Ampoule opener
OwnerJohn Bethune, Jon Bondyinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device for opening a sealed glass ampoule includes a housing that aligns the ampoule with a breaking mechanism. The breaking mechanism includes a sloped region that corresponds to the ampoule to be broken. After breakage of the ampoule, the ampoule head is stored in a storage area and can be removed later without the user having to touch the broken glass. The ampoule opener can be used with a mating base or on a countertop or other flat surface. The ampoule opener removes the need for the user to touch the ampoule during or after opening.
Claims19
An ampoule opener for breaking the head, off an ampoule containing a liquid at a predetermined location, the ampoule opener comprising:
- a housing having a bottom, the housing including:
- a keyway disposed on the bottom:
- a channel extending from said keyway up to a breaking mechanism, wherein said breaking mechanism includes a slope region having an angle and length that corresponds to the head of the ampoule, and wherein the head of the ampoule is broken off by inserting the ampoule into said housing via said channel such that the head of the ampoule makes contact with said breaking mechanism;
- and
- a storage, wherein said storage is formed within said housing and in communication with said channel, and wherein said storage receives the head of the ampoule after being broken off the ampoule and, when the housing is in an upright position, the broken off ampoule head remains in the storage when the ampoule is removed from the ampoule opener such that a user can access the liquid residing inside the ampoule.
An ampoule opening system for breaking the head off an ampoule containing a liquid at a predetermined location comprising:
- an ampoule opener including:
- a housing having a top surface and a bottom surface, the housing including a keyway disposed on the bottom surface and wherein the top surface does not include any apertures;
- a channel extending from said keyway to a breaking mechanism, wherein said breaking mechanism includes a slope region having an angle and length that corresponds to the head of the ampoule;
- and
- a storage, wherein said storage is formed within said housing and in communication with said channel, and wherein said storage receives the head of the ampoule after being broken off the ampoule;
- and
- a base including a plurality of receivers, wherein at least one of said receivers supports the ampoule before and after breaking the head of the ampoule with said ampoule opener,
- wherein the head of the ampoule is broken off by inserting the ampoule into said housing via said channel such that the head of the ampoule makes contact with said breaking mechanism and, when the housing is in an upright position, the broken off ampoule head remains in the storage when the ampoule is removed from the ampoule opener such that a user can access the liquid residing inside the ampoule.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.