GB2118134A

GB2118134A - Can openers

Info

Publication number: GB2118134A
Application number: GB08303320A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Thomas Bovet
Original assignee: Mike and Kremmel Ltd
Current assignee: Mike and Kremmel Ltd
Priority date: 1982-04-15
Filing date: 1983-02-07
Publication date: 1983-10-26
Also published as: JPS5913497U; GB8303320D0; IT1161137B; ZA831866B; IT8320558A0; FR2525200A1; AU552752B2; FR2525200B3; CA1205623A; DE8210859U1; NZ203506A; AU1232783A

Abstract

A can opener for cutting a cylindrical part of a can below a lid comprises a pair of handles (12, 14) which are hinged to one another, a manually-rotatable drivewheel (20) which engages a rim of the can, and a circular cutting-wheel (16) rotatably- mounted on one handle (12) about an axis displaced from the axis of hinging. The other handle (14) has an upstanding cylindrical spigot (26) extending through a corresponding hole (28) in the one handle (12) and which forms the axis of hinging, a support (23) for the drive-wheel (20) passing through and being rotatably- mounted in the spigot (26) about an axis displaced from the hinging axis defined by the spigot (26). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in can openers This invention relates to can openers.

Metal cans generally comprise a cylindrical portion closed at both ends with a circular lid. The lid is usually fixed in place by providing an upstanding rim around the edge of the lid which is bent down in an inverted U-shape to clamp onto the end of the cylinder. Existing can openers make a circular cut around the lid near its edge but within the upstanding rim. There are however difficulties in obtaining a good clean cut if the can is in any way damaged.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved can opener.

According to the invention there is provided a can opener comprising a pair of handles which are hinged to one another to be movable between an open position for fitting onto a can and a closed cutting position, a manually rotatable drive wheel which engaging the rim of a can and upon rotation advancing the opener around a can, and a knife brought to a cutting position relative the drive wheel as the handles are brought to the closed position, characterised in that the cutting knife is a circular cutting wheel, rotatably mounted on one handle with its axis displaced from the axis of hinging, the other handle has an upstanding cylindrical spigot extending through a corresponding hole in the said one handle and about which the said one handle is hinged relative the said other handle, and a support for the drive wheel passes through and is rotatably born in the spigot with the axis of rotation of the drive wheel displaced from the axis of the spigot.

Such a can opener is simple yet effective and apart from the cutter wheel and drive wheel can largely be made from simple plastics material parts. Also the cutter wheel gives a cutting as opposed to tearing action which occurs with many existing can openers. Because of this it is not usually necessary for the cutter wheel to be resiliently mounted.

Preferably the two handles are of generally same shape so that when they are brought to the closed cutting position, one generally overlies the other and they can be grasped by the user effectively as a single handle.

The can opener of the invention has the advantage that it is equally suitable for use by left-handed and right-handed people. Thus the opener can be symmetrical both in construction and shape about the axis of pivoting of the handles in the rotational sense and about the longitudinal axis of the handles.

Such a can opener is simple and comfortable to use and gives a circular closed cut around the can even if the edge of the can is somewhat damaged.

Preferably the cut which is made is a cut near the edge of the cylindrical part of the can but just below the lid so that when a complete circular cut is made, the lid and a small portion at the end of the cylindrical part of the can is removed. It is found that such a cut can be a relatively clean cut even in the event that the lid has been damaged.

To assist in using the can opener in this way, the handle portion carrying the cutting wheel preferably has an abutment on the opposite side of the drive wheel from the cutting wheel, the abutment being designed to engage the lid of the can and keep the can opener level with the cutting wheel at right angles to the cylindrical surface of the can whilst a cut is being made.

An advantage of the can opener when used this way seems to be that there is good support for the metal of the can in the region where the cut is being made. Thus in a conventional can opener when a cut is made downwardly around the edge of the lid, it is necessary to squeeze the can opener very tightly to force the cutting edge into the metal. In the event of any defects in the can it will frequently happen that the material of the can will be distorted by but will not be penetrated by the cutting edge. On the other hand, the drive wheel and the upstanding rim of the can will tend to support the material of the can in the region where it is being cut by the circular cutting wheel and so this will tend not to distort but will be cut cleanly.

Further the cutting action is along the direction of the cutting wheel unlike conventional can openers where a curved cut is made and in such cases considerable friction forces can be created.

An example of the can opener according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an elevation of the can opener; Figure 2 is an elevation showing the opener in its open position; Figure 3 is a side view showing the can opener in operation in opening a can; and Figure 4 is a section through the can opener.

The can opener 10 shown in the drawings comprises a pair of handles 12 and 14 made of synthetic plastics material. On the handle 12 is rotatably mounted a circular cutting wheel 1 6 having a sharp cutting edge 1 8. A rotatable toothed drive wheel 20 is attached to a metal strip 22 which is in turn embedded in a spigot 23 integrally formed with a manually turnable knob 24. A metal washer 25 is provided between the knob 24 and the handle 14.

The handle 14 has an integrally formed spigot 26 which projects through a circular hole 28 in the handle 12. This spigot rotatably supports the handle 12 relative the handle 14 and it is about this spigot 26 that the handles 12 and 14 can be moved relative one another between their closed operating position shown in Figure 1 and their open position shown in Figure 2 prior to clamping onto a can.

The spigot 23 supporting the wheel 20 passes through the spigot 26 but not coaxially therewith.

Thus, the axis of rotation of the toothed drive wheel is displaced by a small amount from the axis of the spigot 26. In this way when the can opener is in the open position shown in Figure 2, the drive wheel 20 is somewhat spaced from the edge of the cutting wheel 1 6 but when the handles are brought to the closed position shown in Figure 1, it will be noted that the drive wheel overlaps with the edge of the cutting wheel 1 6.

When the can opener is mounted onto a can and brought to the closed position this approach of the drive wheel towards the cutting wheel causes the edge of the cutting wheel to penetrate into the material of the can as best shown in Figure 3.

A threaded metal stud 30 is embedded in a pillar 32 integrally formed with handle 12 and on that stud the cutting wheel 1 6 is mounted. A nut 34 retains the wheel 1 6 in place and a spacer 36 maintains the cutting edge 18 just clear of the drive wheel 20.

In order to protect the material of the handle 12, a metal plate 38 is embedded in the part of the handle 12 beneath the wheels 1 6 and 20.

It will be noted that the two handles 12 and 14 are of approximately the same shape and size so that when they are brought to the closed position shown in Figures 1,3 and 4, they generally overlie one another so that the user can grasp both handles together as in effect a single piece. This gives a comfortable holding position during operation. Further, the user can maintain the two handles together very easily in this way, at the same time maintaining the clamping action between the drive wheels and cutting wheels which causes the cutting wheel to penetrate into and cut the can cleanly during operation without the user having to exert a large and uncomfortable gripping force between the handles.

The handle 12 has a forwardly projecting notch 40 at its end. This notch engages and rests on the lid of a can during use and assists in guiding the can opener and keeping the cutting wheel at right angles to the surface of the can.

An integral upstanding arcuate lip 42 projects from the handle 12 to act as a guard to prevent the user from accidentally touching the sharp cutting edge 1 8.

Figure 3 shows the can opener in use in opening a can.

First of all the opener 10 in the open position shown in Figure 2 is brought to a position on top of a can 45 to be opened with the drive wheel 20 inside the rim 46 of the can and the cutting wheel 1 6 outside. Then the handles 12 and 14 are hinged together to the closed position shown in Figures 1 and 3. As explained above, this causes the wheel 20 and edge 18 to overlap and so the edge penetrates into the metal of the can. The knob 24 is then turned with one hand, whilst the handles are held together with the other hand, to cause the wheel 20 to drive the opener around the can so causing the edge 18 to make a cut along the line 48.Once the cut has been completed all the way around the can, the severed lid 50 and rim 46 can be lifted up with the can opener from the can and upon opening of the handles 12 and 14 the severed lid 50 and rim 46 separated from the can opener. It is an advantage that the severed part of the can cannot fall or bend into the opened can as can be the case with the severed lid when using a conventional can opener.

Contrary to conventional can openers the can opener 10 forms a cut around the edge of the cylindrical part of the can just beneath the lid.

Because the cutting edge 1 8 is not significantly displaced from the drive wheel 20 in the axial sense, the drive wheel 20 gives substantial support to the rear of the rim 46 of the can so that it is not easy for the metal of the can to be merely distorted by the cutting wheel and not cut.

Therefore, a clean cut is given as the can opener is orbited around that edge of the can upon rotation by the knob of the drive wheel

Claims

1. A can opener comprising a pair of handles which are hinged to one another to be movable between an open position for fitting onto a can and a closed cutting position, a manually rotatable drive wheel for engaging the rim of a can and upon rotation advancing the opener around a can, and a knife brought to a cutting position relative the drive wheel as the handles are brought to the closed position, characterised in that the cutting knife is a circular cutting wheel (16) rotatably mounted on one handle (12) with its axis displaced from the axis of hinging, the other handle (14) has an upstanding cylindrical spigot (26) extending through a corresponding hole (28) in the said one handle (12) and about which the said one handle (12) is hinged relative the said other hande (14), and a support (23) for the drive wheel (20) passes through and is rotatably born in the spigot (26) with the axis of rotation of the drive wheel (20) displaced from the axis of the spigot (26).

2. A can opener according to Claim 1, in which the handles (12, 14) are of generally the same shape so that when they are brought to the closed cutting position, one generally overlies the other and they can be grasped by the user effectively as a single handle.

3. A can opener according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the handles (12, 14) are made of synthetic plastics material and a protective metal plate (38) is embedded in the face of the said one handle (12) in the region of the cutting wheel (16) and drive wheel (20).

4. A can opener according to any preceding claim in which an abutment (40) is provided on the said one handle (12) which rests on the lid of a can to keep the opener level during use.