metal box opener for pastries

Abstract

This utility model discloses a metal packaging box opener for pastries. A lever arm is hinged to a base, with its front end near the hinge and its rear end away. The front end of the lever arm has two pry claws (left and right), with a space between them. The portion of the pry claws near the space is thinner than the portion away. The worker grasps the front of the packaging box and inserts the rear of the box into the space of the opener, allowing the pry claws near the space to insert into the gap between the box body and the lid. Then, pressing down on the rear end of the lever arm raises the front end, causing the pry claws to pry open the lid. The entire opening process does not require inserting fingernails into the gap between the box and the lid, preventing damage to the nails and avoiding the possibility of nails flipping over or falling off, which could lead to foreign objects entering the box. The lever arm's front end near the hinge and rear end away creates a force-saving lever structure, making operation easy and effortless.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of lid opener technology, specifically to a lid opener for metal packaging boxes used for pastries. Background Technology

[0002] Pastry manufacturers typically don't produce their own metal packaging boxes; instead, they source them externally. Take mooncakes as an example. A set of mooncake packaging boxes includes the box body, lid, and internal padding and other accessories, usually provided by different suppliers: the lid supplier provides the box body and lid; the accessory supplier provides the accessories. To facilitate production and transportation management, mooncake manufacturers usually require the accessory supplier to deliver the accessories to the lid supplier. The lid supplier is responsible for neatly assembling these accessories into the box body, then closing the lid to complete the assembly of the entire packaging box, and finally transporting the assembled box to the mooncake manufacturer. The advantages of this approach are: during transportation, the lid effectively prevents the loss of internal accessories and, together with the box body, forms a closed box structure, increasing overall strength and reducing the risk of deformation during transportation; the complete set delivery method facilitates inventory and acceptance by the manufacturer. The mooncake manufacturer's workers only need to open the lid and put in the mooncakes; no further assembly is required.

[0003] Currently, opening the lid is mainly done manually. Workers usually insert their fingernails into the gap between the box and the lid and forcefully pry the lid open. This can easily damage the fingernails, and over time, the fingernails may even flip over or fall off and into the box. Utility Model Content

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a lid opener for metal packaging boxes of pastries, which will not damage the nails of workers when they use the lid opener to perform the operation.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a metal packaging box opener for pastries, comprising a base, on which a lever arm is hinged. The front end of the lever arm is close to the hinge and the rear end is away from the hinge. The front end of the lever arm is provided with two pry claws, left and right, with a space between the two pry claws for inserting the rear of the metal packaging box from front to back. The part of the pry claws close to the space is thinner than the part away from the space, allowing it to be inserted into the gap between the box lid and the box body. The rear end of the lever arm is the operating end, which is operated by a person to press down and drive the upper end of the lever arm to rise, thereby causing the pry claws to pry open the box lid.

[0006] Furthermore, the two pry bars can move away from or closer to each other, thereby changing the width of the placement space.

[0007] Furthermore, a spring is provided, with two pry bars connected to each end of the spring. The two pry bars are kept close to each other to leave a narrow placement space. When the rear of the wide packaging box is placed into the narrow placement space, the two pry bars are pushed by the wide packaging box to overcome the spring force and move away from each other, thereby widening the narrow placement space to fit the wide packaging box. When the rear of the wide packaging box is removed from the widened placement space and no longer pushes the two pry bars, the spring drives the two pry bars to return to their original position.

[0008] Furthermore, the two pry bars are specifically hinged to the front end of the lever arm, extending to the left front side and the right front side respectively, thus leaving a placement space that is wider at the front and narrower at the back between them. The two pry bars can rotate in the direction away from the placement space to move away from each other or rotate in the direction closer to the placement space to move closer to each other.

[0009] Furthermore, the lever arm has an arc-shaped positioning hole at its front end, and the pry claw has a threaded hole aligned with the arc-shaped positioning hole. This cover opener is equipped with a positioning bolt. After the positioning bolt passes through the arc-shaped positioning hole, it is screwed into the threaded hole. When the positioning bolt is tightened, it locks the pry claw. When the positioning bolt is loosened, it releases the lock on the pry claw, allowing the pry claw to rotate in the direction away from / near the placement space, thus moving the positioning bolt along the arc-shaped positioning hole.

[0010] Furthermore, the lever arm has two guide grooves in the left and right directions at its front end. The rear parts of the two pry bars are inserted into the two guide grooves respectively, while the front parts extend forward respectively. The placement space is set between the front parts of the left and right pry bars. The two pry bars can slide left and right along the two guide grooves respectively to move away from or towards each other.

[0011] Furthermore, the lever arm is equipped with a gear and rack transmission mechanism at its front end. The two pry bars are connected together through this gear and rack transmission mechanism and move synchronously in opposite directions to move away from or towards each other.

[0012] Furthermore, the base is a lifting base, which can be raised or lowered to change the height of the lever arm and pry bar.

[0013] Furthermore, the base is rotatably mounted with multiple circumferentially parallel support legs.

[0014] Furthermore, a circular support plate is provided at the bottom of the base.

[0015] Workers use this lid opener to open boxes. They simply grasp the front of the box and place the rear of the box into the opening slot of the opener. The pry bar, with its prongs near the slot, inserts into the gap between the box and the lid. Then, pressing down on the rear of the lever arm rotates the entire lever arm around the hinge, causing the front of the lever arm to rise and pry open the lid. The entire opening process does not require inserting fingernails into the gap between the box and the lid, preventing damage to the nails and avoiding the possibility of nails flipping off and falling into the box. The lever arm's front end is close to the hinge, and its rear end is away from the hinge, creating a force-saving lever structure that makes operation easy and effortless. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the lid opener of the first embodiment.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the base and lever arm of the lid opener in the first embodiment.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the lid opener of the first embodiment opening a narrow packaging box.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the narrow packaging box after opening. The rear section of the lever arm is not fully shown in the diagram, and two support pads are indicated by dashed lines.

[0020] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of the lever arm, left and right pry bars, and positioning bolts of the first embodiment.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the lid opener of the first embodiment opening a wide packaging box.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the lid opener of the first embodiment opening a tall packaging box.

[0023] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the lid opener according to the second embodiment.

[0024] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the left pry claw of the lid opener in the third embodiment.

[0025] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the lid opener in the fourth embodiment.

[0026] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the lid opener in the fourth embodiment.

[0027] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the lid opener in the fifth embodiment.

[0028] Figure 13 This is an exploded view of the lid opener of the fifth embodiment.

[0029] Figure 14 yes Figure 13 A magnified view of a portion of the image, showing a larger area. Figure 13 Part A. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0031] First embodiment:

[0032] See mooncake metal packaging box opener. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The system includes a base 1, with a circular support plate 11 at the bottom and a hinge frame 12 at the top. A lever arm 2 is hinged to the hinge frame 12, with the front end 21 of the lever arm 2 close to the hinge point 120 and the rear end 22 away from the hinge point 120. Two pry bars 31 and 32 are hinged to the front end 21 of the lever arm 2, extending to the left front and right front respectively, with a narrower space 33 between them. The right edge 311 of the left pry bar 31 is thinner than its left edge 312, and the left edge 321 of the right pry bar 32 is thinner than its right edge 322. The thickness of the right edge 311 of the left pry bar 31 and the left edge 321 of the right pry bar 32 are both 0.3–0.7 mm, preferably 0.5 mm (other embodiments may use other values). The hinge frame 12 has two support pads 121 and 122, one in front and one in back. The front support pad 121 is located below the front section 23 of the lever arm 2, and the rear support pad 122 is located below the rear section 24 of the lever arm 2. The lever arm 2 is made entirely of hollow 304 stainless steel tubing. The pry bars 31 and 32 are made of solid 304 stainless steel and also serve as counterweights, making the weight of the front end 21 of the lever arm 2 greater than that of the rear end 22. In its natural state, the lever arm 2 rests against the front support pad 121 under the influence of gravity. In this state, the lever arm 2 and the left and right pry bars 31 and 32 remain horizontally positioned. The rear end 22 of the lever arm 2 is the operating end.

[0033] See Figure 3Workers use a lid opener to open the metal mooncake packaging box 9. They simply grasp the front 911 of the box body 91 and insert the rear 94 of the box 9 into the opening space 33 of the lid opener. During this process, since the pry claws 31 and 32 are already horizontally positioned, the height of the right edge 311 of the left pry claw 31 corresponds to the gap 93 between the box body 91 and the lid 92, and the height of the left edge 321 of the right pry claw 32 also corresponds to this gap 93. The worker controls the box 9 to move backward, allowing the right edge 311 of the left pry claw 31 and the left edge 321 of the right pry claw 32 to insert into the gap 93 between the box body 91 and the lid 92. During this process, there is no need to manually adjust the height of the pry claws 31 and 32 by supporting the lever arm 2, making the operation convenient. See [link / description]. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The worker presses down on the rear end 22 of lever arm 2, driving the entire lever arm 2 to rotate around the hinge 120. This causes the front end 21 of lever arm 2 to rise, thereby causing the left and right pry claws 31 and 32 to pry open the lid 92 of the packaging box 9, completing the opening operation. The entire opening process does not require inserting fingernails into the gap 93 between the box 91 and the lid 92, preventing damage to the fingernails. The front end 21 of lever arm 2 is close to the hinge 120, while the rear end 22 is away from the hinge 120, forming a force-saving lever structure, making operation easy and effortless. When the rear end 22 of lever arm 2 is pressed down, lever arm 2 rotates backward, with its rear section 24 resting against the rear support pad 122. The rear support pad 122 limits the rotation of lever arm 2, preventing accidental injury due to excessive rotation. See... Figure 2 In this embodiment, the distance L1 between the rear support pad 122 and the hinge 120 is 3 to 5 cm, and the distance L2 between the rear support pad 122 and the rear section 24 of the lever arm 2 in the horizontal position is 0.3 to 1 cm. Other embodiments can be modified to other values.

[0034] See Figure 1 and Figure 5 The lever arm 2 has two arc-shaped positioning holes 211 and 212 at its front end 21, and the left and right pry claws 31 and 32 have two first threaded holes 313 and 323, respectively, which are aligned with the arc-shaped positioning holes 211 and 212. This cover opener has left and right positioning bolts 25 and 26, which pass through the arc-shaped positioning holes 211 and 212 and are screwed into the first threaded holes 313 and 323, respectively. Under normal conditions, the worker tightens the left and right positioning bolts 25 and 26 to lock the left and right pry claws 31 and 32, respectively.

[0035] See Figure 1 and Figure 3Initially, the distance between the two pry bars 31 and 32 is relatively close, and the placement space 33 is relatively narrow, suitable for narrow packaging boxes 901. When the packaging box 9 is wider, the worker can move the two pry bars 31 and 32 further apart to widen the placement space 33 to accommodate wider packaging boxes 902. The specific operation is as follows:

[0036] See Figure 5 and Figure 6 Loosen the left and right positioning bolts 25 and 26 respectively to release the lock on the left and right pry claws 31 and 32. Then, rotate the left and right pry claws 31 and 32 to the left and right respectively to move them apart and widen the placement space 33. During this process, the left and right pry claws 31 and 32 drive the left and right positioning bolts 25 and 26 to move along the left and right arc-shaped positioning holes 211 and 212 respectively. When the placement space 33 has been widened to fit the wide packaging box 902, tighten the left and right positioning bolts 25 and 26 to lock the left and right pry claws 31 and 32 again.

[0037] See Figure 6 After the worker completes the operation of widening the placement space 33, the lid opener can be used to open the wide packaging box 902. After completing the opening operation of the wide packaging box 902, see... Figure 1 and Figure 3 If it is still necessary to open the narrow packaging box 901, the worker can bring the two pry claws 31 and 32 closer together to narrow the placement space 33 to fit the narrow packaging box 901. The method of narrowing the placement space 33 is similar to that of widening the placement space 33, and will not be described in detail.

[0038] See Figure 2 and Figure 7 The base 1 is a lifting base, including a sleeve 13 and a lifting rod 14 installed inside the sleeve 13. A circular support plate 11 is located at the bottom of the sleeve 13, and a lever frame 12 is located at the top of the lifting rod 14. A second threaded hole 131 is opened on the wall of the sleeve 13. The base 1 includes a locking bolt 15, which is screwed into the second threaded hole 131 to press against the lifting rod 14 and lock it. When the packaging box 9 to be opened is high, the worker loosens the locking bolt 15 and then manually lifts the lifting rod 14 to drive the lever arm 2 and the left and right pry claws 31 and 32 (see...). Figure 3 ) rise until the right edge 311 of the left pry bar 31 and the left edge 321 of the right pry bar 32 (see Figure 3 It can correspond to the gap 93 between the box body 91 and the lid 92 of the packaging box. The worker tightens the locking bolt 15 to fix the lifting rod 14, and then the lid can be opened.

[0039] This embodiment is a mooncake metal packaging box opener, used to open the lid of a mooncake metal packaging box. Other embodiments can be modified to open the lids of other pastry metal packaging boxes, such as biscuit metal packaging boxes.

[0040] Second embodiment:

[0041] The second embodiment is largely the same as the first embodiment, except that:

[0042] See Figure 1 In the first embodiment, the base 1 has a circular support plate 11 at the bottom of its sleeve 13. (See...) Figure 8 In the second embodiment, three circumferentially arranged support legs 16 are rotatably mounted on the bottom of the sleeve 13 of the base 1. The three support legs 16 can rotate around the central axis of the sleeve 13 of the base 1. When there are local protrusions in the site, the worker can rotate the support legs 16 to change the position of the support legs 16, so that the support legs 16 can avoid the protruding area and support the flat area. Each support leg 16 has a locking bolt 17 threadedly connected to the rotating part 161 (only two locking bolts 17 are shown in the figure due to the perspective). When the locking bolts 17 are tightened, they press against the bottom of the sleeve 13 of the base 1 to lock the support leg 16. When they are loosened, the locking of the support leg 16 is released.

[0043] Third embodiment:

[0044] The third embodiment is largely the same as the first embodiment, except that:

[0045] See Figure 9 In the third embodiment, the left pry bar 31 includes a pry bar body 315, and a pry plate 316 is detachably mounted on the pry bar body 315 by means of bolts. The right end 3161 of the pry plate 316 serves as the right edge 311 of the left pry bar 31. See [reference needed] Figure 3 Insert 93 into the gap between the box body 91 and the lid 92 of the packaging box 9 to pry open the lid 92. When the right end of the pry bar 316 becomes deformed due to long-term use, the worker can remove the old pry bar 316 and replace it with a new one for continued use. The right pry claw 32 and the left pry claw 31 are symmetrical in structure and will not be described in detail.

[0046] Fourth embodiment:

[0047] The fourth embodiment is largely the same as the first embodiment, except that:

[0048] See Figure 5 In the fourth embodiment, the arc-shaped positioning holes 211 and 212 at the front end 21 of the lever arm 2, the first threaded holes 313 and 314 on the pry claws 31 and 32, and the positioning bolts 25 and 26 are removed. Instead, a spring 27 is provided, and mounting rods 317 and 327 extend downward from the left and right pry claws 31 and 32. See Figure 10 The left and right ends of the spring 27 are respectively mounted on the left and right mounting rods 317 and 327, thereby connecting the left and right pry claws 31 and 32 respectively. Normally, the spring 27 is slightly stretched by the two mounting rods 317 and 327, applying elastic force to the two pry claws 31 and 32 to keep them close to each other, thus leaving a narrow placement space 33 between the two pry claws 31 and 32, which is suitable for narrow packaging boxes 901.

[0049] See Figure 11 When the wide packaging box 902 needs to be opened, the worker does not need to adjust the positions of the two pry claws 31 and 32. They simply push the rear 94 of the wide packaging box 902 from front to back into the narrow placement space 33. During this process, the right edge 311 of the left pry claw 31 and the left edge 321 of the right pry claw 32 both enter the gap 93 between the box body 91 and the lid 92 of the wide packaging box 902. The left and right pry claws 31 and 32 are pushed by the rear wall of this gap 93, overcoming the spring force of the spring 27 and rotating to the left and right respectively, thus moving away from each other and automatically widening the narrow placement space 33 to fit the wide packaging box 902. After the worker places the rear 94 of the wide packaging box 902 into the placement space 33, they can press down the rear end 22 of the lever arm 2 to open the lid. The entire process requires no manual adjustment of the pry claws 31 and 32, achieving rapid adaptation to packaging boxes 9 of different widths, suitable for scenarios where different specifications of packaging boxes 9 are frequently changed. After the worker completes the opening operation of the wide packaging box 902, the rear part 94 of the wide packaging box 902 is pushed out from back to front to the outside of the expanded placement space 33. Then the wide packaging box 902 will no longer push the two pry claws 31 and 32, and the two pry claws 31 and 32 will automatically rotate and reset under the action of the spring 27.

[0050] Fifth embodiment:

[0051] The fifth embodiment is largely the same as the first embodiment, except that:

[0052] See Figure 12 In the fifth embodiment, the front end 21 of the lever arm 2 has two guide grooves 213 and 214 in the left and right directions, respectively. The rear part 329 of the right pry bar 32 inserts to the left into the upper guide groove 213, and the rear part 319 of the left pry bar 31 inserts to the right into the lower guide groove 214. The front parts 318 and 328 of the left and right pry bars 31 and 32 extend forward respectively, and the placement space 33 is located between the front parts 318 and 328 of the left and right pry bars 31 and 32. The front end 21 of the lever arm 2 is provided with a gear and rack transmission mechanism 28, through which the two pry bars 31 and 32 are connected together. See Figure 13 and Figure 14The rack and pinion transmission mechanism 28 is existing technology, including a first rack 281, a first transmission gear 282, a second transmission gear 283, a third transmission gear 284, and a second rack 285. Specifically: the first rack 281 is mounted on the rear part 329 of the right pry bar 32; the first transmission gear 282 is rotatably mounted on the front end 21 of the lever arm 2, meshing with the first rack 281; the second transmission gear 283 is located to the left rear of the first transmission gear 282, meshing with the first transmission gear 282 but not with the first rack 281; the second transmission gear 283 and the third transmission gear 284 are rotatably mounted on the front end 21 of the lever arm 2 via the same rotating shaft 286, i.e., the second transmission gear 283 and the third transmission gear 284 rotate coaxially, and the third transmission gear 284 meshes with the second rack 285, which is located on the rear part 319 of the left pry bar 31. (See also...) Figure 5 The fifth embodiment eliminates the arc-shaped positioning holes 211 and 212 at the front end 21 of the lever arm 2 and the first threaded holes 313 and 314 on the pry claws 31 and 32, see [link to embodiment]. Figure 12 and Figure 13 Instead, a third threaded hole 218 is opened at the front end 21 of the lever arm 2, leading to the upper guide groove 213. A positioning bolt 25 is retained, which is screwed into the third threaded hole 218 to press down the rear part 329 of the right pry bar 32, thus locking the right pry bar 32. Since the left and right pry bars 31 and 32 are connected together via a gear and rack transmission mechanism 28, when the right pry bar 32 is locked, the left pry bar 31 is also locked. When the worker needs to move the left and right pry bars 31 and 32 away from each other, he loosens the positioning bolt 25 to release the lock on the right pry bar 32, and then lets the rear part 329 of the right pry bar 32 slide to the right along the upper guide groove 213. During this process, the right pry bar 31 drives the rear part 319 of the left pry bar 31 to slide to the left along the lower guide groove 214 via the gear and rack transmission mechanism 28. The two pry bars 31 and 32 move synchronously in opposite directions, thus moving away from each other. Similarly, when the worker slides the right pry bar 32 to the right along the upper guide groove 223, the right pry bar 32 will drive the left pry bar 31 to slide to the left along the lower guide groove 214. The two pry bars 31 and 32 move in opposite directions in sync, thus bringing them closer to each other.

[0053] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the scope of patent protection. Any non-substantial changes or substitutions made by those skilled in the art based on the present invention will still fall within the scope of patent protection.

Claims

1. A lid opener for metal packaging boxes of pastries, characterized in that: Includes a base, on which a lever arm is hinged. The front end of the lever arm is close to the hinge, while the rear end is away from the hinge. The front end of the lever arm has two pry claws, one on the left and one on the right. There is a space between the two pry claws for inserting the rear of a pastry-type metal packaging box from front to back. The part of the pry claw closer to the placement space is thinner than the part farther away from the placement space, so it can be inserted into the gap between the packaging box lid and the box body. The rear end of the lever arm is the operating end, which is operated by a person to press down and drive the upper end of the lever arm to rise, thereby driving the pry claws to pry open the packaging box lid.

2. The lid opener according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two pry bars can move away from or towards each other to change the width of the placement space.

3. The lid opener according to claim 2, characterized in that: A spring is provided, with two pry bars connected to each end of the spring. The two pry bars are kept close to each other to leave a narrow placement space. When the back of the wide packaging box is placed into the narrow placement space, the two pry bars are pushed by the wide packaging box to overcome the spring force and move away from each other, thereby widening the narrow placement space to fit the wide packaging box. When the back of the wide packaging box is removed from the widened placement space and no longer pushes the two pry bars, the spring drives the two pry bars to return to their original position.

4. The lid opener according to claim 2, characterized in that: The two pry bars are hinged to the front end of the lever arm and extend to the left front and right front respectively, leaving a placement space that is wider at the front and narrower at the back. The two pry bars can be rotated in a direction away from the placement space to move away from each other or rotated in a direction closer to the placement space to move closer to each other.

5. The lid opener according to claim 4, characterized in that: The lever arm has an arc-shaped positioning hole at its front end, and the pry claw has a threaded hole that aligns with the arc-shaped positioning hole. This cover opener is equipped with a positioning bolt. After the positioning bolt passes through the arc-shaped positioning hole, it is screwed into the threaded hole. When the positioning bolt is tightened, it locks the pry claw. When the positioning bolt is loosened, it releases the lock on the pry claw, allowing the pry claw to rotate in the direction away from / near the placement space, thus moving the positioning bolt along the arc-shaped positioning hole.

6. The lid opener according to claim 2, characterized in that: The lever arm has two guide slots at the front end in the left and right directions. The rear parts of the two pry bars are inserted into the two guide slots respectively, while the front parts extend forward respectively. The placement space is set between the front parts of the left and right pry bars. The two pry bars can slide left and right along the two guide slots respectively to move away from or towards each other.

7. The lid opener according to claim 6, characterized in that: The lever arm has a gear and rack transmission mechanism at its front end. The two pry bars are connected together through this gear and rack transmission mechanism and move synchronously in opposite directions to move away from or towards each other.

8. The lid opener according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base is a lifting base, which can be raised or lowered to change the height of the lever arm and pry bar.

9. The lid opener according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base is rotatably mounted with multiple circumferentially parallel support legs.

10. The lid opener according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base has a circular support plate at its bottom.

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