Hole-forming device

• US 6,041,506 A
• Filed: 11/25/1998
• Issued: 03/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Iwazaki, Shin Iwao
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Iwazaki, Shin Iwao
• Inventors: Iwao, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Coan, James F.
• Application Number:
  US09/199,365
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 413/78, 220/89.3, 220/89.2, 83/660, 30/443, 30/400, 30/414, 222/87, 222/81, 222/80, 141/65
• US Class Current: 30/443
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/70 Pressure relief devices
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/75 Aerosol containers not provided for in groups B65D83/16 - B65D83/74
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 7/24 Hole-piercing devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/9314 Pointed perforators

Abstract

A hole-forming device includes a pointed shaft which is raisable to a position facing a bottom of a can. The shaft is slidably supported on a support plate, with its lower end projecting downward below the support plate. With the hole-forming device mounted on the bottom of the can, and the bottom of the hole-forming device on a surface, such as a floor, a downward force on the can urges the pointed end of the shaft into the bottom of the can to safely puncture the can.

Claims

1. A hole-forming device comprising:

a support plate fittable to a bottom of a can;

said support plate having a cut-out opening formed therein;

a hole-forming body formed within said cut-out opening of said support plate;

deformable means for permitting raising of said hole-forming body from an orientation co-planar with the surface of said support plate to a roughly perpendicular orientation;

said deformable means including at least first and second twistable connecting pieces connecting said hole-forming body and said support plate; and

a hole-formation support slidably supporting said hole-forming body in a raised state at a position separated from the surface of said support plate; and

when said hole-forming body is in a raised state, a lower side of said hole-forming body projects beyond a surface of said support plate, whereby a lower part of said hole-forming body is available to receive a force effective to urge said hole-forming body upward into piercing contact with a bottom of said can.

2. A hole-forming device as recited in claim 1 wherein:

said hole-forming body includes a hole-forming shaft and a shaft support plate to which said hole-forming shaft is fixed; and

a bearing hole on said hole formation support;

said hole-forming shaft being inserted through bearing hole;

said bearing hole slidably supporting said hole-forming shaft at a first position thereon;

a cut-out section having a minimum-width opening that is slightly smaller than the diameter of said bearing hole; and

said hole-forming shaft being urgeable into said cut-out section, and being retained therein for slidably holding said hole-forming shaft in said raised state during said urging.

3. A hole-forming device as recited in claim 1 wherein:

said hole-forming body includes a hole-forming shaft, a shaft support plate to which said hole-forming shaft is fixed;

an engagement hole formed on said shaft support plate; and

an engagement projection on said hole-forming shaft, said engagement projection being slidably engaged with said engagement hole.

4. A hole-forming device as recited in claim 1 wherein:

said hole-forming body is formed integrally with said support plate via said deformable means;

said deformable means being a twistable connecting piece;

an end of said hole-forming body being in the shape of a blade;

an engagement hole below said blade; and

an engagement projection on said hole formation support; and

said engagement projection is slidably ENGAGEABLE with said engagement hole.

5. A hole-forming device as recited in claim 1 wherein said deformable means includes at least one twistable connecting piece.

6. A hole-forming device according to claim 2 wherein said deformable means includes at least one twistable connecting piece.

7. A hole-forming device according to claim 3 wherein said deformable means includes at least one twistable connecting piece.

8. A hole-forming device according to claim 4 wherein said deformable means includes at least one twistable connecting piece.

9. A hole-forming device comprising:

a support plate fittable to a bottom of a can;

said support plate having a cut-out opening therein;

a hole-forming body formed within said cut-out opening of said support plate;

means for permitting said hole-forming body to be raised from an orientation co-planar with the surface of said support plate to a roughly perpendicular orientation;

a hole-forming shaft;

a shaft support plate;

two twistable connecting pieces connecting said shaft support plate and said support plate;

a hole-formation support slidably supporting said hole-forming body in a raised state at a position separated from the surface of said support plate;

said hole-forming shaft is slidably disposed on said shaft support plate; and

when said hole-forming body is in a raised state, a lower end of said hole-forming shaft projects below a lower surface of said support plate.