Easy opening container wall

Claim 2

A tab of the type attachable to a wall of an easy opening container to initiate severance of a segment of said wall, said tab comprising: an attachment portion constructed of sheet material and adapted to lie contiguous to the wall; a tab body constructed of sheet material and substantially circumscribing said attachment portion, said tab body having a connecting wall adjacent one end thereof joined to said attachment portion, at least a section of said connecting wall extending away from said attachment portion and from an adjacent portion of the wall, the other end of said tab body defining a lifting end, the sheet material of said tab being sufficiently pliable adjacent said connecting wall and said attachment portion to define hinge means for allowing said tab body to pivot relative to said attachment portion whereby moving of the lifting end of the tab body away from the container wall Forces said one end of the tab body toward the container wall and applies a force to said connecting wall; and a marginal portion of the sheet material of the tab body adjacent said attachment portion being turned inwardly to form a curl, said curl including a section of multiple layers of sheet material and defining a curved surface closely adjacent said connecting wall, whereby said connecting wall is supported through contact with said curved surface during pivoting of said tab relative to said attachment portion.

Claim 3

A tab of the type attachable to a wall of an easy opening container to initiate severance of a segment of said wall, said tab comprising: an attachment portion constructed of sheet material and adapted to lie contiguous to the wall; a tab body constructed of sheet material and substantially circumscribing said attachment portion, said tab body having a connecting wall adjacent one end thereof joined to said attachment portion, at least a section of said connecting wall extending away from said attachment portion and from an adjacent portion of the wall, the other end of said tab body defining a lifting end, the sheet material of said tab being sufficiently pliable adjacent said connecting wall and said attachment portion to define hinge means for allowing said tab body to pivot relative to said attachment portion whereby moving of the lifting end of the tab body away from the container wall Forces said one end of the tab body toward the container wall and applies a force to said connecting wall; and a marginal portion of the sheet material of the tab body adjacent said attachment portion being turned inwardly to form a curl, said curl including a section of multiple layers of sheet material and defining a curved surface closely adjacent said connecting wall, whereby said connecting wall is supported through contact with said curved surface during pivoting of said tab relative to said attachment portion.

Claim 4

A tab of the type attachable to a wall of an easy opening container to initiate severance of a segment of said wall, said tab comprising: an attachment portion constructed of sheet material and adapted to lie contiguous to the wall; a tab body constructed of sheet material and substantially circumscribing said attachment portion, said tab body having a connecting wall adjacent one end thereof joined to said attachment portion, at least a section of said connecting wall extending away from said attachment portion and from an adjacent portion of the wall, the other end of said tab body defining a lifting end, the sheet material of said tab being sufficiently pliable adjacent said connecting wall and said attachment portion to define hinge means for allowing said tab body to pivot relative to said attachment portion whereby moving of the lifting end of the tab body away from the container wall Forces said one end of the tab body toward the container wall and applies a force to said connecting wall; and a marginal portion of the sheet material of the tab body adjacent said attachment portion being turned inwardly to form a curl, said curl including a section of multiple layers of sheet material and defining a curved surface closely adjacent said connecting wall, whereby said connecting wall is supported through contact with said curved surface during pivoting of said tab relative to said attachment portion.

Claim 5

A tab as defined in claim 1 wherein said curl forms a rupturing point which is engageable with the container wall closely adjacent the periphery of said segment of the container wall.

Claim 6

A tab as defined in claim 1 wherein said multiple layers of sheet material include a first layer of sheet material extending toward said connecting wall and a second layer of sheet material extending away from said connecting wall, said first and second layers of sheet material being interconnected by a reverse bend portion which lies closely adjacent said section of said connecting wall.

Claim 7

A tab as defined in claim 1 wherein said curl is an outer curl which extends substantially continuously around the outer periphery of said tab body, said curl being interrupted at said lifting end.

Claim 8

A tab as defined in claim 4 including a raw edge of metal at said lifting end positioned between the points of interruption of said curl, a notch in said lifting end, and said curl extending along said notch for a distance sufficient to shield said raw edge from contact by the user on lifting of said lifting end.

Claim 9

A tab as defined in claim 1 said tab including: a nose end at the other end of said tab body from said lifting end; a slit defining two metal segments in the marginal portion of sheet material of the tab body adjacent said nose end; said segments being turned inwardly to form a pair of curls with each of said curls abutting the other of said curls in reinforcing relation thereto, and each of said curls including a section of multiple layers of sheet material and each of said curls defining a curved surface closely adjacent said connecting wall.

Claim 10

A tab as defined in claim 1 said tab including: a nose end at the other end of said tab body from said lifting end; a pair of slits defining two metal segments and a rupturing flange in the marginal portion of sheet material of the tab body adjacent said nose end; said metal segments being turned inwardly to form a pair of curls; said curls passing on either side of said rupturing flange and each of said curls abutting the other of said curls in reinforcing relation thereto at a location positioned inwardly from said rupturing flange, and each of said curls including a section of multiple layers of sheet material and defining a curved surface closely adjacent said connecting wall.

Claim 11

An easy opening container wall comprising: a primary line of weakness in said container wall defining a tear portion at least partially removable from said container wall; a tab having a nose end in contact with said container wall and a lifting end; means for attaching said tab to an imperforate area of said tear portion; a secondary line of weakness in said tear portion, said secondary line of weakness lying radially inwardly of the primary line of weakness and located between the point of attachment of said tab and said primary line of weakness, said secondary line of weakness substantially circumscribing a region of said tear portion; said tab having hinge means for permitting hinged movement of one portion of said tab relative to another portion of said tab along a first hinge line to bring said nose end into forcible engagement with said wall to rupture said primary line of weakness and bend a segment of the tear portion inwardly generally about a second hinge line, said first hinge line lying between said means for attaching and the point of contact of said nose end with said container wall, and a section of said secondary line of weakness extending substantially along said second hinge line to thereby facilitate the inward bending of said segment about said second hinge line.

Claim 12

An easy opening container wall comprising: a primary line of weakness in said container wall defining a tear portion at least partially removable from said container wall; a tab having a nose end in contact with said container wall and a lifting end; means for attaching said tab to an imperforate area of said tear portion; a secondary line of weakness in said tear portion, said secondary line of weakness lying radially inwardly of the primary line of weakness and located between the point of attachment of said tab and said primary line of weakness, said secondary line of weakness substantially circumscribing a region of said tear portion; said tab having hinge means for permitting hinged movement of one portion of said tab relative to another portion of said tab along a first hinge line to bring said nose end into forcible engagement with said wall to rupture said primary line of weakness and bend a segment of the tear portion inwardly generally about a second hinge line, said first hinge line lying between said means for attaching and the point of contact of said nose end with said container wall, and a section of said secondary line of weakness extending substantially along said second hinge line to thereby facilitate the inward bending of said segment about said second hinge line.

Claim 13

An easy opening container wall as defined in claim 8 wherein the distance between said primary and secondary lines of weakness is greater in the area adjacent the point of contact of said nose end with the container wall than at locations along a majority of length of said primary line of weakness.

Claim 14

An easy-opening container wall comprising: a primary line of weakness in said container wall defining a tear portion at least partially removable from said container wall; a tab having a nose end in contact with said container wall and a lifting end; means for attaching said tab to an imperforate area of said tear portion; a secondary line of weakness in said tear portion, said secondary line of weakness lying radially inwardly of the primary line of weakness and located between the point of attachment of said tab and said primary line of weakness, said secondary line of weakness substantially circumscribing a region of said tear portion; said tab having hinge means for permitting hinged movement of one portion of said tab relative to another portion of said tab along a first hinge line to bring said nose end into forcible engagement with said wall to rupture said primary line of weakness and bend a segment of the tear portion inwardly generally about a second hinge line, said first hinge line lying between said means for attaching and the point of contact of said nose end with said container wall; a marginal portion of sheet material forming the tab being turned inwardly to form a curl which defines a curved surface in close proximity with said hinge means and engageable with said hinge means during said hinged movement, and a section of said secondary line of weakness extending substantially along said second hinge line to thereby facilitate the inward bending of said segment about said second hinge line.

Claim 15

An easy-opening container wall comprising: a primary line of weakness in said container wall defining a tear portion at least partially removable from said container wall; a tab having a nose end in contact with said container wall and a lifting end; means for attaching said tab to an imperforate area of said tear portion; a secondary line of weakness in said tear portion, said secondary line of weakness lying radially inwardly of the primary line of weakness and located between the point of attachment of said tab and said primary line of weakness, said secondary line of weakness substantially circumscribing a region of said tear portion; said tab having hinge means for permitting hinged movement of one portion of said tab relative to another portion of said tab along a first hinge line to bring said nose end into forcible engagement with said wall to rupture said primary line of weakness and bend a segment of the tear portion inwardly generally about a second hinge line, said first hinge line lying between said means for attaching and the point of contact of said nose end with said container wall; a marginal portion of sheet material forming the tab being turned inwardly to form a curl which defines a curved surface in close proximity with said hinge means and engageable with said hinge means during said hinged movement, and a section of said secondary line of weakness extending substantially along said second hinge line to thereby facilitate the inward bending of said segment about said second hinge line.

Claim 16

A tab as defined in claim 10, said tab including: a slit defining two metal segments in the marginal portion of sheet material of the tab adjacent said nose end; said segments being turned inwardly to form a pair of curls with each of said curls abutting the other of said curls in reinforcing relation thereto, and each of said curls including a section of multiple layers of sheet material and each defining a curved surface closely adjacent said hinge means.

Claim 17

A tab as defined in claim 10, said tab including: a pair of slits defining two metal segments and a rupturing flange in the marginal portion of sheet material of the tab adjacent said nose end; said metal segments being turned inwardly to form a pair of curls; said curls passing on either side of said rupturing flange and each of said curls abutting the other of said curls in reinforcing relation thereto at a location positioned inwardly from said rupturing flange, and each of said curls including a section of multiple layers of sheet material and each defining a curved surface closely adjacent said hinge means.

Claim 18

An easy opening container wall comprising: a container wall; a line of weakness in said container wall defining a tear portion at least partially removable from the container wall; a tab constructed of sheet material and including an attachment portion, a tab body and a connecting wall joining the attachment portion to the tab body for pivotal movement of the tab body relative to the attachment portion; said tab body having a rupturing flange adjacent one end with the other end of said tab body being adapted for engagement by a finger of a user; means for attaching the attachment portion to an imperforate area of the tear portion with the rupturing flange in contact with said container wall and closely adjacent a location on said line of weakNess; said container wall having a rib defining a groove closely adjacent said connecting wall; and a marginal portion of the sheet material of the tab body adjacent said attachment portion being turned inwardly to form a bead, said bead including a reinforcing section having a curved surface engageable with the connecting wall adjacent the container wall to reinforce said connecting wall, said reinforcing section being partially received in said groove to permit said curved surface to engage said connecting wall at a location closely adjacent said container wall.

Claim 19

An easy opening container wall comprising: a container wall; a line of weakness in said container wall defining a tear portion at least partially removable from the container wall; a tab constructed of sheet material and including an attachment portion, a tab body and a connecting wall joining the attachment portion to the tab body for pivotal movement of the tab body relative to the attachment portion; said tab body having a rupturing flange adjacent one end with the other end of said tab body being adapted for engagement by a finger of a user; means for attaching the attachment portion to an imperforate area of the tear portion with the rupturing flange in contact with said container wall and closely adjacent a location on said line of weakNess; said container wall having a rib defining a groove closely adjacent said connecting wall; and a marginal portion of the sheet material of the tab body adjacent said attachment portion being turned inwardly to form a bead, said bead including a reinforcing section having a curved surface engageable with the connecting wall adjacent the container wall to reinforce said connecting wall, said reinforcing section being partially received in said groove to permit said curved surface to engage said connecting wall at a location closely adjacent said container wall.

Claim 20

An easy opening container wall as defined in claim 13 including: a pair of slits in the marginal portion of the sheet material of the tab body defining said rupturing flange and two metal segments; said metal segments being turned inwardly to form a pair of beads; said beads passing on either side of said rupturing flange and each of said beads abutting the other of said beads in reinforcing relation thereto at a location inwardly positioned from said rupturing flange, and each of said beads including a reinforcing section having a curved surface engageable with said connecting wall.

Claim 21

An easy opening container wall as defined in claim 13 wherein said reinforcing section is of greater thickness than a single thickness of said sheet material.

Claim 22

An easy opening container wall as defined in claim 13 wherein a portion of said rupturing flange overhangs a region of the container wall outside of the tear portion.

Claim 23

A tab of the type attachable to an easy-opening container wall comprising: an attachment portion of sheet material for attachment to the easy-opening container wall; a tab body of sheet material, said tab body including a lifting end engageable by the user to cause the tab to apply force to the easy-opening container wall; means for interconnecting said attachment portion and said tab body; a marginal portion of the sheet material being turned to form a curl; said curl being interrupted at the lifting end; a raw edge of metal at said lifting end positioned between the points of interruption of said curl; a notch in said lifting end, and said curl extending along said notch for a distance sufficient to shield said raw edge from contact by the user on lifting of said lifting end.

Claim 24

A tab of the type attachable to an easy-opening container wall comprising: an attachment portion of sheet material for attachment to the easy-opening container wall; a tab body of sheet material, said tab body including a lifting end engageable by the user to cause the tab to apply force to the easy-opening container wall; means for interconnecting said attachment portion and said tab body; a marginal portion of the sheet material being turned to form a curl; said curl being interrupted at the lifting end; a raw edge of metal at said lifting end positioned between the points of interruption of said curl; a notch in said lifting end, and said curl extending along said notch for a distance sufficient to shield said raw edge from contact by the user on lifting of said lifting end.