Electric Can Opener

Overview

An electric can opener is a countertop appliance that cuts open metal food cans without hand cranking. The user raises the Clamp Lever, slides the can rim under the cutter, and releases the lever; a switch then runs the motor until the lid is severed all the way around. Because the can travels on its own, the cook's hands stay free and the cut edge is left smooth rather than jagged. The whole mechanism rides in a plastic Housing with a weighted base so the appliance does not tip while a heavy can hangs from it.

Side-cutting designs shear the can just below the top seam, separating the lid cleanly and leaving no sharp burr on either the lid or the can body. A Magnetic Lid Holder grips the freed lid with a magnet so it does not fall into the food.

How it works

Releasing the Clamp Lever clamps the can between the cutter and the drive wheel and trips the Lever Microswitch on the small Control & Switch board, energizing the Drive Motor. That motor is a compact shaded-pole AC unit; its rotor spins far too fast and with far too little torque to advance a can directly.

The Gear Reduction Drive solves that with a worm-and-spur reduction of roughly a hundred and fifty to one, trading the motor's speed for the torque needed to drag the can past the cutter. Its output turns the serrated Serrated Feed Gear, whose teeth bite the lower rim and walk the can in a full circle. As the can rotates, the Cutting Wheel, pressed down by the clamp lever, pierces the side wall and rolls along the seam, peeling the lid away. The Lid Magnet in the holder catches the lid the instant it parts, and the cook lifts the can away. Mains power reaches the motor and switch through the strain-relieved Power Cord.