Granted Patent B2

US 12,522,492 · App. 18/583,135 · Granted Jan 13, 2026

Inventors: Michael Novak (Buffalo, NY); Nathanial Makin (New Orleans, LA)

B67B7/24

Abstract

Claims (17)

1 . A can piercing device for facilitating rapid beverage consumption from a can, the can piercing device comprises:

a housing with a front end equipped with a pivot rotatably supported inside thereof, the pivot is equipped with a claw protruding therefrom and configured to pierce and tear a side wall of the can upon engaging therewith, the pivot is rotatable to move the claw between a retracted position and an extended position with the claw protruding outside the front end of the housing,

wherein the front end of the housing further comprises a pivot spring configured to urge the pivot to rotate the claw from the retracted position to the extended position upon being released by a release mechanism supported by the housing,

wherein the release mechanism is configured to hold the claw in the retracted position by engaging with the pivot, the release mechanism further comprises a release arm pivotally supported within the housing and rotationally aligned with the pivot, the release arm having a front end configured to engage with the pivot,

wherein the pivot comprises a groove configured to engage with the front end of the release arm when the claw is in the retracted position, whereby pivoting the release arm causes the front end thereof to disengage from the groove of the pivot and liberate thereof to move the claw from the retracted position to the extended position,

causing the claw to pierce and tear the can upon engaging therewith.

2 . The can piercing device, as in claim 1 , wherein the front end of the housing further comprises a can keeper configured when engaged with the can to retain the can adjacent to the front end of the housing.

3 . The can piercing device, as in claim 2 , wherein the can keeper comprises a hook configured to engage from above with a circular rim of a top end of the can while the front end of the housing is placed along the side wall of the can.

4 . The can piercing device, as in claim 3 , wherein the hook is configured to allow tilting the front end of the housing around the circular rim to withdraw the claw from the can while in the extended position.

5 . The can piercing device, as in claim 1 , wherein the claw in the retracted position is stored inside the front end of the housing.

6 . A can piercing device for facilitating rapid beverage consumption from a can, the can piercing device comprises:

a housing with a front end equipped with a spring-loaded claw movable between a retracted position and an extended position with the claw protruding outside the front end of the housing, wherein the housing further comprises a claw spring configured to urge the claw to move from the retracted position to the extended position,

wherein the housing further comprises a back end with a spring-loaded hammer movable between a first position and a second position, a hammer spring configured to urge the hammer to move from the first position to the second position, a trigger configured to release the hammer from the first position upon pulling thereon, and a rotatable cylinder with a plurality of projectile positions, each position is configured to accept a removable simulated projectile therein,

wherein when the simulated projectile is present in the projectile position of the cylinder which is aligned with the hammer, releasing the hammer by pulling the trigger activates a mechanical transmission configured to release the claw from the retracted position and cause the claw to pierce the can,

wherein when the simulated projectile is not present in the projectile position of the cylinder which is aligned with the hammer, releasing the hammer by pulling the trigger does not activate the mechanical transmission, thereby not causing the claw to pierce the can.

7 . The can piercing device, as in claim 6 , wherein the simulated projectile comprises a hollow elongated body sized to fit within any of the projectile positions of the cylinder, the hollow elongated body slidingly supports an internal pin extending from the elongated hollow body on both ends thereof.

8 . The can piercing device, as in claim 6 , further comprising at least one blank projectile shaped as a copy of the simulated projectile but made without the sliding internal pin, whereby when the blank projectile is present in the projectile position of the cylinder which is aligned with the hammer, releasing the hammer by pulling the trigger does not activate the mechanical transmission, thereby not causing the claw to pierce the can.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (25)