EP1084988B1

EP1084988B1 - Cap opener

Info

Publication number: EP1084988B1
Application number: EP00610077A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Erik Nielsen
Original assignee: Ik Holding Aps
Current assignee: Ik Holding Aps
Priority date: 1999-08-13
Filing date: 2000-08-10
Publication date: 2006-02-15
Anticipated expiration: 2020-08-10
Also published as: EP1084988A1; ATE317828T1; DK199900297U4; DE60026007D1

Abstract

Caps with pull rings can be difficult to remove, especially for persons having weak finger strength. In order to facilitate the removal, a cap opener according to the present invention can be applied. The opener comprises a handle (1) which is provided with an elevation in the form of a bent part (2) having an elongated slot or opening (3). By inserting the pull ring (4) into the opening (3), the ring will extend over the handle (1) to the effect that the handle (1) can be raised and thus release the cap (5,6) easily and effortlessly. The opener can be applied to cans as well as to bottles having caps with pull rings (4). <IMAGE>

Description

Prior Art

The present invention relates to a cap opener for use with caps provided with pull rings, comprising an elongated lever or handle, preferably plate shaped.
Containers provided with taps are especially known as beverage containers. In cans such caps are normally an integrated part of the lid, and they are provided with a gripping part, such as a ring or a tongue, which can be released partly or completely by the fingers of the user whereby the container can be opened.
Similarly, plastic bottles having caps which are provided with a pull ring for removal of the cap from the bottle have been fabricated.
Such caps have the common problem that they require a certain amount of effort. Persons having weak fingers may therefore have great difficulty opening such containers. In addition to efforts, there is also the risk of injury to the fingernails, in particular where the ring must be released and lifted from the lid.
A number of auxiliary devices applicable for opening cans are known.
US Pat. nos. 4.309.921, which discloses a cap opener according to the preamble of claim 1, and 4.957.622 describe examples of such openers, comprising a handle in the form of a piece of plate having a depressed section to form an opening into which the pull ring of the can can be inserted. The pull ring is lifted upwards by raising the handle, and the can is opened.
These known openers will engage the pull ring by means of the depressed section, which will open the can when the handle is tipped upwards.
These known openers, however, cannot be applied to bottle caps having a pull ring since they do not have a defined edge upon which the opener can tip when the handle is lifted.
Consequently, the opening operation is not controlled, and the removal of the cap is unreliable, requiring a careful and big lifting movement in order to release the cap from the bottle.

Object of the Invention

It is an object of the present invention to facilitate the opening of such caps, and this object is achieved by means of an opener having a handle, one end of which is bent to form a raised part having an elongate opening through which the pull ring of a cap of a can or of a bottle can be inserted over the handle.
The problem is thus solved in an extremely simple manner as the opening of the opener is merely inserted over the pull ring of the cap, whereupon the handle of the opener can be raised or tipped whereby the cap, whether that of a can or that of a bottle having a pull ring, is removed.
The operation requires very little effort since the moment arm is long and a cap can easily be removed by means of such an opener, even by persons with weakened finger strength, especially because the tipping movement occurs over a well-defined bending edge which controls the opener during the tipping movement.
By configuring the bent up edge at right angles to the handle, as defined in claim 2, the ring can easily be tipped or rolled off when the handle is tipped in a smooth sliding movement.
By configuring the opening such that the metal pull ring of a can may readily be inserted and the plastic ring of plastic caps can be inserted under a small deformation, as defined in claim 3, the ring will remain in the opening, abutting against the handle during lifting and tipping of the handle without the risk of the opener letting go its hold of the ring.
By configuring the opening parallel to the upper and/or underside of the handle, as defined in claim 4, a pertectly steady pull on the ring and thus on the cap will be exerted since the handle turns about the bent edge.
Finally, it is advantageous as defined in claim 5 and 6, to fabricate the opener from a stainless steel plate or by plastic or metal moulding.

The Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings, in which

Fig. 1: illustrates an example of an opener adapted for pull rings;
Fig. 2: illustrates a sectional view of the opener shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3: illustrates the opener applied to a can;
Fig. 4: illustrates the opener applied to a bottle;
Fig. 5: illustrates a second example of a multi-purpose opener;
Fig. 6: illustrates the lifting operation of a screw cap by means of the opener.

Description of embodiments

An opener according to the invention can be fabricated from a piece of plate material, as shown in Fig. 1.
The opener must be so configured that one end constitutes a lever or a handle 1 having the purpose of constituting a lever arm when the opener is in use, as will be explained below.
One of the side edges of the lever 1 is provided with an elevation or a bent up part of the plate for the formation of a right-angled, upright part, a flap 2.
The flap 2 has an elongate, through-going opening 3, as shown in Fig. 2.
The height of the elevated part 2 is preferably app. 8-10 mm, the height of the elongate opening 3 is app 3-5 mm, and the length app. 20 mm.
Fig. 3 illustrates how the opener of the invention is used to open a can.
The can is provided with a cap 5, which is connected to a pull ring 4 abutting against the lid of the can. This ring 4 is easily lifted by means of a sharpened edge, which is not shown, of the handle 1, whereupon the ring can be released.
The opening 3 can then be inserted over the ring 4, as illustrated in the drawing, and as the handle 1 is subsequently raised, as indicated by an arrow, the cap will be removed by rolling the ring off the lid. This is an extremely easy operation requiring very little effort, and removal of the cap without risk of damaging the can is ensured.
Fig. 4 illustrates how the opener is applied to a plastic bottle with the plastic pull ring 4.
The ring 4 is introduced into the opening 3 under slight deformation in the lateral direction of the ring 4. The opener and the ring thus fit together when the ring expands after insertion. The opener is thus prevented from falling off, and as the opener is tilted in the direction of the arrow, the cap 6 will roll off the bottle easily and effortlessly, requiring merely a slight lifting of the opener.
Fig. 5 illustrates a combined opener, which in addition to the opener parts 2, 3 for caps with pull rings comprises a traditional cap opener 7 and a lid opener 8. Fig. 6 illustrates how the lid opener works. The lid 9 is often very difficult to release due to a negative pressure often present in the bottle. In order to eliminate the negative pressure a lifting flap 8 can be applied, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, to be engaged under the lid 9, and by tilting the handle in the direction of the arrow the lid will be lifted to an extent where air will enter the bottle. Even weak fingers will then be able to remove the lid.
The opener can be fabricated either of metal or plastic in a commonly known manner and it may also be provided with imprints, etc. for advertising purposes or as an eye-catcher.

Claims

Cap opener for use with caps provided with pull rings, consisting of an elongated lever, being preferably flat shaped, which has a bend at one end thereof so as to form a handle (1) and a raised portion (2), said cap opener having an elongated opening (3) therein and said opening (3) being adapted for the insertion therein, over the handle, of the pull ring (4) of a cap of a can or the pull ring of a bottle (6), characterized in that said elongated opening (3) is located in said raised portion (2).
Cap opener according to claim 1, characterized in that the raised portion (2) extends substantially at right angles to the handle (1) and has a height from substantially 8 to substantially 10 mm.
Cap opener according to claim 1, characterized in that the height of the elongated opening (3) is from substantially 3 to substantially 5 mm, and the length substantially 20 mm.
Cap opener according to claim 3, characterized in that the elongated opening (3) extends substantially parallel to the underside of the handle (1).