is substantially coplanar with the top boundary edge, the ridge edge being adapted to be spaced apart from the chime by a distance that allows a cap-removal tool to be inserted into the interior region of the shell through the tool-receiving aperture so that one portion of the cap-removal tool provides a fulcrum resting on the chime, another portion of the cap-removal tool engages the ridge edge, and as the cap-removal tool is rotated about a longitudinal axis extending through the tool-receiving aperture the cap-removal tool acts between the ridge edge and the chime to demount the cap from the necked-in can, the tool-receiving aperture being sized to allow the cap-removal tool to maintain constant contact with the chime and to allow the cap-removal tool constantly to be spaced apart from the dome portion of the necked-in can as the cap-removal tool is rotated during demounting of the cap from the necked-in can, the ridge edge extending chordally relative to the cylindrical interior surface along a second arc length that is longer than the first arc length, the ridge having an uppermost portion that is spaced apart from the top wall of the shell.