US 4,864,898 AGranted

Combination pop-top can and bottle opener

OwnerBruce E. Tricinellainventor

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An opener for both pop-top cans and bottles is formed to include an elongated lever body. A lifting element is positioned on the lever body and is sized and shaped to fit underneath the lift tab on a pop-top can. A fulcrum element is further formed on the lever body in physical association with the lift element but spaced away from the lift element so as to form a channel between the lift element and the fulcrum element. The channel is sized and shaped such that the lift tab of the pop-top can can be sheaved in the channel between the lift element and the fulcrum element for manipulation of the lift tab to open the pop-top can. The opener further includes a bottle cap edge gripper located on the lever body in physical association with the fulcrum element. For removing bottle caps from capped bottles, the bottle cap edge gripper is independently formed and then positioned on the opener such that it engages the edge of the bottle cap when the fulcrum element is positioned in the center of the bottle cap.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A combination pop-top can and bottle opener which comprises:

a lever body formed as a unitary elongated body;
lifting means for fitting underneath a pop-top can lift tab on a pop-top can, said lifting means formed as an elongated planar portion of said unitary lever body;
said lifting means including a wedge surface means for fitting between a pop-top can lift tab and the top surface of said pop-top can;
fulcrum means for engaging either the top of a bottle cap or one surface of said pop-top lift tab, said fulcrum means formed as a further portion of said elongated lever body, said fulcrum means including a straight section and an arcuate section said straight section joining said arcuate section to the remainder of said lever body, said straight section of said fulcrum means located in a parallel planar association with said lifting means;
said lever body including a channel means formed as an opening between said lifting means and said straight section of said fulcrum means, said channel means for sheaving said pop-top lift tab to interleave said pop-top lift tab between said lifting means and said fulcrum means;
a stainless steel flat plate shaped gripping member for gripping an edge of a bottle cap, said gripping member formed independent of said lever body and essentially impervious to deformation by the edge of a bottle cap, said gripping member attached to said lever body in physical association with said fulcrum means;
and
said arcuate section of said fulcrum means curving away from said lifting means towards said gripping member.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/199,311Filed 26 May 1988
Granted: 12 Sep 1989
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

B67B 7/44
Hand- or power-operated devices for opening closed containers: combination tools, e.g. comprising cork-screws, can piercers, crowncap removers
B67B 7/16
Hand- or power-operated devices for opening closed containers: for removing flanged caps, e.g. crown caps
B67B 7/403
Devices for engaging tags, strips, or tongues for opening by tearing, e.g. slotted keys for opening sardine tins: adapted for engaging the ring of…
B67B
Applying closure members to bottles jars, or similar containers