Abstract:
To solve problems in a conventional electric can opening apparatus wherein it is impractical to drain the unwanted liquid from the inside of the can after opening the container and disposing of the top lid or top without touching it. The composite can opener includes a body with a gripping member gripping a can while an opening member cuts the top of the can open and a piston that selectively pushes the top into and out of the can after it has been cut.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/858,836 filed Aug. 18, 2010. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to an apparatus for opening a can containing solids and liquids, and more particularly to a combination electric can opener and draining device used to sequentially open a can and, optionally drain the liquids there from while solids remain in the can. 
         [0004]    2. Background of the Invention 
         [0005]    Devices that can be used to open food cans or press their top after they are opened are known, for example from U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,403,053, 3,487,965A, U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,838, U.S. Pat. No. 611,265,0A and U.S. patent publication 20020092430A1. While all of the described prior art devices and methods are adequate for the basic purpose and function they are inadequate because they cannot be used to perform both operations satisfactorily. For example, cans often containing solid/liquid mixtures (for food stuff, generally, a meat or meat by-product, immersed in a liquid preservative). A person, frequently in a hurry, especially in the morning, must open the can, at least partially, using an electric can opener, drain the liquids there from, and then transfer the remaining solids to into an appropriate container. No existing devices are available that can be used to perform these steps relatively fast, and in a manner that insures that the person does not soil his hands or clothing. 
         [0006]    As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need for a new, practical and improved type of electric can opener and electric draining device combination. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    A can opener constructed in accordance with this invention includes a body with a handle having a size and shape selected to fit in a person&#39;s hand, and a head integrally formed with handle. Several control switches and indicator lights are provided on the handle. The head includes a downwardly extending portion with a sidewall formed with conventional can opener assembly including a knife. The head further includes a lateral extension with a plunger extending downwardly. 
         [0008]    The can opener is used as follows. A standard can with a circumferential rim is engaged by the can opener assembly and the can is then opened by cutting a circular cut in its top. The plunger is then forced downward causing the top to be pushed into the can and displace liquids therein. The can is then taken to a sink or garbage can and tilted to cause the liquid to be poured off. The plunger is then moved upward and it is provided with a magnet that lifts the can top out of the can. The remainder of the materials within the can opener can now be removed. Electromechanical elements are mounted within the body and used to selectively operate the can opener assembly and the plunger. Preferably, the electromagnetic elements are powered by rechargeable batteries. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is an isometric left view of a can opener constructed in accordance with this invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an isometric right view of the device of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is an isometric view of the device of  FIG. 1  with the top opened to render its inner components visible; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a side cross-sectional view of the device of  FIGS. 1-3 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is an isometric top cross sectional view of the device of  FIGS. 1-4 ; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  shows a cross-sectional view of the can opener taken through the plunger. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    Referring to the drawings, an electric composite can opener  10  constructed in accordance with this invention has a main body  100  divided into two segments, a handle  101  and a head  102 . The handle  101  is somewhat tubular and is sized and shaped to form a curved grip which allows a person to hold and operate the opener  10 . 
         [0016]    As shall be described in more detail below, preferably the composite can opener  10  is battery operated and is provided with conventional circuitry (not shown) to indicate the status of its internal rechargeable (or replaceable) battery. The handle  101  is formed with a small round opening  103  housing a battery indicator LED (not shown) which alerts the individual operating the can opener if the battery needs to be charged by turning red, or is ready for use when the LED turns green. The handle  101  is also provided with an additional hole formed in end wall  101   x.  See  FIG. 3 . This hole  115 A (See  FIG. 5 ) is used for a standard plug (not shown) connecting the batteries within the body  100  (discussed more fully below) powering the device. When the LED shows that the batteries are discharged, the user can connect the device to the plug which then provides standard AC for charging the batteries in a conventional manner. Alternatively, the device can be provided with disposable batteries, in which the opening  115 A for the charging plug can be omitted. In yet another embodiment, the can opener is operated from an AC source. 
         [0017]    The handle  100  is further provided with two switches  104 ,  105  found on its top surface and a long switch  107  found on its lateral surface. The functions of these switches are described in more detail below. 
         [0018]    The upper wall of the body  100  is formed with a top  101 A (see  FIG. 2 ) delineated by line  104 A and having a hinge  106 . The top  101 A can be selectively separated from the body  100  to allow access to the interior of the body for assembly and servicing however, under normally usage, the body  100  and its top  101 A remain integral and its interior is not accessible to the user for the sake of safety. For this purpose, the top  101 A is attached to the rest of the body  100  by an adhesive, by one or more screws, or by other conventional means. The head  102  is formed with a bottom portions  102 A having a side wall  102 B ( FIG. 3 ) and a bottom wall  102 C. As best seen in  FIG. 3 , shows a can opener assembly  108  is supported on side wall  102 B. The can opener  108  includes a toothed wheel  108 A, two arcuate protective walls  108 B, two spring-loaded or flexible arms  108 C extending downwardly and a knife  108 D having a v-shaped edge  108 E. Importantly, the knife  108 D has two positions, an upper position in which the its edge  108 E is disposed above and slightly offset radially with respect to the toothed wheel  108 A (not shown) and a lower position in which the knife  108 D is disposed adjacent to the toothed wheel  108 A. 
         [0019]    On its bottom surface  102 C the head  102  is provided with a standard bottle cap opener  118 . 
         [0020]    The head  102  further includes a lateral extension  102 D with a plunger  109  ( FIG. 3 ). A cylindrical hub  109 A disposed around a disc  109 B holding a magnet  109 C (as described more fully below, and shown in  FIG. 6 ). 
         [0021]    The internal elements of the can opener are now described in conjunction with  FIGS. 4 and 5 . Starting with  FIG. 5 , one or two batteries  114  are provided toward the rear of the handle  101  and are connected to an electronic charging circuit  115 . As previously mentioned, plugs connecting the circuit  115  to a conventional AC source are inserted through opening  115 A. The batteries  114  selectively energize a first drive mechanism including a first motor  116 . The motor  116  is turned on and off by long switch  107  (preferably a momentary switch) and is used to activate a first drive mechanism including a gear train  117  driving the toothed wheel  108 A. 
         [0022]    An arm  104 A is coupled to the top switch  104 . The knife  108 D is attached to and supported by arm  104 A. The arm  104 A and top switch  104  cooperate so that when the top switch  104  is pushed forward, the knife  108 D is pushed down and locked in place. When the top switch  104  is pushed back, the knife  108 D is released and moves back up to its original position. 
         [0023]    As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , there is provided a second drive mechanism consisting of a second motor  111  driving a worm gear  111 A which then activates a drive train  112  including a toothed gear  112 A. Under gear  112 A and coaxial therewith there are three cylindrical shells  113 ,  115  and  117 . Shell  113  is formed with a helical grove  119 . An axial pin  121  is attached to  117 . Pin  121  extends through shell  115  and into the groove  119 . Shell  113  is attached to the gear  112 A and therefore it rotates therewith. As a result, the groove  119  forms a caming surface for the pin and it is rotated in one direction or another, it forces the pin  121  and shells  115  and  117  to move up and down. 
         [0024]    As seen in  FIG. 6 , the disc  109 B and magnet  109 C are attached to the bottom of shell  117 . A washer  109 D rests on top of the disc  109 B and supports ring  109 A, The washer can be made of a flexible foam or rubber, or alternatively, a spring (not shown) may be added between the disc  109 B and ring  109 A. 
         [0025]    The operation of the composite can opener  10  is now described. The combined can opener is used for two purposes: to open a can, and then to push down its top into the can thereby forcing out some liquid there from for disposal. Initially, the two motors are off, and switch  104  is drawn backward thereby insuring that the knife  108 D is drawn up and locked in a position away from wheel  108 A. The can  200  is then placed in a conventional manner under the head  102  so that its rim  202  is captured between the sidewalls  108 B and the arms  108 C. Once the can is firmly seated, the user grasps the handle  102  firmly and with his thumb advances the switch  104  forward thereby causing the knife  1080  to be forced downward so that its edge  108 E pierces the top  204  of the can  200  at a point adjacent to the rim  202 . 
         [0026]    Next, the user activates long switch  107  with one of his fingers thereby causing the motor  116  to turn which then turns the train  117  and toothed wheel  108 A. The wheel  108 A engages the rim  202  and causes the can turn about its vertical axis thereby forcing the knife edge  108 E to make a neat, circular cut  206  around the can top  104  in a conventional manner. 
         [0027]    Once, the cut is complete and the top  204  is separated from the can  200 , the user stops pressing on the long switch  107  causing the wheel  108 A to stop turning. The user also returns the switch  104  back to its original position causing the knife  108 D to be removed from the can. 
         [0028]    In a conventional opener, the user then just removes the can  200  from the composite opener and remove its contents. However, in the present invention, he also has the option of expressing some liquid for the can. For this purpose, the user can push or rock switch  105  forward. This action causes the motor  111  to start turning, which in turn causes the magnet  109 B to lower by a fraction of an inch, while the ring  109 A stays in place, until the bottom surface of the magnet  109 C becomes approximately co-planar with the bottom of the ring  109 A. Thereafter, as the wheel  112 A keeps turning, both the magnet and the ring  109 A forming the plunger  109  move downward pressing the separated top  204  into the can  200 . This action causes some of the liquid to rise through the cut  206  above the top  204 . The user can now move the whole assembly, including the composite can opener  10  and can  200  to a sink or above a garbage bag, and tilt the can to cause the expressed liquid to be poured off the can  200 . Of course, the remainder of the can  200  is maintained in place by top  204 . Depending on the various dimensions and other characteristics of the piston  109  and its components, the piston moves downward from ¼-1 in. 
         [0029]    Once the liquid is removed, the switch  105  is reversed, causing the gear  112 A to reverse direction and the plunger  109  to start rising, thereby removing the can top  204  from the can  200 . The can is then removed from the composite can opener. Thereafter, the user can continue to cause the gear  112  to rotate. Toward the end of its travel, the bottom of the magnet is retracted with respect to the bottom of the ring  109 A. As a result, the can top  204  is no longer engaged by the magnet  109 C and falls away or can be removed by hand. 
         [0030]    In the preferred embodiment described above, switch  107  is used to operate the motor  116  for the can opening phase. In an alternate embodiment an automated element, such as a sensor or proximity switch can be used instead to determine when the can  200  is in position and can be opened. In another embodiment, instead of two separate motors  116 ,  111  for the two separate operations, a single motor can be used with mechanical and/or electrical coupling used to drive one or the other gear trains (Not shown). 
         [0031]    Obviously numerous modifications can be made to this invention without departing from its scope as defined in the appended claims.