Cutlery – Can opener – With driven roller to continuously engage bead and...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-04
2001-06-26
Payer, Hwel-Slu (Department: 3724)
Cutlery
Can opener
With driven roller to continuously engage bead and...
C030S416000, C030S434000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06249980
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to can openers and in particular, though not exclusively, to can openers for use in catering establishments.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A typical can opener, shown in
FIG. 1
, comprises an operating handle
2
, a housing
4
, and a blade
6
carried by a blade carrying member
8
, which in turn is pivotally connected to the housing
4
. A stem or post (not shown) extends from the housing
4
into a sleeve
10
connected to a table or work surface
12
. In use, a can
14
is gripped between the blade
6
and a drive wheel (not shown) connected via a spindle to the operating handle
2
. Rotation of the operating handle
2
causes the can
14
to be rotated against the blade
6
. The pivotal connection between the member
8
and the housing
4
is necessary to enable the can
14
to be fitted to, and subsequently removed from, the can opener. The pivotal connection is achieved by a pin
16
fixed in the housing
4
passing through a hole in the member
8
.
It is imperative in a catering establishment that all utensils be kept clean so as to prevent the cultivation and transmission of germs and bacteria. Can openers of the type described above have been found difficult to clean as the member
8
is not intended to be removed from the pin
16
. Particularly at risk is the blade
6
which comes into direct contact with the contents of the opened cans. If the blade
6
, and the adjacent blade carrying member
8
to which it is attached, are left unwashed then both germs and bacteria can accumulate and transfer to the contents of other cans.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,110 describes a can opener wherein the fixed pin
16
is replaced by a removable pull pin. Removal of the pull pin allows the blade carrying member to be removed from the housing to permit cleaning thereof. Problems exist with this arrangement whereby loss or breakage of the pull pin renders the can opener unusable. In addition, repeated removal and refitting of the pull pin can lead to wear of the pin and/or the housing with the result that the pin is liable to work loose during the normal operation of the can opener. This can affect the operation of the can opener and possibly lead to the pull pin and/or blade carrying member falling into a can when said can is in the process of being opened.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention thus provides a can opener from which the blade carrying member can be removed easily to allow cleaning thereof. Removal is effected by moving the actuation means provided for the normal operation of the can opener to a release position; this thereby eliminates the need to at least partially disassemble the can opener prior to removal of the blade carrying member. The need for special tools or skills to effect removal of the blade carrying member is also eliminated.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a can opener operable in use to rotate a container relative to a blade of the can opener, the can opener comprising a housing, a blade-carrying member releasably connected to the housing and pivotable relative thereto, and actuation means for pivoting the blade-carrying member and for rotating a container, wherein a hooked connection is provided between the blade-carrying member and the housing, the hooked connection being separable so as to enable the blade-carrying member to be removed from the housing when the actuation means is moved to a release position.
The hooked connection comprises a hook on one of the housing and blade carrying member and a pin or axle of the other of the housing and blade carrying member. In a preferred embodiment the blade carrying member is provided with a hook and the housing with a pin. In an alternative embodiment the blade carrying member may be provided with one or more axles and the housing with slots adapted to receive the axle or each of the axles.
Preferably the can opener is provided with stop means to prevent the separation of the hooked connection unless the actuation means is in the release position. The stop means may comprise a projection on one of the housing and blade carrying member and a recess in the other of the housing and blade carrying member. In a preferred embodiment the projection and recess are provided on the blade carrying member and housing respectively. In such an embodiment the projection is preferably positioned opposite the open side of the hook. During normal operation of can opener the projection is received in the recess and thus prevents movement of the blade carrying member relative to the housing in a direction leading to separation of the hooked connection. When the actuation means is moved to the release position the projection is moved out of the recess and separation of the hooked connection is then possible.
The actuation means may comprise a handle pivotably connected to a spindle and having a cam surface at said pivotal connection, a cam follower, a spring and a drive wheel. The drive wheel is connected to the spindle and is rotatable by the handle. In a preferred embodiment the spindle passes through the cam follower and the spring, the spring, in use, being provided between a seat in the housing and seat on the cam follower. The cam follower may have a substantially hollow centre and an opening into which a portion of the blade carrier can project, in use. The spring may project into the hollow centre of the cam follower. In such an embodiment, the portion of the blade carrying member projecting into the cam follower may be shaped so as to fit around the spring. The cam follower may include a recess shaped to receive the stopping means projection of the blade carrying member.
The can opener preferably also includes a post extending from the housing, said post being slidable in a sleeve attached to a work surface, table or the like.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a can opener operable in use to rotate a container relative to a blade of the can opener, the can opener comprising a housing, a blade carrying member releasably connected to the housing and pivotable relative thereto about a pin or the like fixed to the housing, and actuation means operable to pivot said blade carrying member and to rotate a container, wherein the blade carrying member is releasable from the housing without removal of the pin therefrom.
According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a can opener as hereinbefore described with reference to the first or second aspect, the actuation means of the can opener having a cam follower engageable with the blade carrying member, the cam follower being movable by a cam surface of the actuation means to effect pivotal movement of the blade carrying member relative to the housing.
In a preferred embodiment the cam follower is annular. The cam follower may be substantially cylindrical.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a can opener operable in use to rotate a container relative to a blade of the can opener, the can opener comprising a housing, a blade carrying member releasably connected to the housing and pivotable relative thereto, and actuation means operable to pivot said blade carrying member and to rotate a container, the actuation means including a cam follower engageable with the blade carrying member and a spring, the cam follower being movable by a cam surface of the actuation means to effect pivotal movement of the blade carrying member relative to the housing, and the spring being provided between the cam follower and the housing, wherein a hooked connection is provided between the blade carrying member and the housing, said hooked connection being separable so as to enable the blade carrying member to be removed from the housing when the actuation means is moved to a release position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 528371 (1894-10-01), Keller
patent: 1537110 (1925-05-01), Edlund
patent: 1713823 (1929-05-01), Edlund
patent: 1974671 (1934-09-01), Egan
patent: 261971
Bryan Cave LLP
Gilbert Stephen P.
Mitchell & Cooper Limited
Payer Hwel-Slu
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