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EP 1 087 903 B1 |
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EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION |
(45) |
Mention of the grant of the patent: |
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13.10.2004 Bulletin 2004/42 |
(22) |
Date of filing: 16.06.1999 |
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(86) |
International application number: |
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PCT/FI1999/000525 |
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International publication number: |
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WO 1999/065816 (23.12.1999 Gazette 1999/51) |
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(54) |
CAP OPENER
VERSCHLUSS-ÖFFNER
DECAPSULEUR
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Designated Contracting States: |
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AT BE DE DK ES FI FR IT NL |
(30) |
Priority: |
17.06.1998 FI 980310 U
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(43) |
Date of publication of application: |
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04.04.2001 Bulletin 2001/14 |
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Proprietors: |
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- Insinööritoimisto Jyrkinen
53100 Lappeenranta (SE)
- Konetuote Piispanen Oy
53850 Lappeenranta (FI)
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(72) |
Inventors: |
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- JYRKINEN, Seppo
FIN-53100 Lappeenranta (FI)
- PIISPANEN, Ari
FIN-53850 Lappeenranta (FI)
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(74) |
Representative: Helino, Timo Kalervo et al |
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Papula Oy,
P.O. Box 981 00101 Helsinki 00101 Helsinki (FI) |
(56) |
References cited: :
WO-A1-96/24911 DE-U1- 29 606 731 FR-A- 1 194 811 SE-A- 9 704 021
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AU-A- 3 977 885 FI-C- 35 100 FR-A- 1 565 709 US-A- 706 911
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Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European
patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to
the European patent
granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall
not be deemed to
have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent
Convention).
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[0001] The present invention relates to a cap opener as defined in the preamble of claim
1.
[0002] For advertising purposes, people are nowadays often given various small objects.
One such object is a cap opener. In this case, the cap opener is provided with a clearly
visible logo of the company or a picture or name of a given product or text relating
to a product.
[0003] However, the efficiency of such small objects in advertising is relatively poor because,
being gratuitous, they are often lost or thrown away or simply discarded.
[0004] The object of the invention is to eliminate the drawbacks referred to above. A specific
object of the invention is to disclose a new type of advertising medium for use as
a cap opener which is versatile and useful, even so necessary that people will keep
it carefully and use it for a long time, which improves its advertising efficiency.
[0005] As for the features characteristic of the invention, reference is made to the claims.
[0006] The cap opener of the invention comprises a plate-like body and a gripping element
fitted to grip the cap of a bottle to be opened. According to the invention, the plate-like
body comprises as a fixed part of it a plate-like circular sector of over 180°, which
is designed to be used as a token in shopping carts, luggage carts and equivalent.
In other words, the body or a part of the body of the cap opener of the invention
consists of a plate-like and coin-shaped element which can be inserted instead of
a coin into locking devices provided in shopping carts and equivalent so that the
shopping cart or equivalent can be released from another cart or a rack and taken
into use.
[0007] Thus, the cap opener/shopping cart token of the invention replaces a coin needed
for the use of a shopping cart. Such coins are seldom found in the pocket because
credit cards are nowadays so often used to pay for shopping. In addition, by adding
to the cap opener of the invention a key chain function, a utility article is obtained
which, being used as a key chain, cap opener and shopping cart token, is so versatile
and so frequently needed that carrying it along in a pocket or bag is almost a necessity.
[0008] An embodiment of the invention has been produced as a result of the current intensive
trend towards reducing and almost eliminating the use of cash. However, as the use
of coin-operated shopping carts, luggage carts and equivalent is rapidly increasing,
a conflict has arisen because, on the one hand, there is a tendency to reduce the
use of cash and, on the other hand, the need for coins is being increased. For this
reason, in an embodiment of the invention, the plate-like body of the cap opener is
provided with a space or place in which is fitted a microcircuit as used in credit
cards, i.e. a microcircuit known in itself and used for electronic payment. Thus,
the microcircuit, which can be recharged with currency, replaces cash in all commerce
and the token part of the key chain satisfies the need for a coin in shopping carts,
luggage carts and equivalent.
[0009] In an embodiment of the invention, the cap opener comprises an individualising identifier,
which can be used e.g. like a key or identity card in doors, gates, various machines
and appliances etc. The individualising identifier may consist of a bar code, a two-dimensional
grid, a code composed of various characters, numbers and/or letters, a magnetic stripe
or even a microcircuit. Thus, the cap opener of the invention can be used in highly
versatile ways, in addition to advertising, as a means of payment, cap opener, token,
key and as a licence of access to and use of various facilities. This makes it a perfect
necessity, an object that a person must always carry along with him/her, which means
that its advertising value is also significant.
[0010] In the following, the invention will be described in detail with reference to the
drawings, wherein
Fig. 1 presents a first embodiment of the invention,
Fig. 2 presents a second embodiment of the invention,
Fig. 3 presents a third embodiment of the invention, and
Fig. 4 presents a fourth embodiment of the invention.
[0011] Fig. 1 presents a cap opener according to the invention, which has been die cut from
a steel plate, so the cap opener is a straight and rigid planar object having a plate-like
and substantially continuous body 1 with a gripping element 2 at its one end. The
gripping element 2 comprises a projection 5 at the edge of an opening 6 so that the
gripping element can be fitted to the edge of a crown cap to open a bottle provided
with a crown cap.
[0012] The other end of the plate-like body 1 consists of a circular sector of over 180°,
forming a token 3 for a shopping cart. The circular sector has a diameter corresponding
e.g. to the size of a Finnish five-mark coin. As the circular sector, i.e. the angle
α exceeds 180°, the token becomes narrower towards the middle region of the body 1,
forming a waist 4. Thus, at the waist 4 between the token 3 and the body 1 a narrow
portion is formed by which the locking device of a shopping cart or equivalent can
engage the token and keep the token inside it until it is released in a known manner
by means of a suitable counterpart only in a parking area for shopping carts.
[0013] In addition, this embodiment comprises a hole 7 made near one edge of the body 1
to allow the cap opener/shopping cart token to be used as a key chain as well. Of
course it is also possible to utilise the opening 6 of the cap opener as a key chain
by placing a key ring in it.
[0014] In the embodiment in Fig. 1, the surface of the body 1 is additionally provided with
a space, recess or place where a microcircuit 10 applicable for electronic payment
is fitted. Thus, the microcircuit and token 3 together form a perfect substitute for
money.
[0015] Fig. 2 presents a second embodiment of the invention, which largely corresponds to
the embodiment in Fig. 1. In this case, the gripping element 2 of the cap opener is
formed by the edge 5 of the opening 6. As a difference from the embodiment in Fig.
1, this embodiment has an elongated hole 8 extending from the area of the body 1 into
the area of the token 3, thus allowing easy use of the cap opener/shopping cart token
as a key chain and cap opener and as a shopping cart token. When the cap opener is
needed, the key ring can be drawn along the elongated hole 8 to its end in the token
area, and on the other hand, when the shopping cart token is to be used, the key ring
can be drawn along the hole 8 to its end in the cap opener area.
[0016] In the embodiment in Fig. 3, the cap opener is designed for yet another additional
practical application. One end of the body 1 has a gripping element 2 with an opening
6, designed for use as a cap opener, while the other end is provided with a shopping
cart token 3. The end of the body 1 in the cap opener portion is provided with a hole
11 for the key ring of a key chain. Moreover, the token is provided with a notch 9
formed at its tip in a somewhat oblique position, the two opposite sides of the notch
being parallel to each other, in other words, the device has a nut-shaped notch which
can be used e.g. to remove the aerial of a car before a quick-wash. Fitted in the
body 1 is also a microcircuit 10 corresponding to Fig. 1.
[0017] Thus, the product illustrated in Fig. 3 is very versatile. As it is always carried
in a pocket as a key chain, the user always has a cap opener at hand as well as a
token for a shopping cart and money on a microchip to pay for shopping and also a
means for easy removal of a car aerial before a wash.
[0018] In the embodiment in Fig. 4, the token 3 and waist 4 of the cap opener correspond
to the preceding embodiments, whereas the gripping element of the cap opener consists
of a circular opening 12 with four sharp protuberances 13 at its edge. This cap opener
is designed for opening screw caps. When a screw cap to be opened is placed in the
opening 12 and the opener is slightly turned vertically, the protuberances will engage
the edges of the cap so that the cap can be easily unscrewed. Moreover, attached to
one surface of the plate-like body 1 and token 3 is a bar code acting as an individualising
identifier 14. The bar code may function e.g. as a key and licence of access or use
in various applications.
[0019] In addition to all the above-described advantageous features, the products provided
in all four embodiments presented are plate-like objects having relatively even and
smooth surfaces allowing easy attachment of advertisements, logos, text or the like.
Advertisements can be attached to or made directly on the surfaces by any known method,
e.g. by painting, laminating, punching, printing or as stickers. Thus, functional
and durable products that are effective in respect of advertising value are obtained.
1. Cap opener consisting of a plate-like, rigid and planar body (1) having at its one
end a gripping element (2) adapted to grip a bottle cap, characterised in that the body (1) comprises at its other end, a plate-like circular sector greater than
180°, suitable for being used as a token (3) in a coin-operated shopping cart or equivalent
to be released.
2. Cap opener as defined in claim 1, characterised in that the shopping cart token comprises a waist (4) that is narrower than the diameter
of the circular sector (3), said waist connecting said plate-like circular sector
to the body (1).
3. Cap opener as defined in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the gripping element is designed to open a crown cap.
4. Cap opener as defined in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the gripping element is designed to open a screw cap.
5. Cap opener as defined in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the tip of the token is provided with a substantially nut-shaped notch (9) open on
two sides.
6. Cap opener as defined in any one of claims 1 - 5, characterised in that it comprises an even advertising surface to allow attachment of pictures and/or text
to the cap opener.
7. Cap opener as defined in any one of claims 1 - 6, characterised in that the cap opener comprises a space or surface to which is fitted a microcircuit (10)
applicable for electronic payment.
8. Cap opener as defined in any one of claims 1 - 6, characterised in that the cap opener comprises an individualising identifier (14), such as a bar code,
two-dimensional grid or a letter/number/character code.
1. Kapselöffner, bestehend aus einem plattenartigen, starren und planen Körper (1), der
an seinem einen Ende ein Greifelement (2) aufweist, das zum Angreifen an einer Flaschenkapsel
ausgebildet ist,
dadurch gekennzeichnet,
daß der Körper (1) an seinem anderen Ende einen plattenartigen Kreissektor von mehr als
180° aufweist, der dazu geeignet ist, als Pfandmarke (3) in einem münzbetätigten Einkaufswagen
oder einer äquivalenten Einrichtung zum Entsperren von diesem bzw. dieser verwendet
zu werden.
2. Kapselöffner nach Anspruch 1,
dadurch gekennzeichnet,
daß die Einkaufswagen-Pfandmarke eine Verengung (4) aufweist, die schmaler ist als der
Durchmesser des Kreissektors (3), wobei die Verengung den plattenartigen Kreissektor
mit dem Körper (1) verbindet.
3. Kapselöffner nach Anspruch 1 oder 2,
dadurch gekennzeichnet,
daß das Greifelement zum Öffnen einer Kronkapsel ausgebildet ist.
4. Kapselöffner nach Anspruch 1 oder 2,
dadurch gekennzeichnet,
daß das Greifelement zum Öffnen einer Schraubkapsel ausgebildet ist.
5. Kapselöffner nach Anspruch 1 oder 2,
dadurch gekennzeichnet,
daß der Endbereich der Pfandmarke mit einer im wesentlichen mutterförmigen Kerbe (9)
versehen ist, die auf zwei Seiten offen ist.
6. Kapselöffner nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 5,
dadurch gekennzeichnet,
daß er eine ebene Werbefläche aufweist, um das Anbringen von bildlichen Darstellungen
und/oder Text an dem Kapselöffner zu ermöglichen.
7. Kapselöffner nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 6,
dadurch gekennzeichnet,
daß der Kapselöffner einen Raum oder eine Fläche aufweist, an dem bzw. der eine Mikroschaltung
(10) angebracht ist, die für elektronische Zahlungen verwendbar ist.
8. Kapselöffner nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 6,
dadurch gekennzeichnet,
daß der Kapselöffner eine individualisierende Identifizierungseinrichtung (14), wie z.B.
einen Strichcode, ein zweidimensionales Gitter oder einen Buchstaben-/Zahlen-/Zeichen-Code
aufweist.
1. Décapsuleur constitué d'un corps en forme de plaque (1) rigide et plat ayant à l'une
de ses extrémités un élément de saisie (2) adapté pour saisir une capsule de bouteille,
caractérisé en ce que le corps (1) comporte à son autre extrémité, un secteur circulaire en forme de plaque
supérieur à 180°, propre à être utilisé en tant que jeton (3) dans un chariot à provisions
fonctionnant par pièce ou équivalent devant être libéré.
2. Décapsuleur selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que le jeton de chariot à provisions comporte un rétrécissement (4) qui est plus étroit
que le diamètre du secteur circulaire (3), ledit rétrécissement reliant ledit secteur
circulaire en forme de plaque au corps (1).
3. Décapsuleur selon la revendication 1 ou 2, caractérisé en ce que l'élément de saisie est conçu pour ouvrir une capsule-couronne.
4. Décapsuleur selon la revendication 1 ou 2, caractérisé en ce que l'élément de saisie est conçu pour ouvrir une capsule à vis.
5. Décapsuleur selon la revendication 1 ou 2, caractérisé en ce que l'extrémité du jeton est munie d'une encoche sensiblement en forme d'écrou (9) ouverte
sur deux côtés.
6. Décapsuleur selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 5, caractérisé en ce qu'il comporte une surface publicitaire lisse pour permettre une fixation d'images et/ou
de texte sur le décapsuleur.
7. Décapsuleur selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 6, caractérisé en ce que le décapsuleur comporte un espace ou une surface sur lequel est ajusté un microcircuit
(10) applicable pour un paiement électronique.
8. Décapsuleur selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 6, caractérisé en ce que le décapsuleur comporte un identificateur d'individualisation (14), tel qu'un code
à barres, une grille bidimensionnelle ou un code à caractères alphanumériques.