GB2152912A

GB2152912A - Bottle openers

Info

Publication number: GB2152912A
Application number: GB08401106A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Heinz Werner Braukmann
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-01-17
Filing date: 1984-01-17
Publication date: 1985-08-14
Also published as: GB8401106D0

Abstract

A combined twist and crown cap opener 14 has a head with an integral handle 28; the head has a trapezoidal opening 16, the parallel walls thereto having an extending edge to engage the underside of a crown cap. The parallel walls are connected by opposed walls 20,22 which converge towards the handle and each opposed wall has teeth, each of which is formed of one edge which is substantially perpendicular to the associated wall while the other edge is inclined at an acute angle to the one edge. The edges are reversed on one opposed wall with respect to the edges on the other wall. The head has a portion of reduced thickness which forms a throat 25 (Figure 5) leading to the converging walls. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Bottle Opener A combined twist and crown cap opener has a head with an integral handle; the head has a trapezoidal opening, the parallel walls thereto having an extending edge to engage the underside of a crown cap. The parallel walls are connected by opposed walls which converge towards the handle and each opposed wall has teeth, each of which is formed of one edge which is substantially perpendicular to the associated wall while the other edge is inclined to an acute angle to the one edge. The edges are reversed on one opposed wall with respect to the edges on the other wall. The head has a portion of reduced thickness which forms a throat leading to the converging walls and preferably the head is enclosed in a plastic support member having a portion reduced in thickness to form the integral handle.

This invention relates to a hand tool for removing twist caps covers from bottles such as soda pop or wine bottles and also for removing crimped crown caps from bottles.

Many types of tools have been suggested for use in removing twist caps from bottles, the object being to prevent damage to the hand from the sharp edges formed after the upper part of the twist or pilfer proof cap has been separated from the lower part which remains on the neck.

Such tools have a number of disadvantages, for example, in that they are awkward and slip, thus defeating the object. A further reason is that they require a certain amount of pressure if slip is not to occur. To overcome the problem, tools have been developed which are more complicated and need adjustment before use. Finally, some of the hitherto known tools have a tendency to deform the cap and the sealing ability is lost if the cap is subsequently replaced.

The present invention overcomes these disadvantages by providing a tool which, with side twist motion, will open the cap without cutting the hand.

The tool is also of simple construction and can be manufactured easily by enclosing the operative part in a plastic casing; the tool will serve equally well in the conventional manner for removing crown caps from bottles.

The tool is a combined twist and crown cap opener and has an operative head with an integral handle; the head has a trapezoidal opening, the parallel walls thereof each having an inwardly extending edge dimensioned to engage between them the underside of a crown cap. The parallel walls are connected by opposed walls which converge towards the handle; each converging wall has an upstanding face to the opening with each face having serrations formed of one edge which is substantially perpendicular to the face and the other edge inclined at an acute angle to the one edge. The other edge and one edge are reversed on one of the faces with respect to the other face.

Apart from the faces, the head is enclosed in a plastic support, the handle portion of which is of reduced thickness, so that the adjacent portion of the support acts as a buttress for the portion of the hand using the tool. The part of the plastic support enclosing the longest parallel wall of the head is reduced in thickness to provide a throat to said converging faces.

The invention will now be described in relation to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a top plan view of one embodiment of the tool; Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the tool shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section taken on the lines 111-111 of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the operation of the tool to remove a crown cap; and Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the operation of the tool to remove a twist cap.

With reference to the drawings, the opener has an operative head, generally designated by the numeral 10, which is made of suitably strong material such as rust resisting steel, formed by stamping in well known manner.

The head 10 is enclosed in the portion 12 of a plastic moulding, generally designated by the numeral 14. The portion 12 has an opening 16 of trapezoidal configuration with the longer parallel side 18 forming the outwardly disposed part enclosing the opening 16 and the converging sides 20 and 22 thereto converge to merge with the inner parallel side 24. The thickness of the side 18 is reduced as shown in Figure 3 to provide a throat 26 The portion 12 of the plastic moulding 14 merges into a plate portion 28 of a reduced thickness compared to the thickness of the adjacent side 24. The portion 28 forms the lever for operating the tool 10 and the side 24, being raised in respect to portion 28, acts as a stop and support for the hand of the user. The portion 28 may contain advertising such as a company logo or name.A hole 30 is provided in the plate portion 28 for the purpose of hanging the tool.

The head part 10 conforms to the configuration of the enclosing portion 12 of the plastic moulding 14, thus having a longer parallel side 32 and an inwardly disposed shorter parallel side 34, which sides are joined by converging sides 36 and 38 in the direction of side 34.

Sides 32 and 34 of the head part 10, have respectively intermediate disposed edges 40 and 42 which project into the opening 16; the distance between the edges 40 and 42 is such that they act in well known manner to lift a crown cap from a bottle when the tool is applied for this purpose as illustrated in Figure 4.

Converging sides 36 and 38 are respectively provided with upstanding plates 44 and 46 which form a facing to the opening 16 of the plastic portion 12.

Each plate 44 and 46 is the same in construction and one only will be described. The plate 44 is serrated as shown to provide teeth 48 with each tooth being formed of one edge 50 which is disposed substantially perpendicular to the plate 44. The other edge 52 of the tooth 48 is inclined at an acute angle to the edge 50. While the plates 44 and 46 are identical in construction, their disposition on the respective opposed sides 36 and 38 is such that the edges 50 and 52 on face 44 are reversed with respect to plate face 46.

The operation of the opener on a twist cap is shown in Figure 5. As compared with the operation shown in Figure 4 in removing a crown cap, the opener is reversed to remove a twist cap and the throat 26 is placed over the twist cap. The holder then advances the opener until the teeth 48 engage the cap and a slight twist motion to the right will disengage the cap.

Claims

1. A combined twist and crown cap owner comprising a head with an integral handle, the head having a trapezoidal opening with the parallel walls thereto each having an inwardly extending edge to engage a crown cap underside, said parallel walls beng connected by opposed walls converging towards said handle, each said converging wall having an upstanding face thereto with respect to the plane of said edges, said faces each having teeth thereon, each tooth having one edge substantially perpendicular to its associated wall with the other tooth edge inclined at an acute angle to the said one edge, said tooth edges being reversed on one of said faces with respect to the other face.

2. An opener according to Claim 1 wherein said parallel walls and said converging walls are enclosed in a plastic support having a planar portion of reduced thickness forming said integral handle.

3. An opener according to Claim 2 wherein the plastic portion enclosing the parallel wall removed from said planar portion is reduced in thickness to form a throat to said converging walls.