Patent ID: 6182534
Filing Date: 2001-02-06
Classification: B67B

Abstract:
A fully automatic jar opener for loosening a threaded jar cap on a jar including sidewalls and a base, comprising:a bottom jar retainer including substantially horizontal clamps, said clamps being automatically movable along a horizontal plane between an open position and a jar clamping position, said bottom jar retainer including a means for establishing a predetermined sidewall holding force on said sidewalls and said clamping position, sufficient to hold the jar substantially without slippage when the jar cap is subjected to a twisting force,a top jar retainer for holding the jar cap substantially without slippage when said twisting force is applied to the jar cap, said twisting force being applied to the jar cap via said top jar retainer,a vertical drive for automatically adjusting a relative vertical position between said bottom jar retainer and said top jar retainer, said relative vertical position determining a holding force of said top jar retainer on said jar cap,one or more electrically-controlled drivers for causing the movement of said clamps along the horizontal plane to said clamping position for achieving said sidewall holding force, for applying said twisting force to said top jar retainer and for adjusting the relative vertical position between said bottom jar retainer and said top jar retainer,a controller for automatically controlling said one or more drivers, said controller enabling loosening of the jar cap with one single, discrete user command, anda user input device for inputting said single, discrete user command, wherein said one or more electrically-controlled drivers includes a pneumatic actuator.