Apparatus and Method For Gripping a Container During Lid Opening

An apparatus for grasping a container and aiding in unscrewing a lid

• that is secured to the container by a right-hand thread, the apparatus comprising:
• a base element configured to be placed on a surface;
• a top housing rotatably secured to the base element and configured to rotate about an axis with respect to the base element, the top housing having a surface for receiving the container;
• a spiral guide element located between the base element and the top housing, the spiral guide element including a plurality of interleaved spiral grooves, each groove having an origin proximate to the axis and configured to occupy, about the axis, an angular extent of greater than 360 degrees;
• a plurality of jaw members moveably secured to the top housing, each of the plurality of jaw members having a protrusion located within a different one of the plurality of spiral grooves and configured to move along its corresponding spiral groove;
• wherein the spiral grooves are configured so that, rotation of the top housing about the axis in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed from above, causes the jaw members to move radially inward to engage the container, so that application of a torque to the lid, in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed from above, to unscrew the lid tends to cause the top housing itself to rotate in the counterclockwise direction so as to tighten the jaw members against the container.