Easy opening container wall with vent opening

Claim 2

An easy opening container walL comprising: a container wall of sheet material having a line of weakness therein defining a tear portion at least partially removable therefrom; said container wall having a rupturable region therein other than said line of weakness; tab means attached to the container wall and movable to initiate severance of the tear portion from the container wall; and said tab means including rupturing means movable generally toward said rupturable region prior to said movement of said tab means to rupture said rupturable region and to form a vent opening in said container wall whereby a substantial period of time is provided for pressure equalization through said vent opening prior to the severance of the line of weakness by said tab means.

Claim 3

An easy opening container wall as defined in claim 1 wherein said tab means includes a first segment movable to rupture the line of weakness and a handle portion manually grippable to move said first segment, said rupturing means forming a portion of said first segment and being manually movable to rupture the rupturable segment.

Claim 4

An easy opening container wall as defined in claim 1 wherein said rupturable region is offset downwardly to space the rupturable region from the rupturing means.

Claim 5

An easy opening container wall as defined in claim 1 including means on said container wall radially inwardly of the periphery thereof having a surface above the rupturing means to prevent an object placed above said rupturing means from moving said rupturing means toward the rupturable region sufficiently to rupture the latter.

Claim 6

An easy opening container wall comprising: a container wall of sheet material having a line of weakness therein defining a tear portion at least partially removable therefrom; said container wall having a weakened region thereon other than said line of weakness; and a tab attached to the container wall to initiate severance of the tear portion from the container wall, said tab including a rupturing element, at least a portion of said rupturing element generally confronting at least a portion of the weakened region, said rupturing element being movable generally toward said weakened region and being capable of applying sufficient force to said weakened region to rupture same to provide a vent opening in said container wall whereby upon manipulation of said tab the tear portion can be at least partially severed from said container wall.

Claim 7

An easy opening container wall comprising: a container wall of sheet material having a line of weakness therein defining a tear portion at least partially removable therefrom; said container wall having a weakened region thereon other than said line of weakness; and a tab attached to the container wall to initiate severance of the tear portion from the container wall, said tab including a rupturing element, at least a portion of said rupturing element generally confronting at least a portion of the weakened region, said rupturing element being movable generally toward said weakened region and being capable of applying sufficient force to said weakened region to rupture same to provide a vent opening in said container wall whereby upon manipulation of said tab the tear portion can be at least partially severed from said container wall.

Claim 8

An easy opening container wall defined in claim 5 wherein said weakened region includes a score line.

Claim 9

An easy opening container wall as defined in claim 5 wherein said weakened region includes a coined region.

Claim 10

An easy opening container wall as defined in claim 5 wherein said tear portion is in the form of a relatively large area panel, said tab including a lever portion, said lever portion being attached to the container wall at an attachment location with one end of the lever portion being closely adjacent the line of weakness, said other end of said lever portion being movable away from the container wall to initiate severance of the line of weakness, said weakened region including a score line in the container wall closely adjacent the attachment location and between the attachment location and said other end of said lever portion whereby following initiation of rupture of the score line by the rupturing element said score line is further ruptured in response to movement of said other end of said lever portion away from the container wall to thereby facilitate such movement of the lever portion and consequent rupture of the line of weakness.

Claim 11

An easy opening container wall comprising: a container wall of sheet material having a line of weakness therein defining a tear portion at least partially removable therefrom; tab means attached to the container wall and movable to initiate severance of the tear portion from the container wall; and said tab means including rupturing means movable generally toward thE container wall and relative to the remainder of said tab means to rupture a region of said container wall to form a vent opening prior to said movement of said tab means to initiate severance of said line of weakness.

Claim 12

An easy opening container wall comprising: a container wall of sheet material having a line of weakness therein defining a tear portion at least partially removable therefrom; tab means attached to the container wall and movable to initiate severance of the tear portion from the container wall; and said tab means including rupturing means movable generally toward thE container wall and relative to the remainder of said tab means to rupture a region of said container wall to form a vent opening prior to said movement of said tab means to initiate severance of said line of weakness.

Claim 13

A tab of the type useable to initiate severance of a tear portion of an easy opening container wall comprising: a lever segment of sheet material attachable to the easy opening container wall and manually movable to initiate severance of the tear portion therefrom, said lever segment having means to stiffen the lever segment longitudinally; a rupturing element of sheet material integrally joined to said lever segment, said rupturing element being freed of said lever segment along a substantial length of the periphery thereof, the sheet material at the juncture of the rupturable element and the lever segment being sufficiently pliable to permit movement of the rupturable element toward the container wall relative to the lever segment; and said rupturing element having an outwardly facing surface which can be manually pushed to push the rupturing element toward the easy opening container wall, said rupturing element having a relatively sharp rupturing nose engageable with the container wall to form an opening therein in response to the manual pushing on said surface.

Claim 14

A tab of the type useable to initiate severance of a tear portion of an easy opening container wall comprising: a lever segment of sheet material attachable to the easy opening container wall and manually movable to initiate severance of the tear portion therefrom, said lever segment having means to stiffen the lever segment longitudinally; a rupturing element of sheet material integrally joined to said lever segment, said rupturing element being freed of said lever segment along a substantial length of the periphery thereof, the sheet material at the juncture of the rupturable element and the lever segment being sufficiently pliable to permit movement of the rupturable element toward the container wall relative to the lever segment; and said rupturing element having an outwardly facing surface which can be manually pushed to push the rupturing element toward the easy opening container wall, said rupturing element having a relatively sharp rupturing nose engageable with the container wall to form an opening therein in response to the manual pushing on said surface.

Claim 15

A tab as defined in claim 10 wherein said lever segment circumscribes said rupturing element.

Claim 16

A tab as defined in claim 10 including a ringlike handle segment joined to said lever segment by a pliable connecting segment whereby the pliable connecting segment facilitates movement of the handle segment away from the easy opening container wall to permit easy gripping thereof.

Claim 17

A container comprising: a container body; a container end affixed to one end of said container body, said container end including a line of weakness defining a tear portion at least partially removable therefrom; a tab affixed to the container end to initiate severance of said tear portion; a reclosure cap removably mounted over said container end, said reclosure cap having an end wall which covers at least a major part of the container end, at least a portion of said end wall being movable inwardly toward the container end; and means on said container end responsive to the inward movement of said portion of said reclosure cap to form a vent opening in the container end.

Claim 18

A container comprising: a container body; a container end affixed to one end of said container body, said container end including a line of weakness defining a tear portion at least partially removable therefrom; a tab affixed to the container end to initiate severance of said tear portion; a reclosure cap removably mounted over said container end, said reclosure cap having an end wall which covers at least a major part of the container end, at least a portion of said end wall being movable inwardly toward the container end; and means on said container end responsive to the inward movement of said portion of said reclosure cap to form a vent opening in the container end.

Claim 19

A container as defined in claim 13 wherein said vent opening is formed in said container end at a location other than at the line of weakness.

Claim 20

A container as defined in claim 13 wherein said tab includes a depressible rupturing element, said rupturing element being movable toward the container end by said portion of said end wall to thereby rupture the container end to form said vent opening.