GB2193194A - Bottle opener - Google Patents

Abstract

A bottle opener has a main body (1,2) which can be placed over the top of a bottle (90) with an edge (13c) pressing down on one side of a crown cap of the bottle (90) and a hooking member (31) pulling up against the undersurface of the opposite side of the crown cap. The main body (1,2) is slidable within a housing (4) and, when the housing (4) is pushed downwards relatively to the main body (1,2) and bottle (90), a lever pivotally mounted in the main body (1,2) is rotated by a block (42) projecting from the inner wall of the housing (4). This causes the lever to pull the hooking member (31) upwards to pull the crown cap off the bottle (90). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Bottle opener This invention relates to a bottle opener for uncapping easily a bottle of beer, soft drink or other liquid provisions of articles.

For removing a crown cap of a bottle filled with a soft drink, juice, beer or the like, a cap remover with a hole at one end, namely, a bottle opener of the lever type, is generally used. When uncapping with such a cap remover, a part of the hole of the cap remover is applied to a part of the under rim of a crown cap and then with a handle part of the cap remover as a dynamic point, prying force is applied to a crown cap. In this case, however, it is sometimes experienced that by the shock in uncapping, a bottle is tumbled, a bottle is tilted and contents are spilled, or the cap flies off. In addition, it is inconvenient to use both hands for uncapping, namely, holding a bottle with one hand and manipulating a cap remover with the other end.

The present invention has for its object to eliminate the above disadvantages of a conventional cap remover and provides a novel cap remover with which a bottle can be uncapped easily by pushing it down lightly from above, using only one hand and without the danger of tumbling or tilting the bottle by the shock of uncapping.

The nature and advantages of the present invention will be understood more clearly from the following description made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention with its hole upward.

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view bf the embodiment of the present invention.

Figures 3A and 3B are the longitudinal section of the cap remover in using.

In the drawings, numeral 1 & 2 form a cap remover proper (main body). In the embodiment shown in Figures 2-3, a pusher 4 formed in the shape of a casing having a circular cross-section is vertically slidably mounted on the cap remover proper 1 & 2, a cap inserting groove 13 being formed at the lower rim of the outer body 1 of the cap remover proper so that a cap to be removed can be inserted into the groove 13. The pusher 4 which is vertically slidably mounted on the outer circumference of the cap remover proper 1 & 2 is slightly larger size than the cap remover proper 1 & 2 so that it can slide smoothly on the latter. Two support pins 202, 203 extend through opposing holes 221, 222 in both side plates inner body 2 of the cap remover proper. A lever 3 inserted in the inner body 2 of the cap remover proper is pivotally held by the support pin 202.The lever 3 is so designed that it has the desired leverage and the strength to stand the load applied in uncapping. Preferably, the lever 3 is square pipe of no bottom and provided a pair of pin holes 321 through which a pin 301 extends horizontally. The end portion of the lever 3 is pivotally secured to a hook member 31. A pair of holes 322 through which the support pin 202 extends is formed in the lever 3 at such a portion that the desired leverage is obtained. The hook member 31 which is pivotally secured to the lever 3 through the medium of the pin 301 is metal of square pipe shape and carries an engaging portion 312 with a pair of pin holes 313 through which the pin 301 is passed to secure pivotally to the end portion of the lever 3.A nail like hook plate 3002 which in use hooks the undersurface of the rim of a crown cap to be removed is formed at the lower end of the hook member 31. Since the hook plate 3002 will wear due to repeated uncapping, it is desired that the hook plate 3002 is made of steel or is subjected to tempering for improving abrasion-resistance.

The hook member 31 is fitted in a vertical groove formed at the inner surface of one side of the inner body 2 of the cap remover proper. The hook plate 3002 is projected partially or entirely from the lower end of the inner body 2 of the cap remover proper. The length of the hook member 31 is so determined that whenever a crown cap at the mouth of a bottle is inserted in crown inserting groove 13, the hook plate 3002 engages with a part of the undersurface of the rim of the crown cap, as illustrated in Figure 3A. A pushing leaf spring 230 is interposed between the inner surface of the vertical groove in the inner body 2 of the cap remover proper and the confronting side of the hook member 31 so that the hook plate 3002 is forced to project toward the crown cap as illustrated in Figure 3A.

The crown inserting groove 13 comprises internal surfaces therein including an inner end face 13a which inclines in such a fashion that it narrows upwardly, bottle mouth supporting plates 13b which oppose the inner end face 13a and an inner end edge (inner face) 13c.

The inner end edge 13c is inclined in such a fashion that the contacting face side is greater in height. The bottle mouth supporting plates 13b is formed in the inner body 2 of the cap remover proper, as illustrated in Figure 2 and Figure 3; it may be formed by making the lower end of one side of the inner body 2 of the cap remover proper project a little inwardly. A device for assuring that the pusher 4 slides smoothly in a vertical direction is provided in the inner surface of the pusher 4, namely, a furrow 41 formed by a pair of separated strips 411, 412. With this construction, the pusher 4 can hold the cap remover proper in definite direction and enable the pusher 4 to slide relative to the cap remover proper. On the inner surface of the pusher 4, there is also a pushing down block 42 op poses the furrow 41 to push the free end of the lever 3 down.

A spring 5 with its two ends fixed onto the lever 3 and a hole 250 in the side wall of the inner body of the cap remover proper is used to restore the depressed lever 3 automatically to its original state upon releasing the pusher 4 from pressing thereon. Restoration of the pusher 4 can be effected also by the spring 5. A horizontal plate 6 is fixed onto the top ends of pipe elements 121 of the outer body of the cap remover proper by screws 601, 602, thrust into holes 61, 62 in the plate 6, thus, get the two bodies 1 & 2 together to form the cap remover proper. On the inner surface of the lower end of the pusher 4, there is also a flange 400 to prevent the cap remover proper from slipping out of the pusher.

When uncapping a bottle 90 with this invention, as shown in Figure 3A, firstly, cap remover proper is put on the top of a crown cap as shown in Figure 3A, so that the crown cap is inserted into the crown inserting groove 13. At this time, the outer circumference of the crown cap on the opposite side and thus the crown cap and the bottle arse held in the groove 13. This is effected easily and accurately because the inner end face 13a is inclined in such a fashion that the groove 13 narrows in an upward direction. At the same time, the hook plate 3002 at the lower end of the crown hooking member 31 is pushed toward the undersurface of rim of the crown cap by means of the leaf spring 230 and hooks the crown cap.Then, upon pushing down the pusher 4 by the palm of the hand, the pushing down block 42 is depressed and the lever 3 pivots with support pin 202 as a fulcrum, and as a result, the spring 5 is extended, whereupon the hooking member 31 pivotally secured to the outer end of the lever 3 is lifted up and the hook plate 3002 engaging with the under rim of the crown cap prises open the crown cap, as illustrated in Figure 3B. At this time, as the bottle 90 is held by the groove 13 of the cap remover proper, the bottle remains stationary and accurate uncapping is ensured.

After uncapping, upon releasing the pusher 4, the lever 3 is urged toward its original state by the spring 5, the pusher 4 is lifted up the spring 5 and the hooking member 31 is restored to its original state.

Since the cap opener according to the present invention is of such construction as mentioned above, pressing down force from above a bottle is applied only to the top part of the bottle and therefore when a crown cap is being removed the bottle cannot be tilted or tumbled and the crown cap cannot fly off.

Moreover, it has the advantage that uncapping can be effected easily with one hand.

Claims (8)

1. A bottle opener for removing a cap having an exposed rim undersurface from the mouth of a bottle, comprising: a main body having an opening in the bottom thereof for receiving the mouth of a bottle with a cap thereon, with main body including in said opening a lower surface and an upper surface above said lower surface for respectively engaging the mouth and the cap; a lever pivotally mounted to said main body to pivot about a first axis; and a hooking member having a hook portion at a lower end thereof for engaging the rim undersurface of the cap pivotally mounted to said first axis with said upper and lower surfaces respectively engaging the cap and the mouth of the bottle, whereby pivoting of said lever about said first axis lifts said hooking member upward with respect to said upper and lower surfaces to pry said cap from the bottle.

2. A bottle opener for removing a cap having an exposed rim undersurface from the mouth of a bottle comprising: a main body having an opening in the bottom thereof for receiving the mouth of a bottle with a cap thereon, said main body having side walls in said opening for engaging the mouth; a lever pivotally mounted to said main body to pivot about a first axis; a vertically movable hooking member, having a hook portion at a lower end thereof for engaging in a cap engaging vertical position thereof the rim undersurface of the cap, pivotally mounted to said lever for pivoting relative to said lever about a second axis spaced from said first axis; a pusher member vertically slidably connected to said main body, downwardly movable in response to an externally applied downward force thereon; means, responsive to downward movement of said pusher member from an initial vertical position, for pivoting said leverform an initial rotational position about said first axis to lift said hooking member upward from said cap engaging position to pry said cap from said bottle; and spring means for restoring said pusher member, said lever and said hooking member to said initial vertical position, said initial rotational position and said cap engaging vertical position respectively, when said hooking member is above said cap engaging vertical position and said external force is not being applied to said pusher.

3. The bottle opener as in claim 2, wherein said main body has an open top end, said pusher extending slidably into said main body through said top end.

4. The bottle opener as in claim 2, wherein said pusher is slidably mounted so as to hold the said main body.

5. The bottle opener as in claim 2, wherein said upper internal surface includes a lower inclined face and an upper inclined face above said lower inclined face intersecting said lower inclined face at an angle, an upper edge of the cap being pivotally supported by said upper and lower inclined faces at the intersection between said upper and lower inclined faces, said upper and lower inclinded faces at said intersection acting as a fulcrum when the cap is prised off the bottle.

6. The bottle opener as in claim 2 and 4, wherein on the inner surface of the pusher there are a furrow formed by a pair of separated strips to hold the main body in definite direction and a pushing down block opposes the furrow to push the free end of the level down.

7. A bottle opener for decapping bottles closed by a crown cap, the device comprising a housing which is arranged to be moved relatively downwards around the capped upper end of a bottle, a carrier which is slidable upwards and downwards within the housing and which has a surface for engaging the top of the crown cap at one side, and a lever pivoted on the carrier and having one end cooperating with a part of the housing and the other end carrying a claw for engaging under the other side of the crown cap; the arrangement being such that when the opener is applied to the top of the bottle, and the housing is moved downwards relativeiy to the bottle, the surface engages the one side of the crown cap, causing the carrier to slide upwards within the housing, whereupon the lever is caused to pivot by its engagement with the housing so that the claw lifts the other side of the cap upwards off the bottle.

8. A bottle opener substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.