Patent Publication Number: US-6341709-B1

Title: Can with easy open end

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to an easy open end and, in particular, to a metal can end of the so-called “full aperture” type, having a circumferential score which enables a circular panel of the end to be removed for access to a product within the can. 
     An easy open can end having a full aperture easy opening feature typically comprises a seaming panel, a chuck wall and a countersink joining the chuck wall to a central panel. A circumferential score is provided adjacent the countersink and a metal tab is rive ed to the central panel so that its nose is positioned above the score. One example of such a can end is described in French patent application number 2687372. 
     In a can end having such a circumferential score, the nose of the metal tab pierces the score directly when the handle is lifted. Breaking the score takes place in three stages. Firstly, by lifting the handle, the score tears or “pops” and an initial arc is severed as the tab is lifted to the position where the tab is perpendicular to the end. By pushing the tab over in a second action until it meets the peripheral chuck wall of the end, the initial score tear is propagated. In the third stage, the tab and end panel are pulled out away from the can body so that the end peels away from the can body. 
     By breaking a greater arc in the second stage of opening, usually defined in terms of the length of the chord joining the ends of the initial arc, the tear force required to remove the central panel in the final stage is reduced. However, the maximum chord length achievable may be dictated by various factors, including the maximum tilting of the tab to meet the chuck wall. Furthermore, in order to achieve a larger chord length, the force required for the first stage of opening, i.e. the “pop” force, may exceed acceptable values. The present invention seeks to reduce tear force requirements by achieving a large chord length without adversely affecting the pop force requirements. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the present invention, there is provided a metal can end comprising a central panel; a circumferential score; and a tab fixed to the central panel adjacent the score with its longitudinal axis along a radius of the end such that, when the tab is raised, an arc of the score is broken, the arc having a chord joining its ends; characterised in that the grain or the metal end has an angle which is ±15° to 60° to the longitudinal axis of the tab. 
     When the tab is raised, an arc of the score is broken, the arc having a chord joining its ends. A tangent in the plane of the end and at one end of the chord is substantially parallel to the grain of the end. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a metal can end comprising a centre panel, a circumferential score and a tab fixed to the panel adjacent the score such that, when the tab is raised, an arc of the score is broken, the arc having a chord joining its ends; characterised in that the metal of the can end has a grain which is parallel to a tangent to the can end in the same plane as the can end and at one end of the chord. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the grain is between +/−10° to the tangent to the can end at one end of the chord. 
     The score may have a residual which is lower at the end of the chord having the tangent to which the grain is aligned than at the other. 
     According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of making a can end such as is described above, the method comprising a) cutting blanks from a metal sheet; b) forming the blanks into end shells; c) lining the shells; d) feeding the shells into a conversion press; e) forming a score ( 10 ) and f) fixing a tab to the shell; characterised by, between steps d) and e): determining the orientation of each shell; lifting each shell and turning it until the shell has its grain substantially parallel to a predetermined tangential position; and characterised in that step f) is carried out such that the longitudinal axis of the tab is ±15° to 60° to the grain. 
     A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings, in which: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a can end; and 
     FIG. 2 is a graph showing the effect of grain orientation on tear force for full opening of the can end of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The schematic of FIG. 1 shows a full aperture easy open end  5  having a circumferential score  10 . The end is openable by means of a tab  15  fixed to a central panel  20  of the end, along a radius thereof. The tab  15  is fixed to the central panel  20  by means of a rivet  25  and has a ring pull handle  30  at one end and a nose  35  at its opposite end, adjacent the score  10 . 
     In order to open the can end, the handle  30  is first raised and the tab pivots about the rivet  25  in order to “pop” the score  10 . This action causes the central panel  20  to fold along a chord  40  as the score is broken along arc  45 . Complete opening of the end is achieved by pulling along the radius in the direction of the large arrow  50 , thereby removing the whole of the central panel  20 . 
     In order to assess the effect of grain orientation on tear force, the tear force was measured with the grain at varying angles around the can end. The “grain angle” is defined as the angle between the radius of the end along which the user pulls the tab (i.e. the direction of arrow  50 ) and the grain direction, measured in the clockwise direction from arrow  50 . The effect of the grain angle on tear force is shown in FIG.  2 . 
     Although it was initially assumed that by pulling along the grain, i.e. at an angle of 0° or 180°, the tear force would be least, in fact these angles yielded the highest tear force readings. The lowest tear force was found at 135° to 150°. It is believed that since the central panel  20  folds along chord  40  in order to pop the score, in practice the tear force can be said to have a component along tangents at the ends of this chord, in the plane of the end. This explains the low reading at 135° to 150° since in theory lowest tear forces should then occur when the tangents are at ±45° (45° and 135°) to the pulling action, arrow  50 . However, this did not explain why the tear force was high in the grain angle range of 35° to 50°. 
     Not only does FIG. 2 show an unexpectedly high tear force in the 35° to 50° range, but this is also higher than the tear forces in the adjacent ranges, 15° to 30° and 55° to 70°. This variation may be due to the length of chord  40  since tangents  55  and  60  at the ends of the chord are not necessarily at precisely ÷45°. It should be remembered, however, that even if one of the tangents is aligned with the grain, i.e. parallel to the grain, which results in a lower tear force component along that tangent, the tear force component along the tangent at the opposite end of the chord may not be particularly low and the tear force is the sum of these components. 
     The Applicant has surprisingly found a further factor which influences tear force. After popping the score, different score depths were measured at the ends of the chord  40 . At a grain angle of 45°, the score residual was 127 μm whereas the residual at 135° was 119 μm. This explains why the tear force is lowest at 135° since the grain angle coincides with minimum score residual at that angle. 
     If the tear force component is across the grain at minimum score residual, it is not necessarily less than the other component which may be along the grain and at a higher score residual. Ideally, therefore, it appears that the grain should be aligned to the tangent at she end of the score having minimum score residual. 
     In order to determine what was causing this variation in score residual and if positioning the tab so as to align the grain could also take into consideration any changes in score residual, residuals around the score were measured for a series of can ends produced in the same conversion press. These results are given in table 1. 
     The score (i.e. the score residual thickness) is measured in table 1 at the 1 o&#39;clock, “score 1”, and 11 o&#39;clock, “score 11” positions. From the table it is clear that the values for score  11  are always significantly greater than those of score  1 , the average difference being 8 microns greater. 
     This variation is typical for all conversion presses. In the conversion, the progression is to form the score and then a rivet and finally locate the tab. The residual will therefore always be the same relative to the tab position. In order to control the score residual it is therefore necessary to modify either the score die or the anvil which supports the end for scoring. In practice, the Applicant has found the latter to be easier to modify, for example by coating the anvil to reduce score residual. 
     The end of the present invention is manufactured using conventional shell manufacturing steps, where a shell is first pressed and any lining compound inserted, after which the shell is indexed into the conversion press for score, rivet and tab to be added. A camera is used to check grain orientation as the shell is indexed into the conversion press and a lifter and servomotor driven turntable orient the end to the desired grain angle. Modifications to the conversion press ensure that score residual is minimum when the grain is oriented to the expected chord tangent. This tangent varies according to the end diameter, typically being in the following quadrants: 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
             
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Diameter (mm) 
                 Degrees 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
                 65 
                 30-50 
               
               
                   
                 73 
                 24- 45 
               
               
                   
                 84 
                 20-40 
               
               
                   
                 99 
                 18-38 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     It will be appreciated that the invention has been described above by way of example only and that changes may be made within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. For example, the end may be oriented in a variety of manners and in any suitable part of the manufacturing process, provided that such orientation is not lost prior to tab positioning. 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
               
             
               
                   
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Score 1 
                 Score 11 
                 Difference 
               
               
                   
                 (microns) 
                 (microns) 
                 (microns) 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                   
                 120 
                 126 
                 5.91 
               
               
                   
                   
                 120 
                 126 
                 5.91 
               
               
                   
                   
                 118 
                 128 
                 9.84 
               
               
                   
                   
                 118 
                 128 
                 9.84 
               
               
                   
                   
                 120 
                 128 
                 7.87 
               
               
                   
                   
                 122 
                 128 
                 5.91 
               
               
                   
                   
                 122 
                 128 
                 5.91 
               
               
                   
                   
                 120 
                 128 
                 7.87 
               
               
                   
                   
                 122 
                 128 
                 5.91 
               
               
                   
                   
                 118 
                 126 
                 7.87 
               
               
                   
                   
                 120 
                 128 
                 7.87 
               
               
                   
                   
                 120 
                 130 
                 9.84 
               
               
                   
                   
                 120 
                 130 
                 9.84 
               
               
                   
                   
                 118 
                 132 
                 13.78 
               
               
                   
                   
                 120 
                 132 
                 11.81 
               
               
                   
                   
                 122 
                 134 
                 11.81 
               
               
                   
                   
                 124 
                 130 
                 5.91 
               
               
                   
                   
                 126 
                 130 
                 3.94 
               
               
                   
                   
                 124 
                 128 
                 3.94 
               
               
                   
                   
                 120 
                 128 
                 7.87 
               
               
                   
                 Averages: 
                 121 
                 129 
                 8