Can Opener Automatic Lid Separation Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional can openers require significant user effort to rotate and often necessitate holding both the can and the opener, leading to energy wastage and user inconvenience, while also potentially causing safety hazards due to sharp edges.
Innovation Solution
A can opener with a reduction transmission device, cutting wheel, and torsion spring mechanism that automatically separates the lid from the can without user force, featuring a cutting wheel that smooths the rim without creating sharp burs, allowing for hands-free operation and enhanced safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the user manually rotates the handle of the can opener to open the can, then the blade can cut the lid, but the user has to apply larger force and waste energy
Solution Approach 1:
The can opener is designed to open itself without requiring manual rotation. The cutting wheel is rotated automatically by the reduction transmission device, which is driven by a cam mechanism actuated by the third driven gear. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for the user to apply force to rotate the handle, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and energy expenditure.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical rotation system is replaced with an automated mechanical system. Instead of the user manually rotating the handle, the patent employs a reduction transmission device with gears (first driven gear, second driven gear, third driven gear) and a cam mechanism that automatically rotates the cutting wheel. This substitution eliminates the need for user effort while maintaining the cutting function.
2Ease of operation
If the user holds both the can and the can opener to open it, then the can can be opened, but the user experiences inconvenience
Solution Approach 1:
The can opener performs all necessary operations automatically without requiring the user to hold or manipulate it. The self-service mechanism includes automatic rotation of the cutting wheel by the reduction transmission device and automatic separation of the lid from the can by the cam and slide mechanism. This eliminates the need for the user to hold both the can and opener, significantly improving operational convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the manual operation requirement from the system by implementing automated mechanisms. The reduction transmission device and cam mechanism are designed to perform the opening operation autonomously, separating the can opening function from user manual intervention. This extraction allows the device to operate independently without requiring the user to hold or manipulate it during the opening process.
3Productivity
If the blade of the cutter penetrates the lid to form a hole and then moves along the inner rim to form a groove, then the lid can be separated from the can, but the process requires continuous manual rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous manual rotation requirement is replaced with an automated mechanical rotation system. The reduction transmission device with multiple gears (first driven gear meshing with the driving gear, second driven gear meshing with the first, and third driven gear meshing with the second) automatically rotates the cutting wheel through the entire cutting path. This mechanical substitution eliminates the need for continuous manual rotation while maintaining the complete cutting and separation function, thereby improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated reduction transmission device ensures continuous useful action without interruption. Once the cam mechanism is actuated, the sequence of gear rotations (first driven gear → second driven gear → third driven gear → cutting wheel) continues automatically through the entire cutting path, providing uninterrupted cutting action. This continuity eliminates the need for manual intervention during the cutting process, improving both productivity and ease of operation.
4Productivity
If the cutting wheel cuts the rim of the lid, then the lid can be separated, but sharp burs may be produced that can cut the user
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the cutting parameters by using a cutting wheel with specific geometric characteristics (multiple cutting edges arranged in a circle) that produce smoother cuts. The cutting wheel is rotated by the reduction transmission device to control the cutting speed and pressure, optimizing the cutting parameters to minimize burr formation. This parameter optimization maintains high opening efficiency while reducing harmful sharp edges.
Solution Approach 2:
The potential harm of sharp cutting edges is converted into a benefit by designing the cutting wheel to produce smooth, burr-free cuts. The multiple cutting edges arranged in a circle on the cutting wheel work together to create a clean cut that seals properly, transforming what could be a safety hazard into a safety feature. The automated control of the cutting wheel rotation ensures consistent, safe cutting results.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The can opener automatically opens cans with reduced user effort, ensuring energy savings and safety by eliminating the need for manual rotation and preventing sharp edges, facilitating easy and quick opening while ensuring user safety.
Implementation Method 1
a torsion spring biased between the first driven gear and the second driven gear to connect the first driven gear and the second driven gear
Implementation Method 2
a cam mounted on and rotated by the third driven gear and received in the aperture of the slide to move the slide relative to the cutting wheel
Data Source
AI summary
A can opener includes a housing, a driving gear, a reduction transmission device, a cutting wheel, a slide, an idling wheel, a first driven gear, a second driven gear, a torsion spring, a third driven gear, and a cam. The driving gear rotates the cutting wheel and the first driven gear. The first driven gear drives the second driven gear which rotates the third driven gear which rotates the cam which moves the slide which moves the idling wheel, so that the idling wheel is moved toward the cutting wheel to clamp the rim of the lid between the idling wheel and the cutting wheel. The idling wheel and the cutting wheel are moved along the rim of the lid to cut the rim of the lid and to separate the lid from the can to open the can automatically.