This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/043,143, filed Apr. 11, 1997.

This invention relates to an aperture cover for a drink opening in a liquid container.

Conventional beverage cans typically have a tab actuator which may be pivoted to shear open a drink opening located in the top of the can. Beverages sold in this type of can, such as soda pop and beer, attract insects, which may fly into beverage cans through the drink opening. Besides being unappetizing, this invasion spreads germs and may be hazardous to the consumer's health. Thus, there is a need for a cover which allows beverage to flow out of the can while preventing insects, such as bees, from flying into the can.

Several types of covers have been proposed in the prior art, however, the covers have not been practical or fully useful for various reasons. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,326 discloses several embodiments of a cover for a beverage can. Each of these embodiments employs an adhesive, which may not be sanitary, or a cover retaining structure which must be manufactured into the tab actuator of the beverage can. Accordingly, there is a need for a sanitary bug cover which may be manufactured and sold separate from the beverage can. Further, this bug cover should preferably be reusable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a bug guard which may be installed by a consumer over a drink opening in a conventional beverage can having a tab actuator pivotable to open the drink opening. The bug guard includes a retaining slot adapted to receive the tab actuator. The bug guard is secured to the top lid of the can by bending the tab actuator upward, sliding the tab actuator through the retaining slot, and bending the tab actuator downward thereby pinching the bug guard between the tab actuator and the top lid of the can.

The bug guard further includes plurality of apertures in alignment with the drink opening to allow the consumer to drink from the can while preventing insects and debris from entering the can through the drink opening. The apertures are designed to accommodate a forward end of the tab actuator.

These and other features of this invention will be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bug cover, according to the present invention, aligned to be installed upon the top lid of a conventional opened beverage can;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, partially fragmented cross-sectional view of the bug cover installed upon the top lid of a conventional opened beverage can;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the bug cover;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the bug cover in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the bug cover taken along lines 5--5 in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a bug cover 10, according to the present invention, aligned to be installed upon a conventional beverage can 12. Can 12 includes a top lid 14 surrounded by a lip 16 and having a shearable tab 18. Can 12 further includes a pliable tab actuator 20 riveted to lid 14. As known, tab actuator 20 is lifted upward thereby shearing tab 18 and creating a drink opening 22. With tab actuator 20 fixed in the lifted position as shown in FIG. 1, cover 10 may be installed upon can 12. The alignment arrow shown in FIG. 1 reveals the orientation required for cover 10 to fit on can 12.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of bug cover 10 installed on can 12 with tab actuator 20 in the lifted position. Cover 10 is preferably circular shaped and has a diameter slightly less than the diameter of lid 14. The bottom surface 24 of cover 10 may thus lie generally flush against lid 14 and inside of lip 16. Cover 10 further includes a raised portion 26. To retain cover 10 upon can 12, tab actuator 20 is pushed downward to a secured position, as shown in phantom in FIG. 2, to contact raised portion 26. As a result, cover 10 is pinched between tab actuator 20 and lid 14. Preferably, raised portion 26 is a ramp having an inclined edge 28 aligning with and contacting tab actuator 20 in the secured position.

FIG. 3 shows a top view of bug cover 10 including a cover body 30, a series of apertures or screen slots 32, and a retaining slot 34. Retaining slot 34 is shaped to receive tab actuator 20 and oriented to align the series of screen slots 32 over drink opening 22 when cover 10 is installed upon can 12. Each screen slot 32 extends parallel to retaining slot 34 and has a length equal to or greater than the respective portion of drink opening 22 over which the slot lies. Further, each screen slot 32 has a width allowing beverage to flow out of drink opening 22 while preventing insects and debris from entering drink opening 22. Preferably, body 30 is a single piece vacuum formed from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), injection molded from nylon, or stamped from stainless steel. One skilled in the art will recognize that other types of apertures, such as circular holes, may also be used to allow beverage to flow out of drink opening 22 while preventing insects and debris from entering drink opening 22.

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of bug cover 10. Cover 10 further includes a plurality of ribs 36, with one rib between each pair of spaced screen slots 32. Each consecutive rib 36, from the rib spaced furthest from tab actuator 20 to the rib closest to tab actuator 20, is of a greater height allowing the tab actuator 20 room to pivot between the lifted position and the secured position.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of ribs 36 taken along lines 5--5 in FIG. 4 showing the curvature of each rib 36. The increasing curve and height of each rib forms a hollowed area 38 in which tab actuator 20 lies when cover 10 is installed upon can 12 as shown in FIG. 2.

The present invention further includes a method for covering a drink opening in a liquid container having a tab actuator pivotable to open the container. First, the tab actuator is lifted upward by a consumer thereby opening the container. Next, an aperture cover is slid by the consumer into position over the drink opening by aligning the tab actuator to extend through a retaining slot in the cover. Finally, the tab actuator is pushed downward by the consumer to engage and retain the cover to the container.

Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.