EP1979262A1

EP1979262A1 - Cap gripping device

Info

Publication number: EP1979262A1
Application number: EP07709177A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Delphine Pauline Buyse; Eelco Jan Gerardus Witteveen; Arnoldus Willem Zweekhorst
Original assignee: Vacu Vin Innovations Ltd
Current assignee: Vacu Vin Innovations Ltd
Priority date: 2006-01-27
Filing date: 2007-01-25
Publication date: 2008-10-15
Also published as: WO2007086742A1; NL1031016C2

Abstract

Cap-gripping device consisting of a base body and a gripper arm which is hingedly connected thereto. Inside, an opening is delimited for accommodating and engaging with a lid by forcing the gripper arm against the Hd. According to the present invention, the gripper arm is designed such that the engagement surface thereof is positioned in such a manner, with the hinge thereof relative to the base body, that upon rotation in the desired direction, this rotation causes a restraining effect, thus preventing the lid and the cap-gripping device from slipping. As a result of the relatively large dimensions of the engagement surfaces for the hand, it is possible to exert a relatively great torque on the lid using the gripping device than when the lid is engaged with the hand directly. As a result, the lid can be removed with a relatively great force. The engagement surface on the gripper arm is preferably of convex shape. During engagement, the hinge is as far as possible on the outside of the device, so that a maximum restraining effect is achieved.

Description

Cap gripping device

The present invention relates to a cap-gripping device comprising a curved base body and a gripper arm which is hingedly connected thereto, in which said base body comprises two engagement surfaces and said gripper arm is provided with an engagement surface for gripping a lid and between which an opening is delimited for accommodating a lid, wherein the engagement surface of this gripper arm is closer to said engagement surfaces of said base body than said hinge.

Such a device is known from FR 2575 184, in which a pipe wrench-like construction is described for clamping a Hd having a relatively long lever.

In addition, such cap-gripping devices are known from. US-A-3.913.424 and US 2003/0061912.

In the former American publication, a construction is described in which two halves which are hingedly connected to one another and provided with a toothing can be forced towards each other in order to accommodate a lid between them. As a result of the larger outer diameter of this device relative to the outer diameter of the lid, a relatively great torque can be applied. However, mere is a risk that the lid will slip relative to the cap-gripping device.

TMs problem is solved in US-2003/0061912. The interior of this device contains restraining components which, by rotating, lock themselves into place between the device and the lid. In this process, use is made of springs. This is a complicated construction which is expensive to manufacture and not easy to operate.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cap-gripping device which does not have these drawbacks, that is to say is simple to operate yet able to generate a relatively large clamping force on the lid.

This object is achieved with the above-described cap-gripping device in that the free end of said gripper arm is further removed from said engagement surfaces on said base body than the hinge of said gripper arm.

According to the present invention, use is made of the self-restraining action which results when the hinge is moved outwards relative to the outer periphery of the lid.

Preferably, this hinge is arranged as far as possible on the periphery of the cap-gripping device. According to a further particular embodiment of the invention, the engagement surface of the gripper arm is of spherical, that is to say convexly curved, design. All this being arranged in such a manner that when the lid and cap-gripping device rotate with respect to one another, the restraining force of the cap-gripping device on the Hd gradually increases.

According to a further particular embodiment of the invention, the base body comprises a free end remote from the hinge and the free end of the gripper arm and of the base body can be moved apart in order to be able to accommodate a lid in a simple manner.

According to a further particular embodiment of the invention, the engagement surface for the hand on the gripper arm is on the same side of the hinge as the engagement surface on the gripper arm. That is to say that, in contrast with the state of the art, when a lid or another object is clamped, this does not involve a lever effect, but rather a self- clamping effect.

The engagement surfaces and more particularly the engagement surfaces of the base body may have any shape. Preferably, however, it is provided that two clearly defined points of engagement with the Hd exist. As the invention is preferably suitable for accommodating lids having different diameters, that is to say between, for example, 28 and 41 mm, the engagement surfaces are preferably straight. Preferably, the two engagement surfaces are at an angle to one another and more particularly this angle is larger than 45° and more particularly approximately 60°. According to a particular embodiment of the present invention, the bisector of this angle approximately intersects the point of engagement of the engagement surface of the gripper arm on the lid. By positioning the engagement surfaces of the base body at an angle, the lid is locked into a device. As a result of the presence of the gripper arm, the lid is completely locked in and breaking free or the like is not possible.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the cap-gripping device is provided with a stop which extends beyond the opening for the lid. If the lid gripper is fitted from above this stop determines the positioning of the gripping device on the Hd. In addition, it ensures that the cap-gripping device can only be fitted onto the lid in the correct position, that is to say in the direction of opening. This prevents the risk of lids being screwed onto a bottle or another container too tightly. After all, if rotation is attempted in the non-operational direction, i.e. the direction in which the gripper arm is not self-actuating, the cap-gripping device will slip on the lid at relatively low torque.

The cap-gripping device, and more particularly the exterior thereof, such as the engagement surfaces, are preferably made from plastic material. In order to increase the strength, metal inserts may be incorporated.

The hinge between the gripper arm and the base body is preferably under spring tension, so that these parts are pushed against one another. Ia addition, according to a preferred embodiment, the cap-gripping device is provided with an opening for engaging with a crown cork, so that it can also be used as a bottle opener. According to a further advantageous embodiment, the length of the gripper arm is less than 8 cm. The dimensions of the device are preferably approximately 6 x 8 cm or smaller.

The invention also relates to an assembly comprising a cap-gripping device and a round lid, in which this cap-gripping device comprises a base body and a gripper arm attached thereto, the base body and the gripper arm being embodied for external engagement and being provided with engagement surfaces, the engagement surface of said gripper arm being of convex design, said lid being locked in place by engagement between these engagement surfaces and the convex shape of this gripper arm and the position of the hinge being such that when the cap-gripping device is rotated further in the intended direction of rotation of the Hd, said Hd is gradually clamped more tightly between these engagement surfaces. The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to an embodiment illustrated in the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 diagrammatically shows a top view of the cap-gripping device according to the present invention;

Fig.2 shows a bottom view of the cap-gripping device according to the invention; and

Fig. 3 shows an exploded view of the different components of which the cap-gripping device according to the invention is composed.

The cap-gripping device according to the present invention is indicated in the figures by reference numeral L It consists of a base body 2 to which a gripper arm 3 is hingedly attached. The hinge attachment comprises a hinge 12 consisting of a hinge pin 14 and a cup spring 15. The base body is provided with an opening 13 for accommodating hinge pin 14. By means of the cup spring 15, a metal part 9 is forced against the metal part 7. The metal part 7 supports plastic part 8 and parts 9 and 10 together form the abovementioned gripper arm 3. Part 9 is provided with a projection 26. The base body is composed of a metal part 7 and a plastic part 8 arranged around it. The plastic part 8 has a chamber 27 for receiving projection 26. It will be understood that, depending on the materials used, all this can be integrally formed from one and the same material.

Both plastic part 8 and plastic part 10 are provided with engagement surfaces, denoted by 5, 6 and 4, respectively, for gripper arm 3. Engagement surfaces 5 and 6 consist of a toothing 24 and are preferably straight. Engagement surface 4 is also provided with a toothing 23, but is of curved embodiment. The drawing shows that hinge 12 is arranged as far as possible on the outside. The length of the hinge arm 3 is indicated by L and this length is smaller than 8 cm. The engagement surfaces 5 and 6 are arranged at an angle of approximately 60° and extending between them is a bisector line 17 which, in the engagement position as shown in Fig. 2, intersects engagement surface 4 approximately at the point of engagement with the lid 20. Within the engagement surfaces 4-6, an opening is delimited for accommodating a lid. This opening is denoted by 16. When comparing Figs. 1 and 2, it becomes clear that a stop face 11 is present which delimits a smaller opening. If the cap-gripping device according to the invention is fitted onto a lid from above, the user can automatically feel if this cap-gripping device has been fitted onto the lid sufficiently far. Also, when the device is being pushed on from the side, the user can move the cap-gripping device down until it touches the stop face 11. Fitting the cap-gripping device from the side is facilitated by the locating surfaces 18 and 19 on the gripper arm and the base body, respectively.

In Fig. 2, it can be seen that the metal part 7 is provided with an opening 21 which is designed in such a way that a crown cork of a bottle or of another container can easily be removed by means thereof.

The above-described device works as follows. If a lid has to be removed, the user places the cap-gripping device on a bottle. As the gripper arm 3 can be positioned in a great number of positions relative to the base body 2, by means of the freedom of movement the projection 26 has in chamber 27, in which no spring or the like is present, it is immediately clear to the user how the relevant parts have to be operated. In this case, the user may approach the lid both from above and from the side. In the latter case, the opening between the locating surfaces 18 and 19 should be maximized to such a degree, by moving the base body and the gripper arm apart, that the cap can be moved in between. In this case, the user preferably pushes the cap-gripping device so far onto the Hd that the stop face 11 rests on the top of the lid. This pressure is exerted, on the one hand, on the base body as near as possible to the free end 30 thereof and, on the oiher hand, on the gripper arm 3 as near as possible to the free end thereof. That is to say the engagement surface for the hand on the gripper arm 3 is on the same side as the engagement surface 4 relative to the hinge 12. This is in contrast with the projection 26 which is situated on the other side of hinge 12 relative to engagement surface 4. The user subsequently performs a rotating movement. If this rotating movement takes place in the direction of arrow 22, i.e. in the direction of opening, this leads to a self-restraining effect of the cap-gripping device on the lid. This is caused by the curved engagement surface 4 and the position of the hinge 12 relative to the lid. As a result, the grip of the cap-gripping device on the lid will gradually increase when rotation in the direction of arrow 22 is continued. Consequently, ultimately the increased torque which is applied by the hand of the user gripping the cap-gripping device externally will ultimately cause the lid to come off the bottle. If the user rotates in the opposite direction, this self-clamping effect does not occur and the Hd and engagement surface 4 will slip, even at a relatively low force. Pressing harder hardly has any effect. Consequently, a lid will never be screwed onto a container, such as a bottle or the like, too tightly and all the more force can be used during the release thereof. According to the present invention, clamping is preferably carried out in such a manner that, at the three clamping points, in each case one vector is produced at right angles to the respective clamping surface. If these vectors are linked together, a closed system is created (head-tail method). The present invention results in complete locking in of the Hd and in addition in a strengthening of the force of engagement of the cap-gripping device and the lid, as the gripper arm will tend to move in the direction of line 17 towards the corner between the two engagement surfaces during rotation.

After reading the above description, those skilled in the art will immediately be able to think of variants. This relates in particular to the design of the engagement surfaces and the positioning thereof. These and further modifications are obvious and, in view of the above, within the scope of the attached claims, in which rights are expressly requested for variants which fall under the dependent claims not in combination with the main claim.

Claims

1. A cap-gripping device (1) comprising a curved base body, and a gripper arm which is hingedly connected thereto, wherein said base body comprises two engagement surfaces (5, 6) and saids gripper arm is provided with an engagement surface for gripping a Hd and between which an opening (16) is delimited for accommodating a lid, wherein the engagement surface (4) of said gripper arm (3) is closer to said engagement surfaces (5, 6) of said base body (2) than said hinge (12), characterized in that the free end of said gripper arm is further removed from said engagement surfaces (5, 6) on said base body than the hinge (12) of said gripper arm.

2. The cap-gripping device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base body (2) comprises a free end remote from said hinge (12) and the free end of said gripper arm and of said base body can be moved apart.

3. The cap-gripping device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the engagement surface for the hand on the gripper arm is on the same side of the hinge as the engagement surface on the gripper arm.

4. The cap-gripping device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein one of said engagement surfaces (5, 6) of the base body comprises a substantially straight plane.

5. The cap-gripping device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein both engagement surfaces (4, 5) of the base body comprise a substantially straight plane and the bisector plane thereof intersects the engagement surface (4) on said gripper arm substantially at right angles.

6. The cap-gripping device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said engagement surfaces comprise a toothing (23, 24).

7. The cap-gripping device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, comprising a stop plate (11) extending beyond these engagement surfaces.

8. The cap-gripping device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said engagement surfaces comprise a plastic part which is reinforced by a metal part

9. The cap-gripping device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said hinge (12) comprises a spring (15) which forces the base body and the gripper arm towards one another in the direction of the hinge pin.

10. The cap-gripping device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, comprising an opening (21) having an edge and serving as a bottle opener.

11 ♦ The cap-gripping device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said gripper arm has an infinite number of rest positions.

12. The cap-gripping device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said gripper arm has a length of less than 8 cm.

13. The cap-gripping device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein said engagement surface (4) of this gripper arm is convexly curved.

14. Use of a cap-gripping device as claimed in any of the preceding claims with a lid (20).

15. Assembly comprising a cap-gripping device (1) and a round lid (20), wherein said gap-gripping device comprises a base body (2) and a gripper arm attached thereto, the base body and the gripper arm being embodied for external engagement and being provided with engagement surfaces (5, 6), the engagement surface of said gripper arm being of curved design, said lid being locked in place by engagement between said engagement surfaces and the curved shape of this gripper arm and the position of the hinge (12) being such that when this cap-gripping device is rotated further in the intended direction of rotation (22) of the lid, this Hd is gradually clamped more tightly between said engagement surfaces, characterized in that the free end of this base body and the free end of this gripper arm can be displaced relative to one another in order to allow this lid to pass between them.