BOTTLE OPENER

Abstract: An opener for screw capped bottles has a member (12) formed with a recess (13) into which project a number of tapered blades (14) between which a bottle screw cap can be received and held, rotation of the recessed member (12) being facilitated by the provision thereabout of contact surfaces (11).

Description: Title: "BOTTLE OPENER" BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a bottle opener and more particularly to an opener for use with screw capped bottles. Many containers employ screw caps which are of small diameter and therefore hard to grip in order to provide an adequate opening torque. Such containers can be difficult to open by persons afflicted by crippling diseases and physical handicaps. Small screw caps provide very little in the way of a secure grip and can be difficult to open for people of all ages and physical abilities. The invention has as an object the provision of an opener device whereby screw caps may be more easily removed to allow access to a container's contents. Additionally, the invention aims to provide a device whereby the user may achieve a more reliable grip upon the screw cap and need apply a smaller torque than is usual in order to unscrew a screw cap. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The invention achieves its objects by provision of an opener device comprising engaging means whereby said device may be brought into engagement with a screw cap to be removed from a container, gripping means mounted to said engagement means, which gripping means locates said engagement means to said screw cap so as to be fixed against relative rotation about said screw cap and wherein said engagement means provides contact surfaces whereby said engagement means may be hand held in use. The gripping means may be formed by ridges moulded into the inner faces of a recess in the engagement means or by metal plate inserts slotted into the engagemen means. Additionally, the plates may be stepped to enable the opener's use with more than one range of bottle cap OMP sizes. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof and wherein:- FIG. 1 shows a side elevational view of an opener device according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a plan view of the device; FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2; FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of the opener device; and FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a modified form of the device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The device comprises an engagement means 10 which may be gripped in the hand. The engagement means 10 is-provided with contact surfaces 11 provided as extensions of the engagement means 10, which contact surfaces 11 provide surfaces against which the fingers of a user's hand abut, in use, to provide adequate hand contact for enabling easy handling of the device and greater leverage when attempting to unscrew a screw cap. The engagement means 10 and contact surfaces 11 may be conveniently provided by moulded material, such as polypropelene. A tubular section 12 is formed as an extension of engagement means 10, and provides an inner recess 13 into which a screw cap is fitted in use. The opener device engages with a screw cap by being fitted over the screw cap. Blades 14 are provided around the inner surface of the tubular section 12 and all of these blades are provided with similar sloping edges which define a tapered inner space into which the screw cap may be forced so that blades 14 bite down upon the screw cap to grip it firmly. By this tapered means a number of different cap diameters may be accommodated within the recess 13 of the engagement means and be securely gripped therein by gripping means such as is provided by blades 14. The number of blades can be varied but a minimum of three is required for a stable grip. Alternatively, the effect of the blades might be achieved by ridges moulded into the inner surfaces of the recess in the engagement means. The opener device provides a means of larger diameter than the caps to be unscrewed with positive contact surfaces for location between the fingers, whereby adequa opening torques may be more easily applied to screw caps during removal from and application to containers. The device being bigger is more easily handled and its grip is more effective than what can be achieved by even healthy well co-ordinated fingers. As shown in FIG. 4, the blades 14 are anchored into the material of the tubular section 12 by provision of a suitable anchor means such as bent edge sections 15 of the blades. The blades may be conveniently slotted into the inner surface of the tubular section 12 or the opener device may be moulded about the blades 14 to produce a completed device. Alternatively, the blades may be force fitted into slots without their edges being bent and the friction fit may be enhanced with stamped raised portions along the blades' back edges. In the modification shown in FIG. 5, the blades 14 are stepped at 16 to provide for two ranges of bottle cap sizes. Of course, more than one step may be provided for additional sizes. While the above has been given by way of illustrative example, many modifications and variations as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art may be made thereto without departing from the broad scope and ambit of the invention as is defined in the appended claim

Claims: CLAIMS : 1. An opener device comprising engaging means whereby said device may be brought into engagement with a screw cap to be removed from a container, gripping means mounted to said engagement means, which gripping means locate said engagement means to said screw cap so as to be fixed against relative rotation about said screw cap and wherein said engagement means provides contact surfaces whereby said engagement means may be hand held in use. 2. A device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said engaging means is provided with a recess for receipt therein of a screw cap, said recess being provided with said gripping means on the inner surfaces thereof. 3. A device as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said gripping means comprise outwardly projected cap engaging ridges provided upon the inner surfaces of said recess, said ridges providing ' a tapered space into which a cap to be screwed may be inserted. 4. A device as in Claim 3, wherein said ridges are formed with at least one step to their taper in order to accommodate two size ranges of screw caps. 5. A device as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein said ridges are formed integrally of the material of the engaging means. 6. A device as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein said ridges are formed of metal plates inserted within the material of the engaging means. 7. A device as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said metal plates are slotted into slots provided in said engaging means, said plates being formed with an L-shaped cross-section, the foot of said L-shape being slotted into a corresponding L-shaped slot in said engaging means such that the plates project from the inner surface c::π of said recess. 8. . An opener device as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Inventors: IVANOVIC ALEXANDER, IVANOVIC, ALEXANDER
Applicants: IVANOVIC ALEXANDER, IVANOVIC, ALEXANDER
Application year: 1982
Main classification: B67B7
IPC codes: B67B7