EP0574214B1 - Can opener - Google Patents
Can opener Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0574214B1 EP0574214B1 EP19930304404 EP93304404A EP0574214B1 EP 0574214 B1 EP0574214 B1 EP 0574214B1 EP 19930304404 EP19930304404 EP 19930304404 EP 93304404 A EP93304404 A EP 93304404A EP 0574214 B1 EP0574214 B1 EP 0574214B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- opener
- drive wheel
- rim
- wheel
- bearing
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67B—APPLYING CLOSURE MEMBERS TO BOTTLES JARS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; OPENING CLOSED CONTAINERS
- B67B7/00—Hand- or power-operated devices for opening closed containers
- B67B7/30—Hand-operated cutting devices
- B67B7/34—Hand-operated cutting devices with rotatable cutters
Definitions
- This invention relates to a hand-held can opener.
- a can opener of the type in which the can is opened by cutting through an outer part of the rim joining the lid with the main body of the can has been proposed in several references, in particular US4734986, US4782594, US2255641 US Re27,504, US4251917, US3094776, US2196182, US5121546 and inventor's US Patent No. 5181322 derived from PCT Publication no. W090/05108.
- the rim of the can is held between a drive wheel, which is rotatably connected to a handle for operation by a user, and a cutter wheel. Rotation of the drive wheel causes the drive wheel to move around the rim, with the cutter wheel cutting through the outer part of the rim thus separating the lid from the remainder of the can.
- a further can opener in which a can rim is cut is described in DE-U-9107019.8.
- the can is supported between an opposed pressure disc and entrainment disc, these being rotatably mounted.
- the drive wheel be rotatably journalled within a metal sleeve supported by the body of the can opener, with the outer surface of the shaft and the inner surface of the sleeve mating at positions adjacent the ends of the sleeve so as to provide rotational support for the shaft and intermediate those positions a gap being provided between the outer surface of the shaft and the inner surface of the sleeve to avoid contact between the shaft and sleeve so as to reduce frictional forces upon rotation of the shaft relative to the sleeve.
- the inventor found that this did not resolve the problem and the can opener was still difficult to operate.
- a hand-held can opener having support means on which a cutter wheel engageable with the rim of a can and a drive wheel arranged to grip the rim on an opposed side to said cutter wheel are rotatably mounted, the drive wheel being connected to a handle for manual rotation to drive the drive wheel and cutter wheel around the can rim, and characterised in that the drive wheel is rotatably mounted on the support means by means of at least one needle roller bearing.
- the inventor has found that the use of a rolling bearing provides a substantial reduction in operating difficulty for the can opener.
- the needle roller bearing is of length at least equal to its diameter or may comprise two needle roller bearings contained in a single housing mounted in the body portion at spaced locations.
- Figure 1 is a view similar to figure 12 of US 5181322 but illustrating an embodiment of the invention.
- the can opener generally designated 10 comprises a support means formed from a pair of handles which are integrally formed with body portions 12 and 14 respectively.
- the body portions 12, 14 are pivoted to one another about a spigot 13 which is integral with the body portion 12 and which extends into a corresponding opening 15 in the body portion 14.
- a spindle 16 passes the through the spigot 13, the spindle being formed at one side with the drive wheel 18 which has on its outer face, serrations, teeth or the like to allow it to grip the inside of a rim 20 of a can 22 (fig 2) so that when rotated, the drive wheel 18 will drive the can opener 10 around the can 22 to be opened.
- crank handle 19 is provided by means of which the wheel 18 may be manually rotated.
- a washer 21 is provided between the handle 19 and the body portion 12.
- the cutter wheel 30 Connected to the body portion 14 is an upstanding shaft 29 on which a cutter wheel 30 is idly and rotatably mounted.
- the cutter wheel 30 comprises a circular cutting edge 32 and a integral circular flange 34.
- the outer cylindrical face 36 of this is slightly larger diameter than the cutting edge 32 so that the face 36 can bear against an upright sidewall 38 of the can 22.
- the cutter wheel 30 is held in place on the shaft 29 by an endcap 40 riveted or screwed to the shaft 29. Between the endcap 40 and the wheel 30 is a washer 42 of a resilient material. Washers 41 are provided on either side of the cutter wheel 30.
- the axis 40 of the spindle 16 is offset from the axis 42 of the spigot 13.
- the drive wheel 18 is moved away from cutter wheel 30 and so can be placed over the rim of the can to be opened and conversely when the handles are brought together and grasp in the hand of a user, the drive wheel 18 is moved in closer to the cutter wheel 30 and engages the rim of the can guided by flange 34 to the position as shown in figure 2 in which the cutter edge engages the can rim which is held in the nip between cutter wheel 30 and drive wheel 18.
- Rotation of the handle 19 will cause the drive wheel 18 to grip the inside of the can rim thus forcing the cutter wheel around the rim, cutting the rim open as it goes as described in US Patent 5181322 (W090/05108).
- a rolling bearing 50 is provided between the spindle 16 and body portion 12, the bearing 50 having a housing 52 and a plurality of axially arranged needle rollers 54 running the length of the casing 52, to provide a substantially frictionless bearing arrangement.
- the roller bearing has an axial length at least equal to its radial width and the bearing 50 is of an axial length substantially the same as the width of the region of the body portion 12 in which it is disposed, so as to provide a substantial degree of support.
- the housing 52 accommodates first and second roller bearings 56, 58 disposed at opposed ends of the casing 52, with a packing member 60 being disposed between the bearings 56, 58.
- the inventor has found that the use of the needle roller bearing 50 substantially improves the operability of the device.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Devices For Opening Bottles Or Cans (AREA)
Description
- This invention relates to a hand-held can opener.
- A can opener of the type in which the can is opened by cutting through an outer part of the rim joining the lid with the main body of the can has been proposed in several references, in particular US4734986, US4782594, US2255641 US Re27,504, US4251917, US3094776, US2196182, US5121546 and inventor's US Patent No. 5181322 derived from PCT Publication no. W090/05108.
- With such a can opener, the rim of the can is held between a drive wheel, which is rotatably connected to a handle for operation by a user, and a cutter wheel. Rotation of the drive wheel causes the drive wheel to move around the rim, with the cutter wheel cutting through the outer part of the rim thus separating the lid from the remainder of the can.
- A further can opener in which a can rim is cut is described in DE-U-9107019.8. Here the can is supported between an opposed pressure disc and entrainment disc, these being rotatably mounted.
- It is a disadvantage of a can opener of the kind disclosed in the aforementioned US Patent 5181322, according to the preamble of claim 1, and the other references that it is necessary to apply considerable force between the cutter wheel and drive wheel when these are engaged with the rim of the can to ensure an adequate cut and to advance the can opener around the can without slippage. This renders the can opener difficult to operate, particularly by those who are not so strong, such as the old or infirm. In inventor's prior US Patent No. 5181322, inventor proposed that the drive wheel be rotatably journalled within a metal sleeve supported by the body of the can opener, with the outer surface of the shaft and the inner surface of the sleeve mating at positions adjacent the ends of the sleeve so as to provide rotational support for the shaft and intermediate those positions a gap being provided between the outer surface of the shaft and the inner surface of the sleeve to avoid contact between the shaft and sleeve so as to reduce frictional forces upon rotation of the shaft relative to the sleeve. However, the inventor found that this did not resolve the problem and the can opener was still difficult to operate. It is an object of the invention to alleviate this disadvantage and in accordance with the invention there is provided a hand-held can opener having support means on which a cutter wheel engageable with the rim of a can and a drive wheel arranged to grip the rim on an opposed side to said cutter wheel are rotatably mounted, the drive wheel being connected to a handle for manual rotation to drive the drive wheel and cutter wheel around the can rim, and characterised in that the drive wheel is rotatably mounted on the support means by means of at least one needle roller bearing.
- The inventor has found that the use of a rolling bearing provides a substantial reduction in operating difficulty for the can opener.
- Preferably the needle roller bearing is of length at least equal to its diameter or may comprise two needle roller bearings contained in a single housing mounted in the body portion at spaced locations.
- An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
- Figure 1 is a side view of the cutting arrangement of a can opener being an embodiment of the invention.
- Figure 2 is a view of an enlarged scale similar to figure 1 showing the cutter and drive wheels engaging the can.
- Figure 3a is a cross sectional view of the drive wheel and spindle of figure 1 with figure 3b being a view in the direction a-a of figure 3a.
- Figure 4 is a cross sectional view similar to figure 2a illustrating a second embodiment of the invention.
- Figure 1 is a view similar to figure 12 of US 5181322 but illustrating an embodiment of the invention.
- The full details of the general operation of the present embodiment of a can opener are disclosed in US Patent 5181322. Reference to this Patent is directed and the contents thereof are incorporated herein by reference.
- As shown in figure 1, the can opener generally designated 10 comprises a support means formed from a pair of handles which are integrally formed with
body portions body portions spigot 13 which is integral with thebody portion 12 and which extends into acorresponding opening 15 in thebody portion 14. - A
spindle 16 passes the through thespigot 13, the spindle being formed at one side with thedrive wheel 18 which has on its outer face, serrations, teeth or the like to allow it to grip the inside of arim 20 of a can 22 (fig 2) so that when rotated, thedrive wheel 18 will drive the can opener 10 around thecan 22 to be opened. - At the opposed end of the
spindle 16 to thedrive wheel 18, acrank handle 19 is provided by means of which thewheel 18 may be manually rotated. Awasher 21 is provided between thehandle 19 and thebody portion 12. - Connected to the
body portion 14 is anupstanding shaft 29 on which acutter wheel 30 is idly and rotatably mounted. Thecutter wheel 30 comprises acircular cutting edge 32 and a integralcircular flange 34. The outercylindrical face 36 of this is slightly larger diameter than thecutting edge 32 so that theface 36 can bear against anupright sidewall 38 of thecan 22. - The
cutter wheel 30 is held in place on theshaft 29 by anendcap 40 riveted or screwed to theshaft 29. Between theendcap 40 and thewheel 30 is awasher 42 of a resilient material.Washers 41 are provided on either side of thecutter wheel 30. - The
axis 40 of thespindle 16 is offset from theaxis 42 of thespigot 13. In this way, when the handles are moved apart by pivoting theportions drive wheel 18 is moved away fromcutter wheel 30 and so can be placed over the rim of the can to be opened and conversely when the handles are brought together and grasp in the hand of a user, thedrive wheel 18 is moved in closer to thecutter wheel 30 and engages the rim of the can guided byflange 34 to the position as shown in figure 2 in which the cutter edge engages the can rim which is held in the nip betweencutter wheel 30 anddrive wheel 18. Rotation of thehandle 19 will cause thedrive wheel 18 to grip the inside of the can rim thus forcing the cutter wheel around the rim, cutting the rim open as it goes as described in US Patent 5181322 (W090/05108). - The force necessary to maintain the
cutter wheel 30 and drivewheel 18 in mutual contact with therim 20 generates a radial frictional force between thespindle 16 and thespigot 13. As shown in figures 1 and 3a, in the embodiment of the invention hereindescribed, a rollingbearing 50 is provided between thespindle 16 andbody portion 12, thebearing 50 having ahousing 52 and a plurality of axially arrangedneedle rollers 54 running the length of thecasing 52, to provide a substantially frictionless bearing arrangement. Preferably, the roller bearing has an axial length at least equal to its radial width and thebearing 50 is of an axial length substantially the same as the width of the region of thebody portion 12 in which it is disposed, so as to provide a substantial degree of support. - As shown in figure 4 and in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, the
housing 52 accommodates first andsecond roller bearings casing 52, with apacking member 60 being disposed between thebearings - The inventor has found that the use of the needle roller bearing 50 substantially improves the operability of the device.
- A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.
Claims (7)
- A hand-held can opener (10) of the type in which a can is opened by cutting through an outer part of the rim joining the lid with the main body of the can, the opener having support means (12, 14) on which a cutter wheel (30) engageable with the rim of the can and a drive wheel (18) arranged to grip the rim on an opposed side to said cutter wheel (30) are rotatably mounted, the drive wheel (18) being connected to a handle (19) for manual rotation to drive the drive wheel (18) and cutter wheel (30) around the can rim, characterised in that the drive wheel (18) is rotatably mounted on the support means by means of at least one needle roller bearing (50).
- A can opener as claimed in claim 1 wherein the drive wheel (18) is mounted in relation to the support means by means of first (56) and second (58) said needle roller bearings.
- A can opener as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first and second needle roller bearings (56, 58) are housed in a single housing (52).
- A can opener as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 wherein a separator (60) is disposed between the first and second needle roller bearings (56, 58).
- A can opener as claimed in any preceeding claim wherein the bearing (50) is of an axial length at least equal to its diameter.
- A can opener as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the support means comprises a pair of handles (12, 14) integrally formed with body portions pivoted to one another about a spigot (13), the drive wheel (18) having a spindle (16) passing through the spigot (13) and the bearing (50) being disposed between the spigot (13) and spindle (16), the spigot (13) having a mounting portion in which the bearing (50) is disposed, the mounting portion defining a cavity extending substantially the width of a body portion and the bearing being disposed in said cavity.
- A can opener as claimed in Claim 6 wherein the cutter wheel (30) is mounted on a shaft (29) connected to one of the body portions (14), the shaft (29) having an endcap (40) and a resilient washer (42) between the endcap and cutter wheel (30).
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB9212170 | 1992-06-09 | ||
GB929212170A GB9212170D0 (en) | 1992-06-09 | 1992-06-09 | A can opener |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0574214A1 EP0574214A1 (en) | 1993-12-15 |
EP0574214B1 true EP0574214B1 (en) | 1996-05-01 |
Family
ID=10716764
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP19930304404 Expired - Lifetime EP0574214B1 (en) | 1992-06-09 | 1993-06-07 | Can opener |
Country Status (7)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0574214B1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN1050108C (en) |
AU (1) | AU670277B2 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2097893A1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE69302436T2 (en) |
GB (1) | GB9212170D0 (en) |
HK (1) | HK1008007A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
IT239415Y1 (en) * | 1995-07-21 | 2001-02-26 | Barbara Gisolo | IMPROVED CAN OPENER WITH DISC BLADE |
GB2431389A (en) * | 2005-10-12 | 2007-04-25 | Daka Res Inc | Mechanism for a can opener |
US7596874B2 (en) | 2005-12-12 | 2009-10-06 | Daka Research Inc. | Mechanism for can opener |
US7574808B2 (en) | 2005-12-12 | 2009-08-18 | Daka Research Inc. (Br. Virg. Isl Corp.) | Mechanism for can opener |
CN103058110A (en) * | 2013-01-22 | 2013-04-24 | 胡云龙 | Safety tin opener |
CN104057416A (en) * | 2014-06-26 | 2014-09-24 | 国家电网公司 | Fast bolt assembly and disassembly device |
Family Cites Families (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3059333A (en) * | 1961-09-27 | 1962-10-23 | John C Hockery | Right and left-hand can opener |
FR2064553A5 (en) * | 1969-09-25 | 1971-07-23 | Feuma Veb | |
DE68916259T2 (en) * | 1988-11-07 | 1994-10-13 | Ibl Products Ltd | TIN OPENER. |
US5022159A (en) * | 1989-11-29 | 1991-06-11 | Chef'n Corporation | Hand-held can opener |
DE9107019U1 (en) * | 1991-06-05 | 1991-07-25 | Kuhnke, Manfred, Ing.(Grad.), 1000 Berlin, De |
-
1992
- 1992-06-09 GB GB929212170A patent/GB9212170D0/en active Pending
-
1993
- 1993-05-31 AU AU39892/93A patent/AU670277B2/en not_active Ceased
- 1993-06-05 CN CN93106776A patent/CN1050108C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1993-06-07 CA CA 2097893 patent/CA2097893A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 1993-06-07 DE DE1993602436 patent/DE69302436T2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1993-06-07 EP EP19930304404 patent/EP0574214B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
1998
- 1998-06-27 HK HK98107308A patent/HK1008007A1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
DE69302436D1 (en) | 1996-06-05 |
EP0574214A1 (en) | 1993-12-15 |
AU670277B2 (en) | 1996-07-11 |
CN1081996A (en) | 1994-02-16 |
GB9212170D0 (en) | 1992-07-22 |
HK1008007A1 (en) | 1999-04-30 |
AU3989293A (en) | 1993-12-16 |
CA2097893A1 (en) | 1993-12-10 |
CN1050108C (en) | 2000-03-08 |
DE69302436T2 (en) | 1996-09-26 |
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