Bottle cap remover

• US 6,142,039 A
• Filed: 08/12/1999
• Issued: 11/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ralph E. Herring Sr
• Original Assignee: Ralph E. Herring Sr
• Inventors: Herring, Ralph E. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, James G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shakeri, Hadi
• Application Number:
  US09/374,086
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 81/3.2, 81/3.44, 81/3.42, 53/381.4, 53/492, 53/109
• US Class Current: 81/3.2
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 7/00 Hand- or power-operated devices for opening closed containers nail pullers or extractors B25C11/00; attached to, or incorporated in, containers or container closures B65D75/58, B65D77/30
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 7/164 Power-operated devices

Abstract

A bottle cap remover having a gripping head and an actuator. The gripping head has at least two pivotally mounted arms biased in a closed position, each arm having a respective gripping surface. Preferably the bottle cap remover has a neutral state, an insertion state, a bottle-gripping state, and a cap-removal state. The method for removing a bottle cap from a bottle using the bottle cap remover includes the first step of inserting a bottle and bottle cap between the gripping surfaces of the pivotally mounted arms by forcing the pivotally mounted arms into an at least partially open position. The next step is gripping the bottle cap between the gripping surfaces. The next step is to activate the actuator so that the actuator moves between a neutral position and an extreme position thereby pulling and removing the bottle cap from the bottle.

Claims

1. A bottle cap remover for removing a bottle cap from a bottle, said cap remover comprising:

a) a gripping head having at least two pivotally mounted arms, each of said at least two pivotally mounted arms being individually biased in a closed position;

b) a gripping surface associated with each of said at least two pivotally mounted arms, each gripping surface for gripping said bottle cap; and

c) an actuator operatively attached to said gripping head, said actuator movable between a neutral position and an extreme position, said actuator moving to said extreme position upon activation of said actuator;

d) wherein said bottle and bottle cap are inserted between said gripping surfaces while said actuator is in said neutral position.

2. The bottle cap remover of claim 1 wherein said at least two pivotally mounted arms being pivotally connected to respective projections, said projections mounted on a common cross-member.

3. The bottle cap remover of claim 1, said at least two pivotally mounted arms being individually biased in a closed position using a biasing mechanism.

4. The bottle cap remover of claim 3 wherein said biasing mechanism is a spring.

5. The bottle cap remover of claim 1 wherein said gripping surfaces of each of said at least two pivotally mounted arms together define a circular inner diameter.

6. A method for removing a bottle cap from a bottle, said method comprising the steps of:

a) providing a bottle cap remover having a gripping head with at least two pivotally mounted arms with gripping surfaces, said pivotally mounted arms being biased in a closed position;

b) inserting a bottle and bottle cap between gripping surfaces of said at least two pivotally mounted arms by forcing said pivotally mounted arms into an at least partially open position;

c) gripping said bottle cap between said gripping surfaces with said pivotally mounted arms substantially in said closed position; and

d) activating an actuator operatively attached to said gripping head so as to move said actuator between a neutral position and an extreme position thereby pulling and removing said bottle cap from said bottle.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of releasing said bottle cap from said gripping head.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of recycling said actuator to receive another bottle.

9. A bottle cap remover for removing a bottle cap from a bottle, said cap remover comprising:

a) a gripping head having at least two pivotally mounted arms with gripping surfaces for gripping said bottle cap, said pivotally mounted arms being biased in a closed position;

b) an actuator operatively attached to said gripping head, said actuator movable between a neutral position and an extreme position; and

c) said bottle cap remover having a neutral state, an insertion state, a bottle-gripping state, and a cap-removal state;

i) said gripping head being in said closed position and said actuator being in said neutral position when said bottle cap remover is in said neutral state;

ii) said gripping head being forced into an at least partially open position and said actuator being in said neutral position when said bottle cap remover is in said insertion state;

iii) said gripping head being substantially in said closed position with said gripping surfaces gripping said bottle cap and said actuator being in said neutral position when said bottle cap remover is in said bottle-gripping state; and

iv) said gripping head being substantially in said closed position with said gripping surfaces gripping said bottle cap and said actuator moving between said neutral position and said extreme position when said bottle cap remover is in said cap-removal state.