Abstract:
A bottle cap remover includes a pair of axially nested socket sections of different diameters depending axially from a larger-diameter grasping section. Each of the socket sections includes frictional gripping members along their inner walls that are adapted to frictionally engage different sizes and types of metal and plastic bottle caps, thereby to enable the user to twist off and remove the bottle caps by applying a relatively small twisting force to the grasping section.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates generally to the removal of closures from containers, and more particularly to a bottle cap remover that is capable of removing the caps from multiple kinds of bottles with a reduced twisting force. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   Millions of people every day remove the twist-off caps from glass and plastic bottles of varying opening diameters by applying a manual twisting force to the screw-top bottle caps, thereby to remove the bottle caps and allow the liquid contents of the bottle, typically beer, juice or soda, to be poured out. For most individuals, the removal of a screw-top bottle cap can be usually achieved with relative ease by simply grasping the cap, typically with the thumb and middle finger of one hand, and rotating the cap in the counter-clockwise direction to unscrew and thus remove the cap from the bottle. On occasion, the cap may be so tightly secured to the container that even a healthy person of ordinary strength may have difficulty unscrewing the bottle cap without the use of a tool such as a wrench or pliers to provide a sufficient twisting force to remove the cap. 
   However, for the elderly and those who suffer from arthritis, for example, the removal of a screw-on bottle cap may on almost all occasions present an insuperable problem since persons so afflicted are often unable to grasp tightly and twist a bottle cap with a sufficiently large torsional force to remove the bottle cap bottle cap without pain or discomfort. As the population of elderly people in the United States continues to grow, the need for a device that would allow them to perform such a basic task as opening a bottle becomes more pressing. There thus exists a need for a device that would allow an individual who suffers from arthritis or who for any other reason is unable to grasp and twist a screwed-on bottle cap with a sufficient torsional force to readily remove the bottle cap without pain or discomfort and to do so with bottle caps of a wide variety of sizes and materials. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a bottle cap remover that can be reliably and easily used by an individual whose physical limitations would otherwise prevent him or her from manually removing a bottle cap. 
   It is a further object of the present invention to provide a bottle cap remover that requires a lesser manual twisting force to remove bottle caps of varying sizes. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a bottle cap remover of the type described which allows the user to apply an increased torsional twist-off force than could be applied manually by the user. 
   To these ends, the bottle cap of the present invention comprises a knob-shaped grasping section which includes a plurality of semicircular or arcuate recesses spaced about its periphery for receiving the fingers of the user&#39;s hand, thereby to enable the user to firmly grasp the bottle cap. Extending axially from the central portion of the grasping section is a socket that includes at least two concentric and axially aligned socket sections each having a diameter that is less than that of the grasping section. One socket section includes a plurality of gripping elements adapted to firmly engage and grip metal crimped crown caps typically used on glass bottles. The other socket section has a diameter different than that of the first socket section and is preferably tapered to engage plastic twist caps of varying sizes. The latter socket section includes a second plurality of gripping elements that are designed and adapted to securely engage the multiple types of plastic twist-top caps used to close plastic beverage (e.g. soda) bottles. 
   In use, the socket is slipped over the top of a bottle to the extent required to place the appropriate socket section over the bottle cap so as to securely, frictionally engage the bottle cap. The user then places his or her fingers into the finger recesses of the grasping section, applies a slight downward pressure and gently twists or rotates it in a counter-clockwise direction, thereby to impart a relatively large twisting force to the bottle cap and allow the cap to be removed from the bottle. 
   In a further aspect of the invention, one of segments between the finger recesses in the grasping section may be linear rather than arcuate to accommodate a rectilinear slot that can be positioned over a tab closure to engage and lift the tab commonly found, for example, on soda cans. 
   To the accomplishment of the above and such further objects as may hereinafter appear, the present invention relates to an improved bottle cap remover, substantially as defined in the appended claims as considered in conjunction with the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof along with the accompanying drawings in which: 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a top elevation of a bottle cap remover in accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a side elevation of the bottle cap remover of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a bottom elevation of the bottle cap remover of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-section taken in the direction of the arrows  4 - 4  in  FIG. 3 ; and 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective, partly broken away, of the bottle cap remover of  FIG. 1 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to the drawings, there is shown in  FIG. 1  a bottle cap remover, generally designated  10  in accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of the invention. As therein shown, the bottle cap remover  10  is a unitary integral plastic piece made, for example, by injection molding using ABS plastic. The bottle cap opener  10  comprises a circular grasping section  12 , which, as shown best in  FIG. 1 , has the appearance of a knob. Grasping section  12  includes a central, circular section  14  that may be slightly recessed ( FIG. 4 ) to allow a label or the like to be secured thereto. Central section  14  is surrounded by a peripheral ring  16  that includes a plurality, here shown as eight in number, of arcuate or annular recesses  18 , any five of which at a given time may receive the user&#39;s fingers when the bottle cap opener  10  is used as described in greater detail below. 
   Cutouts or hollowed-out portions  20   e  may be formed in the undersides of central section  14  and ring  16  to define, as seen best in  FIG. 3 , a plurality of radial strengthening ribs  22 , each of which terminates at its inner ends at a central socket portion  24  that axially depends from the center of grasping section  12  and has a smaller diameter than that of section  12 . As can be seen in  FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  5 , the outer segments  26  of ring  16  that extend between the arcuate recesses  18  are all slightly curved except for a peripheral segment  28 , which, in contrast, is linear and includes an opening or narrow slit  30  ( FIGS. 3 and 5 ) that can be used to lift the metal tab from the top of a soda can or the like. 
   As can be seen most clearly in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , socket section  24  includes a first, inner socket section  32  and a nested, second, outer socket section  34 , which are coaxial with respect to one another along the major axis  35  ( FIG. 4 ) of the wider-diameter grasping section  12 . The inner socket section  32  is cylindrical in shape and has a substantially constant diameter along its axial length. A plurality, here seven are shown, of semicircular splines  36  are spaced at substantially equiangular locations along the inner wall of inner socket section  32 . Splines  36  are of a shape and size that are particularly adapted to securely, frictionally engage the peripheral, crimped edge of a conventional metal bottle cap. 
   The outer, second socket section  34  is of greater diameter than that of inner socket section  32  and tapers axially outward to a gradually increasing diameter. A plurality, here shown as fourteen in number, of V-form splines  38  are formed and equiangularly spaced along the inner, tapered wall of the second socket section  34 , and are shaped, sized and positioned along this wall to permit the splines  38  to securely and frictionally engage the peripheries of conventional plastic twist-off caps of varying diameters. 
   As used herein, a spline is a raised segment that runs in a longitudinal/axial direction. The cross-section of the spline is preferably of a half-round or semi-circular form. The inner socket section  32 , which includes the half-round splines  36  is designed to engage with the conventional twist-off, crimped metal cap (which typically includes  21  crimp segments). Since these caps are typically of a smaller diameter than the typical plastic twist-off caps, the bottles closed with metal caps will pass through the outer socket section  34 . Outer socket section  34 , which includes, as shown, fourteen V-shaped splines  38  is tapered so that splines  38  can engage the closure twist-off caps of a variety of conventional small-neck, plastic beverage bottles, such as half-pint, pint, half-liter, liter and two-liter containers. The diameters of these caps vary within a relatively narrow range and are slightly tapered, thereby to allow for a secure gripping engagement between the splines  38  and these caps, which are also typically too wide to pass into the inner socket section  32 . 
   To use the bottle cap opener of the invention, an individual places the opener  10  over the bottle cap that is to be removed. Depending on the type and diameter of the bottle cap, it will be frictionally engaged by either the splines  38  of the outer socket section  34 , or, for bottle caps of a smaller diameter, by the splines  36  provided along the inner wall of the inner socket section  32 . The individual then places the fingers of one hand within five of the finger recesses of the upper grasping member  12 , exerts a slight downward force on member  12  and then twists member  12  gently in a counter-clockwise direction until the bottle cap seal is broken and the cap is free from the bottle, and can be readily removed therefrom. The application of a relatively small twist-off force to the relatively large-diameter grasping section  12  is magnified to the lesser-diameter socket sections  32 , 34  one of which is at that time frictionally engaging the outer periphery of the bottle cap. 
   It will be appreciated from the foregoing description of a presently preferred embodiment thereof that the present invention, as described hereinabove, provides a bottle cap remover that can be used to remove a bottle cap with a reduced manual twist-off or torsional force, and is thus well suited for use by those having impaired manual strength. It will also be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that modifications may be made to the embodiment specifically described above without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.