Beverage container opener

• US 20060207390A1
• Filed: 03/14/2006
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daniel P. Kehoe
• Original Assignee: Daniel P. Kehoe
• Inventors: Kehoe, Daniel P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,240,589 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 81/3.90
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 7/16 for removing flanged caps, e.g. crown caps
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 7/18 for removing threaded caps B67B7/14 takes precedence; wrenches B25B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 7/40 Devices for engaging tags, strips, or tongues for opening by tearing, e.g. slotted keys for opening sardine tins
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 7/44 Combination tools, e.g. comprising cork-screws, can piercers, crowncap removers combinations of opening devices with cutting tools B26; with devices serving other purposes, see appropriate subclasses, e.g. B25F; B43K29/00

Abstract

A beverage container opener which includes a housing having a holding surface and a first operational part is disclosed. The operational part includes a first gripping member for engaging at least a first portion of a circumference of a bottle cap and a second gripping member for engaging a different second circumferential portion of the bottle cap. A slider is actuable by the user from at least the holding surface to effect relative movement between the first and second gripping member towards each other to engage the circumference of the bottle cap therebetween. The rotation of the housing while the first and second gripping members engage the bottle cap, thereby facilitating rotation of the bottle cap by providing greater torque forces thereon.

Claims

1. A universal opener for opening twist cap and pull tab beverage containers, said opener comprising,

a housing having an upper surface contoured for gripping by a user'"'"'s hand, and a lower surface, the housing extending in an axial direction from a generally tapered forward end portion to distal rearward end portion,

a first operation part being disposed at said forward end portion, the first operation part including,

a rearwardly extending slot extending inwardly into said housing a distance of at least about 3 mm, the slot having a lateral dimension selected between about 1 and 3 cm and being sized to engagably receive an end portion of a beverage container pry tab therein,

a second operational part being disposed towards said rearward end portion, the second operational part including,

a recess formed in said lower surface,

a pair of gripping members at least partially disposed in said recess, a first one of said gripping members being fixedly secured to said housing, the second other one of said gripping members being configured for movement relative to said first gripping member between a first position remote from said first gripping member and a second position spaced a distance theretowards,

said recess having a dimension selected to receive a portion of a beverage container twist cap therein in a position interposed between said first and second gripping members, when said gripping members are in said first position.

2. The opener as clamed in claim 1 wherein said gripping members each include a respective toothed-blade, the blades of said gripping members being positioned for engagement with a peripheral portion of said twist cap when said twist cap is interposed between said gripping members and said second gripping members in said second position.

3. The opener as claimed in claim 1 further including a biasing member for resiliently biasing the second gripping member to the first position.

4. The opener as claimed in claim 1 wherein said housing further includes a slot extending axially therethrough from the distalmost end of the housing towards said forward end portion, the second gripping member further including a tab reciprocally slidably movable along said slot.

5. The opener as claimed in claim 1 further including a through opening formed through said housing intermediate the first operational part and said second operational part, a pry-cap opener being disposed in said through opening and operable to engage a peripheral edge of a crown-type bottle cap for opening pry cap beverage containers.

6. The opener as claimed in claim 1 wherein said housing has a general shape selected from a tear-drop shape and an elliptical shape.

7. The opener as claimed in claim 6 wherein said housing has an overall axial length selected at between about 7 and 13 cm, and a lateral width of between about 3 and 7 cm.

8. The opener as claimed in claim 1 wherein said lower surface comprises a generally planar surface.

18. The opener as claimed in claim 1 wherein said slot is defined in part by a bearing surface dimensioned to pass underneath the tab of a can to a position between a midpoint and a fulcrum of the tab;

and

wherein the inclined movement of the housing relative to an uppermost surface of the bearing surface with portions of the tab between the tab midpoint and fulcrum.

9. An opener for opening twist cap and pry tab containers, said opener comprising,

a housing having an upper surface sized and contoured for gripping by a user'"'"'s hand, and a lower surface, the housing being elongated in an axial direction and extending from a forward-end portion to distal rearward end portion,

a first operation part being disposed towards said forward end portion, the first operation part including,

a slot extending rearwardly into said housing and being sized to engagably receive a pivotal end portion of a container pry tab therein,

a second operational part being disposed towards said rearward end portion, the second operational part including,

a recess formed in said lower surface,

a pair of gripping members at least partially disposed in said recess, a first one of said gripping members being coupled to said housing, the second other one of said gripping members being configured for movement relative to said first gripping member between a first position remote from said first gripping member and a second position spaced a distance theretowards,

each of said gripping members including a toothed-blade positioned for engagement with a peripheral portion of a twist cap interposed therebetween when said second gripping member is moved to said second position,

a biasing member for resiliently biasing the second gripping member to the first position.

10. The opener as claimed in claim 9 wherein said housing further includes a slot extending axially therethrough from the distalmost end portion partway towards said forward end portion, the second gripping member further including a tab reciprocally slidably movable along said slot.

11. The opener as claimed in claim 10 wherein said housing has a general shape selected from a tear-drop shape and an elliptical shape, and the lower surface comprises a generally planar surface.

19. The opener as claimed in claim 9 wherein said slot is defined in part by a bearing surface dimensioned to pass underneath the tab of a can to a position between a midpoint and a fulcrum of the tab;

and

wherein the inclined movement of the housing relative to an uppermost surface of the bearing surface with portions of the tab between the tab midpoint and fulcrum.

12. The opener as claimed in claim 111 further including a through opening formed through said housing intermediate the first operational part and said second operational part, a pry-cap opener being disposed in said through opening and being operable to engage a peripheral edge of a crown-type bottle cap for opening pry cap beverage containers.

13. The opener as claimed in claim 12 wherein said housing has a maximum overall axial length selected at between about 7 and 13 cm, and a maximum lateral width of between about 3 and 7 cm.

14. A device for opening beverage containers comprising;

a housing having a holding side and a first operational side;

a first gripping member for engaging at least a first portion of a circumference of a bottle cap;

a second gripping member for engaging a second portion of the circumference of the bottle cap, different from the first portion;

relative movement mechanism actuable by the user from the holding side for causing relative movement between the first grip and the second grip to engage the circumference of the bottle cap therebetween;

wherein rotaton of the housing while the first grip and the second grip are engaging the first and second portion of the bottle cap, respecrtively, facilitates rotation of the bottle cap.

15. The device as defined in claim 14 wherein the relative movement mechanism comprises,

a sliding mechanism having an actuable surface on the holding side of the housing for causing relative movement between the first gripping member and the second gripping member towards each other to frictionally engage a bottle cap therebetween.

16. The device as defined in claim 15, wherein the first gripping member includes a blade fixed to the first operational side of the housing and the second gripping member includes a blade fixed to the sliding mechanism which moves relative to the first gripping member blade,

wherein engagement of a user'"'"'s finger with the actuable surface of the sliding mechanism effects movement of the second gripping member blade towards the first gripping member blade to engage the circumference of a bottle cap placed therebetween.

17. The device as defined in claim 16 further comprising a tab opening element on a second operational part for engaging and pivoting a pull tab of a can, said tab opening element on a second operational part for engaging and pivoting a pull tab of a can, said tab opening element comprising,

a bearing surface dimensioned to pass underneath the tab of a can to a position between a midpoint and a fulcrum of the tab;

and

wherein the inclined movement of the housing relative to an uppermost surface of the bearing surface with portions of the tab between the tab midpoint and fulcrum.