Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates to a container opener having a plurality of elements for opening various types of containers. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    There are a variety of conventional container openers designed to assist users in removing lids from a container by pulling or prying the lid off the container. Generally, individual openers are required for opening specific containers, for example, glass jars, bottles, canned food items, paint cans, plastic buckets or containers, etc. However, conventional openers do not provide convenient assistance to an individual who is performing similar tasks, such as opening cans of paint and plastic buckets as required by construction personnel, e.g., painters, plasterers, and wallboard hangers. Individual conventional openers do not provide a plurality of elements for opening more than one type of container. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a container opener configured for providing a plurality of elements for opening lids of various types of containers using one handheld device. The container opener provides elements for opening cans of paint, cylindrical containers, particularly large plastic containers that may hold joint compound, and an element for removing caps from bottles that contain beverages. The one-piece assembly includes a handle portion for gripping the opening, a midportion on the assembly having a first element with two opposed edges for opening a first container on one sidewall of the assembly, and a distal portion including a top having an opening with a second element including a plurality of edges for opening a second container. Another sidewall of the assembly contains an element for removing bottle caps from bottles. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    An embodiment of the present invention is described by way of example only with reference to the following drawings, in which 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a container opener illustrating a plurality of elements provided by the present invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a side view from the second sidewall of an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a side view from the fourth sidewall of an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the first sidewall of an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the third sidewall of an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a top view of an embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a bottom view of an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a tool configured to be a container opener for providing multiple elements for opening various containers. The container opener, generally designated as  10  as illustrated in  FIGS. 1-6 , is preferably used by a worker for opening a plurality of containers of materials required to perform activities on a construction site. An example of a material container, offered by way of example only, is a container holding paint for application to walls and ceilings of newly constructed sheetrock or wallboard. The opener with its plurality of opening elements may also be utilized to open others types of containers, such as five-gallon plastic containers having a cylindrical shape that hold joint compound. The joint compound is applied to sheetrock or wallboard and joint tape by a wallboard hanger. Once the wallboard or sheetrock is installed to form walls and ceilings, the wallboard or sheetrock is typically covered with a layer of paint obtained from a container that can also be opened by an opening element of container opener  10 . 
         [0015]    One embodiment of the container opener  10  includes an assembly having a handle  12  for gripping by the user. The elongated container opener  10  includes a distal end  14  and a midportion  16 , both of which are longitudinally displaced in the same plane as handle  12 . The assembly including handle  12 , distal end  14 , and midportion  16  is preferably generally rectangular in shape and sized to fit the hand of a user. 
         [0016]    Container opener  10  is typically made from one of the following lightweight materials, with no intention of being limitative: steel, stainless steel, aluminum, or rigid plastic, polypropylene, such as a thermoplastic polymer, polypropylene, and engineering plastics. It may be produced with a hollow or solid core. 
         [0017]    With reference to  FIGS. 1-6 , container opener  10  has first  18 , second  20 , third  22 , and fourth  24  sidewalls positioned in a generally elongated rectangular configuration. The container opener  10  also includes top  26  at distal end  14 , and bottom  28  adjacent handle  12 . 
         [0018]    A first opening element  30  is shown in  FIGS. 1-3  and  5 . Opening element  30  comprises a curvilinear configuration  32  in the first  18 , second  20 , and third  22  sidewalls. The opening element  30  is formed or sectioned from the aforementioned sidewalls at midportion  16  and includes a first edge  34  placed near the handle  12  at the proximal end  15  of the opener. Opposed to first edge  34  is second edge  36  positioned near the top  26  at distal end  14 . Shoulder  38  is placed between the opposed edges  34  and  36  and may serve as a fulcrum for removing lids from containers. Pockets  34   a  and  36   a  extend upwardly and in an inverted “C” shape and meet at shoulder  38 . The open spaces  34   b  and  36   b  allow for the top edge of a lid to fit therein, so the bottom edge of the lid may be engaged by either first  34  or second  36  edge. Once engagement of one of the edges, for example edge  34 , is made with the lower edge of the container, handle  12  is lifted upwardly with the shoulder  38  contacting the top of the lid acting as a fulcrum or pivot to aid in the removal of the lid. The first container is typically a large plastic cylindrically-shaped container for holding various materials to be used at a construction worksite, for example, paint, joint compound, etc. The container may also be of the type for storing food items, metal articles, etc. 
         [0019]    The operation can also be utilized when second edge  36  is placed on the lower edge or flange of a container lid so that shoulder  38  and handle  12  are positioned over the lid. The handle  12  is lifted upwardly or pushed downwardly so that edge  36  lifts the flange or lower edge of the lid away from and off the container. 
         [0020]    Top  26  of container opener  10  includes container a second element  40  for opening a second container, for example, a paint can. Second element  40  includes a can opener  42  for opening paint cans and the like, which have lids that do not have flanges substantially overhanging the container edge. Conventionally, a tool must be fitted between the flange and raised outside ridge on the container to open the lid. In this regard, opener  42  has a general base  44  connected to each sidewall or integrally formed into the sidewall. Bases  46  and  48  are opposed to each other. Bases  50  and  52  are likewise opposed. Each base has a neck portion  54  leading to an operating edge  56 , which has a straight edge  58  in order to engage the lid of a container. The edge  56  may also be curved or have a concave shape  58  can easily fit within the area between the lid and the container. Once fitted, handle  12  is pressed downwardly so that edge  56  lifts the lid from the container. 
         [0021]    Fourth sidewall  24 , generally at midportion  16  includes a third opening element  58 , an elongated aperture  60  that is generally shaped as an opener  62 . The opener  62  on one side has a curved bottom edge  64  for engaging the underside of a cap on a bottle and an opposed elongated top edge  65 . Edge  64  may also be straight. One side of the cap fits within the aperture  60  so the lower edge of the cap engages curved edge  64 . Once engaged onto the lower edge of a cap, the handle  12  is lifted to pry the cap from the bottle. 
         [0022]    After a lid is removed from a container, the container can be resealed by aligning and fitting the lid on the container and striking the lid with bottom  28  of opener  10 . Tap  66  is solidly constructed for applying pressure to a lid for closing the container. 
         [0023]    The container opener  10  of the present invention provides a plurality of openers or elements for opening containers for facile use by an individual working with materials that are commonly used together at a construction site. Of course, other materials can be stored in containers which lids can be removed by the container opener, for example, food, metal articles, nails, screws, etc. 
         [0024]    From the foregoing description, additional advantages over the prior devices are recognized by those skilled in the art for the container opener of the present invention. While a preferred embodiment is shown and described, it is understood that it is not intended to limit the disclosure of the invention, but rather, it is intended to cover all modifications and alternate devices and methods of operation falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Technology Category: 7