Concentric convenience opening beverage can end

A beverage can end of drawn metal is provided with a lipped opening upstanding from the expansion panel of the end. The expansion panel may be convex, flat or concave. The lipped opening is proportioned to facilitate drinking and pouring from a can. A height of the lip of 0.25 inches is sufficient for this purpose. The lip is formed as a circular wall with a pushdown gate positioned within the lip, the gate being mounted on a seating and hinging means which preferably is a triplefold of drawn metal. The hinging and seating means within the lip is of a smaller diameter than the lip wall, and is supported by a bridging means connecting with the top of the lip wall. The bridging means includes a circular panel and may include an inner wall portion. In a first embodiment, the circular panel is the top of the lipped opening and the seating and hinging means is at the base of an inner wall, whose top is at the inner edge of the circular panel to space the inner wall from the outer wall. In a second embodiment, the inner wall is not present and the seating and hinging means is at the inner edge of the circular panel and at the top of the lipped wall. In a third embodiment, an inner wall is closely adjacent to the top portion of the lip wall and a circular spacer panel extends inwardly from the bottom of the inner wall to carry the seating and hinging means at its inner edge.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to can ends and, more particularly to a beverage can 
end having a concentric lipped-spout opening for drinking or pouring the 
contents of the can. 
Can ends having central openings are known to the art, as described in my 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,244,490. As disclosed therein, a centered conical frustum 
was drawn in the can with the apex end forming an orifice. That patent 
also discloses a pushdown gate in the apex of the cone such as the 
triplefold gate disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,334,775 to myself and Kenneth 
E. Harper. Other types of cans having conical ends with crown or cap 
closures have been used and are desirable because they have drinking and 
pouring characteristics comparable to bottles. 
As beverage cans became popular and widespread, flat top ends gradually 
dominated the market. Economic packaging and manufacturing factors were 
largely responsible for this. At first, the cans were opened with can 
openers but at present most cans are provided with an eccentric opening 
near the edge of the can end. These edge openings are gated by pull tabs 
or push-in tabs and the common type, now in general use, is a lever 
operated push-in tab. 
The present ends, having lever operated push-in tabs, are unsatisfactory 
for a number of reasons including consumer dissatisfaction and a high 
manufacturing cost. 
The improved end unit, drawn from a flat metal material, as herein 
disclosed, was conceived and developed to overcome the disadvantages of 
the present ends. The advantages and objectives of this improved end unit 
are designed to provide a can end having a concentric convenience opening 
which has better drinking and pouring characteristics, which has a better 
appearance for a beverage can, and which has a pushdown gate in the 
aperture arranged to permit the can to be held and opened with one hand. 
A further important objective is to reduce the cost of can ends and the 
present invention can reduce this cost by as much as 40 percent. 
First, there is a significant reduction in metal usage. Beverage cans 2 
11/16 inches in diameter are presently necked in at the top to a diameter 
of 2 6/16 inches (206 industrial designation), which is the maximum 
reduction practicable with lever-operated openings in the ends. The reason 
for necking is to permit a reduced diameter of the end unit in order to 
save metal. This, in turn, permits a reduction in the thickness of the 
metal forming the unit. The present invention, an end with the centered 
opening, permits a significant further reduction in the diameter of the 
top of the can body, with a further reduction of end diameter and 
thickness. The present industrial necking machinery is capable of necking 
a can body down to a 2-inch diameter opening. The improved end may be used 
with this 2-inch diameter opening or even a smaller opening with modified 
necking machinery. A further reduction in metal usage is effected in 
elimination of the levers per se and this elimination of levers permits a 
reduction in the end unit countersink depth. Altogether, the present 
invention permits metal usage reduction in four areas affecting a metal 
cost savings of more than 25 percent. 
Secondly, in addition to metal usage savings, a 10 to 15 percent savings is 
possible in manufacturing costs. The manufacture of the improved 
concentric ends is greatly simplified because a single press is required 
as opposed to the present 2-press systems. The cost of tooling is greatly 
reduced because all components are concentric and tooling can be produced 
with ordinary machine shop equipment in contrast with the special machines 
needed to produce the present eccentric tooling. In addition to being less 
costly, concentric tooling is more durable. 
Thirdly, much wider tolerances are permissible with the improved end than 
are permissible with the present lever operated eccentric opening ends. 
For example, the score depths on the present ends must be held to very 
close tolerances. The score depth tolerance on the improved end is so 
great as to be of no special consideration. Altogether, this 
simplification of the manufacturing process results in improved 
manufacturing reliability with its consequent spoilage reduction, 
reduction in maintenance down time, and an increase in quality level 
assurance. 
Fourthly, it is to be noted that the improved end may be manufactured from 
either aluminum or steel as opposed to present convenience opening ends 
which can be manufactured only of aluminum. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
There is a real and definite need for an improved can end having the above 
noted advantages and also the same packaging and dispensing advantages of 
a flat can end. The present invention, to meet this need, comprises, in 
essence, a can end having an upstanding circular lipped opening at the 
center of the end expansion panel. A pushdown gate within the aperture 
forms the convenience opening means. The expansion panel circumscribing 
the opening may be dished to convex upwardly, it may be flat, or it may 
even be dished to concave slightly downwardly. 
Flow from this simplified can end was found to be superior in drinking 
characteristics as compared with any eccentric opening near the edge of 
the end. Moreover, an unexpected result was the discovery that a lipped 
opening high enough to provide superior drinking and pouring 
characteristics was possible without materially increasing the overall 
conventional can height. This becomes important where cans are machine 
dispensed as in coin operated vending machines. Also, it was found that 
the proximity of the peripheral seaming rim connecting the can end to the 
can body does not disrupt nor interfere with drinking from the centered 
lipped opening. Also, it was found that a small flange about the top of 
the opening provides a better purchase for the mouth of a person drinking 
from the can and provides a drip edge when pouring a beverage from the 
can.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring more particularly to the drawing, the can body C is closed by a 
circular end E having a lipped opening L upstanding from the center of the 
expansion panel 20 of the can end E. The can body may be of aluminum or 
steel, drawn and shaped in a conventional, standardized manner. 
Preferably, the open top of the cylindrical can body wall is necked in as 
at 21 to reduce the diameter of the opening. A double-seam body hook 22 at 
the top edge of the necked-in portion 21 is interlocked with the end hook 
23 forming a conventional double seam 24. The reduction in diameter of the 
can by the necked-in portion 21 reduces the necessary diameter of the can 
end and, at the same time, reduces the thickness of metal necessary for 
the end to resist the pressure of the beverage within the can as when it 
is carbonated, thereby reducing metal usage. 
It is to be noted that with the improved end E, the necking of the can body 
top can be further increased to reduce the opening diameter, the end E 
diameter, and the end metal thickness to a greater extent than is 
practical with an end having a lever-operated eccentric opening. 
The peripheral portion of the can end E, where the connection is made to 
the can body, is conventional. FIG. 4 illustrates the can end so connected 
with the can body while FIG. 5 illustrates the can end E before it is 
connected to the can body C. It is important that the lipped opening L be 
constructed, in form and size, to be correlated with the peripheral end 
curl 23 (which will become the end hook 23x when the can end and body are 
seamed together), all to permit a number of ends to nest together without 
interfering with each other. As is customary, a plurality of can ends E 
are nested together as in FIG. 6 for shipment, storage, and subsequent use 
when the ends are fed through a double seaming closure machine. 
The lipped opening L is axially centered in the expansion panel 20 of the 
end as heretofore indicated, to permit all components of the can end to be 
radially symmetrical for easy forming and drawing of the end with 
comparatively simple tooling. The opening L includes an outer wall 30 
upstanding from the expansion panel 20 at a base radius 31. The wall 30 is 
inwardly inclined at a small angle from the vertical, i.e. a few degrees, 
and terminates at the top by a small bead 32 outstanding from the wall. 
This wall 30 is ringed by an inwardly projecting circular panel 33 which 
forms the top of the lip which is shown at FIGS. 4, 5 and 7 as being 
convexed upwardly a small amount, although this circular panel 33 may also 
be flat. The inner edge of this circular panel 33 turns downwardly to form 
an inner wall 34 of the lipped opening L. The inner wall 34 is thus spaced 
a short distance from the outer wall which permits the movement of forming 
tools between the walls. The inner wall 34 may extend downwardly from the 
circular panel 33 only a short distance which may be less than the nesting 
space provided by the end curl 23a as seen in FIG. 5. It is to be noted 
that if the height of the inner wall is greater than the permitted nesting 
space, the wall must be tapered inwardly and downwardly to a reduced 
diameter to permit nesting of the ends. 
The height of the outer wall 30 of the opening L will be greater than the 
permitted nesting space established by the diameter of the end curl 23a. 
As aforementioned, for easy drinking from the lipped opening L, a wall of 
any height is possible. However, a wall height of 0.15 to 0.50 inches was 
found to be adequate, and a wall height of 0.20 to 0.25 inches was found 
to be preferable. The height of the end curl 23a and the permitted nesting 
space will be ordinarily 0.075 to 0.085 inch. Accordingly, when nested 
together, the opening L of one can end E must telescope into the opening 
of the adjacent end as clearly illustrated at FIG. 5. To accomplish this, 
the angle at which the outer wall slopes can be easily established for a 
given end by taking into account the necessary insertion distance, the 
metal thickness and the projection of the bead 32 at the top of the wall 
30. It is to be noted that the outer wall slope must be such as to permit 
nesting of the ends without the edge of the wall bead 32 of a lower end 
which projects into the lipped opening of an upper end interfering with 
the inner surface of the upper lipped opening L, as shown in FIG. 5 at 
"x". Otherwise, nested ends would fit too tightly to feed through a double 
seaming closing machine. In the industry, this resulting lateral freedom 
of movement by the spacing "x" is referred to as "shuffle." 
An opening gate 35 is positioned below the inner wall 34, preferably at the 
bottom fold of a triplefold 36 whose top fold is at the wall base. A score 
cut 37 at the underside of the triplefold 36 extends around most of the 
circumference of the triplefold 36 to form a separation edge, an uncut 
portion is at the remainder of the triplefold to form a hinge 38. A 
sealant 39, such as a hot melt or a plastisol, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 
is deposited about the bottom of the triplefold and hermetically seals the 
opening gate 35 from leaks while it remains in place against the 
triplefold. 
Downward finger pressure on the gate 35 will release it from the can end at 
the score cut 37 to swing it on the hinge 38 and into the can to effect 
the opening as illustrated in broken lines at FIG. 4. The triplefold 36 is 
described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,334,775 and 4,244,490. As emphasized in 
these patents, the triplefold 36 permits the score cut to be at a location 
where it is behind a folded safety rim. While a triplefold is preferable, 
other means for connecting the gate 35 to the inner wall can be used. 
With the construction described, it is an easy matter to open a can. This 
may be done as a simple one-hand operation by gripping the can in such a 
manner as to place the individual's index finger on the closure gate 35 as 
illustrated in FIG. 3. To facilitate the opening of a can in this manner, 
the gate 35 may be dished upwardly as at 40 with an upward convex knob 41 
at the apex of the upward dish as best shown at FIG. 5. 
An important aspect of the present invention is the width of the circular 
panel 33. The panel 33 holds the outer wall 30 and the inner wall 34 apart 
in concentric relationship. The space between the two walls permits a 
cylindrical die component to move against the circular panel 33 in forming 
the can end and to shape the outer wall 30 and inner wall 34 independently 
of each other. Of significance too, the circular panel 33 facilitates the 
opening of the gate 35 whenever the outer wall 30 extends below the inner 
wall 34 as above mentioned. If the circular panel 33 were very narrow or 
eliminated, the closure gate 35 would then be against or closely adjacent 
to the inner surface of the outer wall 30. This would interfere with 
opening the gate. As the gate 35 is pushed downwardly, to swing on hinge 
38, the peripheral, circular edge of the gate at each side of the hinge 
would engage the inner surface of the outer wall 30. It follows that the 
width of the circular panel 33 may be sufficient to permit the gate 35 to 
swing free of the lip wall 30. Selection of a suitable width for the 
circular panel 33 will pose no problem. A deep inner wall 34 or the spacer 
panel 42, at FIG. 13 and hereinafter described, will also obviate this 
interference. Predisposing the gate toward bending is also possible if 
interference exists. 
Various alternate constructions and embodiments of this can end are 
possible as will be hereinafter described. FIG. 9 discloses a can end E1 
differing from the construction shown at FIGS. 1 to 8 in minor detail. 
First, the expansion panel 20a of the end E1 is flat rather than being 
convexed upwardly. This shortens the overall height of the can with none 
or only a portion of the lipped opening L1 extending above the double seam 
rim 24. However, this flat expansion panel 20a does not change the 
peripheral seaming components of the can end which connect with the can 
body. Certain minor modifications of the opening L1 are shown at FIG. 9 
which include the elimination of the bead 32 at the top of the outer lip 
wall 30a. The bead 32 is advantageous for better holding the lipped 
opening L1 when drinking or when pouring from the can. However, the 
opening can be used without this bead 32. Another variation involves the 
use of a modified upward convex dish 40a on the gate 35a which uses a cup 
41a instead of a knob at the center of the dish 40a which may guide an 
individual's finger to the center of the gate 35 a. Such minor differences 
are optional. 
FIG. 10 is similar to FIG. 5 to illustrate that a group of can ends E1, 
modified by using a flat center panel 20a, can be nested together in the 
same way as heretofore described. 
FIG. 11 illustrates a further modification of the can end E2. The can end 
E2 is provided with a flat expansion panel 20a although a convexed 
expansion panel 20 (FIG. 5) may also be used. The end E2 is connected to a 
can body by peripheral seaming components as hereinbefore described. The 
lipped opening L2 is formed with an outer wall 30b upstanding from the 
expansion panel 20a. A bead 32b is provided about the top of wall 30b. A 
circular panel 33b caps the wall 30b and a triplefold 36b is at the inner 
edge of, and underneath, the circular panel 33b. This places the gate 35b, 
formed by the score cut 37 and the hinge 38, directly beneath the inner 
edge of the circular panel 33b. The gate 35b is concavely dished 
downwardly, as at 40b, to be well below the top 38b as a protection 
against being accidentally pushed open. A convex knob 41 may be provided 
at the center of the downwardly dished gate 40b for better finger 
engagement when the gate is to be opened. It is to be noted that the width 
of the top 33b may locate the hinge 38 away from the wall 30b a distance 
such that the edges of the gate 35b at each side of the hinge 38 will not 
engage the inner surface of the aperture wall 30b when the gate is pushed 
downwardly and to one side of the opening as it swings on the hinge 38. 
FIG. 12 discloses a can end E3 differing from the construction shown at 
FIGS. 4 and 9 in that the expansion panel 20c at the end E3 is concaved 
downwardly instead of being convexed upwardly or being flat as heretofore 
described. This end E3 is connected to a can body by peripheral seaming 
components as hereinbefore described. The construction of the opening L3 
is essentially the same as the opening L1 shown at FIG. 9, although an 
upwardly dished gate 35c is shown. The basic construction of an end with a 
concaved expansion panel 20c does not differ significantly from the other 
types described. Moreover, this end E3 is as easy to drink from and to 
pour from as the other ends described. A disadvantage is the difficulty in 
draining the contents of the can. The advantage is that a smaller 
projection or no projection of the lipped opening above the level of the 
outer top seam of the can is possible with a relatively shallow 
countersink. 
FIG. 13 discloses a can end E4 similar to the units heretofore shown and 
described but with a modified lip opening L4. This end is formed with a 
flat expansion panel 20a but it may be varied using, for example, a 
convexed expansion panel 20 as in FIG. A. The end E4 is connected to a can 
body by peripheral seaming components as heretofore described. The outer 
wall 30d of the lipped opening L4 may have a bead 32d about its top edge. 
From this bead, the metal is folded over the top edge of the wall 30d to 
place an inner wall 34d against or close to the inner side of the outer 
wall 30d. This inner wall 34d can project no further into the opening than 
that permitted by the nesting space of the ends, limited by the diameter 
of the curl height 23a, as shown by a portion of one end E4 being nested 
into the other. At the base of the inner wall 34d, a circular spacer panel 
42 turns inwardly to reduce the size of the orifice within the lipped 
opening L4 and perform the same function as the inturned circular panel 33 
of FIG. 4. A triplefold 36d is formed about the inner edge of this ring 42 
to carry a gate 35d at a spacing from the inner surface of the wall 30d 
adequate to permit downward movement of the gate at its hinge, all as 
hereinbefore described. This closure gate 35d is shown as being concaved 
downwardly with a central knob 41d upstanding from the center of the gate 
but such may be varied. It is to be noted that this lipped opening has two 
advantages; first, it has less tendency to entrap air, and secondly, the 
wall 30d acts as a backstop when applying a sealer to the score cut. 
The manner in which these ends are used is apparent from the foregoing 
descriptions. Thus, I have now described my invention in considerable 
detail. It is obvious that others skilled in the art can devise and build 
alternate and equivalent constructions which are within the spirit and 
scope of my invention. Therefore, I desire that my protection be limited, 
not by the constructions illustrated and described, but only by the proper 
scope of the appended claims.