Pushdown openings with purchase, leverage and gas-tight resealability for can ends

Abstract

An easy-to-open and optionally resealable beverage can end provides opening by pressing downward. An actuator lies flat initially to conform to stackability requirements, but is readily repositionable to a ready-to-open state. In the ready-to-open state a planer surface of the actuator or tab is at a substantial angle to the can's top. A rigid body is interposed between it and the can's tear panel. The actuator is secured to the can top. Downward force ruptures the tear panel, opening the can. Using a wide actuator, a shallow protrusion on the actuator enables gas-tight resealability of a can opening. The shallow protrusion has an interrupted helix and fits into the can opening. Providing tab attachment via a radiused slot allows the small degree of rotational movement needed for the helix to be turned and pull the actuator bottom sealingly abutted proximate to the perimeter of the opened area.

1 . A can end for closing a vessel comprising:
 (a) a generally planer top panel having an inner surface for facing into the vessel and an opposite outer surface, said top panel having an openable region portion that is substantially delimited from other portions of said top panel by a frangible area of weakness, the frangible area being ruptureable by a suitable, normal, opening force;   (b) an elongated, generally planer actuator, non-removably attached to said top panel such that said actuator is held initially in a substantially flat state against the outer surface of said top panel;   (c) a foot connected to said actuator, said foot so connected, shaped and configured such that, in the initial state, no portion extends above the plane of the top panel to a degree to effectively impede stackability of can ends;   
       said actuator so configured and attached to said top panel as to be readily moveable from the initial flat state to a ready-to-open state by one or more user manually engendered translations during which no appreciable opening force is inherently applied to the openable region; 
       a ready-to-open state comprises:
 i. the major plane of said actuator is at an acute angle to a substantial portion of the openable region, 
 ii. said foot is interposed between said actuator and the openable region such that a downward force on said actuator would be mechanically transmitted, through said foot, to the openable region with effective leverage to allow a readily applied degree of manual force to rupture the area of weakness;
 further, the configuration of foot and actuator is such that sufficient travel is permitted for the downward force to displace the openable area to a degree that effectively opens the can end for dispensing. 
 
 
     
     
         2 . The can end of  claim 1  wherein the one or more manually engendered translations comprise no more than two continuous motions. 
     
     
         3 . The can end of  claim 1  wherein the one or more manually engendered translations comprise one translation in a single direction that substantially accomplishes the movement from initial state to ready-to-open state. 
     
     
         4 . The can end of  claim 1  wherein the one or more manually engendered translations includes lifting a distal terminus of said actuator up from the plane of said top panel and through an angle of greater than 90-degrees in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of said top panel; further, that lifting inherently engenders a self-assembly of said foot. 
     
     
         5 . The can end of  claim 1  wherein:
 the one or more manually engendered translations include rotating said actuator about a pivot point in a plane generally at an acute angle of less than 90-degrees to the plane of said top panel;   further, an effective amount of the actuator rotation inherently places said actuator in a ready-to-open state.   
     
     
         6 . The can end of  claim 5  wherein the actuator rotating engenders a self-erecting of the foot. 
     
     
         7 . The can end of  claim 5  wherein:
 the foot is protruding substantially perpendicular from the major plane of said actuator; in the initial flat state said foot extends downward into a depressed area of said top panel to a degree to be effective in allowing said actuator to rest in a flat state;   further, the depressed area comprises a ramp configuration such that its surface declines at its edge proximate to the center of the can end from the major plane of the outer surface of the top panel to a depth effective to accommodate the full height of said foot when the actuator is in the initial state.   
     
     
         8 . The can end of  claim 5  further providing an alternate mode of opening comprising:
 the one or more manually engendered translations further include lifting the distal extremity of said actuator up from the plane of said top panel;   further, the attachment of said actuator to said top panel is such as to constitute a fulcrum providing a degree of freedom of movement such that said actuator being raised by its distal extremity causes its opposite extremity portion move downward toward the openable region to apply an effective leveraged force to rupture the area of weakness.   
     
     
         9 . A re-closeable can end comprising:
 (a) a generally planer top panel for covering the cavity of a vessel, said top panel having an inner surface for facing into the cavity and an opposite outer surface; said top panel having a generally co-planer, delimited tear panel portion, the tear panel portion being openable by a rupturing force producing an opening of a substantially predetermined size, shape, orientation, and location;   (b) an elongated, generally planer actuator attached substantially flat to said top panel's outer surface in an initial state; said actuator having a shallow seal lock protrusion depending from one of its surfaces;
 further, the seal lock having a size, shape and configuration relative to the size and shape of the opening such that, if unconstrained postionally, the seal lock would be a loose fit in the opening in at least one orientation; 
 further, said actuator so attached to said top panel as to allow at least two distinct degrees of freedom of relative movement comprising:
 i. a first freedom of movement permitting a manual translation of said actuator from the initial state to a state in which the actuator and opening region are in parallel planes with the seal lock extending through the opening, disposed in a so-called ready-to-seal state; 
 ii. a second freedom of movement permitting, from the ready-to-seal state, a rotational movement pivoting about a point generally central to the seal lock and providing a degree of angular rotation to allow the seal lock to be manually pivoted in-place;
 further, the portion of the seal lock that is below the inner surface when in the ready-to-seal state has shape comprising an interrupted thread, the twisting of which pulls the actuator sealingly down against the top panel's outer surface that surrounds the opening. 
 
 
   
     
     
         10 . The re-closable can end of  claim 9  wherein the interrupted thread is comprised of two or more opposed wings forming a helix shape. 
     
     
         11 . The re-closable can end of  claim 9  wherein said first freedom of movement is rotational in a plane approximately parallel to the major plane of the top panel and centered proximate to the center of said top panel. 
     
     
         12 . The re-closeable can end of  claim 9  wherein the attachment of said actuator to said top panel is through an arcuate slot in said actuator; the geometry of the arc of that slot has a center proximate to the center of the opening. 
     
     
         13 . The re-closeable can end of  claim 9 , further comprising an elastomeric layer interposed between a surface surrounding the opening and opposed actuator surface portions, when the actuator is sealing against the outer surface. 
     
     
         14 . A pop-top can end comprising:
 a generally planer can end base having a region that is openable by application of a suitable degree of an opening force normal to the major plane of that region;   a lever initially retained flat against the can end base's upper surface;   said lever being user repositionable to a ready-to-open state without exerting an opening force; wherein the ready-to-open state is of a configuration and orientation such that a readily applied downward force to the lever mechanically transmits an opening force to the opening region with effective leverage and effective throw travel to open the can end.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  further comprising:
 a can vessel that said pop-top can end closes and to which it is secured,   in combination, comprising a complete can.   
     
     
         16 . The can end of  claim 14  wherein the ready-to-open state is such that the major plane of the actuator is at an acute angle to the openable region. 
     
     
         17 . The can end of  claim 14  wherein the repositioning from the initial state to the ready-to-open state is accomplishable in a single motion. 
     
     
         18 . A resealable pop-top can end comprising:
 a generally planar base having an openable region, an upper side and a lower side;   a generally planar tab;   a lock having a shape and configuration such that when the openable region is open:
 a lower portion of the lock is insertable into the opening from the upper side with an upper portion of the lock resting on the upper side perimeter of the opening; 
 from that state, an appropriate manual manipulation applied only on the upper side of said base can bring aspects of the inserted portion forcefully into contact with the lower side with a face such that the upper seal portion is sealingly pressed against the upper side proximate to the perimeter of the opening; 
   further, the lock is an aspect of the generally planer tab, the major plane of which is initially secured flat to the base.   
     
     
         19 . The can end of  claim 18  wherein said tab is configured to also be useable as a lever in applying a force tending to open the can end. 
     
     
         20 . The can end of  claim 18  wherein the securement of said tab to said base is at a single pivot point, and further, said appropriate manual manipulation is a rotation about the center of the opening region which engages an inclined plane, situated in a plane generally perpendicular to that of the open region, with an opposing structure to urge a sealing force. 
     
     
         21 . The can end of  claim 20  wherein said inclined plane is an aspect of the lower portion of the seal lock. 
     
     
         22 . The can end of  claim 20  wherein said inclined plane is an aspect of the underside of the base, proximate to the perimeter of the opening. 
     
     
         23 . A readily openable can end with resealability comprising:
 a generally planer can end with an upper surface and having an openable region that is openable by application of a suitable degree of an opening force normal to the major plane of that region;   a lever initially attached flat against the can end's upper surface;   said lever user-repositionable to a ready-to-open state without exerting an opening force;   wherein the ready-to-open state is of a configuration and orientation such that a readily applied downward force to the lever mechanically transmits an opening force with adequate leverage and throw to open the can end;   further, said lever has a seal lock region protruding generally perpendicular to its major plane,   said seal lock having an interrupted thread feature, and being sized and shaped as to be a loose fit in the openable region when open;   the attachment of the base and actuator having a degree of freedom of movement allowing the actuator to be user-repositionable to place the protrusion into the opening, achieving a so-called ready-to-seal state;   the retention of actuator to base is such that an additional degree of freedom of movement is provided in the ready-to-seal state to allow and guide the seal lock to be rotatable in-place, about its center;   the seal lock, its interrupted thread feature, and opening, together being so shaped and configured such that a rotation about the center of the seal lock engenders a force from the threads against the underside of the can end that surrounds the opening;   the force tending to pull the tab against the base to seal the opening.   
     
     
         24 . A can end as in  claim 23  wherein said actuator is repositionable to said ready-to-open state by lifting the actuator extremity in a flop-over motion and separately is positionable into, and out of, the ready-to-seal state by its rotation substantially in the plane of the can end about a point proximate to the center of the base; further, said interrupted thread feature comprises at least two wings in a configuration of a helix. 
     
     
         25 . A method of opening a pop-top can comprising:
 i. initiate rotation of a tab in a plane roughly parallel to that of a can end about a point generally central to the can end,   ii. raising the extremity of the tab an effective distance from the surface of the can end as a mechanical side-effect of said rotation,   iii. pressing downward on the tab;   iv. opening the can as a consequence of forces transmitted via a rigid foot from said pressing downward on the tab.   
     
     
         26 . The can opening method of  claim 25  further comprising a ramped floor aspect of the can end and an actuator aspect that is an elongated post generally perpendicular to the major plane of the actuator, and
 wherein said rising is urged by said post's interaction with the ramped floor upon which it rests.