Patents Assigned to Ball Corporation
  • METAL END CLOSURE WITH AN EXTENDED SCORE WHICH IS OPENED WITH A SECONDARY TOOL
    Publication number: 20160052667
    Abstract: A metallic container end closure is provided that generally comprises a primary pour opening and an extended or secondary score which is opened with a secondary tool to form a secondary pour opening. The fact that a secondary tool is required allows the secondary score to be shallower, and thus more secure than deeper scores that are openable by finger pressure alone. Once the secondary tool is used to fracture the secondary score, a secondary pour opening is produced adjacent to the primary pour opening to form a larger opening. A user may insert materials such as ice or oranges through the enlarged pour opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Applicant: Ball Corporation
    Inventors: Erik E. Gatewood, Mark A. Jacober
  • CONTAINER END CLOSURE WITH AN INTEGRAL FLUID CHANNEL
    Publication number: 20160052668
    Abstract: An end closure for food and beverage containers is provided that comprises a novel center panel for collecting and distributing fluids and solids into a pour opening of the end closure. The fluids and solids may be juice and fruit or vegetable pieces. The end closure may further comprise a novel pull tab for assisting in the collection and distribution of the fluids and solids into the pour opening of the end closure. In one embodiment, the center panel comprises a catch basin and a luge for collecting and directing fluids and solids into the pour opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Applicant: BALL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Erik E. Gatewood, Mark A. Jacober
  • Apparatus and method for orienting a beverage container end closure and applying indicia in a predetermined location
    Patent number: 9259913
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of orienting and decorating container end closures is provided. More specifically, the present invention relates to apparatus and methods used to position container end closures in a predetermined orientation and then decorate a predetermined portion of the end closures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Ball Corporation
    Inventor: Dean C. Ellefson
  • PULL TAB FOR COLLECTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF JUICE INTO A BEVERAGE CONTAINER
    Publication number: 20160039565
    Abstract: An end closure for food and beverage containers is provided which comprises a novel pull tab for collecting and distributing juice from fruit or vegetables into a pour opening in the end closure of the container. In some embodiments, the pull tab comprises a catch basin, raised rim, and fluid flow openings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Applicant: BALL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Erik E. Gatewood
  • End closure with tab guidance features
    Patent number: 9248936
    Abstract: An improved end closure for food and beverage containers is provided. The end closure contains a raised bead portion for guiding and directing the opening or lifting motion of a tab portion attached to the end closure. More efficient opening features are enabled by the guided action of the tab and raised bead features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Ball Corporation
    Inventors: Robert M. Rayburn, Kenneth D. Anderson
  • Vented metallic container end closure
    Patent number: 9233784
    Abstract: A metallic container end closure is provided that generally comprises a dispensing opening and a vent opening. The vent opening improves pourability through the dispensing opening and provides an alternative option for consuming the contents of the container. The end closure may include features to ease opening of the vent opening, such as stiffeners and/or vent form features. Additionally, the end closure may include various safety features, such as a safety fold. In some configurations, the container end closure does not include a pull tab for opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Ball Corporation
    Inventors: Mark A. Jacober, Howard C. Chasteen
  • END CLOSURE WITH LARGE OPENING RING PULL TAB
    Publication number: 20150251803
    Abstract: An end closure for food and beverage containers is provided. The end closure comprises a central panel with a large opening defined by a score line. The end closure further comprises a ring pull tab operably interconnected to the central panel proximate to a peripheral edge of the central panel. Prior to opening the end closure, a tail end of the ring pull tab is positioned over the tear panel. In some embodiments, the tear panel may completely detach from the end closure upon opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2015
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Applicant: BALL CORPORATION
    Inventor: ROBERT M. RAYBURN
  • Container end closure with buckle control feature
    Patent number: 9114451
    Abstract: An end closure for food and beverage containers is provided. The end closure comprises a central panel portion having an induced buckle coin and an interrupted panel coin positioned proximate to an inner panel wall to control the buckling location on the end closure. Thus, the end closure will buckle at a predetermined location away from the score and tear panel to avoid catastrophic failure and container leakage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: BALL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Howard C. Chasteen, Mark A. Jacober
  • Easy access opening tab for a container end closure
    Patent number: 9033174
    Abstract: An end closure for food and beverage containers is provided. The end closure comprises a central panel portion having a protuberance for facilitating access to and manipulation of a pull tab. Before the food or beverage container is pressurized, the protuberance is substantially flat to improve stacking and conveying of the end closure. After the food or beverage container is filled and pressurized, the protuberance selectively deflects and lifts a tail portion of the pull tab to facilitate access.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Ball Corporation
    Inventors: Howard C. Chasteen, Mark A. Jacober
  • End closure with double anti-missile score
    Patent number: 9033175
    Abstract: An end closure for food and beverage containers provides controlled opening characteristics to prevent the unintentional missiling of a tear panel. The end closure comprises a score line that defines a portion of the tear panel, and the end closure may comprise one or more anti-missile features that inhibit the propagation of a fracture down a score line, which reduces the likelihood that a tear panel will inadvertently detach from the end closure and injure the user or another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Ball Corporation
    Inventor: Dennis K. Frank
  • Can Shell and Double-Seamed Can End
    Publication number: 20150122829
    Abstract: A drawn aluminum can shell has a peripheral crown which is double-seamed with an end portion of an aluminum can body to provide a can end having a generally flat center panel connected by an inclined curved or straight panel wall to an inclined inner wall of an annular U-shaped countersink. The countersink has an outer wall which connects with an inclined lower wall portion of a chuck wall at a junction below the center panel, and the chuck wall has a curved or inclined upper wall portion which connects with an inner wall of the crown. The chuck wall also has an intermediate wall portion forming a break, and the inner bottom width of the countersink is less than the radial width of the panel wall. The inclined upper wall portion of the chuck wall extends at an angle greater than the angle of the inclined lower wall portion of the chuck wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicants: CONTAINER DEVELOPMENT LTD., BALL CORPORATION
    Inventors: R. Peter Stodd, Jess N. Bathurst
  • Metallic end closure with tear panel having improved rigidity
    Patent number: 8950619
    Abstract: An end closure for a container is provided. The end closure includes a stay-on-tab and a tear panel defined by a frangible score and a non-frangible hinge segment. The tear panel includes a raised portion which extends in an upward orientation toward a public side of the end closure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Ball Corporation
    Inventor: Daniel Benjamin Bork
  • METHOD OF MANUFACTURING AND PROVIDING LITHOGRAPHY ON METAL CLOSURES
    Publication number: 20150020364
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to manufacturing metallic closures from a continuous coil of a pre-coated sheet metal material. More specifically, the present invention relates to manufacturing closures adapted for interconnection to a threaded neck of a container using a continuous coil of pre-coated aluminum sheet material. In one embodiment, marketing indicia or product information may be applied to the closures after formation of the closures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Applicant: Ball Corporation
    Inventor: David J. Bonfoey
  • Can shell and double-seamed can end
    Patent number: 8931660
    Abstract: A drawn aluminum can shell has a peripheral crown which is double-seamed with an end portion of an aluminum can body to provide a can end having a generally flat center panel connected by an inclined curved or straight panel wall to an inclined inner wall of an annular U-shaped countersink. The countersink has an outer wall which connects with an inclined lower wall portion of a chuck wall at a junction below the center panel, and the chuck wall has a curved or inclined upper wall portion which connects with an inner wall of the crown. The chuck wall also has an intermediate wall portion forming a break, and the inner bottom width of the countersink is less than the radial width of the panel wall. The inclined upper wall portion of the chuck wall extends at an angle greater than the angle of the inclined lower wall portion of the chuck wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignees: Ball Corporation, Container Development, Ltd.
    Inventors: R. Peter Stodd, Jess N. Bathurst
  • Beverage container
    Patent number: D725471
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Ball Corporation
    Inventors: Mark A. Jacober, Greg E. Robinson
  • Beverage container
    Patent number: D725472
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Ball Corporation
    Inventors: Mark A. Jacober, Greg E. Robinson
  • Vented container end closure
    Patent number: D727725
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Ball Corporation
    Inventors: Mark A. Jacober, Howard C. Chasteen
  • Beverage container
    Patent number: D734154
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Ball Corporation
    Inventors: Dean L. Johnson, David J. Bonfoey
  • Two-piece contoured metallic container
    Patent number: D742251
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Ball Corporation
    Inventors: Jason M. Kaanta, Daniel A. Edwards
  • Container end closure
    Patent number: D749415
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Ball Corporation
    Inventor: Anthony J. Scott