Can end with nondetachable tab

Claim 2

An easy opening container wall comprising: a container wall of sheet material; means on said container wall defining a tear portion only partially removable from the container wall, said tear portion having a relatively sharp edge when the tear portion is partially removed from the container wall; a tab attached to said tear portion to initiate separation of the tear portion to partially remove the same from said container wall; and guard means on said tab for hindering contact with said edge when said tear portion is partially removed from the container wall.

Claim 3

An easy opening container wall as defined in claim 1 wherein said edge extends along a major portion of the periphery of said tear portion and said guard means hinders contact with said edge along a major portion of the length thereof when said tear portion is partially removed from the container wall.

Claim 4

An easy opening container wall as defined in claim 1 wherein said guard means includes a recess in said tab for receiving a substantial segment of said tear portion including substantial portions of said edge at least when said tear portion is partially removed from the container wall.

Claim 5

An easy opening container wall as defined in claim 1 wherein said guard means includes an offset section of said tab closely adjacent said edge.

Claim 6

An easy opening container wall comprising: a container wall of sheet material; a line of weakness in said container wall defining a tear portion at least partially removable from the container wall; a tab; means for attaching said tab to said tear portion so that said tab can at least partially remove the tear portion from the container wall; the sheet material of the container wall being offset inwardly relative to the tear portion in a zone extending along and closely adjacent a region of the line of weakness outside of the tear portion to thereby define an offset zone which extends along a substantial section of the tear portion; and said tab having a segment received in said offset zone and extending therEalong for a substantial portion of the offset zone.

Claim 7

An easy opening container wall comprising: a container wall of sheet material; a line of weakness in said container wall defining a tear portion at least partially removable from the container wall; a tab; means for attaching said tab to said tear portion so that said tab can at least partially remove the tear portion from the container wall; the sheet material of the container wall being offset inwardly relative to the tear portion in a zone extending along and closely adjacent a region of the line of weakness outside of the tear portion to thereby define an offset zone which extends along a substantial section of the tear portion; and said tab having a segment received in said offset zone and extending therEalong for a substantial portion of the offset zone.

Claim 8

An easy opening container wall as defined in claim 5 wherein said tab overlies a major portion of the tear portion and said means for attaching includes first and second separate attaching means for attaching said tab to said tear portion to prevent relative pivotal movement between the tab and the tear portion.

Claim 9

An easy opening container wall as defined in claim 5 wherein said offset zone is offset a distance greater than the thickness of said sheet material at said offset zone and said segment projects into said offset zone for a distance greater than said thickness.

Claim 10

An easy opening container wall as defined in claim 5 wherein said tab is constructed of sheet material and includes a peripheral bead defining said segment.

Claim 11

An easy opening container wall as defined in claim 5 wherein said offset zone includes first and second offset zones lying on opposite sides of said tear portion and said segment includes first and second segments received, respectively, in said first and second offset zones.

Claim 12

An easy opening container wall as defined in claim 5 wherein said offset zone includes an upwardly opening rib.

Claim 13

An easy opening container wall comprising: a container wall of sheet material; a line of weakness in said container wall defining a tear portion only partially removable therefrom to define an opening in the container wall, the sheet material being rupturable along the line of weakness to partially remove the tear portion from the container wall, the rupture of the sheet material along the line of weakness to partially remove the tear portion from the container wall providing a relatively sharp edge on the tear portion; a tab attached to the tear portion to partially remove the tear portion from the container wall; guard means carried by the tab and extending along a substantial length of the relatively sharp edge for protecting the user against injury from said substantial length of the relatively sharp edge; and said tab including an attachment segment and a handle segment interconnected by a hinge portion which permits relative pivotal movement between said handle segment and said attachment segment, said attachment segment being constructed of sheet material and being attached to said tear portion, the sheet material of the container wall adjacent the line of weakness being offset from the sheet material along the line of weakness in a region extending for a substantial distance around the periphery of the tear portion, said guard means including first and second peripheral curls on said attachment segment projecting into said region.

Claim 14

An easy opening container wall comprising: a container wall of sheet material; a line of weakness in said container wall defining a tear portion only partially removable therefrom to define an opening in the container wall, the sheet material being rupturable along the line of weakness to partially remove the tear portion from the container wall, the rupture of the sheet material along the line of weakness to partially remove the tear portion from the container wall providing a relatively sharp edge on the tear portion; a tab attached to the tear portion to partially remove the tear portion from the container wall; guard means carried by the tab and extending along a substantial length of the relatively sharp edge for protecting the user against injury from said substantial length of the relatively sharp edge; and said tab including an attachment segment and a handle segment interconnected by a hinge portion which permits relative pivotal movement between said handle segment and said attachment segment, said attachment segment being constructed of sheet material and being attached to said tear portion, the sheet material of the container wall adjacent the line of weakness being offset from the sheet material along the line of weakness in a region extending for a substantial distance around the periphery of the tear portion, said guard means including first and second peripheral curls on said attachment segment projecting into said region.

Claim 15

An easy opening container wall comprising: a container wall of sheet material; means on said container wall defining a tear portion only partially removable from the container wall to define an opening therein whereby said tear portion remains attached to the container wall, said tear portion having a relatively sharp edge when the tear portion is partially removed from the container wall; a tab attached to said tear portion to partially remove the tear portion from the container wall; guard means on said tab for at least partially encasing the relatively sharp edge upon partial removal of the tear portion from the container wall; said tear portion having inner and outer faces; and one portion of said guard means lying inwardly of said sharp edge and another portion of said guard means lying outwardly of said sharp edge at least when the tear portion is partially removed to thereby afford substantial protection against injury from the relatively sharp edge when the tear portion is partially removed.

Claim 16

An easy opening container wall comprising: a container wall of sheet material; means on said container wall defining a tear portion only partially removable from the container wall to define an opening therein whereby said tear portion remains attached to the container wall, said tear portion having a relatively sharp edge when the tear portion is partially removed from the container wall; a tab attached to said tear portion to partially remove the tear portion from the container wall; guard means on said tab for at least partially encasing the relatively sharp edge upon partial removal of the tear portion from the container wall; said tear portion having inner and outer faces; and one portion of said guard means lying inwardly of said sharp edge and another portion of said guard means lying outwardly of said sharp edge at least when the tear portion is partially removed to thereby afford substantial protection against injury from the relatively sharp edge when the tear portion is partially removed.

Claim 17

An easy opening container wall as defined in claim 12 wherein said guard means includes a bead on said tab extending along said sharp edge, said container wall having a recess therein along said tear portion for accommodating said bead before partial removal of the tear portion.

Claim 18

An easy opening container wall as defined in claim 1 wherein said means defining said tear portion includes a score line which terminates in spaced ends and said guard means extends along a major length of said score line.