Patent Publication Number: US-5253552-A

Title: Tong-like device for opening screw-on lids

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to tong-like devices for opening screw-on caps and screw-on lids of containers and bottles and more particularly screw-on lids and caps for jars. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Devices of this kind, including devices known as jar lid openers, are used in virtually every household. One very well-known device of this type which has two handles is described in German Utility Model 76 14 833 wherein the two handles are ergonomically close enough together only when the device is used to open a small bottle cap. The situation is drastically worse for large screw-on lids, as on jam jars. A user with small hands is virtually incapable of opening a jar with the device disclosed in German Utility Model 76 14 833 without assistance by another person. 
     This deficiency has been eliminated by a jar lid opener of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,614. This U.S. patent discloses that a longitudinally displaceable rack with a clamping bracket is first adjusted generally to fit the size of the jar lid and is then tightened by actuation of the actuating handle to more closely fit the lid. However, the use of a rack necessitates relatively long travel on the part of the actuating handle, because of the spacing of the teeth which is a significant inconvenience to the user. Moreover, the idle play of the handle that occurs at the beginning of the motion is long, even when the toothing is fine. Moreover, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,614, the toothing is expensive to make. Additionally, if the teeth are very fine, it is difficult to transmit the major forces that arise by the effort of the user. Overall, for a simple household device, the mechanics of U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,614 are very complicated. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of this invention is to provide a container opener, particularly a bottle and jar lid opener which can be used for both large and small screwed-on lids with the same handle position and the same expenditure of force. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a container opener which can be used for both large and small screwed-on lids with the same handle position and the same expenditure of force which is embodied in a ergonomically efficient device which can be used by both left-handed users and right-handed users. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a container opener which is simple to use and provides a strong clamping force on the container lid which prevents slippage and thereby facilitates opening of the jar lid. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device which can unscrew lids by simply squeezing two handles of the device toward each other. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention discloses a tong-like container lid opener having a flat drawbar which enables infinitely fine adjustment to any size of jar lid, and thus provides a short adjustment path for the actuating handle. This arrangement in turn insures that an ergonomically optimal hand position can always be employed. Because of the short adjustment path, it also does not matter when using the container lid opener of the present invention whether the device is used with the left or the right hand. 
     Moreover, the invention guides a slide handle in a guide slit of a retaining handle to enable particularly simple adjustment of the drawbar and clamping bracket. A spacer protrusion prevents bowing or destruction of parts of the tong-like lid opening device when the device is actuated with the drawbar pushed all the way in (i.e. a small lid position). 
     A U-shaped actuating handle can be used to make the tong-like lid opener particularly convenient to manipulate. 
     Furthermore, an angularly corrected position of clamping claws relative to retaining claws enables secure clamping onto both small and large screw on jar lids. A polygonal shaped drawbar can be used to resist torsional forces. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a view of the device in a neutral position in which both the retaining handle and the actuating handle are shown partially in section; 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II--II of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III--III of FIG. 2. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIG. 1, an actuating handle 1 is swivelable about a bearing 2 in the retaining handle 3. The adjustment path (shown by arrows 4) of the actuating handle 1 is limited by a stop 5 in the actuating handle 1. The actuating handle 1 has a U-shaped construction and upon adjustment of the actuating handle, fits over and engages the retaining handle 3. 
     While the actuating handle 1 comprises a one-piece shell, the retaining handle (or grip) 3 is composed of a bottom part 6 and a top part 7 as more clearly shown in FIG. 2. The bottom and top parts 6 and 7 of retaining handle 3 are locked into place via mushroom-shaped buttons 8. By means of ribs 9 shown in FIG. 3, the top and bottom parts 6 and 7 form a guide conduit 10 for a drawbar 11. FIGS. 1-3 show that a clamping bracket 13 is secured to the front end 12 of the drawbar 11 with rivets 14. The clamping bracket 13 is embodied as a unitary die-cast part. A slide handle 16 is secured to the other end 15 of the drawbar 11. The slide handle comprises a retaining pin 17 and a thumb plate 18. The retaining handle top part 7 is provided with a guide groove 19 as shown in FIG. 2 for the thumb plate 18 and a guide slit 20 for the retaining pin 17. 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 show that a guide wall 22 and an opposed wall 23 are formed onto a front region 21 of the retaining handle 3 vertically of the guide conduit 10. The guide wall 22 and the opposed wall 23 are divided, to match the division of the retaining handle 3 into the bottom part 6 and top part 7. 
     A draw plate 24, loaded by a spring 25 and pierced by the drawbar 11, rests flat on the guide wall 22. The spring 25 is supported on the opposed wall 23. The draw plate 24 is extended on one side by an impingement region 26, which rests on a pressure rib 27 of the actuating handle 1. The pressure rib 27 and the guide wall 22 are located in the same plane, in the neutral position of the container lid opener shown in FIG. 1. 
     As best shown in FIG. 1, a front region 21 of the retaining handle 3 ends in its bottom part 6 in a receiving head 28 for the retaining jaws 29. The retaining jaws 29 comprise a sheet-metal part 30, the ends 31 of which are bent inward as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     The clamping bracket 13 is provided with three approximately circularly disposed clamping jaws 32 and 33, as counterparts to the retaining jaws 29. As shown in FIG. 1 which discloses the jaw set for small screw-on lids, the corners of the retaining jaws 29 and the tip of the middle clamping jaw 33, form an approximate equilateral triangle. 
     To prevent actuation of the actuating handle 1 from causing damage to the device when the drawbar 11 is pushed all the way in (small-jar position), a spacer protrusion 34 of FIG. 2 is provided on the clamping bracket 13; in the small-jar position shown, the spacer protrusion 34 just meets the draw plate 24. If the clamping bracket 13 is now thrust farther inward, then the draw plate 24 is pressed inward against the force of the spring 25, so that upon actuation of the actuating handle 1, the pressure rib 27 moves unimpeded by drawplate 24 into an open space. 
     If the actuating handle 1 is now swiveled in the direction of arrow 35 of FIG. 1, then first, via the pressure rib 27, the impingement region 26 of the draw plate 24 is inclined slightly to counter the force of the spring 25, until the play in the bore 36 is equalized. As soon as the play is equalized, the draw plate 24 clamps to the drawbar 11 and displaces drawbar 11 in the direction shown by arrow 37. A lid located between the clamping claws 32, 33 and the retaining claws 29 is then clamped onto firmly. 
     When used with larger screw-on jar lids, the slide handle 16 is displaced in the direction shown by arrow 38 until the lid can be placed easily between the clamping jaws 32, 33 and the retaining jaws 29. The process described above is then repeated. The location of the actuating handle 1 makes for logical easy operation and even a small force applied to the actuating handle 1 in the direction of arrow 35 is sufficient to swivel the actuating handle 1 in the direction shown by arrow 35 and thus in the clamping direction. 
     In order to hang up the tong-like device when not in use, the retaining handle 3 is provided with a suspension eyelet 39. 
     To prevent the drawbar from sliding out of the small-jar position by itself when the device is hung up, a retaining button 40 (in FIG. 2) is provided on the clamping bracket 13 which locks into place behind a sheathing region 41 of the actuating handle 1. 
     FIG. 1, in dot-dash lines, also shows a further position of the clamping bracket 13 for a larger screw-on jar lid. 
     While the invention has been described with reference to the drawings and structures disclosed herein, it is not confined to the details set forth, and is intended to cover modifications or changes as may come within the scope of the following claims.