AU722312B3

AU722312B3 - Opening assembly

Info

Publication number: AU722312B3
Application number: AU20688/00A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Trevor James Thompson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-11-25
Filing date: 2000-03-06
Publication date: 2000-07-27
Anticipated expiration: 2006-03-06

Description

APPLICANT: TREVOR JAMES THOMPSON Form COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA The Patents Act 1990 PETTY PATENT SPECIFICATION FOR AN INVENTION ENTITLED: OPENING ASSEMBLY The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: "OPENING ASSEMBLY" Technical Field This invention relates to an opening assembly.

The invention has particular but not exclusive application to assemblies for opening beer bottles, softdrink bottles and the like and for closing them after they have been opened.

Background of Invention Known crown seal style beer bottle tops are conventionally removed by a bottle opener which lifts one side of the bottle top while bending the top across its diameter.

It is known for beer bottles and the like to have bottle tops which are of the so-called crown seal style and which also incorporate an internal screw thread on the inside of the bottle top so that the top can be screwed off.

These so called "screw tops" are often difficult to remove and are also difficult to effectively re-seal.

Summary of Invention The present invention aims to provide an alternative to known bottle openers.

This invention in one aspect resides broadly in an opening assembly for opening a bottle having a crown seal style bottle top incorporating an internal screw thread, the opening assembly including:annular gripping means for gripping the bottle top, and housing means housing said gripping means and adapted to be manually grasped for rotation thereof to thereby unscrew the bottle top, wherein said housing means is cup-like and said annular gripping means is positioned therewithin; the sides of said cup-like housing means constituting skirt means extending from the base thereof, the edge of said skirt means being adapted to substantially abut the neck of the bottle.

In one preferred embodiment the annular gripping means is a resilient flexible annulus adapted to deform about the flutes of the crown seal style bottle top.

Alternatively the inner face of the annular gripping means includes a plurality of recesses for receiving the flutes of the crown seal style bottle top.

It is preferred that the housing means is cup-like and the annular gripping means is positioned therewithin. The botlle top is preferably positioned within the cup-like housing means between the base thereof and the annular gripping means. This embodiment of the invention thus operates as an opening/ closing assembly.

In one preferred embodiment the opening assembly includes identification means for identifying a user of the opening assembly.

The identification means can be a colour. It is also preferred that the identification means also identifies the manufacturer of the beverage in the bottle.

Description of Drawings In order that this invention may be more easily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein:- FIG 1 is a sectional elevation of a first embodiment of the opening assembly in accordance with the invention; FIG 2 is a sectional elevation of a second embodiment of the opening assembly in accordance with the invention; FIG 3 is a perspective view of one form of bottle top gripping means (shown inverted to that illustrated in FIGS 1 and and FIG 4 is a perspective view of another form of bottle top gripping means (shown inverted to that illustrated in FIGS 1 and 2).

Description of Preferred Embodiment of Invention FIG 2 illustrates an opening assembly 20 for opening a bottle (not shown) having a crown seal style bottle top (not shown) incorporating an internal screw thread. Opening assembly 20 has annular gripping means 22 for gripping the bottle top. Gripping means 22 is positioned adjacent the base of a cup-like housing 21 which can be manually grasped for rotation thereof to thereby unscrew the bottle top.

Another preferred embodiment is seen in FIG 2 which illustrates an opening assembly 10 for opening a bottle (not shown) having a crown seal style bottle top (not shown) incorporating an internal screw thread. Opening assembly 10 has annular gripping means 12 for gripping the bottle top. Opening assembly 10 also includes a crown seal style bottle top 13 incorporating an internal screw thread. Bottle top 13 is positioned within the cup-like housing 13 between the base thereof and gripping means 12. As in the embodiment of FIG 2, cup-like housing 11 can be manually grasped for rotation thereof to thereby unscrew the bottle top.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG 3, annular gripping means 12,22 is a resilient flexible annulus adapted to deform about the flutes of the crown seal style bottle top. In this embodiment the gripping means is preferably made of a deformable wear resistant plastics material.

Alternatively in the embodiment illustrated in FIG 4, the inner face of annular gripping means 121,221 includes a plurality of recesses 41 for receiving the flutes of the crown seal style bottle top. In this embodiment the gripping means is preferably made of a more rigid plastics or nylon material.

The sides of the cup-like housing 11,21 thus constitute skirt means extending from the base thereof, and the edge of the skirt means is thus adapted to substantially abut the neck of a bottle.

Crown seal type bottle top 13 and/or gripping means 12,22 or 121,221 are fastened within cup-like housing 11,21 by chemical bonding or other suitable means. Bottle top 13 can be retained in a recess formed in the base of cup-like container 11,21 by gripping means 12',22' which effectively forms an annular rim over which bottle top 13 can be snap-fitted into position.

Annular gripping means 121,221 seen in FIG 4 can be integrally formed with cup-like housing 11,21.

The opening assembly can include identification means (not shown) for identifying a user of the opening assembly. The identification means can be a colour and can also identify the manufacturer of the beverage in the bottle ie a beer manufacturer's trade mark.

In use, the bottle opener 20 seen in FIG 2 is positioned over the top of the bottle to be opened and pressed down so that the top of the crown seal of the bottle fully engages the base of cup-like housing 21. This occurs when the flutes on the crown seal of the bottle top to be opened are received either in recesses 41 of the annular gripping means 121,221 shown in FIG 4 or, deform the flexible annular gripper 12,22 illustrated in FIG 3. In either case the gripping means thus operatively engages the bottle top so that when the user turns the opener, the screw-top of the bottle will be removed from the bottle.

The screw-top is retained within the bottle opener for subsequent removal. Until removed, it can be easily rescrewed on to the bottle to reseal it.

This prevents aerated contents becoming flat, and prevents flies, bees and other insects or the like from entering the bottle.

Alternatively, in the embodiment seen in FIG 1, the opener 10 is not fully depressed on to the bottle top to be opened, but rather is partially depressed so that the annular grip 12 is fully engaged around the screw-top bottle top which is to be opened in the manner described above with reference to the FIG 2 embodiment. The unscrewed bottle top is then removed from annular gripper 12. If the bottle is to be again resealed, opener 10 is fully depressed so that crown seal bottle top 13, which is a part of the opener assembly illustrated in FIG 1, can be screwed on to the bottle. Thus it will be seen that the opening assembly illustrated in FIG 1 also acts as a closure itself and can be described as an opening/closing assembly.

It will be appreciated that the bottle opener in accordance with the present invention has a number of advantages.

Screw-top crown seals are easily removed by the present invention without needing to use a cloth, handkerchief, shirt or coat to prevent injury to the hand. Furthermore, the screw-top is easily rescrewed on to the bottle or alternatively, the embodiment of the invention with the built-in screw-top allows the bottle to be easily resealed when the original screw-top is damaged or lost.

The depending skirt is easy to grip and can be coloured to identify the opened bottles of individual drinkers. Moreover, the bottle opener of the present invention acts as a cap to prevent flies, wasps, bees and other insects entering the bottle or settling on the rim of the bottle opening.

It will of course be realised that whilst the above has been given by way of an illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations hereto, as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art, are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is herein set forth.

TREVOR JAMES THOMPSON by PIZZEYS PATENT AND TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS

Claims

1. An opening assembly for opening a bottle having a crown seal style bottle top incorporating an internal screw thread, said opening assembly including:- annular gripping means for gripping the bottle top, and housing means housing said gripping means and adapted to be manually grasped for rotation thereof to thereby unscrew the bottle top, wherein said housing means is cup-like and said annular gripping means is positioned therewithin; the sides of said cup-like housing means constituting skirt means extending from the base thereof, the edge of said skirt means being adapted to substantially abut the neck of the bottle.

2. An opening assembly as claimed in claim 1, and including a crown seal style bottle top incorporating an internal screw thread.

3. An opening assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein said bottle top is positioned within said cup-like housing means between the base thereof and said annular gripping means.