Easy-open wall

1. An easy-open container end with non-detachable means for making an opening therethrough suitable for pouring, comprising:

an end wall,

a rupturable score line in the end wall defining most of the periphery of a nonremovable tear panel, while leaving an integral hinge between the panel and the remainder of the end wall, said score line extending away from one end of the hinge, around a bight where it is distant from the hinge, and back to the other end of the hinge,

a tab extending generally parallel and close to an underlying area of the end wall, a rear part of the tab being engageable for upward lifting, and a forward part of the tab overlying a minor portion of the tear panel, and

attaching means on the end wall in a region thereof adjacent the score line and outside the tear panel, said attaching means being nondetachably secured to connecting means on the tab,

said attaching and connecting means permitting pivotal movement of the tab when the rear part of the tab is lifted up from the container and, while the forward end of the tab correspondingly swings down,

the score line being subject to initial rupture when the rear end of the tab is partially lifted to cause the forward end of the tab to press down on the panel,

continued pivotal movement of the tab, about an axis generally parallel to the underlying area of the end wall and close to the said attaching means, being effective to propagate the rupture of the score line, and to swing the panel down about its hinge to open position, and

said attaching means on the end wall being closer to said hinge than to a place on the tear panel where the forward part of the tab is adapted to press initially.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the greater part of said tear panel is outside of the area covered by the tab in its initial position and extends away from said area toward said bight, wherein said initial rupture of the score line occurs in a region adjacent one end of said hinge and further wherein the initial rupture is propagated throughout the entire length of the score line between the ends of said hinge.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 wherein said attaching means comprises a rivet integrally formed in about the center of said end wall.

4. The structure defined in claim 2 wherein said tab forward part has a generally arcuate periphery that is urged against the tear panel as said tab rear part is lifted up to effect said initial rupture and the propagation thereof.

5. The structure defined in claim 2 wherein said tab is adapted to be returned toward a position generally parallel and close to an underlying area of the end wall, after the score line is ruptured, and the tear panel is swung downwardly, without causing return movement of said tear panel toward said end wall.

6. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the length of said hinge is substantially less than the maximum dimension of the tear panel.

7. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein said tab comprises: a first member of a first material; a second member of a second material; means for connecting said tab to said attaching means and including a portion bendable for permitting said pivotal movement of said tab; said bendable portion comprising parts of said first and second members; said first material having greater strength than said second material; and said second material being more capable of being bent back and forth without breaking than said first material.

8. A container end according to claim 1 wherein said place on the tear panel where the forward part of the tab initially presses is spaced from the score line, and wherein said attaching means on the end wall is close to the score line.

9. A container end according to claim 1 wherein said forward part of the tab overlies at least a portion of said hinge.

10. A container end according to claim 1 wherein said attaching means on the end wall is a rivet integral with the end wall, and said connecting means on the tab comprises a connection having a hole receiving the rivet.

11. A container end according to claim 1 wherein said attaching means on the end wall is a rivet integral with the end wall, and said connecting means on the tab comprises a bendable extension of the tab secured to the rivet.

12. A container end according to claim 11 wherein the initially rupturable part of the score line extends closely around the side of the rivet facing said place on the tear panel where the forward part of the tab initially presses.

13. A container end according to claim 11 wherein said rupturable score line has two spaced ends defining said hinge, with one said end being close to said rivet.

14. A container end according to claim 13 wherein the other end of said rupturable score line is located substantially at a point beneath an edge of the forward part of the tab.

15. A container end according to claim 13 wherein a second score line providing greater residual wall thickness in said end wall than said rupturable score line extends in closely spaced relation alongside the length of the rupturable score line, each of the two score lines terminating at each end in an arcuate closing score line connecting the two adjacent ends.

16. A container end according to claim 11 wherein said initial rupture of the score line occurs adjacent the rivet when the tab extension pulls up on the rivet.

17. A container end according to claim 16 wherein the path of the score line is generally circular outside of the area covered by the tab in its initial position.

18. An easy-open end wall for a beverage container, said end wall having a periphery, a rupturable score line in said end wall defining most of the periphery of a non-removable tear panel while leaving an integral hinge between the panel and the remainder of the end wall, a non-detachable tab, means for attaching said tab to said end wall in a region adjacent to but outside of said tear panel and providing for pivotal movement of said tab about an axis transverse to the length of said tab, said score line including two spaced portions extending from said region away from said tab, said score line extending from said two spaced portions into a generally arcuate section, said tab having a forward, rupturing portion that overlies a minor part of said tear panel adjacent said region with the greater part of said tear panel being uncovered by and extending away from said tab toward said generally arcuate section, and with the front end of said tab forward portion not overlying any portion of said rupturable score line when said tab is in its original position, said tab having a rear portion being adapted to be easily grasped and lifted up to urge said forward portion against said panel as the tab is pivoted about said axis to rupture said score line and depress said panel away from said end wall and about its hinge to open position, the initial lifting movement of said tab rear portion effecting an initial rupturing of said score line adjacent said tab forward portion and further lifting of said tab rear portion causing propagation of the initial rupturing of the score line away from said tab forward portion and into said generally arcuate section of said score line, and said tab forward portion being adapted to press initially against said tear panel at a place spaced from said rupturable score line.

19. The structure defined in claim 18 wherein said two spaced portions of said score line diverge as they extend outwardly from said region.

20. The structure defined in claim 18 wherein said means for attaching said tab to said end wall comprises a rivet formed in about the center of said end wall and adjacent said tear panel.

21. The structure defined in claim 18 wherein propagation of the initial rupturing of the score line is effected through one of said two spaced portions then through said generally arcuate section, then through the other of said two spaced portions of said score line.

22. The structure defined in claim 21 wherein said tab forward rupturing portion has a generally semicircular periphery that is urged against the tear panel as said tab rear portion is lifted up to effect said initial rupturing and said propagation.

23. The structure defined in claim 22 wherein said tab forward rupturing portion overlies at least one of said two spaced portions of said score line.

24. The structure defined in claim 21 wherein said tab is arranged in a position substantially flat with respect to the underlying area of said end wall prior to opening and is adapted to be returned toward that position after depressing said tear panel and without causing return movement of said tear panel towards said end wall.

25. The structure defined in claim 18 wherein said tab comprises: a first member of a first material extending substantially the length of the tab and providing rigidity against transverse bending; a second member of a second material; said means for attaching said tab and providing for said pivotal movement thereof comprising means for connecting said tab to attachment means on said end wall and including a portion bendable for permitting said pivotal movement; said bendable portion comprising parts of said first and second members; said first material having greater strength than said second material; and said second material being more capable of being bent back and forth without breaking than said first material.

26. A tab suitable for levering open a tear panel on an end wall of an easy-open container without being detached from the container, said tab having a rear end adapted to be lifted to open a tear panel and a front end adapted to be pressed down on a tear panel and comrising: a first member of a first material extending substantially the length of said tab between its ends and providing rigidity against transverse bending when the tab is used as a lever; a second member of a second material; said first and second members being mechanically joined together by overlap of a marginal portion of said first member around a marginal portion of said second member, said members having other portions thereof which have aligned openings therethrough for receiving a rivet from a container end wall and which are bendable for permitting pivotal movement of said tab about an axis transverse to said length; said first material having greater strength than said second material; and said second material being more capable of being bent back and forth without breaking than first material.

27. The structure defined in claim 26 wherein said first member has a generally arcuate front end constituting said tab front end and having opposite sides extending toward the rear of the tab; said arcuate front end of said first member having an outer margin overlapping and gripping a corresponding outer margin of said second member to mechanically join said members together.

28. The structure defined in claim 17 wherein said first and second members are made of aluminous materials.

29. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein said container end wall and said tab are made of aluminous materials.

30. The structure defined in claim 7 wherein said container end wall and said first member and said second member are made of aluminous materials.

31. The structure defined in claim 18 wherein said container end wall and said tab are made of aluminous materials.

32. The structure defined in claim 25 wherein said container end wall and said first member and said second member are made of aluminous materials.