Abstract:
A tab extending sleeve for a flip-top beverage, snack, and pet food container for easy opening and re-closing, wherein said sleeve is a substantially longitudinal member having a length, a width, a front end, and a distal end. The sleeve includes a top surface and a planar bottom surface being connected to each other, and an internal longitudinal channel is disposed between said top and bottom surfaces. The internal channel extends throughout the entire length of the tab extending sleeve with a width that adequately accommodates a lifting tab of the container. At the front end of said bottom surface there is provided a central notch, whereas an extended holding lip is disposed at the center of said distal end of the top surface.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     Not Applicable  
       FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     Not Applicable  
       REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX  
       [0003]     Not Applicable  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0005]     The present invention generally relates to a tool for use with a conventional beverage can having a lid pre-scored opening flap for easy opening by the use of an opening tab pivotally attached to the center of the lid using a rivet post. In particular, the invention relates to a tool adapted to mount on the ring-tab to facilitate the effective opening of the can and thereafter provide a convenient means for covering the opening to prevent insects and foreign matter from entering the beverage can.  
         [0006]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0007]     Flip-top beverage containers or cans have been in use for a long time in the beverage industry alongside the widespread use of bottles. However, in recent time, the use of cans has become extremely pervasive, not only in beverage industries, but also in snack and pet food industries. The substantial increase of the use of cans in the respective industries, resulted in gradual modifications in the lid and lift tab portions of the can in order to facilitate the opening of the can by the user. In general, the lid of a beverage can consists of an opening tab pivotally attached approximately at the center of the lid with a rivet pin. The lid also includes a pre-scored flap portion disposed adjacent to the rivet and in between the rivet pin and the inner periphery of the upper rim of the can. The pivotally connected opening tab includes a lifting and gripping portion on one side of the rivet and a detent portion on the opposite end portion of the opening tab. The tab, when lifted upward, uses the rivet as a fulcrum to exert a mechanical lever action to depress the detent portion of the tab upon the scored flap portion in the lid so as to force the scored flap portion in the lid downwardly into the can to make an opening to enable dispensing the liquid from the can.  
         [0008]     Although, such containers have been extremely popular in the beverage industries, nonetheless, they still inherently contain longstanding drawbacks that many inventors have repeatedly attempted to solve. Often, in lifting, the tab poses a challenge to physically challenged individuals with either physical disabilities in their hands or having long and or brittle fingernails. Some extremely tightly manufactured tabs also may pose a problem to a perfectly average individual without any disabilities because of the difficulties incurred in attempting to grab the tab for lifting of same. Since the opening tabs are not insured against breakage from its pivotal connection with the rivet pin, they sometimes break off before the detent portion of the tab depresses the pre-scored flap portion of the lid in an attempt to open the can. This situation is often faced by waiters/waitresses under extremely busy time constraints, such as, when they need to open a can quickly, and invariably the tab breaks off the lid without making the intended opening to enable dispensing the liquid from the container. In addition, since the opening tab is incorporated only to facilitate the opening of the can, once open, the can is not re-sealable, and leaves a wide opening for various unintended foreign objects and small insects to gain access and contaminate the contents of the can. It is very common for bees, ants, and other insects to enter through the opening if the lid of the can is not properly covered. This is especially a problem when people open the can out of door, i.e., during outdoor sporting events or a picnic. It is known that insects are also attracted by the sugar of the contents even in enclosed areas, such as bars and restaurants.  
         [0009]     In the past, various inventors have made efforts to address the previously mentioned problems, and attempted solutions have been made in the field. Except for a few, most of the inventions require structural modifications of the lid itself in order to accommodate the improvements, necessitating a change in the manufacturing process of the can to incorporate a lid that is re-closable after it is opened. The present attempt to solve the aforesaid problems deal with using existing conventional containers without modifications of the lid itself. The following discussed prior art is limited to inventions which have attempted to improve the use of conventional containers, in which an improved opening of the can and an effective re-closing the same have been attempted.  
         [0010]     The use of a separate device or means, removably attached to the opening tab of a container to manipulate the same, is well known in the beverage industry. Detailed delineation of typical approaches to using such devices in manipulating a lid of a container may be found in a number of U.S. patents. One of such teaches using a separate tab extension sleeve as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,830 to Jamieson. In the Jamieson disclosure, two of the three embodiments of the invention have been directed to an improved lid, which requires a completely new process of manufacturing of the lid rather than using a conventional container lid. In these embodiments, the patent teaches a tab having an extended lifting section that overhangs and locks onto the rim of the container. The tab also includes a contoured sealing section integral with the extended lifting section. The contoured sealing section preferably includes a stamped ridge, which seats against the perimeter of the scored opening of the lid to seal the opening. The third embodiment of the invention illustrated in  FIG. 10 , on the other hand, calls for a separate tab extension sleeve, which may be used in conjunction with a conventional container lid. The sleeve includes two locking arms contoured to fit over the edges of a tab of a conventional container lid. The sleeve, according to the invention, has an extended lifting section, a locking section, and a contoured sealing section having a stamped ridge as provided in the first two embodiments. The operation of the device is described as follows. The sleeve is slipped over the tab to hold it steadily to open the can. To seal the can, the extended lifting section is used to rotate the tab 180 degrees, and place the sleeve over the opening, so that the contoured sealing section fits over the opening. Finally, the invention discusses that, the locking section of the tab snaps onto the rim of the can to lock the sleeve on the can. Although the invention attempts to provide a tab extension sleeve, which may be used to re-close an open can, nonetheless, it suffers from similar drawbacks that its predecessors failed to address. The perimeters of the opening flaps are different for different cans so it is not clear how the stamped ridge  32  can seal different size openings or different shape openings. The attempt to effectively close such openings with a tab extension sleeve, having pre-defined stamped ridges of the contoured sealing section, is ineffective in a sense that, the same ridges may not conform to the perimeters of every kind of opening flap in the lid. In addition, since the disclosure does not reveal as to how the sleeve&#39;s contoured sealing section mates against the perimeters of the opening flap, it is not clear whether the ridges of the sealing section are capable of being disposed completely inside the opening. In the event the ridges rest on the top of the lid, there must remain a gap between the bottom surface of the sleeve and the top surface of the lid, such that foreign objects and insects can enter the opening and contaminate the content of the can. Further, the disclosure teaches that the locking section snaps over the rim of the can to lock the sleeve in place. Since different can manufacturers have rims of different heights, it is not clear how snapping the locking section over the rim can possibly seal the opening if the rim heights will not allow the locking section to travel downwards sufficiently to seal the opening in the lid.  
         [0011]     Another attempt to provide a device to re-close an open container is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,794 to Nordhoff. The reference teaches a method and a tool for manipulating an opening tab mounted on a beverage container. The tool  10 , shown in  FIG. 3  with the “prior art” legend has an elongated body  11  having a longitudinal length with a front end  18 , a top face  12 , and a lower face  14 . An internal channel  60  is defined within a portion of the elongated body beginning in the front end and extending lengthwise within the elongated body to a blind end. The internal channel  60  is sized to accommodate a lifting/opening tab  20  of a pull-tab can. A cut-away section is included in the lower face of the elongated body. A groove  40  is provided in the lower face of the elongated body distally from the front end, so that the tool  10  may be locked onto the rim  55  of the container by snapping the upper edge of the rim into the groove  40 . As understood from the disclosure and the drawings, the internal channel  60  of the tool  10  does not run along the entire length of the elongated body. In addition, it is clear from  FIGS. 4 and 5  and the reference that, the tool sits on the lid of the container at an angle such that the frontal end sits on the top of the lid  51  while the groove  40  in the lower face of the distal snaps over the top of the rim  55  of the container. Since the tool is of uniform thickness, this configuration of the lid  51  and the elongated body leaves a triangular open space  5  along the underside of the elongated body. Although, the specification claims that the tool, along with the opening tab, “substantially” covers the opening of the can to restrict insects from entering, nonetheless, as clearly illustrated in  FIG. 3 , it fails to completely cover the opening of the can from all sides of the tool  10 .  
         [0012]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,380 to Tipp teaches a tab-lifting tool for lifting container lid tabs. The tool consists of a thin, relatively long, and narrow body suitable for holding in a user&#39;s thumb and fingers. The body has a front edge and top and bottom surfaces, the front edge having a beveled undersurface, which extends rearwardly and downwardly whereby the tool may be slipped under a container lid tab. The top surface has a generally planar main area and has a concave section intersecting the front edge having a sloped container lid tab-contacting surface that extends upwardly and rearwardly from the front edge until intersecting with the top surface. Again, since the bottom surface of the relatively long tool sits on the top of the rim of the container, it fails to completely close the opening of the can to prevent insects and foreign objects from entering the opening.  
         [0013]     The aforementioned prior art devices, attempts to provide teachings to close an open beverage container, such that a complete seal of the opening is achieved. Though the search is not exhaustive, attempts to use a tool or device, in conjunction with an opening tab, in closing an open pull-tab container have not been successful. As described above, in all three references, although the device achieved some degree of success in covering an opening, nonetheless, all references fail to offer a device, which completely closed the opening under all circumstances to prevent access by insects or foreign matter. It is true that, though, an airtight seal is not required, yet the present problem calls for a solution, which requires the covering of an opening and restrict common insects and foreign materials from entering the opening. In addition, it is noted that, the prior art references all mention that their respective devices facilitate the opening of the can, but none of the references specifically teach how the device facilitates the opening the can. Put it differently, none of the references describes the benefit of the composite characteristic, of the enclosed tab mounted inside the channel/locking arms, which can be obtained from a properly designed and configured extension sleeve disposed in conjunction with a pre-existing opening tab of a container.  
         [0014]     Consequently, what is needed is a tab extending sleeve or tool, which can be used in conjunction with a pre-existing opening tab of a conventional container, first to effectively open the can, and subsequently covering the opening of the same ensuring against the entry of any foreign objects or insects.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]     According to the present invention, there is provided a tab extending sleeve, which is intended to be used in conjunction with a ring-tab opening or a flip-top lid of a container. The tab extending sleeve is a longitudinal body having a length and a width constituting an area large enough to cover completely the opening to be made in the lid. The sleeve includes a top surface and a bottom surface. The sleeve also includes a frontal end and a distal end opposite the frontal end. The distal end includes a curvature, which conforms to the outer curvature of the rim of the container. The top surface extends upwardly from the frontal to the distal end having an extended holding lip disposed at the center of the distal end extending therefrom. The extended holding lip extends beyond the rim of the container so that the can is easily gripped to open the container. Further, the extended holding lip does not communicate in any way with the top of the rim of the container when the tab extending sleeve is moved to cover the opening of the container to insure that the extended holding lip extends over the rim. The top surface maybe beveled to accomplish this feature.  
         [0016]     An internal channel is provided between the top surface and the planar bottom surface. The internal channel runs along the entire length of the tab extending sleeve from the frontal end to the distal end, such that the internal channel may be accessed from either the frontal or distal end. The internal channel is of uniform height, and extends completely through the tab extending sleeve from the frontal end through the distal end. The internal channel is sized such that most ring-tab or opening tabs of a flip-top container lid may be accommodated therein. At the frontal end, the bottom surface includes a central notch to nest against a rivet pin, which pivotally attached the ring-tab to the top lid of the flip-top upon mounting the tab extending sleeve to the ring-tab container at the approximate center of the lid. The central notch contacts the rivet pin while the portions on either side of the central notch of the frontal end of the tab extending sleeve and the top surface, engages the detent portion of the ring tab on the opposite side of the rivet to make firm contact therewith before lifting the tab extending sleeve using the extended holding lip for opening the can. Once inside the internal channel of the tab extending sleeve, the ring-tab forms a composite lever structure with the body of the tab extending sleeve. The detent portion of the ring-tab extends outside of the internal channel of the tab extending sleeve. When the tab is lifted by lifting the extended holding lip at the distal end of the tab extending sleeve, the detent portion of the ring-tab depresses a pre-scored flap portion in the lid, and pushes the flap inside the container to open the container. It is this composite lever effect of the ring-tab and the tab extending sleeve structure that makes certain that, the detent portion of the tab depresses the pre-scored flap to make an opening in the container. In the event the ring-tab is partially damaged prior to making an attempt to open the can, the frontal portion of the tab extending sleeve has sufficient overlap with the detent portions of the ring-tab to depress the pre-scored flap portion to open the container. Once open, the can opening can be covered by holding the extended lip and rotating the tab extending sleeve 180 degrees, to rotate the tab extending sleeve over the opening. Once positioned over the opening, the tab extending sleeve is pressed downwardly to snugly fit in a surface-to-surface relationship against the lid of the container with the tab extending sleeve in this position the extended holding slip does not communicate with the rim of the container. In opening the container, the detent portion of the ring-tab becomes deformed in a downward direction. Upon rotating the ring-tab to cover the opening with the tab extending sleeve, the deformed detent portion of the ring tab interferes with the remainder of the top lip and is forced to slide over the top surface of the lid. Because of this slight deformation, as well as, the fact that, the internal channel is at an acute angle with the horizontal plane, the distal end of the tab extending sleeve is forced in a downward direction resulting in a surface-to-surface contact between the bottom surface of the tab extending sleeve and the top surface of the lid. Therefore, when the ring-tab with the tab extending sleeve is rotated 180 degrees to cover the opening in the container, this surface-to-surface contact established therebetween completely covers the opening and insects or foreign matter cannot enter the opening. The distal end of the tab extending sleeve has a curvature which insures that the tab extending sleeve does not interfere with the inside diameter of the rim portion of the container.  
         [0017]     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to offer a tab extending sleeve for opening a ring-tab or a flip-top container lid of a conventional beverage container or the like.  
         [0018]     Another object of the present invention is to offer a tab extending sleeve, which provides a means for easy opening of a can for physically challenged people.  
         [0019]     It is another object of the present invention to offer a tab extending sleeve, which provides a convenient means for opening a can without excessive effort or creating damage to fingers or fingernails.  
         [0020]     A further object of the present invention is to offer a tab extending sleeve, which is capable of re-closing an open can in a surface to surface relationship to protect the contents from unwanted entry of foreign objects and insects.  
         [0021]     It is yet another object of the present invention to offer a tab extending sleeve, which when mounted to a conventional ring-tab or flip-top container lid, creates a leverage composite structure to easily and comfortably open a flip-top container even for those physically challenged.  
         [0022]     It is yet a further object of the present invention to offer a tab extending sleeve having an internal channel, which can be accessed from either end to retrieve a portion of a tab, in the event a portion of an opening tab is torn off or broken off and remains within the internal channel.  
         [0023]     It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a tab extending sleeve tool, which is compact and easy to use on conventional flip-top containers without the need to amend the structure of the lid to accommodate the tool.  
         [0024]     Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0025]      FIG. 5  is an end view of the tab extending sleeve;  
         [0026]      FIG. 4  is a bottom view of the planar bottom surface of the tab extending sleeve;  
         [0027]      FIG. 6  is a side elevation view of the tab extending sleeve;  
         [0028]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of a flip-top container, with the tab-extended sleeve rotated to cover the opening earlier made in the container;  
         [0029]      FIG. 3  is a partial cross-sectional view of a prior art invention as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,794 showing a triangular opening, which remains open even after the tool of the invention is locked/engaged with the rim of the container to cover the opening; and  
         [0030]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of the invention with the tab extending sleeve mounted on the ring-tab in position to partially open the container. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0031]     A conventional beverage, snack, and pet food container tab extending sleeve for easy opening and covering of the opening will now be delineated in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0032]     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1, 2  and  4 - 6  there will now be described a tab extending sleeve  12  for use with a conventional flip-top or pull-tab container  70 . The tab extending sleeve  12  is a longitudinal body  15  made of a durable material such as metal or suitable grade of plastic. The tab extending sleeve  12  has a length and a width constituting an area large enough to cover completely an opening  72  in a can lid  74 . The tab extending sleeve  12  includes a top surface  20  which in the preferred embodiment is beveled in insure that the extended holding lip  28  extends over the rim of the container without interfering therewith and a planar bottom surface  22 . The sleeve also has a frontal end  24  and a distal end  26 . The distal end  26  includes a curved end surface  27 , which conforms to the outer curvature of the rim  71  of the lid  74 . The beveled top surface  20  extends upwardly from the frontal end  24  to the distal end  26  with the extended holding lip  28  disposed at the center of the distal end  26  and extending therebeyond without resting on the rim of the container. An internal channel  30  is provided between the beveled top member  20  and the planar bottom member  22 . The internal channel  30  runs along the entire length of the sleeve  12  from the frontal end  24  to the distal end  26 , such that the internal channel  30  may be accessed from either the frontal or distal end of the tab extending sleeve  12 . The internal channel  30  is generally of uniform height, and generally substantially extends at an acute angle with respect to the bottom surface  22  of the tab extending sleeve  12 . The internal channel  30  is sized such that all prior art opening tabs  78  of flip-top container lids ring tabs  74  may be accommodated therein. At the frontal end  24 , the bottom surface  22  includes a central notch  32  to accommodate a rivet post  76 , which pivotally supports the opening tab  78  of the flip-top container  70  at the approximate center on the lid  74 . The notch  32  ensures that the rivet post  76  communicates with the central notch  32  and allows the frontal end  24  of the bottom surface  22  of the tab extending sleeve  12  on either side of the central notch  32 , as well as, the frontal end  24  of the top surface  20  to extend well beyond the central notch so as to communicate with the detent portion  75  of the pull tab that lies on the opposite side of the rivet. When the tab extending sleeve  12  is slipped on the opening or ring-tab  78  of the flip-top container  70 , it engages the same exerted force and is transferred through to the ring tab detent portion  75  and onto the pre-scored opening flap in the lid as the tab extending sleeve  12  is lifted to open the pull-tab container  70 . Once the ring-tab has completely entered the internal channel  30  of the sleeve  12 , the sleeve  12  and the frontal portion  24  of the opening tab  78  forms a composite lever structure along with the longitudinal body  15  of the tab extending sleeve  12 . The detent portion  75  of the tab  78  extends beyond the frontal end of the tab extending sleeve  12 . This composite lever structure acts on the detent portion of the ring-tab to allow a user to easily lift the tab extending sleeve such that the detent portion of the opening tab  78  is forced against the pre-scored opening  77  in the top of the lid  74  thereby allowing for easy opening of the ring top container.  
         [0033]     When the ring-tab  78  is lifted by lifting the extended holding lip  28  at the distal end  26  of the tab extending sleeve  12 , the detent portion  75  of the tab  78  depresses a pre-scored flap  77  portion of the lid  74 , and pushes the flap  80  inside the container  70 . It is this composite lever effect of the opening tab  78  in combination with the tab extending sleeve  12  that allows the detent portion  75  of the tab  78  to easily depress the pre-scored flap  80  to open the container. Once open, the opening in the container  70  may be covered by holding the extended lip  28  and rotating the tab extending sleeve  12  180 degrees so as to bring the tab extending sleeve  12  over the opening  72 . Upon rotating the tab extending sleeve  12  mounted on the ring-tab of the container a surface to surface contact between the bottom surface  22  of the tab extending sleeve  12  and the lid of the can is assured due to the following occurrences.  
         [0034]     When the tab extending sleeve  12  is lifted to open the container, as noted above, the portions of the frontal end  24  of the tab extending sleeve  12  on either side of the central notch  32 , as well as, the frontal end  24  of the top surface  20  communicate with the detent portion  75  of the ring tab  78  on the opposing side of the rivet post to bear down on the scored flap  77  portion of the lid  74  to break open the lid and create the opening  72  for dispensing the liquid in the container. In so doing, the detent portion  75  of the ring tab is permanently deformed downwards  79  as a result of the opening activity. As the tab extending sleeve  12  mounted on the ring tab is rotated the detent portion  75  of the ring tab  78  will come into direct contact with the lid  74  of the can and due to its earlier deformation  79  in the downward direction the detent portion  75  begins to climb upwards until it rests on the top of the lid  74 . As this climbing occurs the opposite end of the ring tab  78  with the tab extending sleeve  12  thereon is forced downwards against the top surface of the lid  74  and upon continued rotation the surface to surface contact between the bottom surface  22  of the tab extending sleeve  12  and the top surface of the lid  74  is maintained so that once the tab extending sleeve  12  is rotated 180 degrees to cover the opening  72  in the lid  74  of the can there is no space between the bottom surface  22  of the tab extending sleeve  12  or the top surface of the lid  74  for insects or foreign matter to pass through and gain access to the opening. This relationship of surface-to-surface contact is further enhanced by the acute angle A of the internal channel with respect to the bottom surface  22  of the tab extending sleeve  12 . Note that the internal channel is at an acute angle with the bottom surface  22  of the tab extending sleeve  12 . Therefore, the aforementioned permanent downward  79  deformation of the detent portion  75  of the ring tab  78  coming into contact with the non-deformed portion of the lid  74  causes the detent portion  75  of the ring-tab to begin to climb upwards onto the lid  74  as the detent portion of the ring-tab climbs up on the top of the lid  74 , the distal end  26  of the tab extending sleeve  12  is biased downwards. The ring-tab located within the internal channel  30  causes a reactionary downward force forcing the tab extending sleeve  12  into surface-to-surface contact with the lid  74  surface so that the bottom surface  22  of the tab extending sleeve  12  is forced into contact with the top surface of the lid  74 . The angle A of the internal channel  30  allows this to occur without the extended holding lip  28  bottoming out on the top of the rim  81  of the container  78 .  
         [0035]     While the present invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment, it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one skilled in the art. In other words, the teachings of the present invention encompass any reasonable substitutions or equivalents of claim limitations. For example, the structure, materials, sizes, and shapes of the individual components could be modified, or substituted with other similar structure, materials, sizes, and shapes. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other applications, including those outside of the beverage industry, are possible with this invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to only beverage containers. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.