US3656375A

US3656375A - Opener

Info

Publication number: US3656375A
Application number: US34337A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joe A Reed; John D Reed
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-05-04
Filing date: 1970-05-04
Publication date: 1972-04-18
Anticipated expiration: 1989-04-18

Abstract

An opener for removing the ring and tear-away closure element from the top of a can. The opener includes a nose portion for insertion through the ring, a handle or gripping portion opposite the nose, and a depending fulcrum member disposed between the nose and handle so that the nose portion engages the ring and tears away the closure as the opener is rotated about the fulcrum. A retaining member is provided on the opener to catch and retain the ring and closure element after removal from the can.

Description

United States Patent Reed etal. [451 Apr. 18,1972

[541 OPENER v l,4l0,426 3/1922 Torgerson ..254/28 1 1 Inventors MAM-515E:lowsww-nv- 33:33? 1311383 hiilililijiiii:1:33:113113351333113 $3133 Reed, 123 Womack, both of Borger, Tex.

22 Filed: May 4,1910 21 AppLNoQ: 34,337

1521 u.s.m 81/346 51 lnt.Cl ..-B67b7/00 5s FleldolSearell ..8l/3.46,3.47,3.34,3.36,

[56] 1mm cm UNITED sures-Trams I 3,460, 11 8/1969 Dyer ..s1/3.34

' Primary Examiner-James L. Jones, Jr.

Anomey-A. H. Evans [57] ABSTRACT An opener for removing the ring and tear-away closure' element from the top of a can. The opener includes a nose portion for insertion through the. ring, a handle or gripping portion opposite the nose, and a depending fulcrum member disposed between the nose and handle so that the nose portion engages the ring and tears away the closure as the opener is rotated about the fulcrum. A retaining member is provided on the opener to catch and retain the ring and closure element PATENTEDAPR i8 1912 min;

J05 A. REED JOHN D. [9550 INVENTORS ATTORNE Y5 OPENER This invention relates to openers, and more particularly to an opener for removing the ring and attached tear-away closure element from'the top of a container or can.

Rings with attached tear-away closure elements have come into widespread use to provide a sealed opening in cans containing drinking fluids, particularly soft drinks and beer. The ring is designed to lie flat on the top of the can and the closure element (which is attached to the ring) forms part of the top of the can. The ring is initially lifted and the finger inserted through the ring-Then the ring and attached closure element are pulled away from the top of the can so that the closure element is torn away to expose an, appropriate openingin the top of the can throughwhich the contents may be'poured.

However, it is, frequently difficult, if not impossible, for someone having short fingernails to initially lift the ring. Also, the fingernail may be damaged by attempting to insert it under the ring and by lifting the ring sufficiently to permit insertion of the finger through the ring. If a substantial number of such cans .are opened, the ring may cause painful injury to the finger. These problems have prevented these cans from being utilized where large numbers must be opened, even though the can is easier to handle and cool than is a. glass container and is not subject to breakages-Furthermore, a degreeof strength is required to tear away the closure-element and break the seal between it and the top of the can.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an opener for readily and easily removing theringand attached closure element from;the top of a can to expose an opening through which the contents may be poured.

lt is another object of this invention to provide such an opener to prevent damage to the fingernail or injury to the finger when opening such a can.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an opener of the character described which includes a means for retaining the ring and closure element after they have been removed from the container or can.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide such an opener which utilizes the principle of leverage in tearing away the closure element from the top of the can so that such element may be removed by someone, such as a child, having relatively little strength.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this invention will appear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of the following detailed description and drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric illustration of an opener constructed in accordance with the present invention in place on the top of a can and engaging the ring;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation view of the opener of FIG. 1 after the opener has been rotated about the fulcrum point and the closure element partially torn away from the top of the can; and

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of theopener.

Referring to the drawings, in which like symbols designate corresponding parts throughout the several illustrations, the numeral designates an opener constructed in accordance with the present invention which includes a body member 11 having a handle 12 at one end suitable for gripping by hand and a ring-engaging means 13 at the other end. A fulcrum means 14 is provided on the body member 11 between the handle 12 and the ring-engaging means 13.

Also illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a portion of a common container or can 50 including its top 51 with a typical ring 52 and attached closure element 53 which, when torn away from the top 51 by pulling on the ring 52, uncovers the opening through which the contents of the container may be removed.

The ring-engaging means 13 preferably includes a nose portion 15 for inserting through the ring. The nose 15 is provided with a tapered surface 16 to permit easy insertion of the nose 15 under the ring 52. The ring-engaging means 13 also includes a stop means 17 to prevent the ring 52 from passing over the body member 11 and to provide another surface in addition to nose 15 for engaging the ring 52 as it is removed from the can 50. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the stop means is provided by a shoulder 18 formed between the body member 11 and the nose 15, the shoulder 18-having a width greater than the dimension of the opening through the ring 52 so that itmay not pass any further over the body member 11.

The fulcrum means 14 preferably includes an arm 19 which depends from the bottom of the body member 11 at a point between the ring-engaging'means 13 and the handle 12. The fulcrum means 14 is positionedwith respect to the ringengaging means 13 so that when the latter engages the ring 52 preparatory to lifting the ring 52, the end 20 of the arm 19 engages the top 51 of the can 50 at or near the interior surface of the rim 54 when the portion of the body member 11 between the ring-engaging means 13 and the fulcrum 14 is positioned over the closure element 53.

A retainingmeans 21 is also provided to catch and retain the ring 52 and attached closure element 53 after they have been removed from the top 51 of the can 50. The retaining means 21 preferably includes a flexible arcuate member 22 which is secured to the body member 11 at one end 23. The other end 24 of the arcuate member 22 is in yieldable engagement with the ring-engaging means 13 so that the ring 52 may pass between the end-24 of the arcuate member 22 and the ring-engaging means 13 as the latter is initially inserted through the ring 52 or as the ring 52 is lifted from the can as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The end 24 of the arcuate member 22 may be curved upwardly away from the tapered surface 16 on the nose 15 to facilitate and guide the ring 52 in passing between the end 24 of the arcuate member 22 and the ring engaging means 13. Thus, once the ring 52 has passed between the end 24 and ring-engaging means 13, the ring 52 is retained by the closed loop comprising the retaining means 21, ring-engaging means 13 and body member 11.

Reinforcing channels or ribs 25 may be provided along the handle 12, body member 11, and retaining means 21, as desired, to reinforce and strengthen the various parts.

To use the opener 10, the ring-engaging'means 13 is first inserted through the opening in the ring 52 and the opener l0 positioned so that the body 11 lies over the closure element 53 and the fulcrum means 14 engages the top 51 of the can 50 at or near the inner surface of the rim 54. The opener 12 is then rotated counterclockwise as shown in HO. 2 by moving the handle 12 downwardly. As best seen in FIG. 2, this motion of the opener 12 causes the ring-engaging means 13 to lift the ring 52 and separate the closure element 53 from the top 51 of the can 50 by a tearing or peeling action. As the rotation of the opener is continued, the ring 52 and attached closure element 53 are separated or torn away from the top 51 of the can 50 to expose the opening through which the contents of the can 50 may be poured.

As has been noted above, the ring 52 passes between the end 24 of the retaining means 21 and the ring-engaging means 13 either as the ring-engaging means 13 is first put through the ring 52 or as the opener 12 is rotated as shown in FIG. 2, depending on the dimensions selected for the ring-engaging means 13 and retaining means 21. As the closure element 53 is finally separated from the top 51, it tends to rotate or flip about the ring-engaging means 13 or nose 15 and onto the arcuate member 22 of the retaining means 21. Thus, the arcuate member 22 of the retaining means 21 should be dimensioned so that the ring 52 fits loosely about or around the arcuate member 22. When it is desired to remove the collected rings 7 from the retaining means 21, the rings are simply pulled with sufficient force to separate the yieldable engagement between the end 24 of the retaining means 21 and the ring-engaging means 13.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is illustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the size, shape and material, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction, may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departure from the spirit of the invention.

We claim:

1. An opener for removing the ring and attached tear-away closure from a container comprising,

a body member, s

a handle portion forming one end of said body member,

ring-engaging means formed on the other end of said body member for insertion through said ring,

fulcrum means coacting with said body member between said handle portion and said ring-engaging means whereby when said body member is rotated about said fulcrum means, said ring-engaging means engages said ring and tears said ring and closure away from said container, and

retaining means forming a closed loop with said ring-engaging means and said body member to removably retain said ring and attached closure.

2. The opener of claim 1 wherein said retaining means comprises a flexible arcuate member having one end attached to said body member and the other end in yieldable engagement with said ring-engaging means so that said ring passes between said ring-engaging means and said other end of said arcuate member whereby said ring-retaining means forms a yieldably closed loop with said ring-engaging means so that when said ring and attached tear-away closure are removed from said container, said ring and closure are removably retained by said flexible arcuate member. 3. The opener of claim 1 wherein said ring-engaging means comprises a nose having a width less than the dimension of the opening through said ring whereby said nose may be inserted through said ring, and

stop means formed on said body member between said nose and said handle portion to prevent the passage of said body member through said ring, said stop means comprising a shoulder formed by said nose and said body member, said shoulder having a width greater than the dimension of the opening through said ring whereby said shoulder stops said ring from further passage along said body member, said shoulder being disposed between the location where the ring-retaining means engages said nose portion and the location where the other end of said ring-retaining means is secured to said body member.

' i a r

Claims

1. An opener for removing the ring and attached tear-away closure from a container comprising, a body member, a handle portion forming one end of said body member, ring-engaging means formed on the other end of said body member for insertion through said ring, fulcrum means coacting with said body member between said handle portion and said ring-engaging means whereby when said body member is rotated about said fulcrum means, said ring-engaging means engages said ring and tears said ring and closure away from said container, and retaining means forming a closed loop with said ring-engaging means and said body member to removably retain said ring and attached closure.

2. The opener of claim 1 wherein said retaining means comprises a flexible arcuate member having one end attached to said body member and the other end in yieldable engagement with said ring-engaging means so that said ring passes between said ring-engaging means and said other end of said arcuate member whereby said ring-retaining means forms a yieldably closed loop with said ring-engaging means so that when said ring and attached tear-away closure are removed from said container, said ring and closure are removably retained by said flexible arcuate member.

3. The opener of claim 1 wherein said ring-engaging means comprises a nose having a width less than the dimension of the opening through said ring whereby said nose may be inserted through said ring, and stop means formed on said body member between said nose and said handle portion to prevent the passage of said body member through said ring, said stop means comprising a shoulder formed by said nose and said body member, said shoulder having a width greater than the dimension of the opening through said ring whereby said shoulder stops said ring from further passage along said body member, said shoulder being disposed between the location where the ring-retaining means engages said nose portion and the location where the other end of said ring-retaining means is secured to said body member.