GB2258643A - Electrically motor driven can opener - Google Patents

Abstract

An electrically driven can opener is adapted for mounting substantially flush with a surface and can be permanently connected to a mains electricity supply, thereby avoiding the need for a flex and electric plug. One such can opener 10 comprises a support/fixing plate 11 having an electricity driven cutter assembly 14, 15 projecting outwardly therefrom, means (not illustrated) for driving the cutter assembly 14, 15 are mounted behind the plate 11 in a recess behind surface 40 and connected to the mains electricity supply via a fuse link. In this way the plate 11 and cutter assembly 14, 15 may be arranged substantially flush with surface 40 when mounted. A cover 12 may be included to shield and protect the cutter assembly 14, 15 when the can opener 10 is not in use. <IMAGE>

Description

ELECTRICALLY MOTOR DRIVEN CAN OPENER The present invention relates to electrically motor driven can openers.

Can openers of the foregoing type are well known, for example, GB Patent No. 1426232 and 1383839. US Patent No.

1371168, 3858313 and 4734985. In recent years miniturisation of electric motors and associate components of automatic electric can openers have made it possible for such devices to be made much smaller than was previously possible however, known can openers remain quite bulky and the basic designs have changed little,conventional can openers fall broadly into four groups:a) The free standing type which with flex and plug attached for connection to the electric supply.

b) For surface fixing to a kitchen wall or underside of a cupboard with flex and plug attached.

c) The re-chargeable, cordlessvariety intended to be kept permanently on charge by being stored in an adaptor charger unit, said charger unit for attachment to a kitchen wall or to sit on a worksurface a flex and plug being attached.

d) Battery powered portable can openers.

All the above mentioned types of electric can openers perform their task efficiently however, such can openers when not in use tend to be hidden away in cupboards simply because they look unsightly due to the untidy appearance of the flex and plug and the appliance itself on a kitchen worksurface when stored in a cupboard or drawer the flex tends to get entangled with other appliances or objects and I believe the inconvenience of having to hide the appliance away is in itself an unnesesary chore Should the appliance be kept permanently on a work surface or secured to a wall or cupboard it gathers dust, flies and insects are attracted to food particles on the exposed cutter theirby presenting a potential health hazard.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved design of electrically operated automatic can opener which will mitigate the above mentioned shortfalls associated with such known can openers a can opener according to the invention will not require a loose flex and attached plug nor will it be rechargeable or portable it will provide means which will cover all working parts of the appliance when it is not in use.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a compact flush mounted electrically driven can opener which is permanently electrically connected (via a fuse link) to the mains electric supply.

Another object is to provide a can opener of this type incorporating an improved hygene facility in the form of a cover which will prevent flies and insects having access to the cutting blade and drive wheel etc when the opener is not in use.

A further object is to provide an opener of this type the cover of which would incorporate a child proof locking means which will deny young children access to the can opener theirby providing a safer appliance than has previously been known.

A still further object is to provide a can opener of this type which will be reliable, require a small number of components, be inexspensive, easy to assenble, safe and simple to use.

According to the present invention an electrically motor driven can opener is provided which is designed for flush mounting in a wall preferably over a work surface said can opener will fix into a standard two gang 47mm deep flush metal or plastic box mounting of the type used with shaver or cooker control units or 45 amp switches, it will be connected via an accessible fuse link directly into the mains electric sopply a cover will be provided on the can opener so that when not in use said cover may be closed thereby providing a visually more acceptable and hygenic can opener. The can opener of the invention will clearly be more convenient for the housewife and will incorporate all the usual refinements including automatically starting, piercing and cutting and thereafter automatically stop the cutting operation. It will preferably have a manual can release means.

Unlike known conventional motor driven can openers which consist of a housing enclosing an electric motor and the connected driving means for rotating a can to be opened, a can opener according to the invention will preferably have the mechanism supported on a rectangular fixing plate said plate supporting on it's inner side (the side which in use is not accessible) an electric motor with an output shaft which is coupled through a suitable gear arrangement to a shaft which extends through the fixing plate and to which is secured a serrated can turning wheel said wheel being on the outer side of the fixing plate, said shaft in use rotating the serrated can turning wheel a cutting blade is mounted on the outer side of the fixing plate in spaced relationship to the serrated wheel preferably the said cutting blade is fixed relative to the fixing plate but in the normal manner is free to rotate. the cutting plate is normally remote from the turning wheel the electric motor, connected driving means and serrated traction wheel as a unit is rotatably mounted on the inner side of the fixing plate a pair of electrical switches are positioned on the front plate on either side of the cutter, both switches being depressed only when a can has been presented corectly to the opener depressing both switches energises the motor causing the drive unit (i.e. the electric motor, connected driving means and traction wheel) to pivot through a limited range about a fixed axis to move the can turning wheel towards and away from the cutter, from a first position in which the rim of a can can be inserted between the can turning wheel and cutting blade to a second position in which the can turning wheel has moved vertically engaging the can beneath the rim forcing the said can onto the cutter which action pierces the can lid, continued turning of the wheel rotating the can against the blade causung the blade to cut through the can top after complete cutting off of the lid, the drive motor will automatically switch off.To release the can which is held between the cutter and traction wheel a user would press a button which will energise the motor thereby causung the drive unit to pivot back to it's first position (the traction wheel moving away from the cutter) thereby releasing the can to the user. A number of small recessed holes are provided on the perimeter of the plate said holes to accept screws by means of which the plate is secured to a flush metel or plastic box mounting, an electrical mains cable being supplied to the back box for connection to the electrical terminals of the can opener said terminals provided on the inner side of the fixing plate.

Preferably the cutter assembly although fixed relative to the fixing plate is detachable for cleaning purposes and may be snap fit engagement in the said plate. A recessed accessable fuse housing is provided on the exposed outer side of the fixing plate which will allow a "blown" fuse to be replaced without removing the plate from the back box. A hinging or sliding cover will be provided on the fixing plate so that when the can opener is not in use the cover may be closed to stop flies and insects contaminating the cutter and also as a means to enhance the appearance of the can opener which will be unrecognisable as such. The cover may be provided with a child proof catch.A lid retrieving magnet will be provided and may be mounted either on the end of an articulated arm which extends from the inside of the cover said arm and magnet folding away after use alternatively the magnet may be attached to an arm which can be extended from and will retract into the fixing plate above the cuter assembly. The can opener of the invention fully assembled i.e. electrically connected to the mains supply (via the fuse link) secured to the flush mounted back box by the aforementioned screws and with the cover in the closed or locked position will protrude from the surface of the wall onto which it is installed about the same amount as a modern conventional flush type electrical socket, thereby presenting a visually more acceptable can opener for a kitchen environment.

The proposed can opener in it's preferred form is simple to manufacture, easy to install and includes quality features which have previously not been available on can openers.

The present invention will now be described further by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a flush mounted can opener 10 of the invention with cover 12 open said can opener fixed in a tiled wall 40 over a work top 50.

Fig. 2 is a frontal view of the can opener 10 of Fig. 1 illustrating the cover 12 in the open position.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a standard flush mounted back box 13 intended to house the can opener 10 of the invention, supporting an earth terminal 26 and flex knockouts 27.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the can opener 10 mounted as in Fig. 1 with cover in the closed position.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 4 the illustrated flush mounted electrically motor driven can opener 10 comprises a rectangular support/fixing plate 11 said plate 11 on its inner side (not shown) supports the conventional motor and motor drives through a gear reduction, a feed wheel shaft which supports at it's outer end a serrated can rotating or feed wheel 14 said wheel locating on the outer exposed side of the fixing plate 11 co-operating with the can turning wheel 14 to cut the lid off a can is a cutting blade 15 said cutter 15 is fixed relative to the plate 11 and is mounted on the outer side of the said fixing plate 11 in spaced relationship to the can turning wheel 14 and in its first normal position is remote from the can turning wheel 14, the wheel 14 can be moved vertically towards and away from the cutter 15 from a first position in which the rim of a can (not shown) can be inserted between the can turning wheel 14 and cutting blade 15 to a second position in which the can turning wheel has moved vertically engaging the can beneath the rim forcing the said can onto the cutter 15 which action pierces the can lid continued turning of the wheel 14 causes the blade 15 to complete cutting off the lid a mumber of small holes 22 are provided on the perimeter of the fixing plate 11 said holes to accept screws 23 by means of which the fixing plate 11 is secured to a flush mounted back box 13, limbs 25 on the back box 13 support threaded bores 24 to receive said screws 23, a recessed fuse housing 18 is provided on the exposed side of the plate 11, a pair of electrical switches 17 are positioned on the front plate 11 on either side of the cutter 15 said switches when depressed by a can energise the motor thereby turning the can opener 'on'. a can release button 16 on the fixing plate 11 is depressed by the user to release a can after cutting. A hinging cover 12 supported on the plate 11 can be held closed by means of catches 30 and 31 when the can opener 10 is not in use. A lid retreiving magnet 21 is set into the front plate 11 and can be withdrawn and retracted as required.

In use, to commence cutting it is necessary to present the can correctly to the switches 17 depressing both switches such that the cutter 15 is pressed against the lid of the can this action energises the motor which causes the serrated can turning wheel 14 to move vertically to its second position engaging the can beneath the rim forcing the cutter 15 to pierce the can lid while simultaneously rotating the serrated wheel 14 said action rotates the can against the cutting blade 15 to completely cut off the lid, when cutting is complete the motor will automatically de-energise, the can will stop turning but will remain held in the can opener trapped between the blade 15 and can turning wheel 14. to release the can the user must first depress the release button 16 which action willenergise the motor and cause the drive unit to move the can turning wheel 14 vertically back to its first position at which time the can may be removed.

Claims (17)

1. An electrically driven can opener for fixedly mounting to

a surface, said opener comprising a cutter assembly for opening said can and electrical drive means for driving said cutter assembly, the arrangement being such that, when mounted, the drive means are arranged substantially behind said surface.

2. A can opener according to claim 1 comprising a mounting plate having a cutter assembly projecting forwardly therefrom and drive means mounted rearwardly of the plate and arranged so that when mounted the plate is substantially flush with the surface.

3. A can opener according to claim 2 in which the drive means are connected rearwardly of the mounting plate to a mains electricity supply via a fuse link.

4. A can opener according to claim 3 in which the plate has a recessed fuse housing arranged to be accessible when the plate is mounted.

5. A can opener according to any preceding claim further comprising a housing for the drive means.

6. A can opener according to any preceding claim wherein the surface is provided by a wall and the drive means are adapted for mounting in a recess in said wall.

7. A can opener according to any preceding claims in which the cutter assembly comprises a blade and a can turning wheel.

8. A can opener according to claim 7 in which the blade and can turning wheel are arranged in spaced relation, the can turning wheel being displaceable towards and away from the cutter to engage and release a can arranged therebetween.

9. A can opener according to any preceding claim in which the cutter assembly is releasable from the drive means for maintenance.

10. A can opener according to any preceding claim in which the drive means comprises an electric motor actuable by a can presented to the cutter assembly.

11. A can opener according to claim 10 in which one or more switches for actuation of the motor are arranged projecting forwardly of a mounting plate.

12. A can opener according to any preceding claim further comprising a displaceable cover for shielding the cutter assembly when not in use.

13. A can opener according to claim 12 in which the cover is hingedly mountable on the mounting plate.

14. A can opener according to claim 13 in which the cover is slidably mountable on the mounting plate.

15. A can opener according to any one of claims 12 to 14 comprising a child resistant catch for locking the cover to the plate in cutter assembly shielding relation.

16. A can opener according to any preceding claim further comprising a magnet arranged for retaining a lid cut from a can using the cutter assembly.

17. A can opener substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying Figures 1 to 4.