Foil piercing and clearing nozzle

A foil piercing and clearing nozzle for piercing a frangible foil seal of a container and clearing the pierced seal from a flow path of the container. The inventive device includes a cylindrical main body positionable over a neck of a container. A piercing assembly is mounted within the cylindrical main body and is positioned to pierce a frangible foil seal extending across the neck of the container. A clearing assembly is concentrically mounted within the cylindrical main body and operates to clear the pierced frangible seal from a path of fluid exiting the container through the neck thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to container opening devices and more 
particularly pertains to a foil piercing and clearing nozzle for piercing 
a frangible foil seal of a container and clearing the pierced seal from a 
flow path of the container. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The use of container opening devices is known in the prior art. More 
specifically, container opening devices heretofore devised and utilized 
are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious 
structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs 
encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the 
fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. 
Known prior art container opening devices include U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,771,218; 
4,614,437; 3,261,505; 2,774,432; 2,773,722; 3,402,855; 3,731,844; 
4,340,147; 4,759,472; 4,938,390; 4,901,890; 4,790,453; and 4,553,971. 
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and 
requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a foil piercing 
and clearing nozzle for piercing a frangible foil seal of a container and 
clearing the pierced seal from a flow path of the container which includes 
a cylindrical main body positionable over a neck of a container, a 
piercing assembly mounted within the cylindrical main body and positioned 
to pierce a frangible foil seal extending across the neck of the 
container, and a clearing assembly concentrically mounted within the 
cylindrical main body for clearing the pierced frangible seal from a path 
of fluid exiting the container through the neck thereof. 
In these respects, the foil piercing and clearing nozzle according to the 
present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and 
designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily 
developed for the purpose of piercing a frangible foil seal of a container 
and clearing the pierced seal from a flow path of the container. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of 
container opening devices now present in the prior art, the present 
invention provides a new foil piercing and clearing nozzle construction 
wherein the same can be utilized for piercing a frangible foil seal of a 
container and clearing the pierced seal from a flow path of the container. 
As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be 
described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new foil 
piercing and clearing nozzle apparatus and method which has many of the 
advantages of the container opening devices mentioned heretofore and many 
novel features that result in a foil piercing and clearing nozzle which is 
not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of 
the prior art container opening devices, either alone or in any 
combination thereof. 
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a foil piercing 
and clearing nozzle for piercing a frangible foil seal of a container and 
clearing the pierced seal from a flow path of the container. The inventive 
device includes a cylindrical main body positionable over a neck of a 
container. A piercing assembly is mounted within the cylindrical main body 
and is positioned to pierce a frangible foil seal extending across the 
neck of the container. A clearing assembly is concentrically mounted 
within the cylindrical main body and operates to clear the pierced 
frangible seal from a path of fluid exiting the container through the neck 
thereof. 
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features 
of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that 
follows may be better understood, and in order that the present 
contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, 
additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter 
and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention 
in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its 
application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the 
components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the 
drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being 
practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood 
that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose 
of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon 
which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the 
designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the 
several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, 
that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions 
insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present 
invention. 
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent 
and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the 
scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar 
with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a 
cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of 
the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention 
of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to 
be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new foil 
piercing and clearing nozzle apparatus and method which has many of the 
advantages of the container opening devices mentioned heretofore and many 
novel features that result in a foil piercing and clearing nozzle which is 
not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of 
the prior art container opening devices, either alone or in any 
combination thereof. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new foil 
piercing and clearing nozzle which may be easily and efficiently 
manufactured and marketed. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new foil 
piercing and clearing nozzle which is of a durable and reliable 
construction. 
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new foil 
piercing and clearing nozzle which is susceptible of a low cost of 
manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly 
is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby 
making such foil piercing and clearing nozzles economically available to 
the buying public. 
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new foil 
piercing and clearing nozzle which provides in the apparatuses and methods 
of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously 
overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith. 
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new foil 
piercing and clearing nozzle for piercing a frangible foil seal of a 
container and clearing the pierced seal from a flow path of the container. 
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new foil 
piercing and clearing nozzle which includes a cylindrical main body 
positionable over a neck of a container, a piercing assembly mounted 
within the cylindrical main body and positioned to pierce a frangible foil 
seal extending across the neck of the container, and a clearing assembly 
concentrically mounted within the cylindrical main body for clearing the 
pierced frangible seal from a path of fluid exiting the container through 
the neck thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1-8 thereof, 
a new foil piercing and clearing nozzle embodying the principles and 
concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the 
reference numeral 10 will be described. 
More specifically, it will be noted that the foil piercing and clearing 
nozzle 10 comprises a cylindrical main body 12 for positioning over a neck 
13 of a container 14, such as the oil bottle illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 
of the drawings. A piercing means 16 is mounted within the cylindrical 
main body 12 for piercing a frangible seal 18 extending across an end of 
the neck 13 of the container 14. A clearing means 20 is mounted within the 
cylindrical main body 12 for engaging and positioning the frangible seal 
into an abutting relationship with an interior surface of the neck 13 of 
the container 14 so as to clear the frangible seal from a path of fluid 
exiting from the container. By this structure, the foil piercing and 
clearing nozzle 10 can be positioned over the neck 13 of an oil bottle 14, 
with the nozzle and the container 10 being positioned in an inverted 
orientation over an oil fill hole of an engine 22 with the cylindrical 
main body 12 being positioned against a portion of the engine. The neck 13 
of the container 14 can then be advanced into cylindrical main body 12 
such that the piercing means 16 ruptures the frangible seal 18 of the 
neck. The clearing means 20 will then bias the frangible seal 18 against 
an interior surface of the neck 13 to permit oil from the container to be 
dispensed into the engine 22. 
As illustrated in FIGS. 3 through 5, it can be shown that the piercing 
means according to the present invention 10 comprises a piercing blade 24 
coupled to diametrically opposed interior surfaces of the clearing means 
20. The piercing blade 24, as shown in FIG. 5, is substantially triangular 
in shape and includes a pair of angled blade edges 26 extending at oblique 
angles relative to one another which cooperate to define a sharpened 
piercing tip 28. The piercing blade 24 further includes opposed mounting 
projections 30 which engage cooperatively formed mounting apertures within 
the clearing means 20. The blade 24 can thus be positioned into engagement 
with a frangible seal 18 of a container 14 to effect piercing rupturing of 
the seal. 
With continuing reference to FIGS. 3 through 5, it can be shown that the 
clearing means 20 according to the present invention 10 preferably 
comprises an annular top wall 32 coupled to an end of the cylindrical main 
body and extending radially inwardly therefrom to terminate in an inner 
circumferential edge. A depending cylindrical flange 34 extends 
substantially orthogonally from the inner circumferential edge of the 
annular top wall 32 so as to be positioned in a substantially spaced and 
parallel orientation relative to an interior wall of the cylindrical main 
body. The depending cylindrical flange 34 cooperates with the interior 
wall of the cylindrical main body to define an annular groove 36 within 
which the end of the neck 13 across which the frangible seal 18 extends 
can be received. By this structure, the depending cylindrical flange 34 
can engage the frangible seal 18 and bias the same out of a path of flow 
of liquid from the associated container 14. 
Turning now to FIGS. 6 through 8 wherein a use of the device 10 is 
illustrated, it can be shown that during initial advancing of the neck 13 
of the container 14 into the cylindrical main body 12, the piercing blade 
24 engages the frangible seal 18 to effect creation of a diametrically 
extending fracture. As the neck 13 is further advanced into the 
cylindrical main body 12, the depending cylindrical flange 34 of the 
clearing means 20 engages the frangible seal 18 to force the same into 
contact with an interior surface of the neck 13. This placement of the 
frangible seal 18 against an interior of the neck 13 permits liquids 
within the container 14 to quickly egress therefrom. 
In use, the foil piercing and clearing nozzle according to the present 
invention can be easily utilized to facilitate automatic and expedited 
filling of oil or other fluids from a container into an engine or other 
apparatus. 
As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the 
present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. 
Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and 
operation will be provided. 
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the 
optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to 
include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of 
operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to 
one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those 
illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are 
intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the 
principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and 
changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired 
to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and 
described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may 
be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.