Multi-purpose device for opening containers

• US 4,911,038 A
• Filed: 08/14/1989
• Issued: 03/27/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kenneth M. Ferrin
• Original Assignee: Kenneth M. Ferrin
• Inventors: Ferrin, Kenneth M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Parker, Roscoe V.
• Application Number:
  US07/393,538
• Time in Patent Office: 225 Days
• Field of Search: 81/3.07, 81/3.09, 81/3.4, 81/3.55, 81/3.47, 81/3.29, 81/176.15, 81/176.2, 225/93, 7/151, 30/1.5
• US Class Current: 81/3.09
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/30 Breaking or tearing apparatus

Abstract

A multi-purpose device is disclosed for opening a variety of containers, such as plastic milk jugs, soda cans and soda bottles. A cup-like guide member is received over the tamper-resistance cap of a plastic milk jug and has cleaving lugs projecting downward into the spaces between rupturable connector elements, which join the threaded cap to a fixed locking collar. By twisting the guide member, the cleaving lugs are caused to rupture the connector elements and free the cap for easy removal. A handle provides leverage to facilitate application of the necessary twisting torque. A smaller cup-like section, co-axial with the cup-like guide member but of smaller diameter, is provided with ribbed side walls for engagement with the flutes of a standard twist-off bottle cap to facilitate its removal by twisting. Preferably, the outer end of the handle is provided with a thinned-down portion adapted to be slipped under the lift tab opener of a standard soda can enabling the lift tab to be raised easily by a lifting/prying action of the handle.

Claims

1. An opening device, for opening a tamper-resistant container cap of molded plastic construction, and wherein the container cap comprises a threaded cap portion for closing the container, an annular locking collar adjacent the lower edge of the cap portion and arranged to be tamper-resistantly secured to the container, aid locking collar being of greater diameter than said cap portion, circumstantially spaced-apart connector elements extending outwardly from said cap portion and joining said cap portion with said locking collar, said connector elements being arranged to be ruptured by the application of twisting torque to said cap portion, which comprises

(a) a guide member of a size and shape to be receivable over said cap portion,

(b) said guide member being rotatable relative to said locking collar, generally about the axis of said locking collar, when said guide member is received over said cap portion,

(c) a plurality of circumstantially spaced-apart lug elements projecting downward from said guide member and arranged, when said guide member is received over said cap portion, to project through the spaces separating adjacent connector elements, and

(d) means associated with said guide member enabling manual gripping of said guide member for the application of torque, thereto in order to rupture said connector elements and free said cap portion for easy removal from said container.

2. An opening device according to claim 1, further characterized by,

(a) said guide member comprising an inverted cup-like member provided with a generally circular , downwardly opening cavity to receive said cap portion,

(b) said guide member having lower edge abutment means engageable with said connector elements and/or said locking collar when said guide member is received over said cap portion, and

(c) said lug elements projecting downward from said abutment means.

3. An opening device according to claim 1, further characterized by,

(a) said guide member comprising an inverted cup-like member provided with a generally circular cavity to receive said cap portion,

(b) said cavity being at least slightly greater in diameter than said cap portion to enable said guide member to be rotated freely relative to said cap portion.

4. An opening device according to claim 1, further characterized by,

(a) a handle portion integrally joined with said guide member and extending radially therefrom to enable increased twisting torque to be applied to said guide member.

5. An opening device according to claim 2, further characterized by,

(b) said inverted cup-like member constituting a first cuplike member and having in its upper portion a concentric recess forming a second cup-like member

(c) said second cup-like member being o a diameter smaller than the diameter of said first cup-like member and of a size suitable for gripping the sides of a standard twist-off bottle cap,

(d) said second cup-like member having a generally circular side wall provided with radially inwardly projecting ribs for effectively interlocking engagement with the sides of said twist-off bottle cap.

6. An opening device according to claim 5, further characterized by,

(a) a handle portion integrally joined with said guide member and extending radially therefrom to enable increased twisting torque to be applied to said guide member.

7. An opening device according to claim 5, further characterized by,

(a) said second cup-like member having an upper wall provided with a through opening,

(b) said through opening being of a size and shape to accommodate finger entry to facilitate removal of a twist-off cap after removal from its container.

8. An opening device according to claim 6, further characterized by,

(a) said handle member having at its outer extremity a portion of reduced thickness adapted to be engaged under the lift tab of a standard soda can or the like, enabling said lift tab to be partially raised by lifting/prying action of said handle member.

9. An opening device according to claim 8, further characterized by,

(a) said portion of reduced thickness being located in the lateral center portion of said handle member and having portions of greater thickness extending laterally along each side thereof.

10. An opening device according to claim 8, further characterized by,

(a) an integral, outwardly extending tab being provided at the end extremity of said portion of reduced thickness,

(b) said tab being of substantially narrower lateral dimensions than the lateral dimensions of said portion of reduced thickness.