METHOD AND APPARATUS THAT FACILITATES CREATING MULTIPLE OPENINGS ON A CAN TOP VIA A COMMON DEVICE
Aspects for creating multiple openings on a can top via a common device are disclosed. In an aspect, a can top is provided, which includes a device coupled to a surface and configured to create openings on the surface at multiple locations. In another aspect, a method includes forming a surface and attaching a device to the surface, which is configured to create a plurality of openings at different locations. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable instructions is also disclosed. The instructions include instructions for providing access to designs that implement a device configured to create openings in a can top at multiple locations. Instructions are also provided to facilitate receiving a selection corresponding to a desired design which identifies a desired opening mechanism, as well as instructions for outputting data corresponding to an implementation of the desired design having the desired opening mechanism.
The subject disclosure generally relates to can tops, and more specifically to can top designs having a mechanism that facilitates opening a mouth portion and a vent portion via a common device.
BACKGROUNDBy way of background concerning conventional can tops, it is noted that such can tops are limited to having a single opening. Namely, conventional can tops include a single score, which is punctured via the pulling of a tab. Pouring beverages via such designs, however, is often undesirably slow since air flow is substantially restricted.
To overcome this limitation, a second opening may be created to facilitate better air flow. Creating a second opening, however, requires use of an external device (e.g., a key, knife, etc.), which is not always readily available. Furthermore, even when such external devices are available, their use is often dangerous and cumbersome since they are not specifically designed to create openings in can tops.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide can tops which overcome these limitations. To this end, it should be noted that the above-described deficiencies are merely intended to provide an overview of some of the problems of conventional systems, and are not intended to be exhaustive. Other problems with the state of the art and corresponding benefits of some of the various non-limiting embodiments may become further apparent upon review of the following detailed description.
SUMMARYA simplified summary is provided herein to help enable a basic or general understanding of various aspects of exemplary, non-limiting embodiments that follow in the more detailed description and the accompanying drawings. This summary is not intended, however, as an extensive or exhaustive overview. Instead, the sole purpose of this summary is to present some concepts related to some exemplary non-limiting embodiments in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description of the various embodiments that follow.
In accordance with one or more embodiments and corresponding disclosure, various non-limiting aspects are described in connection with can tops that facilitate creating multiple openings via a common device. In one such aspect, a can top is provided, which includes a surface portion and a device coupled to the surface portion. Within such embodiment, the device is configured to create a first opening in the surface portion at a first location. The device is further configured to create a second opening in the surface portion at a second location.
In another aspect, a method that facilitates a manufacturing of a can top is provided. For this embodiment, the method includes forming a surface portion and attaching a device to the surface portion. Here, the device is configured to create a first opening in the surface portion at a first location, and a second opening in the surface portion at a second location.
In a further aspect, a computer-readable storage medium that facilitates a production of a can top is provided, which includes a memory component configured to store computer-readable instructions. The computer-readable instructions including instructions for performing various acts including providing access to at least one can top design. Within such embodiment, the at least one can top design implements a device configured to create a first opening in the can top at a first location, and a second opening in the can top at a second location. Instructions are also provided to facilitate receiving a selection corresponding to a desired can top design in which the selection identifies a desired opening mechanism, as well as instructions for outputting data corresponding to an implementation of the desired can top design having the desired opening mechanism.
Other embodiments and various non-limiting examples, scenarios and implementations are described in more detail below.
Various non-limiting embodiments are further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
As discussed in the background, it is desirable to provide can tops in which a mouth portion and a vent portion can be readily opened. The various embodiments disclosed herein are directed towards such can tops. For instance, can top designs are disclosed which enable an opening of a mouth portion and a vent portion via a single motion. In other aspects, methods and computer-readable media are disclosed which facilitate manufacturing and displaying such can top designs.
Exemplary Can Top EmbodimentsReferring next to
Since it may be desirable to simultaneously create a mouth opening and a vent opening, device 110 may be configured to open each of mouth score 122 and vent score 124 via a single motion. For instance, in a particular embodiment, device 110 is a lever having a first end and a second end, as shown, wherein the first end is configured to lift open vent score 124, and wherein the second end is configured to puncture mouth score 122. Moreover, within such embodiment, a lifting of device 110 via the illustrated lever mechanism simultaneously punctures mouth score 122 and lifts open vent score 124 in a single motion.
In another aspect, to further facilitate a more desirable pour, a can top having a concave surface is contemplated. In
A dual lever embodiment is also contemplated. For instance, as illustrated in
In a related aspect, rather than implementing dual levers onto a single device, two distinct levers may be used. For instance, referring next to
In another aspect, it is further contemplated that dual levers may be lifted via a twist mechanism. In
Referring next to
Referring next to
In another aspect, a further twist mechanism implementation is contemplated, as shown in
In another aspect, a dual lever design can be implemented to include a push/pull mechanism, as illustrated in
Referring next to
In an aspect, process 1000 begins with the forming of a can top surface at act 1010. As stated previously, it is contemplated that such surface may be either a flat surface or a concave surface. It is also contemplated that the forming may further comprise creating at least one score (i.e., a mouth score and/or a vent score) on the surface portion proximate to at least one of a first location (i.e., for a mouth opening) or a second location (i.e., for a vent opening). Accordingly, at act 1020, process 1000 determines whether to create at least one score on the can top surface. If no scores are desired, process 1000 proceeds directly to act 1030 where a device type is determined. Otherwise, if at least one score is desired (i.e., a mouth score and/or a vent score), process 1000 first proceeds to act 1025 where the score(s) is/are created, before proceeding to act 1030.
Once a device type is determined at act 1030, process 1000 concludes at act 1040 where the desired device type is attached to the can top surface. Here, it should be noted that any of a plurality of device types can be selected/attached. For instance, the attaching at act 1040 may comprise implementing a single lever mechanism (e.g., device 110 or device 210), wherein a first end of the single lever mechanism is configured to create a mouth opening, and wherein a second end of the single lever mechanism is configured to create a vent opening. Alternatively, the attaching at act 1040 may comprise implementing a dual lever mechanism (e.g., device 310, twist mechanism 530, twist mechanism 810, or push/pull mechanism 930), wherein a mouth lever of the dual lever mechanism is configured to create a mouth opening, and wherein a vent lever of the dual lever mechanism is configured to create a vent opening.
Referring next to
In an aspect, process 1100 begins with the providing of access to at least one can top design at act 1110. Here, it should be noted that the at least one can top design implements a device configured to create a mouth opening in the can top at a first location, as well as a vent opening in the can top at a second location. It should be further noted that the providing at act 1110 may also comprise providing at least one single-motion design (e.g., device 110, device 210, device 310, twist mechanism 530, or push/pull mechanism 830), wherein the single-motion design implements an opening mechanism configured to create the mouth opening and the vent opening in a continuous motion.
Next, at act 1120, process 1100 continues with a receiving of a selection corresponding to a desired can top design, wherein the selection identifies a desired opening mechanism. Process 1100 then retrieves the desired can top design at act 1130, and concludes at act 1140 with an outputting of data corresponding to an implementation of the desired can top design having the desired opening mechanism. Here, it should be noted that such output could be any of a plurality of output types. For instance, the outputting at act 1140 may comprise compiling machine code that facilitates manufacturing the can top according to the desired can top design having the desired opening mechanism. Alternatively, the outputting at act 1140 may comprise displaying a depiction of the desired can top design having the desired opening mechanism.
In yet another aspect, a process that facilitates forming a can from a single substrate is also contemplated. In
Once lid portion 1211 has been stamped, process 1200 proceeds to act 1230 where a cup is stamped into bottom portion 1212, as shown. Bottom portion 1212 is subsequently stretched to a desired length, at act 1240. Process 1200 then concludes at act 1250 where lid portion 1211 is folded over bottom portion 1212 so as to seal contents included therein (e.g., sealing a beverage filled in bottom portion 1212). Here, in an alternative embodiment, it should be noted that the aforementioned stamping of a cup at act 1230 can be performed on lid portion 1211, rather than on bottom portion 1212. For example, within such embodiment, lid portion 1211 can be stamped such that a cup is formed on an opposite side of lever 1213 and score 1215. Lid portion 1211 can then be stretched to a desired length, similar to how bottom portion 1212 is stretched at act 1240. Here, a beverage can thus be filled from the bottom of a can (i.e., via an end of the can opposite from the lid portion), rather than via the top of a can, wherein the can is subsequently sealed by folding bottom portion 1212 over the stretched form of lid portion 1211.
Exemplary Networked and Distributed EnvironmentsOne of ordinary skill in the art can appreciate that various embodiments for implementing the use of a computing device and related embodiments described herein can be implemented in connection with any computer or other client or server device, which can be deployed as part of a computer network or in a distributed computing environment, and can be connected to any kind of data store. Moreover, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that such embodiments can be implemented in any computer system or environment having any number of memory or storage units, and any number of applications and processes occurring across any number of storage units. This includes, but is not limited to, an environment with server computers and client computers deployed in a network environment or a distributed computing environment, having remote or local storage.
Each computing object or device 1310, 1312, etc. and computing objects or devices 1320, 1322, 1324, 1326, 1328, etc. can communicate with one or more other computing objects or devices 1310, 1312, etc. and computing objects or devices 1320, 1322, 1324, 1326, 1328, etc. by way of the communications network 1340, either directly or indirectly. Even though illustrated as a single element in
There are a variety of systems, components, and network configurations that support distributed computing environments. For example, computing systems can be connected together by wired or wireless systems, by local networks or widely distributed networks. Currently, many networks are coupled to the Internet, which provides an infrastructure for widely distributed computing and encompasses many different networks, though any network infrastructure can be used for exemplary communications made incident to the techniques as described in various embodiments.
Thus, a host of network topologies and network infrastructures, such as client/server, peer-to-peer, or hybrid architectures, can be utilized. In a client/server architecture, particularly a networked system, a client is usually a computer that accesses shared network resources provided by another computer, e.g., a server. In the illustration of
A server is typically a remote computer system accessible over a remote or local network, such as the Internet or wireless network infrastructures. The client process may be active in a first computer system, and the server process may be active in a second computer system, communicating with one another over a communications medium, thus providing distributed functionality and allowing multiple clients to take advantage of the information-gathering capabilities of the server. Any software objects utilized pursuant to the user profiling can be provided standalone, or distributed across multiple computing devices or objects.
In a network environment in which the communications network/bus 1340 is the Internet, for example, the computing objects or devices 1310, 1312, etc. can be Web servers with which the computing objects or devices 1320, 1322, 1324, 1326, 1328, etc. communicate via any of a number of known protocols, such as HTTP. As mentioned, computing objects or devices 1310, 1312, etc. may also serve as computing objects or devices 1320, 1322, 1324, 1326, 1328, etc., or vice versa, as may be characteristic of a distributed computing environment.
Exemplary Computing DeviceAs mentioned, several of the aforementioned embodiments apply to any device wherein it may be desirable to utilize a computing device according to the aspects disclosed herein. It is understood, therefore, that handheld, portable and other computing devices and computing objects of all kinds are contemplated for use in connection with the various embodiments described herein. Accordingly, the below general purpose remote computer described below in
Although not required, any of the embodiments can partly be implemented via an operating system, for use by a developer of services for a device or object, and/or included within application software that operates in connection with the operable component(s). Software may be described in the general context of computer executable instructions, such as program modules, being executed by one or more computers, such as client workstations, servers or other devices. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that network interactions may be practiced with a variety of computer system configurations and protocols.
With reference to
Computer 1410 typically includes a variety of computer readable media and can be any available media that can be accessed by computer 1410. The system memory 1430 may include computer storage media in the form of volatile and/or nonvolatile memory such as read only memory (ROM) and/or random access memory (RAM). By way of example, and not limitation, memory 1430 may also include an operating system, application programs, other program modules, and program data.
A user may enter commands and information into the computer 1410 through input devices 1440 A monitor or other type of display device is also connected to the system bus 1421 via an interface, such as output interface 1450. In addition to a monitor, computers may also include other peripheral output devices such as speakers and a printer, which may be connected through output interface 1450.
The computer 1410 may operate in a networked or distributed environment using logical connections to one or more other remote computers, such as remote computer 1470. The remote computer 1470 may be a personal computer, a server, a router, a network PC, a peer device or other common network node, or any other remote media consumption or transmission device, and may include any or all of the elements described above relative to the computer 1410. The logical connections depicted in
As mentioned above, while exemplary embodiments have been described in connection with various computing devices and networks, the underlying concepts may be applied to any network system and any computing device or system in which it is desirable to publish, build applications for or consume data in connection with the aspects described herein.
The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description or the claims, for the avoidance of doubt, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition word without precluding any additional or other elements.
As mentioned, the various techniques described herein may be implemented in connection with hardware or software or, where appropriate, with a combination of both. As used herein, the terms “component,” “system” and the like are likewise intended to refer to a computer-related entity, either hardware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or software in execution. For example, a component may be, but is not limited to being, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable, a thread of execution, a program, and/or a computer. By way of illustration, both an application running on computer and the computer can be a component. One or more components may reside within a process and/or thread of execution and a component may be localized on one computer and/or distributed between two or more computers.
The aforementioned systems have been described with respect to interaction between several components. It can be appreciated that such systems and components can include those components or specified sub-components, some of the specified components or sub-components, and/or additional components, and according to various permutations and combinations of the foregoing. Sub-components can also be implemented as components communicatively coupled to other components rather than included within parent components (hierarchical). Additionally, it is noted that one or more components may be combined into a single component providing aggregate functionality or divided into several separate sub-components, and any one or more middle layers, such as a management layer, may be provided to communicatively couple to such sub-components in order to provide integrated functionality. Any components described herein may also interact with one or more other components not specifically described herein but generally known by those of skill in the art.
In view of the exemplary systems described supra, methodologies that may be implemented in accordance with the disclosed subject matter can be appreciated with reference to the various figures. While for purposes of simplicity of explanation, some of the methodologies are shown and described as a series of blocks, it is to be understood and appreciated that the claimed subject matter is not limited by the order of the blocks, as some blocks may occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other blocks from what is depicted and described herein. Where non-sequential, or branched, flow is illustrated via flowchart, it can be appreciated that various other branches, flow paths, and orders of the blocks, may be implemented which achieve the same or a similar result. Moreover, not all illustrated blocks may be required to implement the methodologies described hereinafter.
While in some embodiments, a client side perspective may be inferred, it is to be understood for the avoidance of doubt that a corresponding server perspective exists, or vice versa. Similarly, where a method is practiced, a corresponding device can be provided having storage and at least one processor configured to practice that method via one or more components.
While the various embodiments have been described in connection with the embodiments of the various figures, it is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiment for performing the same function without deviating there from. Still further, one or more aspects of the above described embodiments may be implemented in or across a plurality of processing chips or devices, and storage may similarly be affected across a plurality of devices. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited to any single embodiment, but rather should be construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the appended claims.
Claims
1. A can top, comprising:
- a surface portion; and
- a device coupled to the surface portion, wherein the device is configured to create a first opening in the surface portion at a first location, and wherein the device is configured to create a second opening in the surface portion at a second location.
2. The can top according to claim 1, wherein the surface portion further comprises a first score proximate to the first location, and wherein the device is configured to open the first score.
3. The can top according to claim 2, wherein the surface portion further comprises a second score proximate to the second location, and wherein the device is configured to open the second score.
4. The can top according to claim 3, wherein the device is configured to open each of the first score and the second score via a single motion.
5. The can top according to claim 4, wherein the device is a lever having a first end and a second end, the first end configured to lift open the first score, the second end configured to puncture the second score.
6. The can top according to claim 3, wherein the device comprises a first lever and a second lever, the first lever configured to puncture the first score, the second lever configured to puncture the second score.
7. The can top according to claim 6, wherein a first end of the first lever is positioned beneath a second end of the second lever, and wherein a lifting of the first end lifts the first end together with the second end, the lifting simultaneously puncturing the first score and the second score.
8. The can top according to claim 6, further comprising a twist mechanism coupled to the surface portion, the twist mechanism having at least one lip configured to lift the first lever and the second lever via a rotation of the twist mechanism, wherein a lifting of the first lever and the second lever via the rotation punctures the first score and the second score.
9. The can top according to claim 8, the twist mechanism having a first lip proximate to the first lever and a second lip proximate to the second lever, wherein the twist mechanism is configured to simultaneously puncture the first score and the second score via the rotation.
10. The can top according to claim 6, wherein the device further comprises a pull mechanism coupled to the first lever and the second lever, the pull mechanism configured to simultaneously puncture the first score and the second score via a pulling of the pull mechanism.
11. The can top according to claim 10, wherein the device further comprises a push mechanism coupled to the first lever and the second lever, the push mechanism configured to individually puncture the first score or the second score via a pushing of the push mechanism.
12. A method that facilitates a manufacturing of a can top, comprising:
- forming a surface portion; and
- attaching a device to the surface portion, wherein the device is configured to create a first opening in the surface portion at a first location, and wherein the device is configured to create a second opening in the surface portion at a second location.
13. The method of claim 12, the forming further comprising creating at least one score on the surface portion proximate to at least one of the first location or the second location.
14. The method of claim 13, the creating comprising creating a first score proximate to the first location and a second score proximate to the second location.
15. The method of claim 12, the attaching comprising implementing a single lever mechanism, wherein a first end of the single lever mechanism is configured to create the first opening, and wherein a second end of the single lever mechanism is configured to create the second opening.
16. The method of claim 12, the attaching comprising implementing a dual lever mechanism, wherein a first lever of the dual lever mechanism is configured to create the first opening, and wherein a second lever of the dual lever mechanism is configured to create the second opening.
17. A computer-readable storage medium that facilitates a production of a can top, comprising:
- a memory component configured to store computer-readable instructions, the computer-readable instructions including instructions for performing the following acts: providing access to at least one can top design, the at least one can top design implementing a device configured to create a first opening in the can top at a first location, the device further configured to create a second opening in the can top at a second location; receiving a selection corresponding to a desired can top design, the selection identifying a desired opening mechanism; and outputting data corresponding to an implementation of the desired can top design having the desired opening mechanism.
18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, the providing comprising providing at least one single-motion design, wherein the single-motion design implements an opening mechanism configured to create the first opening and the second opening in a continuous motion.
19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, the outputting comprising compiling machine code that facilitates manufacturing the can top according to the desired can top design having the desired opening mechanism.
20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, the outputting comprising displaying a depiction of the desired can top design having the desired opening mechanism.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 20, 2012
Publication Date: Feb 25, 2016
Inventor: NEIL BULLER (SANGER, CA)
Application Number: 13/589,661