End cap with score line for controlled flap opening, and method and tooling therefor

Abstract

An assembly including an end cap having an end cap body having a rivet opening, a tab having a rivet opening, and a rivet extending through the rivet opening of the end cap body and the rivet opening of the tab, thereby coupling the tab to the end cap body. The end cap further includes a main score line formed in the end cap body and defining a flap. The main score line is configured to be torn along its length in a downstream direction to enable the flap to pivot about a hinge area. The main score line extends from a first side of at least one of the rivet openings to a second side of the at least one of the rivet openings in the downstream direction. A portion of the main score line, located on the second side of the at least one rivet opening, does not intersect a tangent line located at a bottom of the at least one rivet opening, or does not extend upwardly beyond the tangent line by more than 3/1000″.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An assembly including an end cap comprising:
 an end cap body having a rivet opening;   a tab having a rivet opening;   a rivet extending through the rivet opening of the end cap body and the rivet opening of the tab, thereby coupling the tab to the end cap body; and   a main score line formed in the end cap body and defining a flap, wherein the main score line is configured to be torn along its length in a downstream direction to enable the flap to pivot about a hinge area, wherein the main score line extends from a first side of at least one of the rivet openings to a second side of the at least one of the rivet openings in the downstream direction, and wherein a portion of the main score line, located on the second side of the at least one rivet opening, does not intersect a tangent line located at a bottom of the at least one rivet opening, or does not extend upwardly beyond the tangent line by more than 3/1000″.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the at least one rivet opening is the rivet opening of the tab, and wherein an entirety of the main score line located in the downstream direction of the tab rivet opening and on the second side of the tab rivet opening does not intersect the tangent line located at the bottom of the tab rivet opening. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the at least one opening is the rivet opening of the tab, and wherein no portion of the main score line located in the downstream direction of the tab rivet opening and on the second side of the tab rivet opening is located above the tangent line. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the at least one opening is the rivet opening of the tab, and wherein an entirety of the portion of the main score line located in the downstream direction of the tab rivet opening and on the second side of the tab rivet opening is located below the tangent line. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the at least one opening is the rivet opening of the end cap. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 5  wherein the portion of the main score line, located on the second side of the end cap rivet opening, does not extend upwardly beyond the tangent line by more than 3/1000″. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly of  claim 5  wherein the portion of the main score line, located on the second side of the end cap rivet opening, does not extend upwardly beyond the tangent line by more than 1/1000″. 
     
     
         8 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the main score line is in the shape of a generally closed loop, wherein the loop has a major axis oriented parallel to the tangent line. 
     
     
         9 . The assembly of  claim 8  wherein the first side and the second side are separated by a line extending through a center of the at least one rivet opening and oriented perpendicular to the major axis. 
     
     
         10 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the main score line is in the shape of a generally closed loop, and wherein the main score line has a first end and a second end that are spaced apart to define the hinge area about which the flap is pivotable when the main score line is torn along its length, wherein the first end and the second end are both located on the first side of the at least one rivet opening, and wherein the at least one rivet opening is circular. 
     
     
         11 . The assembly of  claim 10  wherein the first end and the second end are both located below the tangent line. 
     
     
         12 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the bottom of the at least one rivet opening is aligned with a center line of the end cap body and at least one of: a) is a location of the at least one rivet opening located closest to the main score line; or b) aligned with the center line that bisects a debossed section of the flap; c) is aligned with the center line that is aligned with a minor axis of the flap; or d) is aligned with the center line that bisects the length of the flap along a major axis thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the first side and the second side of the rivet opening are defined by a line passing through a center of the at least one rivet opening and that at least one of: a) bisects a debossed section of the flap; or b) is aligned with a minor axis of the flap; or c) bisects the length of the flap along a major axis thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein an entirety or a majority of the main score line is located on a lower side of the tangent line. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein a portion of the main score line, located on the second side of the at least one rivet opening, does not intersect the tangent line, or does not extend upwardly beyond the tangent line by more than 3/1000″. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the main score line is configured to be torn along its length in the downstream direction to separate the flap from a remainder of the end cap body and enable the flap to pivot relative to the remainder of the end cap body about a hinge area, the tab has an end positioned adjacent to the flap, wherein the tab is pivotable about the rivet in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the end cap body such that the end of the tab is pressable into the flap to cause the main score line to tear along its length. 
     
     
         17 . The assembly of  claim 1  further including an anti-fracture score line formed in the end cap body and oriented substantially parallel to the main score line, and wherein the end cap body has a thickness of between about 8/1000″ and about 8.5/1000″. 
     
     
         18 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the flap has a length, extending in a direction parallel to the tangent line, that is greater than a height extending in a direction perpendicular to the tangent line. 
     
     
         19 . The assembly of  claim 1  further including a cylindrical container body configured to store a fluid therein, wherein the end cap is coupled to an end of the container body. 
     
     
         20 . An assembly including an end cap comprising:
 an end cap body having a rivet opening;   a tab having a rivet opening;   a rivet extending through the rivet opening of the end cap body and the rivet opening of the tab, thereby coupling the tab to the end cap body; and   a main score line formed in the end cap body and defining a flap, wherein the main score line is configured to be torn along its length in a downstream direction to enable the flap to pivot about a hinge area, wherein the main score line extends from a first side of at least one of the rivet openings to a second side of the at least one of the rivet openings in the downstream direction, and wherein a portion of the main score line, located on the second side of the at least one rivet opening, does not intersect a tangent line of the at least one rivet opening, or does not extend upwardly beyond the tangent line by more than 3/1000″, wherein the tangent line is oriented parallel to a major axis of the flap and is positioned adjacent to the main score line relative to the rivet opening.   
     
     
         21 . An assembly including an end cap comprising:
 an end cap body having a rivet opening; and   a main score line formed in the end cap body and defining a flap, wherein the main score line is configured to be torn along its length in a downstream direction to enable the flap to pivot about a hinge area, wherein the main score line extends from a first side of the rivet opening to a second side of the rivet opening in the downstream direction, and wherein a portion of the main score line, located on the second side of the rivet opening, does not intersect a tangent line located at a bottom of the rivet opening, or does not extend beyond the tangent line by more than 3/1000″.   
     
     
         22 . A method for forming an end cap comprising:
 accessing an end cap body having a rivet opening; and   forming a main score line in the end cap body defining a flap, wherein the main score line is configured to be torn along its length in a downstream direction to enable the flap to pivot about a hinge area, wherein the main score line extends from a first side of the rivet opening to a second side of the rivet opening in the downstream direction, and wherein the main score line, located on the second side of the rivet opening, does not intersect a tangent line located at a bottom of the rivet opening, or does not extend upwardly beyond the tangent line by more than 3/1000″.   
     
     
         23 . A method for forming an end cap comprising:
 accessing an end cap body having a rivet opening, wherein the end cap body has a main score line formed therein and defining a flap, wherein the main score line is configured to be torn along its length in a downstream direction to enable the flap to pivot about a hinge area;   accessing a tab having rivet opening; and   passing a rivet through the rivet opening of the end cap body and through the rivet opening of the tab to secure the tab to the end cap body, wherein the main score line is configured to extend from a first side of at least one of the rivet openings to a second side of the at least one of the rivet openings in the downstream direction, wherein a portion of the main score line, located on the second side of the at least one rivet opening, is configured to not intersect a tangent line located at a bottom of the at least one rivet opening, or to not extend upwardly beyond the tangent line by more than 3/1000″.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein after the passing step an end of the tab is positioned adjacent to the flap and the tab is pivotable about the rivet in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the end cap body such that the end of the tab is pressable into the flap to cause the main score line to tear along its length. 
     
     
         25 . A tool for making a main score line on an end cap, the end cap including an end cap body made of a relatively thin metal material and configured to have the main score line formed therein and defining a flap, wherein the end cap has or is configured to have a rivet opening and a tab coupled to the end cap body with an end positioned adjacent to the flap, the tab having a tab rivet opening, the tool comprising:
 a tool body having a protrusion positioned on an end thereof, the protrusion being configured to form a correspondingly-shaped and configured main score line in the end cap, wherein the main score line is configured to be torn along its length along downstream direction to enable the flap to pivot about a hinge area, wherein the main score line is configured to extend from a first side of at least one of the rivet openings to a second side of the at least one of the rivet openings in the downstream direction, and wherein a portion of the main score line, located on the second side of the at least one rivet opening, is configured to not intersect a tangent line located at a bottom of the at least one rivet opening, or to not extend upwardly beyond the tangent line by more than 3/1000″.