Abstract:
A can opener that automatically opens a can and then signals when the can has been opened, upon the insertion of a can into the can opener and pressing a start button. The automatic can opener is useful for physically challenged individuals and/or individuals who are sight challenged.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the general art of kitchen appliances, and to the particular field of can openers. 
     2. Discussion of the Related Art 
     Metal cans are ubiquitous in modern society. Metal cans are used to store a multitude of items, including food as well as other items. All of these cans are used to ensure proper storage of the various items because of the secure nature of the sealing possible with metal cans. However, due to the secure nature of the sealing, it may be difficult to open a metal can. A can opener is often used for that purpose. 
     Can openers have been used for many years and take many forms, including a simple hand operated knife type device, a hand operated rotating knife device, handle operated devices, and the like. One thing that all of these can openers have in common is the need for some manual dexterity on the part of the user. Often, the user must hold the can in one hand and operate the can opener with the other hand. While this may sound elementary, it can be quite difficult, if not impossible, for a physically challenged person, such as one who has arthritis or who is sight-impaired. Such people may not be able to operate a can opener in the manner intended by a designer. 
     Furthermore, if a person is sight-impaired, he or she may have to actually feel the blade of a can opener with his or her finger to determine where to place the can to be opened. This is not desirable, since it is preferable that a person not be required to touch the opening blade, especially one that may have been used to open a can of food. Such physically challenged people often require the assistance of another person to perform the simple task of opening a can. 
     Therefore, there is a need for a can opener that can be manipulated by someone who is physically challenged. 
     The art does contain many examples of automatic can openers. However, these known automatic can openers are not easily manipulated by a physically challenged user. Even these automatic can openers often require a user to hold a can in a certain position and then fit the can against the opening blade and hold the can or manipulate the opener to open the can. Again, while this may sound elementary to some, it may be difficult if not impossible for someone who is physically challenged. 
     Therefore, there is a need for an automatic can opener that can automatically set a can with respect to a can opening knife without requiring the user to either manipulate the can or contact the blade. 
     PRINCIPAL OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a main object of the present invention to provide an automatic can opener. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a can opener that can be manipulated by someone who is physically challenged. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide an automatic can opener that can automatically set a can with respect to a can-opening knife without requiring the user to either manipulate the can or contact the blade. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     These, and other, objects are achieved by an automatic can opener comprising a housing having a top end and a bottom end in the set-up configuration, a can-supporting unit located near the bottom end of the housing and including a can-supporting platform having a plurality of suction cups thereon, a lift mechanism located between the can-supporting platform and the bottom end of the housing, the can-supporting platform being movably connected to the housing having a lift mechanism for moving the can-supporting platform between a first location and adjacent to the bottom end of the housing and a second location spaced apart from the first location toward the top end of the housing, and a rotating mechanism for rotating the can-supporting platform about a vertically oriented longitudinal axis, and a control button on the top end of the housing and connected to the lift mechanism and to a power source and activating the lift mechanism when the control button is in an ON configuration; a can opener unit in the housing adjacent to the top end of the housing and having a fixed can-opening knife thereon. 
     The can opener of the present invention requires only that the user place the can to be opened into the can opener and press a start button. The can opener does the rest. The can opener moves the can up against a can-opening blade while rotating the platform in order for the fixed blade to open the can. Upon detection of completion of opening of the can by a sensor, the can-supporting platform automatically stops rotating and returns to the first location adjacent to the bottom end of the housing. The user then only has to remove the opened can from the device of the present invention. The user does not have to manipulate the can or the can opener, nor does the user have to locate the can-opening blade by touch. The can opener of the present invention is thus safe and easy to manipulate. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an automatic can opener embodying the teaching of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a can-opening blade of the automatic can opener of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a can-supporting unit of the automatic can opener of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic side elevational view of the automatic can opener of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. 
     The automatic can opener of the present invention permits a user to simply place a can to be opened in the can opener, turn on a switch and then wait for the can opener to signal that the can has been opened, and then simply remove the opened can from the can opener. No manipulation of the can or the opener is required and the location of the can-opening blade is situated such that the user need not worry about where that blade is located relative to the can to be opened. 
     Referring to the Figures, an automatic can opener  10  embodying the teaching of the present invention comprises a housing  12  which includes a first end  14 , a second end  16 , a longitudinal axis  18  extending between first end  14  and second end  16 , a sidewall  20  connecting first end  14  and second end  16  and having an inner surface  22 . Housing  12  can be formed of suitable plastics-type materials and can be mounted on a wall or positioned on a countertop as desired. Housing  12  further includes an access opening  24  defined through sidewall  20  and through which a can to be opened will be moved to open the can and to remove the opened can, an interior surface  26  on first end  14 , an exterior surface  28  on first end  14 , an interior surface  30  on second end  16 , and an exterior surface  32  on second end  16 . 
     Housing  12  further includes an ON/OFF switch  36  on exterior surface  28  of first end  14  of housing  12  and which is electrically connected to a source of power  40 . ON/OFF switch  36  is very large so a user with a sight-impairment can easily find and identify switch  36 . Switch  36  is preferably rectangular in shape so it can be easily identified. 
     Automatic can opener  10  further comprises a can-supporting unit  50  in housing  12  which includes a platform  52  located inside housing  12  and having a first surface  54 , a second surface  56 , and a plurality of suction cups, such as suction cup  58 , on first surface  54  of platform  52  of can-supporting unit  50 . Platform  52  is movable in housing  12  between a first position, indicated in full lines in FIG. 1 indicated by numeral  60 , adjacent to second end  16  of housing  12  and a second position, indicated in dotted lines designated by numeral  62  in FIG. 1, closer to first end  14  of housing  12  than the first position  60  for a purpose that will be understood from the teaching of this disclosure. 
     Automatic can opener  10  further includes a platform-moving unit  64  which is mounted on interior surface  30  of second end  16  of housing  12  and is interposed between platform  52  and interior surface  30  of housing  12 . Platform-moving unit  64  includes a lift mechanism  66  for moving platform  52  between the first position  60  and the second position  62 , the lift mechanism  66  being hydraulically operated or having other suitable arrangement. Platform-moving unit  64  includes a drive motor  68  mounted between platform  52  and interior surface  30  of housing  12 . Drive motor  68  operatively causes lift mechanism  66  to move the platform  52  between the first position  60  and the second position  62 . 
     The platform-moving unit  64  also includes a rotating mechanism  70  whereby drive motor  68  operatively causes platform  52  to be rotated about the longitudinal axis  18 . The rotating mechanism  70  includes an output shaft  72  of drive motor  68 , an output gear  74  on output shaft  72  of drive motor  68 , and a driven gear  76  connected to the platform  52 , wherein the driven gear  76  is engaged with output gear  74  on output shaft  72  of drive motor  68  to rotate platform  52  about longitudinal axis  18 . 
     An electrical connection  78  between drive motor  68  of platform-moving unit  64  and ON/OFF switch  36  of housing  12  electrically connects drive motor  68  to power source  40  when ON/OFF switch  36  is in an ON condition to activate drive motor  68 . A power cord  80  connects drive motor  68  to power source  40  to complete the circuit. 
     Automatic can opener  10  further includes a can-opening unit  88 , which includes can-opening cutter blade  90  fixedly mounted adjacent to interior surface  26 , a can-abutting element  92  also mounted adjacent to interior surface  26  of first end  14  of housing  12  adjacent to can-opening cutter blade  90 , and a can sensor  94  of can-abutting element  92 , which is electronically connected to control mechanism  82 . Can sensor  94  generates an abutment signal when a can that is being opened has been moved from the first position  60  to the second position  62  when the can abuts the abutting element  92 . Upon receipt of the abutment signal, control mechanism  82  deactivates lift mechanism  66  but does not then deactivate rotation of platform  52  as hereinafter described. This arrangement permits can opener  10  to automatically begin opening a can as soon as the can is in the second position  62  and is engaged with can-opening cutter blade  90  without further action by a user. 
     A rotation sensor arrangement  97  generates a rotation signal after platform  52  has made a complete rotation about longitudinal axis  18  after the abutment signal has been generated. Rotation sensor  97  can be a proximity sensor, as can the other sensors discussed in this disclosure. Proximity sensors are disclosed in standard textbooks, such as  Transducers, Sensors, and Detectors  by Robert G. Seippel, and published in 1983 by Reston Publishing Company, Inc (ISBN 0-8359-7797-8), in Chapter Six thereof, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Other types of sensors will occur to those skilled in the art based on the teaching of the present disclosure. 
     Upon receipt of the rotation signal, control mechanism  82  responsively causes drive motor  68  of platform-moving unit  64 , to stop rotating platform  52  and causes drive motor  68  and lift mechanism  66  to return platform  52  to the first position  60  adjacent to second end  16  of housing  12 . 
     Also, after a short delay after receipt of the rotation signal, control mechanism  82  causes an audible signal generator  99 , mounted on housing  12 , to emit an audible signal after platform  52  has completed a complete rotation about longitudinal axis  18  and the platform  52  has been returned to the first position  60 . Signal generator  99  can emit a chirp signal or the like and will include circuits commonly known in the art to effect the audible signal upon receipt of the rotation signal by control mechanism  82 . The audible signal from signal generator  99  alerts the user that the can has been opened and is ready to be removed from automatic can opener  10 . Automatic can opener  10  is sized to accommodate any size can. 
     Control mechanism  82  is connected to ON/OFF switch  36  which re-activates control mechanism  82  when ON/OFF switch  36  is in an OFF configuration. This permits the automatic can opener  10  to be reset for reuse on another can after a can has been opened. 
     It is understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangements of parts described and shown.