Self-storing permanently attached opening means

Claim 2

In combination with a hollow enclosed container for a quantity of liquid or other pourable contents, initially including an opening therethrough for filling said container thereafter enclosed by a thin-walled portion of said container comprising a cover for said opening suitably permanently attached to said container to contain, preserve and protect its contents and provided with a partially sheared generally U-shaped flap portion thereof including mutually spaced opposite ends thereof and arranged to be rotated inwardly of said container to form a corresponding U-shaped opening through which to release the contents thereof, a manually operative elongated pull tab with its free end arranged to be lifted away from said cover and its opposite end shaped and arranged to be biased against the flap portion of said cover when said pull tab is lifted to open the flap portion of said cover inwardly of said container, and coextensive and coacting mated portions of said pull tab and said cover respectively off-set outwardly of said container from the outer surfaces of said pull tab and said cover and having a purality of complementary mutually angularly off-set surfaces maintained in mutual engagement by connecting means permanently interconnecting said pull tab and said cover at said mated portions thereof, whereby the spatial relationship between the mated portions of said pull tab and said cover is maintained constant as the pull tab is lifted from said cover to open the flap portion of said cover, thereby maintaining said pull tab securely in engagement with said cover.

Claim 3

A device as described in claim 1, wherein: said mated portions of said pull tab and said cover respectively include first and second coacting mutually engaged surfaces thereof respectively angularly off-set from the outer surfaces of said pull tab and said cover and disposed coaxially with and between the mutually spaced opposite ends of the U-shaped flap portion of said cover to form in combination therewith a hinge portion about which the flap portion of said cover may be rotated inwardly of said container by lifting said pull tab.

Claim 4

A device as described in claim 2, wherein: one of said mated portions, off-set outwardly from said cover, is elongated and has its entire periphery, other than that portion thereof defined by the second of said coacting mutually engaged angularly off-set surfaces, located on said cover immediately adjacent to but outside said U-shaped flat portion of said cover, and the other of said mated portions, off-set outwardly from said pull tab, is elongated and has its entire periphery, other than that portion therof defined by the first of said coacting mutually engaged angularly off-set surfaces, located transversely of said pull tab and closely encompassed by a parting line in the pull tab arranged to be ruptured when said pull tab is lifted to open the flap portion of said cover, whereby said pull tab may be selectively manually released for facilitated rotation of said flap portion of said cover therewith about its predetermined hinge portion and inwardly of the container.

Claim 5

In combination with a hollow enclosed container for a quantity of liquid or other pourable contents, initially including an opening therethrough for filling said container thereafter enclosed by a thinwalled portion of said container comprising a cover for said opening suitably permanently attached to said container to contain, preserve and protect its contents and provided with a partially sheared generally U-shaped flap portion thereof including mutually spaced opposite ends thereof and arranged to be rotated inwardly of said container to form a corresponding U-shaped opening through which to release the contents thereof, a mutually operative elongated pull tab with its free end arranged to be lifted away from said cover and its opposite end shaped and arranged to be biased against the flap portion of said cover when said pull tab is lifted to break open the flap portion of said cover and rotate it inwardly of said container, said pull tab having a relatively enlarged free end comprising an annular portion encircling an opening therethrough and shaped and arranged to receive and accomodate comfortably a person's finger tip, and said pull tab being rotatable about a predetermined hinge line extending transversely of said pull tab and across said cover as said pull tab is rotated manually from an initial ready position adjacent said cover with its free end arranged to be engaged by a person's finger tip to a final protective position in which the annular portion thereof encircles the opening through said cover created by rotating the U-shaped flap portion of said cover inwardly of said container and forms a protective rim disposed closely adjacent said cover and superposed over the edge of such opening, said pull tab and said cover respectively including coextensive and coacting mated portions each having a plurality of mutually angularly off-set surfaces maintained in mutual engagement with complementary surfaces of the other by connecting means permanently interconnecting said pull tab and said cover at said mated portions thereof, and said mated portions of said pull tab and said cover respectively including first and second coacting mutually engaged surfaces thereof respectively angularly off-set from the adjacent outer surfaces of said pull tab and said cover and disposed coaxially with and between the mutually spaced opposite ends of the U-shaped flap portion of said cover, thereby establishing the predetermined hinge line about which said pull tab and the flap portion of said cover are rotatable, extending along said first and second mutually engaged surfaces and intersecting the mutually spaced opposite ends of the U-shaped flap portion of said cover.

Claim 6

In combination with a hollow enclosed container for a quantity of liquid or other pourable contents, initially including an opening therethrough for filling said container thereafter enclosed by a thinwalled portion of said container comprising a cover for said opening suitably permanently attached to said container to contain, preserve and protect its contents and provided with a partially sheared generally U-shaped flap portion thereof including mutually spaced opposite ends thereof and arranged to be rotated inwardly of said container to form a corresponding U-shaped opening through which to release the contents thereof, a mutually operative elongated pull tab with its free end arranged to be lifted away from said cover and its opposite end shaped and arranged to be biased against the flap portion of said cover when said pull tab is lifted to break open the flap portion of said cover and rotate it inwardly of said container, said pull tab having a relatively enlarged free end comprising an annular portion encircling an opening therethrough and shaped and arranged to receive and accomodate comfortably a person's finger tip, and said pull tab being rotatable about a predetermined hinge line extending transversely of said pull tab and across said cover as said pull tab is rotated manually from an initial ready position adjacent said cover with its free end arranged to be engaged by a person's finger tip to a final protective position in which the annular portion thereof encircles the opening through said cover created by rotating the U-shaped flap portion of said cover inwardly of said container and forms a protective rim disposed closely adjacent said cover and superposed over the edge of such opening, said pull tab and said cover respectively including coextensive and coacting mated portions each having a plurality of mutually angularly off-set surfaces maintained in mutual engagement with complementary surfaces of the other by connecting means permanently interconnecting said pull tab and said cover at said mated portions thereof, and said mated portions of said pull tab and said cover respectively including first and second coacting mutually engaged surfaces thereof respectively angularly off-set from the adjacent outer surfaces of said pull tab and said cover and disposed coaxially with and between the mutually spaced opposite ends of the U-shaped flap portion of said cover, thereby establishing the predetermined hinge line about which said pull tab and the flap portion of said cover are rotatable, extending along said first and second mutually engaged surfaces and intersecting the mutually spaced opposite ends of the U-shaped flap portion of said cover.

Claim 7

A device as described in claim 4, wherein: said pull tab incorporates first and second elongated portions respectively extending along the outer edge of said pull tab including its annular portion at its free end and along the entire inner edge of its annular portion, both rolled over in the same direction relative to the central portion of said pull tab, whereby said pull tab is provided with an uninterrupted smoothly contoured surface positioned facing toward the outer surface of said cover when said pull tab is in its initial ready position, for safe engagement by a person's finger, and positioned facing away from the outer surface of said cover when said pull tab is in its final protective position, for safe engagement with a person's lips, and said first elongated portion comprises first and second elongate side sections respectively extending lengthwise along the opposite sides of said pull tab from the predetermined hinge line past the opening therthrough toward the free end thereof and from the predetermined hinge line past the opposite sides of the coacting mated portions toward the other end thereof, whereby said pull tab is stiffened against bending about the predetermined hinge line or elsewhere as said pull tab is rotated manually from its initial ready position to its final protective position.

Claim 8

A device as described in claim 4, wherein: said elongated pull tab has a relatively reduced width from its relatively enlarged free end to its opposite end defined by elongate side surfaces mutually so spaced apart and so disposed relative to the predetermined hinge line as to be automatically engaged with the opposite edges of the U-shaped opening formed in said cover by rotation of the U-shaped flap portion of said cover inwardly of said container as said pull tab is rotated from its initial ready position into is final protective position, whereby said pull tab is frictionally constrained in its final protective position adjacent said cover.

Claim 9

A device as described in claim 6, wherein: said cover is provided with a depression therein below the adjoining outer surface thereof so shaped and arranged it receives more than two-thirds the thickness of said pull tab with said pull tab in its final protective position adjacent said cover.