Lid for an aluminum beverage can

Abstract

The invention refers to a can lid for an aluminum beverage can. The can lid has a pull tab, a chuck wall defining a plug diameter, a countersink and central panel having a panel radius. On the central panel, a score line defining a tear panel and a rivet for connecting a pull tab to the can lid are arranged. The rivet extends through a rivet island that is arranged between an opening part of the pull tab and a handle part of the pull tab. The lid has lid plug diameter of between 45 to 49 mm, an outside diameter of between 52 to 55 mm and a weight of less than 1.9 grams. The central panel has a thickness of less than 0.19 mm. The score line defines an area of between 300 mm 2 to 350 mm 2 and the score line has a shortest distance from the panel radius of less than 3 mm.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A beverage can, comprising:
 a body that is symmetric about a longitudinal axis and comprises:
 a base end with a stand ring and a dome; 
 a sidewall extending upwardly from the base end; and 
 a neck; and 
   a can lid interconnected to an upper end of the neck by a seam, the can lid comprising:
 a chuck wall extending downwardly from the seam; 
 a countersink at a lower portion of the chuck wall; and 
 a center panel interconnected to an inner portion of the countersink, the center panel comprising a panel radius, a score line defining a tear panel, a rivet, a pull tab interconnected to the center panel by the rivet, and a ramp-up bead configured to elevate a grip end of the pull tab away from the center panel as the pull tab is rotated from a stored position to an opening position, wherein the ramp-up bead has an arcuate shape and is positioned substantially parallel to a perimeter of the center panel, and wherein a distance between an outermost portion of the score line and the panel radius is less than approximately 3 mm. 
   
     
     
         2 . The beverage can of  claim 1 , wherein the distance between the outermost portion of the score line and the panel radius of the center panel is less than approximately 1 mm. 
     
     
         3 . The beverage can of  claim 1 , wherein the tear panel has an area of between approximately 24% to approximately 34% of an area of the center panel. 
     
     
         4 . The beverage can of  claim 1 , wherein the pull tab is configured to rotate around the rivet from the stored position with an opening end rotated away from the tear panel to the opening position with the opening end positioned above the tear panel and with the grip end of the pull tab spaced from the center panel. 
     
     
         5 . The beverage can of  claim 1 , wherein the rivet is tilted at an angle of between approximately 1° and 9° with respect to a line normal to a plane defined by the countersink. 
     
     
         6 . The beverage can of  claim 1 , wherein the pull tab has a rivet island affixed to the rivet, wherein the rivet island defines a plane that is tilted at an angle of between approximately 2° and approximately 4° with respect to a plane defined by the countersink. 
     
     
         7 . The beverage can of  claim 1 , further comprising a background penetration formed in the center panel that is configured to lower a tensile strength of the score line. 
     
     
         8 . The beverage can of  claim 7 , wherein the background penetration is positioned along both sides of the score line. 
     
     
         9 . The beverage can of  claim 7 , wherein the background penetration further comprises a first width and a first depth, and wherein the first width is greater than a widest portion of the score line and the first depth is less than a maximum depth of the score line. 
     
     
         10 . The beverage can of  claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the center panel is not greater than approximately 40 mm. 
     
     
         11 . The beverage can of  claim 1 , wherein the rivet is arranged at or near a center of the center panel. 
     
     
         12 . The beverage can of  claim 1 , wherein an area of the tear panel is less than approximately 350 mm 2 . 
     
     
         13 . The beverage can of  claim 1 , wherein the can lid is made from an aluminum or a steel. 
     
     
         14 . The beverage can of  claim 1 , wherein the center panel has a first axis defined by the rivet and a center of the tear panel, and wherein the outermost portion of the score line is offset from the first axis. 
     
     
         15 . The beverage can of  claim 14 , wherein the distance between the outermost portion of the score line and the panel radius is less than approximately 1.1 mm. 
     
     
         16 . The beverage can of  claim 14 , wherein a distance between the score line and the panel radius at the first axis is approximately 1.41 mm. 
     
     
         17 . The beverage can of  claim 14 , wherein the center panel has a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis defined by the rivet and the center of the tear panel and the second axis extends through the rivet, and wherein on one side of the first axis the score line extends from a first side of the second axis to a second side of the second axis to improve pouring.