Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/071,626, filed May 8, 2008. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to appliances, and particularly to a can opener, press and lid remover for opening canned food that includes a can opener, a press, a magnetic lid remover, and a spout for removing liquids. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     There are solid food products, such as meats, tuna, salmon and the like, that are canned with a high content of liquid, such as water or oil and the like. This liquid is at times smelly and not desirable to remain in the food product so it is necessary to remove the liquid from the solid food during food preparation. Usually, this involves using a can opener and cutting the lid from the can. Some then hold the cut lid against the can contents with their hands. The can is inverted to let the liquid substance drain from the can. However, it has been found that because of the sharp edges, fingers get cut. Also, this procedure is messy and ineffective, especially with the old and young, because a limited amount of force can be applied, based on the hand clamping strength. 
     Accordingly, devices have been used that, once the can lid is cut, the can is placed in a device to press out the liquid. This also has been found to be ineffective and messy, because when the liquid substance is squeezed out, it goes all over countertops, tables and other areas where such presses are used. Additionally, once the lid has been pressed into the can, it has to be removed, and the sharp edges of the lid have been found to be hazardous. 
     Thus, a can opener, press and lid remover solving the aforementioned problems is desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The can opener, press and lid remover includes a can opener, a turnkey press, a magnetic lid remover, and a spout. The can opener, press, spout and lid remover are attached to a cylindrical receptacle provided with a closable opening adapted to receive a can of food. The receptacle has an open top, a closed bottom, and a cylindrical wall between the open top and the closed bottom. 
     The can opener has a lever, a driving toothed-wheel, and a cutting disk. The opener also has a manual turning knob. The driving toothed-wheel and cutting disks extend into the open top of the receptacle, and when the lever is forced down, the cutting disk pierces the lid of the can. As the manual turning knob is turned, the driving toothed-wheel turns the cutting edge as it cuts into the lid, and thus separates the lid from the can. 
     The turnkey press includes a rotating knob and threaded rod with a press attached. The rotating knob is turned in one direction to move the threaded rod with the press downward. Once the press meets with the lid of the can, continued turning of the rotating knob presses the lid into the can. This, in turn, causes any liquid substance in the can to exit. 
     Once the liquid substance is out of the can, a spout is provided for discharging the liquid substance from the receptacle. The spout protrudes perpendicularly from the open top of the receptacle, and thus facilitates removal of the liquid substance. 
     After the liquid substance is removed, the rotating knob is rotated in the opposite direction, moving the threaded rod with the press upwardly, out of the can. A lid remover is provided with a magnet that magnetically attaches to the lid of can. After the lid is magnetically raised to a necessary level, it can be safely removed from the lid remover and discarded. 
     A set of liquid tight doors is provided for removing the can. The doors have one end attached to swing away from the closed end of the receptacle when opened. When closed, the doors form part of the wall of the receptacle. 
     These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an environmental, perspective view of a can opener, press and lid remover according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the can opener, press and lid remover of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic environmental section view taken along lines  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 , illustrating the magnetic press and lid remover in operation. 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of the can opener, press and lid remover of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  an environmental, perspective view of a can opener, press and lid remover according to the present invention, shown with the doors open. 
     
    
    
     Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the can opener, press and lid remover, generally indicated with reference number  10 , includes a cylindrical receptacle  12 . The receptacle  12  has an open top and a closed bottom  14 , as seen in  FIG. 5 . The receptacle  12  is adapted to receive a can  16  having a lid  18 . A spout  20  is mounted at the open top of the receptacle to permit the pouring of any liquid substance therefrom. A handle  22  is mounted on the receptacle  12 . A pair of doors  23 ,  24  are attached to hinges  25 , thereby allowing the doors  23 ,  24  to open and close. The doors  23 ,  24  include a waterproof seal that is made of rubber or other waterproofing material. The doors  23 ,  24  are secured in a closed position with a hook latch  26  and protruding nub  27 . The hook latch  26  is mounted on door  23  and the protruding nub  27  is mounted on the other door  24 . The hook latch  26  hooks over the protruding nub  27  to keep the doors  23 ,  24  closed when the receptacle  12  has received the can  16 . Thus, the hook latch  26  and protruding nub  27  act more or less as a safety function to hold the doors  23 ,  24  closed prior to taking any other action with the can opener, press, and lid remover  10 . 
     A can opener  30  is mounted above the hook latch  26  and adjacent the open top of receptacle  12 . The opener  30  includes a locking lever  32 , a manual turning knob  34 , and a driving toothed-wheel  36 , as well as a cutting wheel  38  that is best seen in  FIG. 2  and will be described in more detail with respect to that figure. 
     The mechanism further includes a turnkey press and lid remover, generally indicated by numeral  40 . The turnkey press  40  includes an arch  42  extending from the closed bottom and above the opened top of the receptacle  12 . The arch  42  is held to the receptacle  12  by means of the hinges  25 . In the middle of the arch  42  and situated above the opened top is a threaded bushing  44 . The threaded bushing  44  receives a threaded rod  46  therein. The threaded rod  46  has two ends. At one end, above the arch  42 , is a rotatable knob  48 . The knob  48  is for turning the threaded rod  46  for upward or downward movement. The other end of the threaded rod  46  has a pressing member and lid remover  50  thereon. 
     A top view of the can opener, press, and lid remover  10  is shown in  FIG. 2 . Looking at the can opener  30 , the cutting wheel  38  can be seen cutting into the top  18  of the can  16 , once the locking lever  32  is pushed down. This locking lever  32 , when pushed down, also securely locks the doors  23 ,  24  shut to prevent any liquid substance from leaking through the doors  23 ,  24 . At that point, the manual turning knob  34  is turned, moving the driving toothed-wheel  36 . The driving wheel  36  turns the cutting wheel that then cuts into the lid  18  of the can  16 , whereby the lid  18  is separated from the can  16 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 3 , the separated lid  18  is now used with the turnkey press  40 . The rotating knob  48  is turned to push a lid remover  50  attached to the threaded rod  46  downward onto the lid  18 . The lid remover  50  pushes down on the lid  18  and forces the lid  18  into the can  16 . This compresses the food substance  52  into the can  16 . As the food substance  52  is compressed, the liquid substance  54  is forced out of the food  52  and over the can lid  18 . The liquid substance  54  settles above the lid  18 , but still in the can  16 . The liquid substance can now be poured out by way of the spout  20 , using the handle  22  or the arch  42  to tilt the can opener, press, and lid remover  10 . 
     Looking at  FIG. 4 , the rotating knob  48  has been turned in the opposite direction to raise the pressing member and lid remover  50 . The pressing member and lid remover  50  includes a magnet  55  that attracts and holds the top  18 . The arch  42  acts as a safety feature by keeping the top  18  in its arch area until the lid  18  is removed and properly discarded. 
       FIG. 5  an environmental, perspective view of the can opener, press and lid remover  10  with the doors  23 ,  24  open. Once the doors  23 ,  24  are open, the can  16  can be either inserted or extracted. When inserted, the can  16  rests on the closed bottom  14 . When extracted, the can  16  can be used without any liquid substance  54  found in the can  16 . The can opener, press, and liquid remover  10  can then be safely washed and put away. 
     The can opener, press and lid remover  10  can be made of hard plastic or other type of suitable material, such as stainless steel, and can be of a size to accommodate conventional, standard size cans. It can be dishwasher safe, and has no parts that could injure a user. 
     Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.

Technology Category: 7