Roberto Baroni has reviewed the history of can closures. Something so common in our daily life hides years of trial and error and first products with technical failures that led to more than one accident.
Baroni explains on Linkedin that the first Easy-Open lids, invented by Ermal Fraze, appeared on the shelves in 1962: these ring-pull lids were much easier to open than flat lids that required a “church key” can opener.
The expert says it became clear that torn tabs posed problems, as they were often littered and caused injuries, including serious cases of accidental ingestion.
In 1974, the Continental Can Company, known for its innovation, developed the “Envir-o-Tab” ecological cap (Patent 3,908,857).
This cover featured an aluminum strip tab that was designed to stay attached.
To improve the design, the lid included eight small holes to increase the gluing surface and reduce the internal pressure of the contents.
Unfortunately, despite significant efforts, the Envir-o-Tab proved to be a failure.
It was difficult to open, difficult to drink straight from the can, and the tab often broke off completely, contributing to the very contamination it was intended to prevent.
The Envir-o-Tab was soon abandoned following the introduction of the more functional and economical Stay-On-Tab lid by Daniel F. Cudzik in 1975.
Baroni makes these comments following an explanatory video that recalls the great efforts of Continental Can Company personnel who truly believed in and worked hard on this innovation.
