Cutlery – Can opener – With driven roller to continuously engage bead and...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-05
2003-01-14
Payer, Hwei-Siu (Department: 3724)
Cutlery
Can opener
With driven roller to continuously engage bead and...
C030S419000, C030S423000, C030S410000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06505405
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to electric can openers.
2. Description of Prior Art
The invention relates to generally portable openers that have a tower that can rest on a horizontal work-surface to support a can at one side of the tower while removing its top lid. The can is supported by pinching a top rim of the can between a cutting blade and a traction wheel (driven by an electric motor inside the tower). The traction wheel rotates about a horizontal axis and rotates the can about a vertical axis to enable the blade to severe into a top peripheral surface of the lid. A hinged magnetic lifter is provided to hold the lid up above the can when the lid has been completely severed and the can is released and lowered away from the side of the tower. Such can openers are already well-known.
The pinching is achieved by manually rotating a blade mounting assembly about an axis above the axis of rotation of the traction wheel to bring the blade downwards so that a top rim of the can is trapped between and pressed by the blade against the traction wheel. The blade must press downwards and sideways, toward the tower, and the traction wheel must exert relative forces away from the tower and upwards against a lower outside surface of the rim. At the same time the blade must be moveable well-away from the friction wheel to allow the rim of the can to be entered between the blade and the traction wheel and removed, after the lid has been severed, with relative easy and convenience. This is achieved in present day arrangements by lowering a cutting blade ‘diagonally’ towards the top surface of the can. This means that the cutting blade thrust is not vertically downwards in use. Also, it is inherently possible to cut only a top part of a can rim off so as to leave the can sealed or partially sealed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to overcome or at least reduce these problems.
According to the invention there is provided an electric can opener having an upright tower, a traction wheel mounted on a side of the tower adjacent a top thereof and arranged to be driven by an electric motor about a first horizontal axis, a cutting blade for opening the cam that is supported by a blade mounting assembly that is rotatable about a second horizontal axis above the first horizontal axis and supported by the tower, a handle coupled the blade mounting assembly and vertically pivotable about the second horizontal axis to move the blade between a first position where the blade urges downwards against a top of a can lid to pinch a rim of the lid against the traction wheel and a second position where the blade is sufficiently separated from the traction wheel to allow an outer peripheral top rim of the can to be presented to or removed from against a side of the tower, in which the blade mounting assembly includes cam means rotatable about the second horizontal axis that is configured to cause the blade to move horizontally during movement between the first position and second position.
The cam means is preferably configured such that the blade is caused to move only vertically downwards during its final travel towards the pinched position.
The electric can opener preferably includes two like opposing cams configured to cause the blade to move horizontally towards and away for the tower respectively, during movement between the first and second positions.
The blade mounting assembly may include an axle mounted to rotate about the second horizontal axis, a slidable axle sleeve that is formed with the cam means, and a manually operable releasable lock mounted in the tower to releasably lock the sleeve to the tower while allowing the axle to rotate and to move horizontally.
The blade is preferably rotatably supported on the axle and constrained to rotate relative to the blade mounting assembly through an arc of approximately 20° C. about the vertical axis.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3254406 (1966-06-01), Hubrich
patent: 3675321 (1972-07-01), Arel et al.
patent: 4922617 (1990-05-01), Kurz
patent: 6189221 (2001-02-01), Barrow et al.
Jackson Walker L.L.P.
Main Power Electrical Factory Limited
Payer Hwei-Siu
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