Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CAN CRUSNING U~EN~IL
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a crushing utensil and
in particular to a beverage can crushing utensil for
household use.
Backqro~nd of the Invention
The disposal of soft drink and beer cans typical-
ly made of aluminum presents problems of space both in the
household and when the cans are returned to a receiving
depot or are recycled. An efficient can crushing device
should be able to reduce the volume of the can to 1/5 or
less of its original volume, thus entailing substantial
space savings.
Several can crushers have been offered in the
past in order to accomplish the compaction of aluminum
beverage cans to a smaller volume thereby rendering them
more convenient to return and recycle. Primary in this
area of innovation has been those compactors commencing
with and following after the design of Kaminski, U.S.
~5 patent no. 4,062,283 issued 13 December, 1977, which
comprises essentially a pivoting leverage arm with à
suitable connecting link pivotally fastened to a piston
constrained to move axially relative to the crushable
container. The device entails a compacting ram guided by
a hollow channel section. Later similar designs were
envisioned by, notably, Stevens, U.S. patent no. 4,290,354
issued 22 September, 1981, and Balbo et al., U.S. patent
no. 4,301,722 issued 24 November, 1981. With the Stevens
device, the ram is guided by a pair of vertically aligned
parallel shafts along which the ram is forced by the action
of the laver arm and connecting linkage. The Balbo et al.
device comprises a cylindrical channel for holding cans,
the channel having projecting wing-like portions which
partially deform the can's geometry so as to facilitate the
initiation of the crushing action by the ram, thereby
reducing the overall force required for compaction.
While each of these methods are suitable to the
task of crushing aluminum beverage cans they have not in
fact been greatly accepted by the public as a method for
accomplishing the function to which they were originally
dirPcted. This may be for three reasons: (1) it is incon-
venient for cans to be inserted into a restraining channel;
(2) it is difficult to detachably affix a can crusher in a
standard kitchen environment because of the considerable
torque generated around the pivoting point of the leverage
ar~, (3) it is often necessary to further drain empty cans
as such cans are not necessarily empty. Each of these
three points must be addressed from the VieWpQint of the
consumer in order to avoid as far as possible, these
inherent disadvantages.
The first inherent disadvantage is addressed in
the present invention by use of a parallel linkage where
the can is compressed by a ram which is guided independent-
ly of a constraining cylinder or channel. The second
inherent disadvantage is addressed in the present invention
as the instrument maybe strongly and removably attached to
~5 a convenient smooth surface such as a kitchen drain board,
usually conveniently located next to a kitchen sink. Thus
the third inherent disadvantage is addressed in the present
invention as the drainage and spillage of cans during and
afte~ crushing can be easily managed due to the proximity
of a sink, and the unit can be easily rinsed after each use
before storage.
Summary of the Invention
I have recognized that a successful can crusher
should have the following characteristics:
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1. The utensil should crush the can in an axial
direction in order to obtain the maximum possibla
reduction in volume.
2. The initial compression of the can should not be
exactly axial but rather should be at a slight
angle, so that with a lessar force, one edge of
the upper rim of the can may be displaced down-
wardly, causing the initial partial collapse of
the can with relatively little force~ The
compressive force through the path of travel of
the actuating lever should however be generally
close to axial.
3. The user should be able to grip ~he can at least
during the start of the crushing operation to
prevent the can from slipping and to bring the
can into proper alignment with the upper crushing
anvil.
4. Substantial mechanical advantage should be
obtained by the device, and this mechanical
advantage translated into compressive force ~y
the action of rotating a parallel linkage by
lowering a lever arm so as to lower a crushing
anvil which forms part of the parallel linkage.
5. The utensil should be easily yet strongly mount-
able onto a smooth surface such as a kitchen
drain board and easily portable for placing in
any convenient place and for washing or clean-
ing.
To this end, I provide a crushing utensil par-
ticularly suitable for crushing beverage cans which, in a
preferred embodiment, comprises a base and some suitable
means for anchoring the base to a support surface. The
anchoring means could be, for example, a suction cup on the
underside of the base in the vicinity of one end thereof
for grippingly adhering the base to a flat support surface.
An annular beverage can-receiving lower anvil is located
generally horizontally on the upper side of the base, and
is located remote from the suction cup, the latter being
located at or near the other end of the base. A pivot
member is fixed to, or integral with, the base and pro-
trudes upwardly therefrom. The pivot member is located in
the vicinity of that end of the base under which the
suction cup lies. A pair of spaced opposed lever arms
extend outwardly from the pivot member and are pivotally
coupled to the pivot member. A link is pivotally coupled
to the pivot member at a pivot mounting located above the
pivot mounting of the lever. An upper crushing anvil
having a generally circular lower surface for mating with
the upper rimmed surface of the beverage can to be crushed
is pivotally connected at its upper end to the end of the
link remote from the end pivotally attached to the pivot
member. The upper crushing anvil is also pivotally con-
nected at a lower pivot point of connection to each of the
lever arms and is located therebetween. The pivotal axes
of all of the pivot connections are generally horizontal
and parallel to one another. The link extends generally
~5 parallel to the lever arms. The lever protrudes substan-
tially outwards beyond the points of connection of the
upper crushing anvil, for mechanical advantage. The upper
crushing anvil is lowered by rotating about the pivot
points on the pivot member the generally parallel linkage
3~ formed by the link, the pivot member, the lever arm, and
the upper crushing anvil.
~ he angle of inclination to the horizontal of the
underside of the upper crushing anvil will vary slightly
through the swing of the lever arms. At the uppermost
point of the swing, when the underside of the upper crush-
ing anvil first makes contact with the upper rim of the
uncrushed can, the underside should be slightly canted
relative to the horizontal. The canting enables the
crushing force to be applied to one side o~ the rim of the
can, rather than uniformly axially. This promotes collapse
of the can with minimum crushing force.
Preferably the upper crushing anvil and the
beverage can receiving anvil on the base are spaced out-
wardly from the pivot member by a distance sufficient to
permit a human hand to pass therebetween.
The crushing utensil may additionally include a
handle connected to the free ends of the lever arms and
angled slightly upwardly and outwardly from the line of
extension of the lever arms.
Brief Description of the Drawinas
In drawings which illustrate specific embodiments
of the invention, but which should not be construed as
restricting the scope of the invention in any way:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred
embodiment of a beverage can crushing utensil constructed
in accordance with the principles of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of an alternative
embodiment of a beverage can crushing utensil constructed
in accordance with the principles of the present inven-
tion.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the embodimentillustrated in Figure 1, when the embodiment is folded for
storage.
Figure 4 is a side elevation view of a further
alternative embodiment of a leverage can crushing utensil
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constructed in accordance with the principles of the
present invention with the l~ver arms in a raised position.
Figure 5 is a side elevation view of the alterna-
tive en~odiment of Figure 4 with the lever a~ms in anintermediately lowered position.
Figure 6 is a side elevation view of the alter-
native embodiment o~ ~igure ~ with the leve~ arms in a
fully lowered position.
Detailed Descri~tion of Specific Embodiments
of the Invention
As illustrated in Figure 1, the invention com-
prises an extendable folding leverage arm 1 rotating about
a fixed raised pivot member 2. Leverage arm 1 lowers an
upper crushing anvil 3 guided by a parallel rotating link
4 connected to a vertically extended arm 5 of the fixed
raised pivot member 2. Link 4 is pivotally connected to
crushing anvil 3 by vertically extended arm 6.
The parallel acting assembly comprising leverage
arm 1, link 4, and vertically extended arms 5 and 6 may be
rotated about pivot points la, 2a, 5a and 6a by lowering
leverage arm 1 (illustrated in lowering sequence in Figures
4-6) so as to lower crushing anvil 3, axially crushing an
imposed aluminum beverage can 12 (also illustrated in
Figures 4-6) against a lower fixed anvil 7 which is an
integral member of the baseplate 8.
The baseplate is comprised of a forward section
9, against which the torque of the downward leverage assem-
bly is brought to bear, and a rearward suction mechanism 10which may be strongly and removably affixed to a smooth
surface. Mechanism 10 restrains rotation of the can
2 ~ 3 ~ l~
crusher around the centre of balance defined by the center
of balance when the handled o~ leverage arm 1 is pivoted
around pivot 2a on fixed raised pivot member 2.
Due to the great strain on the structure defined
by member 2 and baseplate ~, when leverage arm 1 is lower-
ed, thus lowering connecting link 4 and upper anvil 3 in an
arc crushing aluminum can 12 between upper anvil ~ and
lower anvil 7, a supporting structure such as gusset 11
depicted in Figure 2 may be required to maintain the
integrity of the structure so as to prevent member 2 and
vertically extending arm 5 from beiny pulled towards the
lower fixed anvil 7 on the base plate 8.
1~ In order to facilitate initiation of the crushing
action the inclination of the upper crushing anvil 3 (best
seen in Figure ~) is slightly canted at the commencement of
its downward path since the length of parallel rotating
connecting link 4 is slightly shorter than the distance
from the fixed raised pivot member 5 to the upper crushing
anvil 3. However, at the bottom of its swing anvil 3 is
positioned so as to be parallel with lower anvil 7 ~best
seen in Figure 6) thereby reducing the volume of the
crushed aluminum can 12 so that the volume interposed
~5 between the upper and lower crushing anvils is, for the
most part, composed of the upper and lower rims of can 12.
Figure 3 illustrates the can crusher folded for
storage. Leverage arm 1 is both lowered, to bring anvil 3
into close proximity with anvil 7, and folded about pivot
lb so as to occupy a smaller space. Suction mechanism 10
is released so as to allow removal of the can crusher from
the kitchen drain board for storage.
The alternative embodiment of the present inven-
tion illustrated in Figure 2 differs from the ~mbodiment
illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 in that forward section 9 of
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baseplate 8 is a single unitary piece rather than bifur-
cated into two support arms. Further, gusset 11 has been
added to support member 2 and extendad arm 5, and lever arm
1 is not configured so as to fold.
The alternative embodiment of the present inven-
tion illustrated in Figures 4-6 differs from the embodiment
illustrated in Figure 2 only in that lever arm 1 is config-
ured to fold about pivot lb, baseplate 8 is shoxtened so as
to bring member 2 into closer vertical alignment with
mechanism lO, and gusset 11 is smaller so as to only
directly support member 2.
The full scope of the invention is as defined in
the appended claims. Persons skilled in the art will
perceive other variations and modifications of design that
can be made consistent with the teachings of the present
invention. The scope of the invention is not to be limited
by the preferred embodiment disclosed but is to be deter-
mined by the appended claims.
