Crown Packaging Technology, Inc.

Crown Cork & Seal Technologies Corporation

Andrew Robert Lockley

Brian Mark Fields

Martin John Watson

Christopher Paul Ramsey

Garry Richard Chant

Eleanor Rachel Ann Hyde

Paul Robert Dunwoody

Stephen John Osborn

Philip Alan Marriot

Martin Watson

Eleanor Rachel Hyde

A full aperture beverage end has a center panel, a countersink surrounding the center panel, a main score arranged in proximity to the countersink to define a removable aperture panel and a vent score. The beverage end is adapted for use with products that are pressurized to over 30 psi (200 kPa) when opened, and during opening the vent score is adapted to sever first, controlling the pressure differential between the external surface and internal surface of the center panel, thereby allowing the main score to tear in a controlled and reliable manner.

Full aperture beverage end

There is disclosed herein a method of forming a can end comprising: holding a peripheral portion of a blank between inner () and outer () peripheral tool sets; drawing a central portion of the blank against an outer center panel tool () having a central region and a sloping peripheral edge () extending to a peripheral wall () by moving the outer center panel tool () inwardly relative to the peripheral tool sets to form a drawn can end shell (); and reforming the can end shell () against an inner center panel tool () having a central region and a peripheral region by moving the inner center panel tool () outwardly relative to the peripheral tool sets to reform the drawn central portion to have a center panel defined by the central region of the inner center panel tool () and a recessed reinforcing structure extending around the center panel, wherein the sloping peripheral edge () of the outer center panel tool () has a convex radius of curvature of 2 mm or more and 30 mm or less between the central region of the outer center panel tool () and the peripheral wall () of the outer center panel tool (). A related apparatus is also disclosed.

Method and apparatus for manufacturing a can end

A can end having a countersink bead, an inclined chuck wall and a strong seam, resists distortion from its circular profile when subjected to thermal processing or when packaging carbonated beverages. This high hoop strength affects the manner in which the can end ultimately fails when placed under extreme abuse conditions, even if buckle pressure performance is within industry specified standards. The can end of the invention has control features introduced which control the failure mode while maintaining specified buckle pressure performance. In one embodiment, the can end has a two part wall and a control feature that comprises expansion of the countersink bead to act as a trigger for local peaking, together with a groove in the chuck wall which prevents the peaking force from being concentrated at a single point which could result in leaking by the production of a pin hole.

Can end

A can end having a countersink bead, an inclined chuck wall and a strong seam, resists distortion from its circular profile when subjected to thermal processing or when packaging carbonated beverages. This high hoop strength affects the manner in which the can end ultimately fails when placed under extreme abuse conditions, even if buckle pressure performance is within industry specified standards. The can end of the invention has control features introduced which control the failure mode whilst maintaining specified buckle pressure performance. In one embodiment, the can end has a two part wall and a control feature that comprises expansion of the countersink bead to act as a trigger for local peaking, together with a groove in the chuck wall which prevents the peaking force from being concentrated at a single point which could result in leaking by the production of a pin hole.

Full aperture open beverage can

A can end having a countersink bead, an inclined chuck wall and a strong seam, resists distortion from its circular profile when subjected to thermal processing or when packaging carbonated beverages. This high hoop strength affects the manner in which the can end ultimately fails when placed under extreme abuse conditions, even if buckle pressure performance is within industry specified standards. The can end of the invention has control features introduced which control the failure mode whilst maintaining specified buckle pressure performance. In one embodiment, the control feature comprises expansion of the countersink bead to act as a trigger for local peaking, together with a groove in the chuck wall which prevents the peaking force from being concentrated at a single point which could result in leaking by the production of a pin hole.

Growing community of inventors

Wantage, United Kingdom

Andrew Robert Lockley