Patent Grant
8484785
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not applicable
This invention is designed to fix a typical handle-trigger assembly, such as a pressure washer, in the open position among other uses as described later.
A frequent activity many drivers endure is washing their vehicles at self-service car washes which requires holding the handle-trigger portion in the open position while directing the high pressure water for extended periods of time. Most anyone who has performed this duty commonly experiences intense hand pain and cramping from depressing the trigger for extended periods. While this can be minimized by switching hands and taking breaks, the purchased operating time continues to count down. Since the current invention would be commonly kept in a vehicle, the incorporation of container opening is a logical and preferred. When traveling in an automobile it is common practice to purchase beverages and not have a typical opener readily available.
Women with long finger nails or people with weak hands can easily open pop-top type beverage cans with the current invention. Likewise beverages contained in bottles that have crimped on caps can easily be removed with the current invention. Previously invented devices facilitate opening same containers but do not resolve the hand strain problems as described earlier. In order for the prior art to have the same opening capabilities and remain similarly compact in size required the use of hard to form plastics and secondary operations to install a gripping edge. Further, such devices had grooves that would jam up with small items such as coins or jewelry making them a nuisance to retrieve.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,600 makes reference to U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,199,272 and 4,583,429. U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,600 is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,898. The most relevant of these prior arts is U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,600 which describes a bottle and can opener comprised of glass reinforced nylon plastic that has a metal gripping attached in a secondary operation.
The object of this invention is to provide an economical device, which assists opening common beverage containers and locks open many hand operated devices. The current invention shall be compact, safe, durable, comprised of standard materials, and easy to manufacture. The body of the current invention has a generally curved shape with three arcuate sections to provide elastic clamping resistance. The spacing between the three arcuate sections allows fixing open handle trigger assemblies of different sizes. Inserted into the shape of the middle arcuate section is a hardened edge to facilitate opening crimped type bottle caps and other pry-open type lids. On the one end of the outer arcuate section is a point which is oriented to provide significant mechanical advantage enabling the opening of pop-top type cans. The device of the current invention eliminates issues identified in the last section and offers more utility while being easy to manufacture from a variety of materials.
The combination handle locking bottle and can opener of the current invention facilitates the locking open of a hand operated device such as a pressure washer handle. Additionally, it encompasses in its shape clip 20 (also referred herein as “insert 20” and “clip 20”) which is an integral piece of steel or similar durable material the facilitates the opening of a bottle cap and the opening of a pop-top can.
The current invention is generally formed by combination of two pieces a metallic clip or insert 20 and a body 10. This invention also acknowledges and includes the formation of this device as an extruded or cast material enabling it to be manufactured from a single material such as aluminum.
When this device is formed with plastic it can be readily injection molded in an insert type molder. Since it incorporates a clip 20 a variety of types of plastic can be utilized. This is different from some prior art requiring the use of more costly glass reinforced plastic and a secondary operation. In addition, nylon type plastic and especially reinforced plastics require more expensive tooling and higher temperatures which uses more energy to manufacture.
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As such the tapered edge is capable of being slid underneath and through a lift tab of a pop-top can. The tapered edge 16 serves additionally as a pivot point when the grip edge 72 is engaged under a bottle cap or a vacuum-sealed lid edge. The body 10 of the current invention 8 extends in an arc shaped section 26 and arc shaped section 28 to form a semi rigid structure that is sized to fit around the handle and activation lever of many devices such as a pressure washers.
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| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1728418 | Litchfield | Sep 1929 | A |
