Can opener for flip top cans

A tool for opening beverage cans of the type having a flip-top structure with a ring and displaceable disc is described. The tool has an elongated handle with one end thereof including a blade with a sharp edge, said blade extending past the handle's end. At the end of the handle adjacent the blade, two downwardly projecting rails cooperate to form a channel to guide the blade to its ultimate position in the process of opening a beverage can with a flip top structure.

DESCRIPTION 
1. Technical Field 
This invention relates to a tool to be used in opening flip-top beverage 
cans. In use, the tool is slid under the ring of a flip-top structure, 
rotated up and away from the can surface thereby pushing the displaceable 
disc of the flip-top structure into the beverage can. 
2. Background of the Invention 
The subject invention relates to an opener for flip-top beverage cans which 
have a flip top ring and a displaceable disc. The ring is connected to the 
upper surface of the can by a raised connection proximate the displaceable 
disk. The most common problem encountered in opening the beverage cans is 
that the flip-top ring separates from the connection and leaves no means 
for forcing the displaceable disc downward. The difficulty of opening 
these cans and the often resulting cuts and broken fingernails have given 
rise to several tools which are intended to facilitate the opening of the 
cans. The inventions of the prior art will be discussed with reference to 
FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. 
One prior art device, marketed as the Can Tab, is shown in FIG. 1. The Can 
Tab 4 consists of a handle 14 and a slot 10 at one end. In operation of 
the Can Tab 4 the flip-top ring 9 is inserted into the slot 10 and then 
the handle 14 is upwardly rotated so that the ring 9 is moved up and away 
from the upper can surface 2. This forces the displaceable disc 7 into the 
can. One of the difficulties with the Can Tab 4 is that the flip-top ring 
9 can still separate from the raised connection 16. As a result, the 
beverage can cannot be opened and must be set aside until another means to 
open it can be found. 
Another prior art device is marketed under the trademark Quick Key Tab Top 
Can Opener. This device is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Referring to FIG. 2, 
the Quick Key 18 has a handle 26, a slot 24, a tab 22 positioned directly 
above the slot 24, and a beveled end 20. This device operates in a two 
step process. The first step is to hold the Quick Key 18 by the handle 26 
and force its beveled end 20 underneath the flip top ring 9. This step 
causes the ring 9 to be raised above the surface of the beverage can 2. 
The flip-top ring 9 is now in position for the second step which is shown 
in FIG. 3. The Quick Key 18 is rotated 90.degree. from its original 
position as shown in FIG. 2. The flip-top ring 9 may then be inserted into 
the slot 24. The Quick Key 18 is then rotated by means of the handle 26 
such that the tab 22 is forced downward into the displaceable disc 7 
thereby forcing the displaceable disc 7 downward into the beverage can 3. 
By using the tab 22 some of the stress on the raised connection 16 is 
removed averting one of the most prevalent shortcomings of the prior art. 
The Quick Key has its own shortcomings. The fact that it requires two steps 
to operate reduces its consumer appeal. Consumer appeal is further reduced 
by the size of the Quick Key. 
The instant invention resolves many shortcomings of the prior art. The 
design of the tool permits operation in a simple, one step process. The 
tool is also small and pocket sized increasing its attractiveness to 
consumers. Finally the tool of the instant invention is easy to 
manufacture. 
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide tool capable of use 
in a single step. 
It is a further object of this invention to provide a tool which is small 
and pocket sized. 
It is further an object of this invention to provide a tool easy to 
manufacture. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The tool of the instant invention provides an elongated handle at one end 
of which there is a blade. On that same end of the handle, there are two 
downwardly projecting rails which form a channel. In use, the blade is 
inserted under the flip top ring. The channel guides the blade over the 
raised connection of the flip top ring to the beverage can surface. As the 
flip top ring is forced up and away from the beverage can surface the 
blade is positioned over the displaceable disc. When the tool is rotated 
upwardly and away from the surface of the can, one end of said handle 
lifts the ring while the blade is simultaneously forced downward into the 
displaceable disc, causing the disc to be forced into the can.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
This particularly preferred embodiment of the invention will be described 
with reference to FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 9. The operation of the embodiment is 
described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4, 8, 10, 11 and 12. 
The basic components of the tool 31 are shown in FIG. 5. The handle 37 has 
one rounded end 33. The other end is formed into a blade 35. The blade 35 
extends past the end of the handle 37 approximately three-eights of an 
inch and is flanked by two chamfered surfaces 39. The blade 35 has a sharp 
edge 41 which is perpendicular to the long axis 6--6 of the handle 37. The 
upper surface of the handle 37 is positioned above two parallel, 
downwardly projecting rails 43 which cooperate to form a channel. In this 
particularly preferred embodiment, the rails 43 run the entire length of 
the handle 37 and act to guide the tool 31 to the preferred position for 
use as discussed below. 
The blade and the chamfered surfaces are shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 9. The 
upper surface of the blade 51 is coplanar with the upper surface of the 
handle 37 as shown in FIG. 6. The lower surface of the blade 47 intersects 
the end of the handle 53 to form the upper boundary 48 shown in FIG. 6 of 
the channel 49 shown in FIG. 7. The lower surface of the blade 47 is 
obliquely positioned with respect to the upper surface of the blade 51 to 
form the sharp edge 41 shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 9. In this embodiment, the 
sharpness of the edge 41 is reduced by the interpositioned surface 45 
which enables the angle 57 to be less acute. In addition to the safety 
aspects of a less sharp edge, this smaller lower surface 45 also 
distributes the force of rotation over a wider area than would a more 
sharpened edge. 
The upper surface of the handle 37 has two chamfered surfaces 39 located on 
either side of the blade 35. These surfaces 39 are inclined to the 
horizontal upper surface of the handle at an angle 55 of ten degrees, as 
illustrated in FIG. 6. In this particular embodiment, the chamfered 
surfaces 39 extend back along the length of the handle substantially the 
same length as the blade 35 projects past the handle's end 53. The mold 
used to produce this embodiment provides extra strength at this end of the 
handle 37 as shown in FIG. 7. As noted above, the lower surface of the 
blade 47 meets the handle's end 53 to form the upper boundary 48 of the 
channel 49. At a position proximate the intersection 52 of the chamfered 
surfaces 39 and the upper surface of the handle 37, the upper boundary 48 
of the channel 49 steps up, decreasing the thickness 59 of the handle as 
illustrated in FIG. 6. 
The cooperation of all of these elements is shown in FIGS. 4, 8, 10, 11 and 
12. The perspective view shown in FIG. 4 illustrates the tool of this 
particularly preferred embodiment in operation. This position is 
intermediate in the steps required to open a flip-top beverage can. FIG. 4 
shows one of the advanatages of the instant invention. The blade 35 is 
inserted through the ring 9 of the flip top structure. This enables the 
user to apply sufficient leverage to force the displaceable disc 7 
downward without separating the flip top ring 9 from the raised connection 
16. The cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 8 reveals how the force on the 
raised connection 16 is reduced. As the handle 37 is moved upward, the 
flip top ring 9 is supported by the chamfered surfaces 39. The rotation of 
the flip top ring 9 is facilitated by the chamfered surfaces 39 which 
allow the flip top ring to slide up the handle. 
The cooperation of the downwardly projecting rails 43 is shown in the 
cross-sectional view of FIG. 8. The channel 49 formed by the rails 43 and 
the lower surface of the blade 47 guides the tool to this intermediate 
position. The blade 35 is positioned above the raised connection 16 so 
that it can extend the greatest distance over the displaceable disc 7. 
This position also permits the flip top ring 9 to rotate up and away from 
the beverage can surface 2 when the tools is rotated up and away. 
The sequence of positions of the tool in use is shown by FIGS. 10, 11 and 
12. At the start positions shown in FIG. 10 the blade 35 is inserted 
between the beverage can surface 2 and the flip top ring 9. The lower 
surface of the rails 43 rests on the lip 61 of the beverage can 3, 
allowing the user to apply some leverage to force the flip top ring 9 up 
and away from the beverage can surface 2. Once the flip top ring 9 has 
been raised slightly above the beverage can surface 2, the downwardly 
projecting rails guide the tool towards the displaceable disc 7 over the 
raised connection 16 as seen in FIG. 11. The chamfered surfaces 39 
minimize the force on the raised connection 16 by reducing the angle 63 at 
which the tool 31 meets the flip top ring 9. FIG. 11 also shows the blade 
inserted into the ring 9 of the flip top structure so that the ring 9 
surrounds the blade 35. This means that the force applied to open the can 
will be distributed between the blade 35 and the ring 9. The final 
position of the tool in operation is shown in FIG. 12. To get from the 
position shown in FIG. 11 to that of FIG. 12, the handle 37 has been 
rotated in a counter-clockwise direction as suggested by the arrows 65 and 
67. The flip-top ring 9 and the tool 31 have been rotated about the raised 
connection 16 to force the displaceable disc 7 down and into the beverage 
can 3. The applied force required to displace the disc 7 was distributed 
between the blade edge 41 and the flip-top ring 9. After the beverage can 
has been opened, the tool can be removed and the flip-top ring 9 returned 
to its original horizontal position resting upon the beverage can surface 
2. 
Although, in this preferred embodiment the rails 43 run the full length of 
the handle 37, this is a result of the injection molding manufacturing 
process by which the tool 31 is made. To practice this invention it is 
necessary that the rails 43 extend back along the handle only part of the 
way. 
While the subject invention has been described with reference to a 
preferred embodiment, it will be apparent that other changes and 
modifications could be made by one skilled in the art, without varying 
from the scope or spirit of the claims appended hereto.