FR2673928A3 - Tool for removing the metal cap from laboratory feeding bottles - Google Patents

Abstract

A tool, intended for removing the metal cap from bottles intended for small laboratory animals, comprises a body (2) to which are attached a handle and a ring (3) having a suitable shape to be fitted without play around the cap ( 11). A piston (4), biased by a spring (5), comes into contact with the lower edge (15) of the cap to allow the user to lift the cap, by exerting a force on the handle.

Description

TOOL FOR REMOVING THE METAL CAP FROM

LABORATORY BOTTLES

  The present invention relates to a hand tool which is designed to allow easy removal of the metal cap from the plastic container which constitutes baby bottles used in animal breeding services in which small laboratory animals are reared such as mice, guinea pigs or other animals. Up to now, operators of animal breeding services have carried out the operation manually

  separation of the two parts that constitute the bottle, to be able to fill the latter.

  Although this operation may seem extreme-

  In a simple way, it often happens in practice that the separation

  mentioned above is hampered or complicated by the fact that the two parties adhere firmly to each other This adhesion is the result of the contribution of several

  factors, such as excessive force applied previously by the operator during the last assembly of the two components of the bottle, or a defect in alignment of the latter, the presence of solid residues deposited on the neck of the container, resulting from the evapo-

  ration of the liquid contained in the container, wear on the neck of the container, and other factors. Because of these reasons, to remove the metal cap from the bottle container, the operator must resort to inappropriate means, such as pliers and pincers, or else he must exert a force by taking

  support on the tube of the metal cap, which can lead to a deformation of this metal cap, and / or a rupture of the container, this having the consequences of compromising the integrity of the bottle, of disturbing its proper functioning-

  and require replacement with a new bottle. To eliminate the foregoing disadvantages, the invention provides a hand tool, which is designed to

  allow the metal cap to be removed efficiently and simply from the plastic container.

  The tool leaves perfectly intact the constituent elements of the bottle, which ensures a long duration of

  useful life of these and also avoids direct contact15 between the operator's hands and the metal cap, which improves hygienic conditions.

  We will now present the particular configuration of the manual tool according to the invention in the

  detailed description which follows, with reference to the appended drawings20 in which:

  Figures 1 and 2 are respectively an elevational view and a top plan view of the tool according to the invention; Figure 3 is an exploded view of the bottle; Figure 4 is a sectional and elevational representation of the tool applied to the bottle cap, before the cap is removed from the bottle container. As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, the hand tool according to the invention essentially comprises a handle 1 formed integrally with a body 2 on which is fixed a ring 3, the latter having an inside diameter equal to or slightly greater than the outside diameter of the cylindrical wall of the cap 11 of the bottle. In its lower part, the body 2 comprises an elongated cavity 2 a which extends in the direction from the handle 1 to the ring 3 The cavity 2 a opens on the side of the ring 3, and is closed at its opposite end

  by a wall 2 b while it opens on its side wall

  level with a through notch 7. Inside the cavity 2a is a piston 4, chamfered at 4a, which slides inside the cavity, and a spring 5 placed between the piston 4 and the wall 2 b The piston 4 has a button-shaped projection 6,

  which is one piece with the piston When the spring 5 relaxes, it biases the piston 4 in the direction

  tion which brings it out of the cavity 2 a until the projection 6 comes into contact with the wall of the notch 7 (see FIG. 1), this wall constituting a shoulder

stop for projection 6.

  As can be clearly seen in Figure 2, the length of the piston 4 is such that when the piston is in its rest position, its projecting end extends considerably beyond the inner edge of the ring 3.20 In referring to FIG. 4, it is noted that after having applied the ring 3 of the tool to the cap of the

  bottle, the operator slides the ring 3 along the wall of the cap, until the chamfered end 4a of the piston 4 slides beyond the edge 15 of the cap 11, overcoming the pressure of the spring 5.

  When the operator has dragged the piston beyond the edge 15, the spring 5 keeps the piston 4 applied.

  qué against the body 12 of the bottle, the piston coming simultaneously into contact with the edge 15 of the cap Then, 30 to remove the cap, the operator must only exert a force on the handle 1 The piston 4, acting against the edge bottom of the cap, easily releases the cap from the body of the bottle. Once these two parts of the bottle are mutually separated, the operator retracts the piston 4, 4 acting on the button-shaped projection 6) so as to overcome the resistance of the spring 5, which releases the cap 11 from the ring 3. It should be noted that although laboratory baby bottles that exist on the market can obviously have very different mutual capacities, their

  caps keep constant dimensions (in particular their diameter is constant) Consequently, the manual tool according to the invention can be used with all the bottles which are available on the market, regardless of their capacity.

  The size of the tool according to the invention, and the materials which are used for its manufacture, can

  wind vary according to any requirements of use-15 ques.

  It goes without saying that many modifications can be made to the device described and shown,

  without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (4)

  1 Tool for removing the metal cap (11) from bottle bodies used in the laboratory, characterized in that it comprises a ring (3) provided with a handle (1), this ring being able to be applied around the cap (11 ) which is supported on the body (12) of the bottle; and   means (4, 5) designed to come into contact with the lower edge (15) of the cap (11) for the purpose of lifting the cap when a force is exerted on the handle (1).   2 Tool according to claim 1, characterized in that the means designed to come into contact with the lower edge (15) of the cap (11) comprise a piston (4), subjected to the action of elastic means (5) capable of maintain the piston in a condition in which it is biased towards the center of the ring (3), the piston (4) having a projection (6) formed integrally with it, in order to cause its retraction. 3 Tool for removing the metal cap of baby bottles used in the laboratory, characterized in that it comprises: a body (2) having a cavity (2 a); a ring (3) designed to be applied around the body of the cap (11), formed in one piece with the body (2) of the tool and located at the end of this body in which the cavity opens (2 a); a handle (1) formed in one piece with the body (2) of the tool at the end opposite the ring (3); a piston (4) which can slide inside the cavity (2 a) from a position in which the piston (4) is inside the cavity (2 a) towards a position in which the piston (4) projects from the cavity (2 a) and comes into contact with the lower edge (15) of the cap (11); and means (5), designed to bias the piston (4) outwards. 4 Tool according to claim 3, characterized in that the end (4 a) of the piston (4) is chamfered, in order to facilitate its implementation under the edge (15) of the cap (11).