Patent Application
20140059869
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an opening tool and, more particularly, to an opener for opening the lid of a container, such as a can and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional can opener comprises a handle, and a cutter mounted on the handle. The cutter has a side provided with a resting portion and a blade. When in use, the cutter of the can opener is placed on the lid of a can, with the resting portion of the cutter abutting the outer rim of the lid, and with the blade of the cutter abutting the inner rim of the lid. When the handle of the can opener is rotated by the user, the blade of the cutter penetrates the lid of the can to form a hole in the surface of the lid. Then, the handle of the can opener is rotated successively, and the blade of the cutter is moved along the inner rim of the lid to perform a circular motion so as to form an elongate groove in the surface of the lid. After the blade of the cutter finishes its circular motion, an endless groove is formed in the surface of the lid to separate the lid from the can so that the lid can be removed from the can, thereby opening the can. However, the user has to apply a larger force on the handle of the can opener so as to rotate the handle of the can opener relative to the can, thereby wasting the user's energy. In addition, the user's one hand has to hold the can, and his other hand has to hold the can opener so as to open the can, thereby causing inconvenience to the user.
The closest prior art references of which the applicant is aware were disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,883,745, U.S. Pat. No. 3,126,627, U.S. Pat. No. 3,142,902, U.S. Pat. No. 3,768,159, U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,029, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,676.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a can opener, comprising a housing having an interior provided with a mounting seat, a driving gear rotatably mounted on the mounting seat of the housing, a reduction transmission device mounted in the housing and connected with the driving gear to drive the driving gear, a cutting wheel rotatably mounted on the housing and rotated in concert with the driving gear, a slide movably mounted on the mounting seat of the housing and having a surface provided with an aperture, a washer secured on a bottom of the slide to move in concert with the slide, an idling wheel rotatably mounted on the washer and movable relative to the cutting wheel, a first driven gear rotatably mounted in the housing and meshing with the driving gear, a second driven gear rotatably mounted in the housing, a torsion spring biased between the first driven gear and the second driven gear to connect the first driven gear and the second driven gear, a third driven gear rotatably mounted in the housing and meshing with the second driven gear, and a cam mounted on and rotated by the third driven gear and received in the aperture of the slide to move the slide relative to the cutting wheel. The second driven gear has a surface provided with an arcuate guiding slot. The first driven gear has a surface provided with a protrusion mounted in the guiding slot of the second driven gear. Thus, when the first driven gear is rotated by the driving gear, the protrusion of the first driven gear is movable in the guiding slot of the second driven gear to drive and rotate the second driven gear and to compress the torsion spring so that the torsion spring stores a restoring force.
According to the primary advantage of the present invention, the can opener separates the lid from the can to open the can automatically so as to save the user's energy so that the user needs not to apply any force to open the can.
According to another advantage of the present invention, the can opener is revolved along the rim of the lid to separate the lid from the can and stops operating when the lid is separated from the can so that the user needs not to hold the can and the can opener during the opening process, thereby facilitating the user operating the can opener to open the can.
According to a further advantage of the present invention, the lid is directly separated from the can after the can opener finishes a circular motion so that the can is opened easily and quickly.
According to a further advantage of the present invention, the rim of the lid is cut by the cutting wheel smoothly without producing sharp furs so that the rim of the lid will not cut the user after the lid is removed from the can so as to protect the user's safety.
Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
The mounting seat 14 of the housing 10 has an interior provided with a receiving chamber 15 for mounting the third driven gear 50, the follower 40 and the slide 30. The receiving chamber 15 of the mounting seat 14 has a sidewall provided with an opening 16. The mounting seat 14 of the housing 10 has a surface provided with an elongate recess 17.
The reduction transmission device 2 includes a plurality of intermeshing reduction gears 22 and 23 one of which meshes with the driving gear 20 to drive the driving gear 20, and a drive motor 24 connected with one of the reduction gears 22 and 23 to drive the reduction gears 22. The drive motor 24 of the reduction transmission device 2 has a side provided with a worm 25 meshing with one of the reduction gears 22 and 23 to drive the reduction gears 22. Each of the reduction gears 22 and 23 has a different diameter. Thus, the power of the drive motor 24 is reduced by the reduction gears 22 and 23 and is then transmitted to the driving gear 20. The microswitch 18 is mounted in the recess 17 of the mounting seat 14 and is electrically connected with the drive motor 24 of the reduction transmission device 2.
The slide 30 is movable in the receiving chamber 15 of the mounting seat 14 and partially protrudes outward from an open bottom of the housing 10. The aperture 36 of the slide 30 allows passage of the driving shaft 21 so that the slide 30 is movable about the driving shaft 21. The slide 30 has a top provided with a flange 34 and a bushing 35. The flange 34 of the slide 30 has an interior provided with a receiving space 33 connected to the aperture 36. The slide 30 has a periphery provided with a contact 31 that is movable to touch the microswitch 18 so as to stop operation of the drive motor 24 of the reduction transmission device 2
The follower 40 is received in the receiving space 33 of the flange 34 of the slide 30 and has a first end provided with a first hole 41 mounted on the bushing 35 of the slide 30 and a second end provided with a second hole 42 mounted on the cam 52. The washer 46 is disposed between the housing 10 and the metallic plate 47 and partially protrudes outward from the open bottom of the housing 10. The washer 46 has a surface provided with an elongate passage to allow passage of the driving shaft 21 so that the washer 46 is movable about the driving shaft 21. The metallic plate 47 protrudes outward from the open bottom of the housing 10. The metallic plate 47 is limited by the stop plate 32. Thus, the metallic plate 47 prevents the housing 10 from being scratched by a can due to a rubbing action between the housing 10 and the can. The driving shaft 21 in turn extends through the metallic plate 47, the washer 46, the slide 30, the follower 40, the third driven gear 50 and the mounting seat 14 of the housing 10.
The cutting wheel 44 protrudes outward from the open bottom of the housing 10. The cutting wheel 44 is rotated by the driving shaft 21 which is rotated by the driving gear 20. The idling wheel 43 is mounted on the washer 46 by a fastener 45 and is movable in concert with the washer 46. The idling wheel 43 protrudes outward from the open bottom of the housing 10.
The second driven gear 70 has a periphery provided with a slit 73. The second driven gear 70 has a surface provided with an arcuate guiding slot 72. The first driven gear 60 has a surface provided with a protrusion 66 mounted in the guiding slot 72 of the second driven gear 70. Thus, when the first driven gear 60 is rotated by the driving gear 20, the protrusion 66 of the first driven gear 60 is movable in the guiding slot 72 of the second driven gear 70 to drive and rotate the second driven gear 70 and to compress the torsion spring 64 so that the torsion spring 64 stores a restoring force. The torsion spring 64 is secured on a central portion of the first driven gear 60 and has a distal end provided with a leg 65 inserted into the slit 73 of the second driven gear 70.
The third driven gear 50 partially protrudes outward from the opening 16 of the mounting seat 14 to mesh with the second driven gear 70. Thus, when the third driven gear 50 is rotated by the second driven gear 70, the cam 52 is movable in the aperture 36 of the slide 30 to move the slide 30 which moves the washer 46 which moves the idling wheel 43 so that the idling wheel 43 is movable relative to the cutting wheel 44.
The can opener further comprises a battery receiver 11 mounted on an open top of the housing 10 to receive a plurality of batteries which supply an electric power to the drive motor 24 of the reduction transmission device 2, a lid 12 removably mounted on the open top of the housing 10 to cover the battery receiver 11, a control switch 26 mounted on the battery receiver 11 and electrically connected between the batteries of the battery receiver 11 and the drive motor 24 of the reduction transmission device 2, and a push button 13 movably mounted on the battery receiver 11 and movable to press the control switch 26 so as to control operation of the drive motor 24 of the reduction transmission device 2. The push button 13 protrudes outward from an exposing slot of the lid 12.
In operation, referring to
After the circular motion of the idling wheel 43 and the cutting wheel 44 is finished, the lid is detached from the can and is attracted magnetically by a magnet mounted on the bottom of the housing 10. At the same time, the second driven gear 70 is driven by the restoring force of the torsion spring 64 to rotate in the reverse direction. In such a manner, the third driven gear 50 is driven by the second driven gear 70 and is rotated in the reverse direction so that the slide 30 is moved in the opposite direction, and the idling wheel 43 is moved to space from the cutting wheel 44. When the contact 31 of the slide 30 is moved to touch the microswitch 18, the microswitch 18 is operated to stop operation of the drive motor 24 of the reduction transmission device 2 so that the can opener stops operating automatically. Thus, when the can opener is taken away from the can, the lid is carried by the magnet of the housing 10 so that the lid is removed from the can.
Accordingly, the can opener separates the lid from the can to open the can automatically so as to save the user's energy so that the user needs not to apply any force to open the can. In addition, the can opener is revolved along the rim of the lid to separate the lid from the can and stops operating when the lid is separated from the can so that the user needs not to hold the can and the can opener during the opening process, thereby facilitating the user operating the can opener to open the can. Further, the lid is directly separated from the can after the can opener finishes a circular motion so that the can is opened easily and quickly. Further, the rim of the lid is cut by the cutting wheel 44 smoothly without producing sharp furs so that the rim of the lid will not cut the user after the lid is removed from the can so as to protect the user's safety.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the invention.
