Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
S~e iEication
FINGER RING ~3OTTLE OPENER
Field of Invention
This invention relateæ to bottle openers, and parti-
cularly to a combination bottle opener and finger ring.
., .I Background of the Invention i,
There have been suggestions in the prior art that bot-
~ tle openers may be provided in the form of a finger ring which1 may be worn by a person and used while worn as a bottle cap
opener. Two such devices are shown in United States Patents
! - 1,578,627 and 2,548,517. In both such instance~ the bottle
opener has exposed cap or bottle opening portions which appear
¦ un~ightly or may even be dangerous, not only to the user, but
in the event the user should accidentally contact another por-
tion of their body or someone else. ~ecause of the generally
unsightly appearance of these prior art rings; it is not like-
ly that one wouId wear them except when used for the intended
purpose. ~ f
Summa~ the Invention
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! 20 We have conceived of a combination finger ring and bot-
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; ~ tle opener which may be worn as a deçorative ring, and which,
I when desired to be used for bottle cap opening, may be quickly
~ converted into a condition for fulfilling such purpose. The
l~ device in~cludes a finger ring portion for reception over a
human finger. On the exterior surface there is a projecting
lip for hooking beneath the edge of a bottle cap~ A fulcrum
J member is pivotally mounted on the ring for movement between
retracted func~ionally inoPerative position in which it is
symmetrically contiguous with the exterior of the ring and
~i~ 30 co~ers the projecting tip, and an extended functionally opera-
tive position in which the fulcrum member extends away from
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the ring to a position spaced from the lip for engaging the
top of a bottle cap whose edge is hooked beneath the lip. The
design is such that with the lip hooked beneath the edge of
the cap and the fulcrum member engaging the top of the cap,
the wearer can readily pry the cap from a bottle. When in-
tended simply for decorative wear, the ring may be quickly con-
verted to its decorative appearance by pivoting the fulcrum
member to its symmetrically contiguous position against the
ring body.
Brief Description of the Drawin~
Fig. l is a side elevation of my improved combination
finger ring and bottle opener in its decorative condition;
Fig. 2 is similar to Fig. l but with the fulcrum member
shifted to its functionally operative position for removing a
bottle cap;
Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on
the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and
Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing my improved finger
ring positioned in engagement with a bottle cap for the remov-
al thereof.
~- Brief Description of Preferred Embodiment
As shown in the drawings, my combination finger ring
and bottle opener comprises a finger ring or annulus lO adap-
ted to be received over a human finger. The ring includes an
inside surface 12 of generally cylindrical configuration. An
external surface 14 is concentric with the internal surface
throughout a major portion of its circumaxial extent but is
shaped at one side of the annulus to provide an increased
thickness por,tion 16 having a pair of substantially flat and
parallel surfaces 18 and 20 separated by an upstanding shoul-
, ~ der portion 22. The shoulder portion 22 is configured at one
~I end to define a projecting lip 24 which overhangs an upwardly
¦ facing surface 26 of the shoulder. The forward surface of the ;~
lip is tapered as at 28 to provide a configuration enabling
the lip to be hooked beneath the edge 30 of a bottle cap 32 as
; ~ best shown in Fig. 4. The opposite end of shoulder 22 is
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shaped to define a boss 34. Opposite sides 36 and 38 of the
boss 34 are of the same width as the remaining portion of the
shoulder 27.
Mounted on the ring, or annulus 10, or shiftable move-
ment is a fulcrum member 40. The fulcrum member is shiftable
between a retracted functionally inoperative position shown in
Figs. 1 and 3 in which it is symmetrically contiguous with the
exterior 14 of the ring, and an extended functionally opera
tive position shown in Figs. 2 and 4. For this purpose the
fulcrum member is pivotally mounted on the boss 34 by a pivot
pin 42 extending throu~h a hole in the boss and into a hole 44
in the fulcrum member. The fulcrum member is longitudinally
slotted at 46 to be received in a sli~Jht interference fit with
the boss and the shoulder 22. Opposite ends of the fulcrum
member are tapered as at 48 and 50 such that with the fulcrum
member in the inoperative or retracted position such surfaces
tend to blend in a contiguous symmetrical design with adiacent
surfaces of the ring or annulus pin. In addition, surface 48
serves a functional purpose in acting as a stop against the
surfaces 18 and 20 when the fulcrum member is swung to the
; operative position shown in Figs. 2 and 4. In such case the
surfaces 18 and 20 limit the swinging movement of the fulcrum
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! member.
The free end 52 of the fulcrum member is adapted to
engage the top of a bottle cap as shown best in Fig. 4 when
the lip 24 is hooked beneath the edge of the cap. By then
applying upward pressure to the ring, the lip 24 will peal or
pry the bottle ca;p from the bottle B. Such may be accom-
plished by the wearer of the ring simply exerting a force in
the direction of the arrow A of Fig. 4 while holding the bot-
tle B in the opposite hand against movement.
It will be noted that the slot 46 in the fulcrum member
40 covers and conceals the lip 24 when the fulcrum member is
' in the retrac~ted or functionalIy inoperative position, thereby
I 35 preventing the lip from catching on either other portions of
the wearer or other articles or persons.
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The ring and fulcrum member may be made of any suitable
materials. Prototype models made of brass have been found to
work satisfactorily.
The top surface 54 may be suitably engraved or provided
with decorative stones or otherwise treated as may be desired
to add a more decorative appearance to the ring.
It will be noted when the ring is in use to remove a
bottle cap, that the cap will abut the surface portion 26 of
the shoulder 22 as shown best in Fig. 4, and such limits the
projection of the lip 24 beneath the edge of the bottle cap,
thus tending to prevent the l:ip from breaking the rim of the
bottle as the cap lS removed.
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