This invention relates to an easy open closure. In particular, it relates to an easy open closure for a container designed to be closed under vacuum and to a container provided with such a closure. The traditional method of closing a vacuum-type container comprises simply placing the closure over the open end of the container so that the vacuum created in the container causes the closure to adhere to the container. A tight seal is obtained by the use of a gasket or sealing compound provided between the container body and the closure.

The present invention seeks to provide a closure which improves the openability of a vacuum container whilst not unduly increasing the cost of manufacturing the closure.

According to the present invention, there is provided an easy open closure for a container having a rigid body and being adapted to be closed under vacuum, the closure comprising a panel, a tab connected to the panel, and a score in the panel, the tab being suitable for rupturing the score and releasing the vacuum.

Preferably, the tab is located close to the score and may substantially cover the score.

Easy-open ends are known for example for metal containers for carbonated drinks, in which a tab is generally riveted to a central panel of the end. A closure portion of the end is defined by a score line which can be broken by lifting a rear portion of the tab so as to detach the closure portion from the rest of the central panel thus providing an aperture through which product may be extracted from the container. Whilst such ends and associated technology are well-known for beverage

containers, for example, no suitable opening of this kind has been developed as a closure for vacuum containers.

The closure may be rigid and may therefore be used as a loose cover after opening the container to protect the product inside, since only a small vent hole will be present in the closure when the score is broken.

The primary function of the tab of the present invention is to break at least part of the score so as to release the vacuum. The tab does not break the score so as to provide an aperture in the closure through which a product can be removed from the container as in a beverage container, for example. The release of the vacuum enables the whole closure to be removed by simply lifting the closure, without needing to tear away the whole score or to provide access to the product via an aperture in the closure.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a container having a rigid body and provided with a closure as described above. A preferred embodiment of container will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a closure according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the closure of figure 1 in use fixed to a vacuum container; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the container of figure 2 after opening, with a portion of the closure cut away. With reference to the figures, there is shown a container 10 (figures 2 and 3) and a metal closure 20.

The container body 10 is made of a rigid material suitable for withstanding a vacuum, for example of plastics or glass.

The closure 20 comprises a concave panel 25 having a peripheral flange 30 which has an inner groove on its underside in which a gasket or sealing compound 40 (figure 3) is provided. The closure 20 fits on the container body 10 and the top edge of the container is embedded in the sealing compound 40 so that an air tight seal is formed when a vacuum pulls the closure onto the container body.

The closure 20 includes an easy opening device or tab 60 comprising a gripping ring or ring pull 70 and a lug 90 attached to the centre of the panel 25 by a rivet 95. The lug portion of the tab substantially covers a U-shaped score 80 (dotted line in figure 1).

The tab is thus arranged so as to rupture the score 80 when the tab is lifted away from the panel by the gripping ring 70. As the ring 70 is lifted, projecting fingers 75 of the tab press on respective bosses 100 and the score 80 is broken as the tab 60 pivots about a bendable region 85. As the score ruptures, air is able to enter the container 10 and so release the vacuum. The closure can then be removed easily by lifting it off the container.

It will be appreciated that the invention has been described above by way of example only and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.