GB2041872A

GB2041872A - A Can Opener

Info

Publication number: GB2041872A
Application number: GB7904688A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: GILL MENTOR Ltd
Current assignee: GILL MENTOR Ltd
Priority date: 1979-02-09
Filing date: 1979-02-09
Publication date: 1980-09-17
Also published as: GB2041872B

Abstract

A can opener has (a) a head provided with a rotary operating handle, and (b) a body to which the head is detachably secured by connection means so arranged as to enable the head to be secured to the body in, at will, either of two mutually- reversed positions, whereby the handle is disposed at one side of the opener when the head is in one of said positions, and at the other side of the opener when the head is in the other of said positions. The opener head can thus be reversed from a position suiting a right-handed user to a position suiting a left-handed user, and vice-versa. In the arrangement shown, an opener 1, useable either wall-mounted or hand-held, has a body 11 and a reversible head 4 carrying a handle 6 and provided with ribs 9, 10 selectively and slidably engageable with a transverse recess 16 in body 11. Catch 19 is slidable to prevent withdrawal of a rib from the recess 16. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Can Opener This invention relates to an can opener of that kind having a rotary operating handle.

A known construction of can opener is attachable via a rear portion thereof to a wall so as to project form the wall and has a rotary operating handle so arranged that, when the opener is in place attached to the wall, the handle is, viewing the opener from its outer or front end, at the right hand side of the opener, so as to be conveniently placed for turning by a right-handed person. However, a disadvantage of such known construction is that the handle is inconveniently placed for operation, when the opener is on the wall, by a left-handed person, and moreover, if it were desired to remove the opener from the wall and use it whilst holding its rear portion in the hand, the rotary operating handle is then so placed as to be inconvenient for operation by a right-handed person.

An object of the invention is to provide a can opener, of that kind having a rotary operating handle, which is of a construction such as to enable the handle to be convenient to turn whether the operator is right-handed or lefthanded.

According to the invention, there is provided a can opener having (a) a head part provided with cutting means and with a rotary operating handle operable to cause relative movement between a can and said cutting means to cause opening of the can, and (b) a body part to which the head part is detachably secured and which is able to be held in the hand and/or able to serve as a part via the head part is attachable to a wall; there being provided, for detachably securing the head part to the body part, connection means so arranged as to enable the head part to be releasably secured to the body part in, at will, either of two mutuallyreversed positions, namely (i) a position in which the rotary operating handle is disposed at the same side of the opener as a given side of the body part, and (ii) a position in which said rotary operating handle is disposed at the opposite side of the opener to said given side of the body part.

Preferably, the connection means comprise a pair of projections provided on opposite sides of the head part, and a recess which is provided in the body part and with which said projections are selectively slidably interlocking engageable. The said recess in the body part may be provided with an end face acting as a stop up to which the respective selected projection is slidable, and there may be provided, on the opener, catch means movable over said projection to retain the head part of the opener in place on the body part after the projection has been slidably engaged into the recess up to said stop face.

Preferably the body part is able to be held in the hand and is also able to serve as a part via which the head part is attachable to a wall and preferably the can opener is in combination with a bracket which is for mounting on the wall and with which the body part of the opener is detachably slidably engageable.

In the accompanying drawings, which show, by way of example, a convenient embodiment of the invention: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a can opener, in combination with a wall-mounting bracket, constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line Il-Il, Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of the opener and bracket shown in Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a plan view of a portion of the opener shown in Figure 3 but with a head part of the opener reversed in position.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown therein a can opener 1 mounted on a wall 2 via a metal bracket 3 with which the opener 1 is detachably engaged.

The opener 1 has a moulded plastics head part 4 provided with a depending metal carrier plate 5 which carries cutting means and on which is mounted a crank handle 6 constituting a rotary operating handle operable to cause relative movement between a can and said cutting means to cause opening of the can. The construction of the cutting means, and the manner in which relative movement between a can and the cutting means can be caused by operation of the handle 6, are not features of the present invention and may be of any suitable form.For example, the cutting means may be a cutting disc, shown diagrammatically at 7, and relative movement between a can and the disc 7 may be caused via a traction wheel, shown diagrammatically at 8, coaxial with, and mounted on a shaft of, the handle 6, the arangement being such that a rim of the can may be inserted between the disc 7 and the wheel 8 and the handle 6 turned clockwise so as first to cause the said shaft to travel up a cam edge so that the wheel 8 engages the inside of the can rim, and then to cause rotation of the can, via the wheel 8, past the disc 7.

The moulded head part 4 is provided at each of two opposite ends with an integral projection in the form of a vertical rib, 9 or 10. The ribs 9, 10 are identical with each other and each (viewed in cross-section) is of rounded form and has a necked root portion 9a or 1 Oa (Figures 3, 4).

The opener 1 has furthermore a moulded plastics elongate body part 11 provided at its rear end with an integral enlargement 12 for insertion in a downwards direction into a socket defined at the sides by lipped side flanges 1 3 of the bracket 3 and at the bottom by a bottom portion 14 of said bracket. When the enlargement 1 2 is in place in said socket the lips (shown at 1 3a) on the flanges 1 3 engage forwardly-presented shoulders of the said enlargement and prevent forwards tilting movement of the body part 11 away from the wall, and a depending projecting part 1 2a of said enlargement engages against the bracket bottom portion 14. The bracket 3 may conveniently have a lip 1 5 for use in removing crown-corks from bottles.

The opener body part 11 has in its front end an elongate vertical recess 1 6 having an elongate vertically-extending mouth the opposed edges 1 spa of which are slidably interlockable with the necked root portion, 8a or 1 Oa, of either of the ribs, 9 or 10, on the head part 4. The recess 16, which constitutes means counterpart to the ribs 9, 10, is closed at the bottom by an end face 1 7 and is open at its upper end, whereby either rib, 9 or 10, can be slid downwards into the recess 1 6 up to the face 17, which acts as a stop face.

Provided, rearwards of the recess 1 6, in the body part 11 is downwardly-opening cavity 18, and the body part 11 carries a slidable catch 19 comprising (a) a thumb-operable top part 20 slidable over the top face of the body part 11 from an inoperative position (shown in Figure 4) to an operative position (shown in Figures 1 and 3) in which it obstructs said upper end of the recess 1 6 and prevents withdrawal of one of the ribs, 9 or 10, when said rib is engaged, up to the stop face 17, in said recess 16; (b) a depending intermediate part 21 integral with the part 20 and slidably engaged in a longitudinal slot 22 in said top face of the body part 11; and (c) a separate bottom part 23 connected to said intermediate part 21 by, for example, screw means 24 and having an upper face 23a slidably engaging a downwardly-presented upper face of the cavity 18, the part 23 retaining the catch in place on the body part 11 and sliding with the part 20 when the latter is moved along the top face of the body part.

The arrangement is such that the head part 4 is releasably securable to the body part 11 in, at will, either of two mutually-reversed positions, namely (i) a position in which (viewing the body part 11 of the opener in the direction of the arrow A) the rotary operating handle 6 is disposed at the same side of the opener as the right-hand side of the body part 11 (Figure 3); and (ii) a position in which said rotary operating handle is disposed at the opposite side of the opener to said right-hand side of the body part 11 (Figure 4).

When the opener 1 is mounted on the wall 2 via the bracket 3, and the head part 4 is in the position shown in Figures 1 and 3 (i.e. is at the right-hand side of the opener viewed in the direction of the arrow A), the rotary handle 6 is thereby conveniently oriented for operation by a right-handed person.When a left-handed person desires to operate the opener whilst the body part 11 remains attached to the wall, the head part can be quickly reoriented, to a position convenient for operation of the handle by said left-handed person, by sliding back the catch 19, moving up the head part 4 so that the rib 9 is disengaged from the recess 16, turning the head part 4 through 1 800, moving down the head part 4 so that the other rib 10 slides into, and fully engages, the recess 16, and sliding forwards the catch 1 9 to retain the rib 10 in the recess 1 6. The rotary handle 6 is now (viewed in the direction of the arrow A) at the left-hand side of the opener 1, and thus conveniently oriented for operation by a lefthanded person.The head part 4 can be quickly again reversed in position, so that the rib 9 again engages the recess 16, when the opener when mounted on the wall is once more required to be used by a right-handed person.

The opener 1 can readily be detached, by lifting it upwards, from the bracket 3, and can then be used as a hand-held opener, the body part 11 serving as a part for grasping in the hand. If the opener 1 is removed from the bracket 3 with the rib 9 engaged with the recess 16, the opener 1 then, when he body part 11 is held in the hand with the plate 5 projecting downwards, the head part 4 is in a position, relatively to the body part 11, convenient for operation of the handle 6 by a left-handed person, since the handle 6 will (viewed in the direction of the arrow B) then be at the left-hand side of the opener 1, but the head part 4 can quickly be reversed and the rib 10 instead brought into engagement with the recess 16, so as to place the head part 4 in a position, relatively to the body part 11, convenient, when the body part 11 is hand-held, for operation of the handle 6 by a right-handed person. Of course, if the opener 1 is removed from the bracket 3 with the rib 10, instead of the rib 9, engaged with the recess 16, the head part 4 is then in a position, relatively to the body part 11, convenient, when the body part 11 is hand-held with the plate 5 projecting downwards, for operation of the handle 6 by a right-handed person, but the head part 4 can quickly be reversed, to bring the rib 9 into engagement with the recess 16, when a lefthanded person wishes to use the opener as a hand-held opener.

The head and body parts 4, 11 of the opener 1 are of neat and simple construction and can be moulded in a simple manner, and as indicated above the opener can readily be converted, in a simple manner, from a form convenient for use by a right-handed person to a form convenient for use by a left-handed person, and vice-versa. The elongate body part 11 is comfortable to grip when the opener is hand-held, and can facilitate holding of the opener by a disabled or infirm person.

The parts of the opener, and the bracket, may be of any suitable material. If desired, the opener may be designed to serve solely as a hand-held opener, instead of also being co-operable with a bracket or other means for mounting the opener on a wall. Or, if desired the opener may be designed for pemanent attachment to a wall.

The ribs 9, 10 and the recess 1 and the catch means, may be of any other suitable form. if desired, projections other than ribs may be provided for selectively engaging the said recess.

If desired, the catch means may be omitted, although it is preferable to include means for positively preventing inadvertent dislodgement, from the recess, of a projection.

Instead of providing projections, for example the ribs 9, 10, at opposite ends of the head part 4 and providing counterpart recess in the body part 1 the means for connecting the head part 4 to the body part 11 may comprise recesses at opposite ends of the head part 4, and, for selective interlocking engagement at will into said recesses, a counterpart projection, for example a rib, on the body part.

The connecting means for detachably securing the head part to the body part at will in either of two mutually-reversed positions may be of any other suitable form.

Claims

1. A can opener having (a) a head part provided with cutting means and with a rotary operating handle operable to cause relative movement between a can and said cutting means to cause opening of the can, and (b) a body part to which the head part is detachably secured and which is able to be held in the hand and/or able to serve as a part via which the head part is attachable to a wall; there being provided, for detachably securing the head part to the body part, connection means so arranged as to enable the head part to be releasably secured to the body part in, at will, either of two mutually-reversed positions, namely (i) a position in which the rotary operating handle is disposed at the same side of the opener as a given side of the body part, and (ii) a position in which said rotary operating handle is disposed at the opposite side of the opener to said given side of the body part.

2. A can opener as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said connection means comprise a pair of projections, or a pair of grooves, provided on opposite sides of the head part and selectively engageable with a counterpart means, either a recess or a projection, as the case may be, provided in or on the body part.

3. A can opener as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the pair of projections, or the pair of grooves, provided on opposite sides of the head part are selectively slidably interlockingly engageable with said counterpart means.

4. A can opener as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the connection means comprise a pair of projections provided on opposite sides of the head part, and a recess which is provided in the body part and with which said projections are selectively slidably interlockingly engageable.

5. A can opener as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the said recess in the body part is provided with an end face acting as a stop up to which the respective selected projection is slidable and there is provided, on the opener, catch means movable over said projection to retain the head part of the opener in place on the body part after the projection has been slidably engaged into the recess up to said stop face.

6. A can opener as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the recess extends downwardly from a top face of the body part, and the catch means is mounted to move over said top face to obstruct an upper end of the recess when the respective projection is slidably engaged therein.

7. A can opener as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the catch means is a catch which comprises (a) a top part slidable over said top face of the body part from an inoperative position to a position in which it obstructs said upper end of the recess, (b) an intermediate part depending from said top part and slidably engaged in a slot in said body part, and (c) a bottom part connected to said intermediate part and having an upper face slidably engaging a downwardly-presented upper face of an upwardly-extending cavity in the body part.

8. A can opener as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 7, wherein each of the pair of projections is a moulded rib having (viewed in cross-section) a necked root portion, and the recess is an elongate recess having a longitudinally-extending mouth the opposed edges of which are slidably interlockable with the necked root portion of either of said ribs.

9. A can opener as claimed in Claim 8, wherein each rib and the recess is of rounded crosssection.

10. A can opener in combination with a bracket, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A can opener as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body part is able to be held in the hand and is also able to serve as a part via which the head part is attachable to a wall.

1 A can opener as claimed in Claim 10, in combination with a bracket which is for mounting on the wall and with which the body part of the opener is detachably slidably engageable.

12. A can opener substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

13. A can opener in combination with a bracket, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

New Claims or Amendments to Claims filed on 1 5 November 1 979.

Superseded Claims 1-13.

New or Amended Claims:

1. A can opener having (a) a head part provided with cutting means and with a rotary operating handle operable to cause relative movement between a can and said cutting means to cause opening of the can, and (b) an elongate body part to which the head part is detachably secured and which is able to be held in the hand and/or able to serve as a part via which the head part is attachable to a wall; there being provided, for detachably securing the head part to the body part, connection means slidably engageable with the elongate body part in a direction transverse to the length of said elongate body part to interlock with said body part against separation in the direction of said length, said connection means being so arranged as to enable the head part to be releasably secured to the body part in, at will, either of two mutually-reversed positions, namely (i) an operative position in which the rotary operating handle is disposed at the same side of the opener as a given side of the body part, and (ii) an operative position in which said rotary operating handle is disposed at the opposite side of the opener to said given side of the body part.

2. A can opener as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said connection means comprise a pair of projections which are provided on opposite sides of the head part and are selectively slidably interlockingly engageable with a recess provided in the body part.

3. A can opener as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the said recess in the body part is provided with an end face acting as a stop up to which the respective selected projection is slidable and there is provided, on the opener, catch means movable over said projection to retain the head part of the opener in place on the body part after the projection has been slidably engaged into the recess up to said stop face.

4. A can opener as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the recess extends downwardly from a top face of the body part, and the catch means is mounted to move over said top face to obstruct an upper end of the recess when the respective projection is slidably engaged therein.

5. A can opener as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the catch means is a catch which comprises (a) a top part slidable over said top face of the body part from an inoperative position to a position in which it obstructs said upper end of the recess, (b) an intermediate part depending from said top part and slidably engaged in a slot in said body part, and (c) a bottom part connected to said intermediate part and having an upper face slidably engaging a downwardly-presented upper face of an upwardly-extending cavity in the body part.

6. A can opener as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 5, wherein each of the pair of projections is a moulded rib having (viewed in cross-section) a necked root portion, and the recess is an elongate recess having a longitudinally-extending mouth the opposed edges of which are slidably interlockable with the necked root portion of either of said ribs.

7. A can opener as claimed in Claim 6, wherein each rib and the recess is of rounded crosssection.

8. A can opener as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, and a bracket which is for mounting on a wall and with which the body part of the opener is detachably slidably engageable, the body part being able to be held in the hand and also serving as a part via which the head part is attachable to the wall.

9. A can opener substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.