GB2453615A

GB2453615A - Automatic can opener

Info

Publication number: GB2453615A
Application number: GB0811110A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hui Ling Lee
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-06-18
Filing date: 2008-06-18
Publication date: 2009-04-15
Anticipated expiration: 2028-06-18
Also published as: CN201424364Y; GB0811110D0; GB2453615B

Abstract

A can opener includes a feed gear 27 rotatably attached to a receptacle 10 with a shaft for engaging with an end seam 80 of a can 8. A carrier 30 is slidably attached to the receptacle 10; in addition a traction roll 43 and a cutter wheel 44 are rotatably attached to the carrier 30 and movable toward and away from the feed gear 27. A motor 24 including a pinion is also provided for rotating the shaft 21 and the feed gear 27, and a driven member moves the carrier 30 and the cutter wheel 44 and the traction roll 43 toward and away from the feed gear 27. A coupling device is provided for coupling the driven member 50 to the driving gear 70. A follower is engaged in the carrier 30, and the driven member 50 includes a cam engaged in the follower for allowing the follower and the carrier 30 to be moved relative to the shaft 21 and the receptacle by the driven member 50. The present can opener thus automatically pierces a can 8 with the cutter, and removes the can lid, with a user needing only to press a button.

Description

CAN OPENER

The present invention relates to a can opener including an automatic structure for moving the cutter to engage with the end seam at the can end of the can body automatically and for being easily held and operated by the users.

Typical can openers comprise a base having a feed gear or traction roll for engaging with an end seam at a can end of a can body, and a cutter for engaging with and for cutting the end seam at the can end of the can body.

For example, U.S. Patent No. 2,883,745 to Bristol, U.S. Patent No. 3,126,627 to Freedman, U.S. Patent No. 3,142,902 to Tone, U.S. Patent No. 3,768,159 to Emmons, U.S. Patent No. 3,791,029 to Yamamoto, and U.S. Patent No. 4,207,676 to Okumura disclose six of the typical power can openers each comprising a feed gear or traction roll disposed on a base for engaging with an end seam at a can end of a can body, and a cutter for engaging with and for cutting the end seam at the can end of the can body.

Normally, the cutter is rotatably attached to a pivotal handle which may move the cutter to engage with the end seam at the can end of the can body. However, the user has to spend a great force to rotate the handle and the cutter to engage with the end seam at the can end of the can body with one hand, and to hold the can body with the other hand, such that the typical power can openers may not be easily operated by the users.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a can opener including an automatic structure for moving the cutter to engage with the end seam at the can end of the can body automatically and for being easily held and operated by the users.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention there is provided a can opener comprising:-S a receptacle, a feed gear rotatably attached to the receptacle with a shaft for engaging with an end seam of a can body, a carrier slidably attached to the receptacle, a traction roll and a cutter wheel rotatably attached to the carrier with an axle and movable away from the feed gear for allowing the end seam of the can body to be engaged with the feed gear, and movable toward the feed gear for clamping and retaining the end seam of the can body between the feed gear and the cutter wheel and the traction roll, a reduction gearing rotatably attached to the receptacle and including a driving gear attached to the shaft, and at least one transmission pinion rotatably attached to the receptacle and engaged with the driving gear, a motor attached to the receptacle and including a pinion engaged with the transmission pinion the reduction gearing for rotating the reduction gearing and the shaft and the feed gear and the can body relative to the receptacle with a decreased driving speed and an increased driving torque, a driven member for moving the carrier and the cutter wheel and the traction roll toward and away from the feed gear, and a coupling device for coupling the driven member to the driving gear.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side plan schematic views illustrating the operation of a can opener; FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial cross sectional view of the can opener; FIG. 3 is a partial exploded view of the can opener; FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the can opener, in which an outer shell has been removed for showing the inner structure of the can opener; FIG. 5 is a bottom plan schematic view of the can opener; FIG. 6 is another bottom plan schematic view similar to FIG. 5, illustrating the operation of the can opener; and FIG. 7 is another partial exploded view of the can opener.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, a can opener in accordance with the present invention is provided for engaging with an end seam 80 at a can end of a can body 8 and for cutting the end seam 80 at the can end of the can body 8, the can opener comprises a receptacle 10, a reduction gearing 2 including a driving gear 20 rotatably attached to the receptacle 10 with a shaft 21 and one or more transmission pinions 22, 23 also rotatably attached to the receptacle 10 and engaged with each other and engaged with the driving gear 20, and a motor 24 attached to the receptacle 10 and having a pinion 25 engaged with the transmission pinion 22 for rotating the driving gear 20 and the shaft 21 with a decreased driving speed and an increased driving torque. A casing 11 may be attached to the receptacle 10 for covering or shielding the reduction gearing 2, and an outer shell 12 may further be provided and engaged with or attached onto the receptacle 10 and/or the casing 11 for covering or shielding the reduction gearing 2 and/or the motor 24.

The receptacle 10 and the outer shell 12 are preferably made of formed with a rounded or smooth outer peripheral contour for allowing the receptacle 10 and the outer shell 12 to be comfortably held and grasped by the users. A switch 26 may be disposed in the receptacle 10 or the casing 11 and coupled to the motor 24 for controlling or operating the motor 24, and a button 13 may be pivotally attached to the outer shell 12 and aligned with the switch 26 for being depressed to actuate the switch 26 and to operate the motor 24. A feed gear 27 may be formed or provided or attached to the shaft 21 or rotatably attached to the receptacle 10 with the shaft 21 for engaging with the end seam 80 at the can end of the can body 8 (FIGS. 1-2) and for rotating or driving the can body 8 relative to the receptacle 10 by the motor 24. The reduction gearing 2 and the motor 24 may be formed and act as a rotating or driving means or device for rotating the feed gear 27 and the can body 8 relative to the receptacle 10.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the receptacle 10 includes a housing 14 formed or extended into the receptacle 10 for forming a chamber 15 in the lower portion of the receptacle 10, and includes an opening 16 (FIG. 3) formed in the side portion of the housing 14 and communicating with the chamber 15 of the housing 14, and includes a groove 17 formed in the upper portion of the housing 14 and also communicating with the chamber 15 of the housing 14. A switch or microswitch 18 is attached to the housing 14 and disposed on one end of the groove 17 of the housing 14. A carrier 30 is slidably engaged in the chamber 15 of the housing 14, and includes a finger 3 1 extended therefrom and slidably engaged in the groove 17 of the housing 14 for selectively engaging with the microswitch 18 and for selectively controlling or stopping or switching off the motor 24.

A cap 32 may be attached or secured to the receptacle 10 and partially engaged with the carrier 30 for slidably attaching or retaining the carrier 30 in the chamber 15 of the housing 14, and for preventing the carrier 30 from being disengaged from the housing 14 and the receptacle 10. The carrier 30 includes a compartment 33 formed therein and formed or defined by a peripheral wall 34, and includes a hub or protrusion 35 extended upwardly into the compartment 33 of the carrier 30, and includes a channel 36 formed therein and communicating with the compartment 33 of the carrier for slidably attaching or receiving the shaft 21 and for allowing the carrier 30 to be moved or slid relative to the shaft 21 and the housing 14 and the receptacle 10.

A follower 40 is engaged in the compartment 33 of the carrier and engaged with the peripheral wall 34 of the carrier 30, and includes an orifice 41 formed therein for receiving the protrusion 35 of the carrier 30, and for allowing the follower 40 to be moved in concert with the carrier 30, and includes an opening 42 formed therein for slidably attaching or receiving the shaft 21 and for allowing the carrier 30 and the follower 40 to be moved or slid relative to the shaft 21 and the housing 14 and the receptacle 10. A traction roll 43 and a cutter wheel 44 may be rotatably attached to the carrier 30 and the follower 40 with an axle 45 and-/or a washer 46, and movable toward or away from the feed gear 27 and the end seam 80 of the can body 8 (FIGS. 1, 2) with the carrier 30 and the follower 40.

An anvil 47 may be attached to the washer 46 and/or the receptacle 10 for engaging with the can body 8 and for preventing the receptacle 10 and/or the washer 46 from being scraped or rubbed by the can body 8. A sector gear or driven member 50 is received or engaged in the chamber 15 of the housing 14, and rotatably engaged onto the shaft 21 and rotatabke relative to the shaft 21, and includes a cam 52 extended therefrom and engaged in the opening 42 of the follower 40 for allowing the follower 40 and the carrier 30 to be moved relative to the shaft 21 and the housing 14 and the receptacle 10 by the driven member 50, and for allowing the traction roll 43 and the cutter wheel 44 to be moved toward or away from the feed gear 27 and the end seam 80 of the can body 8 by the driven member 50 which is partially exposed or extended out of the opening 16 of the housing 14 and/or of the receptacle 10.

A sector gear 60 and a driven gear 70 are rotatably attached to the receptacle 10 with a pivot rod 61, in which the driven gear 70 is engaged with the driven member 50 and includes a bore 71 and an oblong hole 72 and a slit 73 formed therein, and the sector gear 60 is engaged with the driving gear 20. As shown in FIG. 7, the sector gear 60 includes a stud 62 extended therefrom and engaged in the bore 71 of the driven gear 70, and includes an annular or peripheral channel 63 formed around the stud 62 for receiving a coil spring or spring member 64 which includes a limb 65 engaged in the slit 73 of the driven gear 70 for applying a spring biasing force between the driven gear 70 and the sector gear 60, and the sector gear 60 includes a projection 66 extended therefrom and slidably engaged in the oblong hole 72 of the driven gear 70 for limiting the sector gear to rotate relative to the driven gear 70.

In operation, the end seam 80 of the can body 8 may first be engaged into the space between the feed gear 27 and the traction roll 43 and the cutter wheel 44 (FIGS. 1, 2), the button 13 may then be depressed to actuate the switch 26 and to operate the motor 24 and to rotate the driving gear 20, the sector gear 60 may then be rotated or driven by the driving gear 20 for a predetermined moving stroke, and the driven gear 70 may then be rotated or driven by the sector gear 60 when or after the projection 66 is engaged with the driven gear 70, in order to rotate or drive the driven member 50. At this moment, the spring member 64 may apply a spring biasing force between the driven gear 70 and the sector gear 60. The follower 40 and the carrier 30 and thus the traction roll 43 and the cutter wheel 44 may be moved toward or away from the feed gear 27 and the end seam 80 of the can body 8 by the driven member 50.

The driven member 50 and the driven gear 70 and the sector gear 60 are arranged to move the traction roIl 43 and the cutter wheel 44 toward the feed gear 27 and to engage with the end seam of the can body 8 for a predetermined time interval and for allowing the end seam 80 of the can body 8 to be suitably cut by the cutter wheel 44, and after the end seam 80 of the can body 8 has been cut by the cutter wheel 44, the traction roll 43 and the cutter wheel 44 may be moved away from the feed gear 27 and the finger 31 of the carrier 30 may be moved to engage with the microswitch 18 and to stop or switch off the motor 24. The sector gear 60 and the driven gear 70 may thus act as a coupling means or device 6 for coupling the driving gear 20 to the driven member 50 and for allowing the driven member 50 to be suitably rotated or driven by the driving gear 20.

Claims

CLAIMS:- 1. A can opener comprising: a receptacle, a feed gear rotatably attached to the receptacle with a shaft for engaging with an end seam of a can body, a carrier slidably attached to the receptacle, a traction roll and a cutter wheel rotatably attached to the carrier with an axle and movable away from the feed gear for allowing the end seam of the can body to be engaged with the feed gear, and movable toward the feed gear for clamping and retaining the end seam of the can body between the feed gear and the cutter wheel and the traction roll, a reduction gearing rotatably attached to the receptacle and including a driving gear attached to the shaft, and at least one transmission pinion rotatably attached to the receptacle and engaged with the driving gear, a motor attached to the receptacle and including a pinion engaged with the transmission pinion the reduction gearing for rotating the reduction gearing and the shaft and the feed gear and the can body relative to the receptacle with a decreased driving speed and an increased driving torque, a driven member for moving the carrier and the cutter wheel and the traction roll toward and away from the feed gear, and means for coupling the driven member to the driving gear.
2. A can opener as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carrier includes a compartment formed therein, a follower is engaged in the compartment of the carrier and moved in concert with the carrier I0 and includes an opening formed therein, and the driven member includes a cam engaged in the opening of the follower for allowing the follower and the carrier to be moved relative to the shaft and the receptacle by the driven member.
3. A can opener as claimed in claim 2, wherein the receptacle includes a chamber formed in a housing for receiving the driven member and the follower and the carrier.
4. A can opener as claimed in claim 3, wherein the housing includes an opening formed therein for partially exposing the driven member.
5. A can opener as claimed in claim 3, wherein the housing includes a groove formed therein, a microswitch is attached to the housing and disposed on one end of the groove of the housing, and the carrier includes a finger extended therefrom and slidably engaged in the groove of the housing for selectively engaging with the microswitch.
6. A can opener as claimed in claim 2, wherein the carrier includes a protrusion, and the follower includes an orifice formed therein for receiving the protrusion of the carrier.
7. A can opener as claimed in claim 2, wherein the carrier includes a peripheral wall for forming the opening of the follower.
8. A can opener as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coupling means includes a sector gear and a driven gear rotatably attached to the receptacle, the driven gear is engaged with the driven member, and the sector gear is engaged with the driving gear.
9. A can opener as claimed in claim 8, wherein the driven gear includes an oblong hole formed therein, and the sector gear includes

II

a projection extended therefrom and slidably engaged in the oblong hole of the driven gear for limitiTig the sector gear to rotate relative to the driven gear.
10. A can opener substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. * S. S. * * ._ * S SI,..

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* S.... * S : I. 55 S. S * r,

I 5.

S

10. A can opener as claimed in claim 8, wherein a spring member is engaged between the driven gear and the sector gear for applying a spring biasing force between the driven gear and the sector gear.

11. A can opener substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIMS:- 1. A can opener comprising: a receptacle, a feed gear rotatably attached to the receptacle with a shaft, for engaging with an end seam of a can body, a carrier slidably attached to the receptacle, a traction roll and a cutter wheel rotatably attached to the carrier with an axle and movable away from the feed gear for allowing the end seam of the can body to be engaged with the feed gear, and movable toward the feed gear for clamping and retaining the end seam of the can body between the feed gear and the cutter wheel and the traction roll, a reduction gearing rotatably attached to the receptacle and including a driving gear attached to the shaft, and at least one transmission pinion rotatably attached to the receptacle and engaged with the driving gear, * a motor attached to the receptacle and including a pinion engaged with the transmission pinion of the reduction gearing for * *,.* rotating the reduction gearing and the shaft and the feed gear and S.....

* 20 the can body relative to the receptacle with a decreased driving * S *i e.

* speed and an increased driving torque, a driven member for moving the carrier and the cutter wheel and the traction roll toward and away from the feed gear, and means for coupling the driven member to the driving gear, and in which the carrier includes a compartment formed therein, a follower is engaged in the compartment of the carrier and moved in concert with the carrier and includes an opening formed therein, and [3 the driven member includes a cam engaged in the opening of the follower for allowing the follower and the carrier to be moved relative to the shaft and the receptacle by the driven member.

2. A can opener as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receptacle includes a chamber formed in a housing for receiving the driven member and the follower and the carrier.

3. A can opener as claimed in claim 2, wherein the housing includes an opening formed therein for partially exposing the driven member.

4. A can opener as claimed in claim 2, wherein the housing includes a groove formed therein, a microswitch is attached to the housing and disposed on one end of the groove of the housing, and the carrier includes a finger extended therefrom and slidably engaged in the groove of the housing for selectively engaging with the microswitch.

5. A can opener as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carrier includes a protrusion, and the follower includes an orifice formed therein for receiving the protrusion of the carrier.

6. A can opener as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carrier 20 includes a peripheral wall for forming the opening of the follower.

7. A can opener as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coupling . 4.

: means includes a sector gear and a driven gear rotatably attached to the receptacle, the driven gear is engaged with the driven member, and the sector gear is engaged with the driving gear.

8. A can opener as claimed in claim 7, wherein the driven gear includes an oblong hole formed therein, and the sector gear includes a projection extended therefrom and slidably engaged in the oblong (4 hole of the driven gear for limiting the sector gear to rotate relative to the driven gear.

9. A can opener as claimed in claim 7, wherein a spring member is engaged between the driven gear and the sector gear for S applying a spring biasing force between the driven gear and the sector gear.