This new bottle cap from Crown has a built-in lever for easy opens (genius)

Crown actually invented the bottle cap more than 100 years ago. Crazy, right? It’s like saying you invented the question mark. A century-plus later, Crown Holdings is still engineering pretty excellent solutions for beverage packaging. A few years ago the company introduced the 360 End, an aluminum can where you actually pull the entire top off the can. The cold, open can experience promotes environmental benefits, stadium friendliness and a new aromatic sophistication.

Last week, Crown did it again. Crown Beverage Packaging Mexico (a business unit of Crown Holdings) launched another cool contraption aimed a reinventing the bottle cap it originally invented; William Painter, Crown’s founder, came up with the idea some 125 years ago to improve the packaging of carbonated soft drinks and beer. Crown’s “easy open crown” is aimed at helping beer manufacturers deliver a unique opening experience to consumers. The easy open nature of the new design stems from the addition of a small, built-in lever.

To remove the crown from the bottle, consumers simply hold the bottle in one hand, place their thumb under the lever and push the lever upward. Nothing else is need. Plus, much less torque needs to be exerted when compared to the removal of other bottle caps. In addition, the new crown is tamper-proof and can help brands combat counterfeiting. From the press release:

“Since its founding, Crown has committed itself to delivering innovations that respond to the evolving needs and values of consumers and enhance how they use and interact with products,” said Juan Carlos Gomez, Sales Manager, Crown Beverage Packaging Mexico. “Our new easy open crown is a perfect example of that in action. It delivers a new level of convenience — a key attribute for all consumers — and elevates the entire brand experience by encouraging greater engagement with the package.”

To add further differentiation on the shelf, brands can decorate the entire crown, including the lever mechanism. According to Crown, the new crown can be fastened to bottles using the same machinery used for standard pry-off and twist off designs, allowing beer manufacturers to quickly and easily adopt the technology. Only minor changes need to be made to filling machinery, including adjustments to the application of the plastic liner and the profile design. The new easy open crown is available to beer manufacturers across the Americas.