Devices and Methods for Bending a Tab on a Container

• US 20160038992A1
• Filed: 03/12/2014
• Published: 02/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Station 4, LLC
• Original Assignee: Station 4, LLC
• Inventors: Arthur, Matthew Lee, Barnwell, Leia
• Granted Patent: US 10,065,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 11/10 Bending specially adapted to produce specific articles, e.g. leaf springs making or bending leaf springs B21D53/886
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 51/38 Making inlet or outlet arrangements of cans, tins, baths, bottles, or other vessels; Making can ends; Making closures
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 51/383 scoring lines, tear strips or pulling tabs
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/18 for making package-opening or unpacking elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/24 for shaping or reshaping completed packages
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 43/265 consisting of levers pivoting perpendicularly to container axis, e.g. butterfly levers
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 7/403 adapted for engaging the ring of a pull tab for opening an aperture

Abstract

A device to bend a tab on a container that is already filled and sealed. The device includes a brace for contacting against the tab and a number of lever arms arranged to extend around the tab from multiple different sides. The lever arms are configured to move between a first orientation that are spaced away from the tab, and a second orientation in contact with the tab. The lever arms are further configured to apply a force to the end of the tab to bend a second end upward away from a top side of the container.

Claims

1. A device for bending a tab that is attached to a sealed container, the device comprising:

a brace with a contact surface at a first end, the brace including an elongated axial length;

a contact member that is movable along the axial length of the brace, the contact member comprising a circumferential tapered section;

a support that is separate from each of the brace and the contact member and that extends around the brace;

lever arms that are positioned around the brace that each includes an intermediate section that is pivotally attached to the support, each of the lever arms including a first end with an angled contact surface and an opposing second end with a bearing that contacts against the tapered section of the contact member, the first and second ends being on opposing sides of the intermediate section;

the lever arms each configured to pivot about the intermediate section during movement of the contact member along the axial length of the brace between a first position with the first ends spaced radially away from the first end of the brace and a second position with the first ends in closer proximity to the first end of the brace.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the contact member includes a central opening that receives the brace such that the contact member extends circumferentially around the brace.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the tapered section of the contact member is at an axial end of the contact member.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the brace includes a narrower width at the first end than at a proximal section along the axial length away from the first end, the width measured perpendicular to an axis that extends along the axial length.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the lever arms are separate from the brace and the contact member.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the angled contact surfaces includes a variable width with a tip that is narrower than a foot section, the tip being in closer proximity to the brace than the foot section.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the lever arms includes a biasing member to bias the second ends of the lever arms against the tapered section of the contact member.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the tapered section of the contact member is at an axial end of the contact member.

8. A device for bending a tab that is attached to a sealed container, the device comprising:

an elongated brace with a first end with a contact surface;

a contact member that is movable along a length of the brace, the contact member comprising a circumferential tapered section;

a support that extends around the brace;

lever arms that are pivotally attached to the support and that extend circumferentially around the brace, each of the lever arms including a pivot connection, a wedge on a first side of the pivot connection, and a bearing positioned on an opposing second side of the pivot connection;

the device being movable between a first position with the contact member at a first axial location relative to the brace and each of the lever arms at a first pivot orientation with the bearings in contact with the tapered section and the wedges located radially away from the brace, and a second position with the contact member at a different second axial location relative to the brace and each of the lever arms at a second pivot orientation with the bearings in contact with a wider location along the tapered section and the wedges located radially in closer proximity to the brace.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the wedge is positioned at a first end of each of the lever arms.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the contact member extends around the brace.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the brace includes a narrower width at the first end than at a proximal section axially away from the first end.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein each of the wedges includes a tip that is narrower than a foot section.

14. The device of claim 8, wherein each of the lever arms includes a biasing member to bias a second end towards the tapered section.

15. The device of claim 8, wherein the brace and the contact member are coaxially aligned along a common axis.

16. A method of bending a tab that is attached to a sealed container, the method comprising:

contacting a brace against the tab with an end of the tab extending outward beyond the brace;

positioning lever arms circumferentially around the brace and around the tab;

while the brace is in contact with the tab, moving a tapered contact member axially along the brace and pivoting each of the plurality of lever arms with a first end of the lever arms moving radially inwardly towards the brace and a second end of the lever arms remaining in contact with the tapered contact member and moving radially outwardly away from the brace;

moving at least one wedge positioned at the first end of each of the lever arms under the end of the tab that extends outward from the brace and bending the tab while the brace remains in contact against the tab.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising aligning the wedges at the first end of each of the lever arms axially with the end of the brace prior to moving the tapered contact member axially along the brace.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising biasing the first end of each of the arms radially away from the brace.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising sliding a bearing member at the second end of each of the arms along the tapered contact member while moving the at least one wedge under the end of the tab.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising moving the tapered contact member axially along the brace and sliding bearing members at the second ends of each of the arms from a first axial position along the tapered contact member that includes a smaller width to a second axial position along the tapered contact member that includes a greater width.