US20130333226A1 - Opener Device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention comprises a device having two arms connected together at a first end. At the second end of the first arm the device has a gripping member. At the second end of the second arm is a slitting member. The gripping member and slitting member meet together in order to puncture and tear open a snack bag.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
• Pursuant to the provisions of 37 C.F.R. §1.53(c), this non-provisional application claims the benefit of an earlier-filed provisional patent application. The earlier application was assigned Ser. No. 61/656,624. It lists the same inventor.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
• Not Applicable
MICROFICHE APPENDIX
• Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• 1. Field of the Invention
• This invention relates to the field of devices made for opening bags. More specifically, the invention comprises a device having two arms which assist in opening bags.
• 2. Description of the Related Art
• Plastic bags are used for many purposes. One common purpose is to transport and store foods, such as snacks in a sealed form. Bags can be filled with snacks, such as chips, candies, pretzels and peanuts, to name a few. The bags are often closed by heat sealing or treating with adhesive chemicals. These sealing mechanisms can create a seal that is very difficult to open without the assistance of a tool, such as scissors or a knife.
• Several devices exist which are specifically designed for the purpose of opening a sealed bag. For example, there are several opening devices which use a sharp edge or razor within a plastic cover. This type of device allows a bag to slide over the razor, cutting a slice through the bag. However, there are no devices which effectively puncture and grasp a bag such that the user can easily tear open the bag. Additionally, there are no devices which use a dull edge permitting use on an airplane or by young children. Therefore, what is needed is a device which allows a snack bag to be punctured, grasped and torn open with ease.
• The present invention achieves this objective, as well as others that are explained in the following description.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• The present invention comprises a bag opening device. The bag opening device has two arms, each having a first end and a second end. The first ends of each arm are connected together such that the arms can pivot together at the second ends of each arm. A gripping member is attached to the second end of the first arm and a slitting member is attached to the second end of the second arm. The gripping member has a gripping surface and a central void. The slitting member has a series of sharpened or pointed prongs. The opener can be used to open bags by placing the bag between the gripping member and the splitting member. As the two ends are pushed together the gripping surface of the gripping member holds the bag taut. One or more of the prongs puncture the bag held between the two arms.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view, showing the present invention.
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view, showing an expanded view of the gripping member of the present invention,
• FIG. 3 is a perspective view, showing an expanded view of the slitting member of the present invention.
• FIG. 4 is a cross section view, showing the gripping member and the slitting member of the present invention as they meet together.
• FIG. 5 is a perspective view, showing the present invention in use tearing through a snack bag.
• FIG. 6 is a perspective view, showing the present invention in use gripping and tearing a snack bag.
• FIG. 7 is a perspective view, showing an alternate embodiment of the gripping member.
• FIG. 8 is a perspective view, showing an alternate embodiment of the slitting member.

• REFERENCE NUMERALS IN THEDRAWINGS

  10	device	12	first arm
  13	second arm
  14	slittingmember	16	gripping member
  18	connectingpiece	20	central void
  22	gripping surface	24	central prong
  26	outer prong	28	bag
  30	user	34	alternate gripping member
  36	alternate gripping surface	38	central void
  40	alternate slitting member	42	openings
  44	edges

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
• FIG. 1 illustrates the present invention in the preferred embodiment. Thedevice10 has twoarms12,13 that are connected together by any known means which allowfirst arm12 andsecond arm13 to pivot together and apart.First arm12 andsecond arm13 are designed so that the user can easily grip the device. The users hand can fit through opening42 on eacharm12,13 for use.Openings42 on eitherarm12,13 assist the user in gripping and pivoting the arms into position to open a bag or a jar.FIG. 1 also illustrates a connectingpiece18 which connects a first end offirst arm12 and a first end ofsecond arm13 together. Connectingpiece18 can be any known device which attachesfirst arm12 andsecond arm13 such that the desired motion can be achieved. One example of a connectingpiece18 is a rivet which secures thefirst arm12 andsecond arm13.
• At the second end of first arm12 agripping member16 is attached. At the second end of second arm13 a slittingmember14 is attached. Grippingmember16 and slittingmember14 meet whenarms12,13 hinge together. As illustrated, the device can include a series of arced opening surfaces, oredges44, for opening bottles or jars. Theedges44 are preferably serrated and located on the inside of eacharm12,13. The bottle/jar opening surfaces,edges44, would be arced in varying sizes which would allow the user to open bottles or jars of varying sizes. To open a bottle orjar edges44 would be applied to the top (or lid) of a bottle or jar and the user would press the twoarms12,13 together forming a tight partially closed circle around the top (or lid). In order to open the bottle or jar the user would turn the device and hold the bottle or jar in one place. This optional use could be added to give the present device additional functions.
• InFIG. 2 a close up vies of the grippingmember16 is shown. Grippingmember16 is attached to the inside surface offirst arm12. Grippingmember16 can be attached by any method which fixes grippingmember16 in place onfirst arm12. It is preferable that grippingmember16 has acentral void20. Gripping surface22 is designed to contact bag (shown inFIG. 5) and hold the bag in place so that it can be punctured and torn.
• As illustrated inFIG. 3, slittingmember14 is attached to the inside surface ofsecond arm13. Slittingmember14 preferably has three prongs, twoouter prongs26 and onecentral prong24. Slittingmember14 is preferably made of a hard plastic sharpened or narrowed at the ends of the prongs. Although the prongs could he made to be very sharp, it is preferable that the ends ofprongs24,26 are merely narrowed to a dull point which would not be capable of cutting a user's skin. Slittingmember14 can be any shape, having at least one prong, such that the snack bag is easily punctured. In order to easily puncture the snack bag, theslitter14 is pushed through the bag opposite an open space (central void20), while the snack bag is held flat against the surface of the pointedslitter member14. Thecentral void20 on grippingmember16 allows even a dull surface to penetrate through the snack bag which is held taut against the grippingmember16. This is more clearly illustrated in a cross section view inFIG. 4, which shows the placement of theslitter14 opposite of the grippingmember16 whenarms12,13 are hinged together.
• FIG. 5 shows the present invention in use. Asnack bag28 is placed betweenarms12,13 specifically between slittingmember14 and grippingmember16. The user presses aims12,13 toward one another (along a single plane). As the user pressesarms12,13 together grippingmember16 grabs thebag28 and holds it taut against gripping surface22. As illustrated inFIG. 6, theuser30 can gently graspbag28 with onehand30 anddevice10 with other hand (not shown) and slowly tearbag28 in order to access the food or materials within. Grippingmember16 is capable of holdingbag28 in place, as the opening is widened by the user.
• The illustration inFIG. 7 andFIG. 8 portrays an alternate embodiment of an alternate grippingmember34 and analternate slitting member40, respectively. InFIG. 7 alternate grippingmember34 is in a horseshoe shape which still allows for a central void38. Grippingsurface36 is preferably textured such that the snack bag is held securely as the puncturing of the bag occurs. InFIG. 8alternate slitting member40 is shown with two prongs as opposed to three. Alternate slittingmember40 still has a sharpened or pointed surface in order to puncture the snack bag.
• The preceding description contains significant detail regarding the novel aspects of the present invention. It should not be construed, however, as limiting the scope of the invention but rather as providing. illustrations of the preferred embodiments of the invention. As an example, thearms12,13 may not includeopenings42 and could be various different shapes. Thus, the scope of the invention should be fixed by the following claims, rather than by the examples given.

Claims (20)

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. An opener device for assisting a user with opening, a bag, comprising:

a. a first arm, having a first end and a second end;

b. a second arm, having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end of said first arm and said second end of said second arm are connected together;

c. a gripping member attached to said second end of said first arm;

d. a slitting member attached to said second end of said second arm;

e. wherein said gripping member and said slitting member meet together when said first arm and said second arm are pivoted together.

2. An opener device as recited inclaim 1, wherein said gripping member further comprises a central void and a gripping surface.

3. An opener device as recited inclaim 1, wherein said slitting member further comprises a central prong and at least two outer prongs.

4. An opener device as recited inclaim 1, wherein said slitting member further comprises at least two prongs.

5. An opener device as recited inclaim 1, further comprising a connecting piece connecting said first end of said first arm to said first end of said second arm.

6. An opener device as recited mclaim 5, wherein said connecting piece is a rivet.

7. An opener device as recited inclaim 1, wherein said first arm and said second arm further comprise an opening for said user to grasp said device.

8. An opener device as recited inclaim 1, wherein said device is made of a hardened plastic.

9. An opener device as recited inclaim 1, wherein said first arm and said second arm further comprise an edge having a series of arcs.

10. An opener device for assisting a user with opening a bag, comprising:

a. a first arm and a second arm pivotably connected together at a connecting piece

b. wherein said first arm further comprises a gripping member;

c. wherein said second arm further comprises a slitting member;

d. wherein said gripping member and said slitting member meet together and are capable of gripping and puncturing said bag.

11. An opener device as recited inclaim 10, wherein said gripping member further comprises a central void and a gripping surface.

12. An opener device as recited inclaim 10, wherein said slitting member further comprises a central prong and at least two outer prongs.

13. An opener device as recited inclaim 10, wherein said slitting member further comprises at least two prongs.

14. An opener device as recited inclaim 10, wherein said connecting piece is a rivet.

15. An opener device as recited inclaim 10, wherein said first arm and said second arm further comprise an opening for said user to grasp said device.

16. An opener device as recited inclaim 10, wherein said device is made of a hardened plastic.

17. An opener device as recited inclaim 10, wherein said first arm and said second arm further comprise an edge having a series of arcs.

18. An opener device for opening a bag, comprising

a. a first arm and a second arm pivotably connected together at a connecting piece;

b. wherein said first arm further comprises a gripping member having a central void and a gripping surface;

c. wherein said second arm further comprises a slitting member having at least one prong; and

d. wherein said first arm and said second arm are capable of pivoting together such that said gripping member and said slitting member meet causing said at least one prong of said slitting member to enter said central void of said gripping member.

19. An opener device as recited inclaim 18, wherein said slitting member further comprises a central prong and at least two outer prongs.

20. An opener device as recited inclaim 18, wherein said first arm and said second arm further comprise an edge having a series of arcs.

Images