Automated Jar Opener Proposal

8/7/2019 Automated Jar Opener Proposal

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AUTOMATED JAR OPENER

PROPOSAL

ME 340 SECTION 4

TEAM I

MATT STEINDORFDAN AGLIONE

QI ZHANG

Team I Proposal 1 | P a g e2/25/2011


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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This proposal focuses on the design of a kitchen product thatautomatically opens and closes jars of various sizes. The jar opener ispowered by a rechargeable battery pack, requiring no human power to

operate. This product lends assistance to those who struggle with jar usagedue to physical limitations, while illustrating a durable, cost efficient productthat can fit any home. Of course, safety and ease of use are of utmostimportance.

This report outlines the details of a comprehensive design processused to incorporate features deemed desirable by potential users. Anextensive customer need assessment was completed, as well as productbenchmarking to accurately access the products market. With these needs,complimentary design specifications were yielded, providing the basis formany concept variants. A final concept was selected after methodicallyutilizing weighted criteria. This design contains a cone infused under arotating top mount to supply torque to lids of varying diameters. The bottomof the jar is held in place via a diamond wedge system that pivots aroundfour pins to allow for adjustability. A single motor supplies power to both thecone and wedge by means of a gearing system. Engaging the top or bottommechanism is done by use of a toggle switch. When assembled, all of thecomponents work together to deliver a fast and easy approach to jaropening.



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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Executive Summary.....2

1. Introduction

1.1Problem

Statement...41.2Background...4

1.3Task Description....5

1.4Project Planning.....5

2. Customer Needs Assessment

2.1Gathering Customer

Input...5

2.2Weighing Customer Needs..6

2.3Developing Design Specifications...6

3. Concept Generation

3.1ExternalSearch..6

3.2ProblemDecomposition...7

3.3Ideation Methods..7

3.4Description of Design Concepts.......8

4. Concept Selection



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4.1ConceptScreening8

4.2Concept Scoring.....9

5. System Level Design....9-11

6. Conclusion..12

7. References..12

Appendix A

ProjectManagement....13

Appendix BTables, Figures,

Matrices14-16

Appendix C

Concept Sketches....17-22

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Problem Statement

Often times, separating a lid from a jar can be an extremely frustratingtask. Jar opening should be a simple and non-trivial process, but needs fortremendous effort and a perfect gripping technique can hinder its simplicity.These struggles may be caused by vacuum sealing, dirty threads, or slipperylid design. In a market where can openers, bottle openers, and pull-backtabs exist, a technology is desperately needed to assist in the jar openingprocess as well.

Senior citizens, users with physical conditions, or amputees strugglemost of all. Currently, this population is forced to implement all sorts ofmethods to remove lids. Some use towels to avoid severe gripping pains.Others try schemes like banging the lid or soaking the jar with hot water.



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Worst of all, a large number of people merely cannot open tough jarsindependently and are forced to wait for assistance.

A jar opening product would be the perfect answer to these problems.This device would be able to automatically open and close the lids of jars

without requiring human power whatsoever. Users would be able to rid theirlives of all opening antics and use any jar, worry free. Because jartechnology will not be changing in the near future, a jar opening tool is theonly viable solution.

1.2 Background

The volume of food storage has greatly escalated over the past 50years. Great strides have been taken to preserve items fresher and for

longer periods of time. Today, jars continue to be a staple in household foodstorage. Although they are versatile and elementary in nature, a basic twistcan be surprisingly troublesome.

For a large portion of the population, certain physical limitations createdifficulties with jar usage. Arthritis, for example, is a prevalent condition thatdamages the joints in the body. In common types such as osteoarthritis andrheumatoid arthritis, hand capabilities can be severely reduced. According to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 22% of Americansreport having doctor diagnosed arthritis. Approximately 29 million adultssuffer from either osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis [1].

Senior citizens as well as amputees can also struggle with jar opening.The design of a jar requires equal and opposites torque on both the jar andlid. For those without two functioning hands, applying this torque ischallenging. Other times, jars may need more force than the user canprovide. Especially with worn down threads and slippery lids, the ability tosupply the required action can be a prohibiting nightmare.

1.3 Task Description

The task of this project is to develop a product that can automatically

open and close jars of various sizes. The final concept utilizes arechargeable battery from a cordless drill to provide 100% of the power. Noassembly will be needed by the customer. The design addresses theconcerns of users in an elegant, safe, and ergonomic package.

1.4 Project Planning



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This report documents an elaborate design process that will becarefully followed to develop a viable solution to the task description. Tobegin the research, customer needs are assessed to fully understand whatideas need to be incorporated into the design. This involves customerfeedback regarding benchmark items. Secondly, the needs are translated

into appropriate product specifications. The next step involves conceptgeneration based on the specifications. A concept generation table is usedto create many concept permutations. The most promising designs thenundergo comparison in screening and scoring matrices with appropriatecriteria weights. The results of the scoring accurately indicate the bestdesign.

The final design will undergo significant analysis to assess its economicand technical viability. Prototypes will be fabricated to help test themechanisms as well as stimulate iterations and refinement. At thecompletion of the design process, the product will be ready to manufacture

for the awaiting market.

A proposed timetable of the project schedule can be seen in AppendixA, Figure 2.1.

2. CUSTOMER NEEDS ASSESSMENT

2.1 Gathering Customer Input

Customer inputs were collected through customer reviews of BlackDecker Lids Off Jar Opener and One Touch Jar Opener, which are the existingbenchmark products on market [2, 3]. These benchmark items providedfeedback from actual users. These reviews are of utmost importancebecause the needs come straight from the product market. Customerstatements were then translated into interpreted needs as criteria indesigning the jar opener. Along with the customer inputs, the team alsoadded basic criteria such as safety and efficiency. This table can be viewed

in Appendix B, Table 2.114.

2.2 Weighing Customer Needs

The weighing of criteria is an essential step in developing a concept.This gives a quantitative representation of how each criterion relates to one



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another. Not all criteria are equally important, thus they should not have thesame impact during the scoring process.

In order to effectively weigh each criterion as it relates to the product,an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) Pairwise Comparison Chart was

developed (seen in Appendix B, Figure 2.2). Here, the relative importance ofthe twelve criteria were compared to one another, using a rating systemfrom 1-5. A score of 1 indicated that the two requirements shared equalimportance. A higher number specified more of an importance in relation tothe other criterion. This process was completed until all comparisons werecovered. The summation of the scores then provided a total which signifiesthe weighted value of the criteria. These values translated into the weightsfound in the scoring matrix for final concept selection [4].

2.3 Developing Design SpecificationsIt is extremely important to design a product that meets customer

needs. This is done by adapting customer feedback into engineeringspecifications that will be used in the product design. A tool to accomplishthis is quality function deployment (QFD) [4]. This matrix lists customerneeds on the y axis and engineering specifications on the x axis. Inside thematrix are X marks where a particular need corresponds to a design feature.Many needs can be addressed by one specification and vice versa. The QFDcan be found in the Appendix B, Figure 2.1.

3. CONCEPT GENERATION

3.1 External Search

While investigating possible solutions to open and close jars, severalproducts were found that are already have some of the desired functionality.

Two of the most prominent products found were the Black & Decker Lids-OffJar Opener and the One Touch Jar Opener [2, 3]. These two products bothopen jars under their own power, but fail to close any jars. The mechanismsthat drive both of these products only support torqueing the lids off in acounterclockwise motion and could not mechanically grip the jar whenrunning in reverse.



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3.2 Problem Decomposition

The product must be able to fulfill the customer needs and, by doingso, will be the only product in the market to open jars with lid diameters upto 3.5 inches and also be able to close them as well.

The jar opener is decomposed into a black box to simplify the jaropening/closing process. Energy from the battery source, signal from theoperator using the buttons, and setting up the jar placement are all that arerequired as inputs. After the product performs its task, out comes an openedor closed jar without and mess or hassle.

Input Output

Energy JarOpened

/Closed

Signal Signal(?)

Figure 3.1: Overall Black Box of Design

3.3 Ideation Methods

Concepts were generated using brainstorming, benchmarking, and acombination table process [4]. Initially, each team member researchedrelated items and sketches some original ideas. It was established that asuccessful jar product would have a few fundamental principles. Theseprinciples included how the bottom of the jar would be held, how the lidwould twist off, any mechanical processes involved, and finally which partswere moving. The combination table lists characteristics for each of the fourcategories. These characteristics are shown below in Table 3.2.


Automated Jar

Opener


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Table 3.2: Design Concept Classifications for Concept Combination

LidFasteningMechanism

ContainerFasteningMechanism

MechanicalProcess Used

Which part ofJar is Powered

ScissoringWedge

Cone Central AxisRotation

Top Jar

Clamps Scissoring Wedge TangentialRotation

Bottom Jar

Strap/Band Rounded Clamps Linear Opposition Top Structure ofProduct

Tire Pressureon Lid Tire Pressure on JarWalls Bottom Structureof Product

Handcuff StyleClamps

Diamond Wedge Both Top andBottom Powered

3.4 Description of Design Concepts

Several concepts were created by selecting different elements fromeach column of the concept combination table [4]. These concepts are

detailed in Appendix C, Figures 3.4-3.9. Each concept utilized a differentpermutation of the four columns in new and creative ways. By choosingthese from a list, it was more difficult to have a bias while generatingconcepts.

4. CONCEPT SELECTION

4.1 Concept Screening

A concept screening matrix was used to determine the most viableconcepts out of the six that were chosen from the combination table [4]. TheStrap Bottom/Cone Top, Adjustable Diamond/Cone Top, and the Belt DrivenTop/Strap Bottom designs were identified as these three designs. The



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criteria used to judge each concept came from the customer needsassessment. The customer needs were analyzed based on translatingreviews into interpreted needs and desired specifications. This analysis canbe found in Appendix B, Table 2.2. The Concept Screening Matrix can befound in Figure 3.2 on page 16.

4.2 Concept Scoring

The Strap Bottom/Cone Top, Adjustable Diamond/Cone Top, and theBelt Driven Top/Strap Bottom designs were again ranked using the conceptscoring matrix. For this matrix, the relative weights for the customer needswere calculated using the results from the Analytical Hierarchy Process foundin Appendix B, Figure 2.3. The scoring results can be found in Figure 3.3 18.It was determined that Adjustable Diamond/Cone Top performed the best inthe concept screening matrix and was selected for the system level design.This selection seemed both logical and appropriate since it best fulfilled the

larger weighted criteria.

5. SYSTEM LEVEL DESIGN

The final design encompasses the adjustable diamond bottom/cone topiterations. This concept utilizes three separate actions to open the jar. First

the user has to activate the gold section (cone) and raise it out of the way.The user then inserts the jar into the center of the base, in between the fourwalls of the diamond clamp. The four walls are held together by pins whichare mounted in gliding paths on the base plate of the device. The user thenlowers the cone and secures the jar by activating the rack and pinion on thebase. The rack and pinion assembly will either pull or push one of thediamond pins toward or away from the jar center. A pushing motion willenlarge the area inside the diamond, whereas a pulling action squeezes thediamond walls together.

After the base of the jar is secure, there will be a toggle switch where

the user can select either to open or close the jar lid. This action will rotatethe blue section of the jar opener around a center axis beneath the graybase plate, causing the cone to rotate as well. The weight of the top mountwill provide the necessary contact pressure to the lid. After the requirednumber of revolutions, the lid has either been removed or securely fastenedto the jar. The user lifts up the gold cone section and removes the jar andlid. This system will allow the user to easily operate the entire process with



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as little effort as possible. As long as the user is able to lift up the jar andplace it in the center, they are able to perform the necessary motions to usethis system.

The system will be constructed out of 6061 Aluminum Alloy, or

equivalent, allowing for an adequate strength to cost ratio. The materials forthe design prototype will be primarily stock materials, with the needed gearsand motors being supplied 'as is'.

Figure 5.1: Jar Opener Isometric



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Figure 5.2: Diamond Wedge Position 1 Figure 5.3: Diamond

Wedge Position 2

Figure 5.4:Rack and

Pinion



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Figure 5.5: Section Cut

6. CONCLUSION

Senior citizens, people who suffer from arthritis and amputee are inneed of a solution to resolve their simple daily problem from the lack ofenergy for opening jars. Such a simple task may seem easy for a healthyperson, but could be a very frustrating task for those who are not as lucky.With the invention of an automatic jar opener that could open and close a jarby one click could help solve this problem for many. Senior citizens and

people with physical constrains are the primary consumers for this product.For this good cause, the team has come up with the final concept selectionfor the jar opener design to use a cone top and a diamond wedge bottom.This selection was based on the result of the concept scoring matrix Figure3.3 in Appendix B. This invention could potentially help out the ones whoneed the most help and care in their lives, and make their lives moreaccessible, which is a universal goal for all invention.

7. REFERENCES

[1] "CDC - Arthritis - Data and Statistics - Arthritis Related Statistics." Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention. 20 Oct. 2010. Web. 24 Feb. 2011..



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[2] "Amazon.com: One Touch Jar Opener: Kitchen & Dining." Amazon.com:Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs &More. Web. 24 Feb. 2011. .

[3] "Amazon.com: Black & Decker Lids-Off Jar Opener: Kitchen &Dining." Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel,Computers, Books, DVDs & More. Web. 24 Feb. 2011..

[4] Ulrich, Karl T., and Steven D. Eppinger. Product Design and Development.4th ed. Boston ; Montre%u0301al: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2008.Print.

APPENDIX A PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Team Roles

Matt Steindorf Concept Generation, CAD Operator, ConceptSelection

Dan Aglione Executive Summary, Introduction, Concept Selection

Qi Zhang Customer Needs Assessment, Conclusion, References



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Figure 2.1: Project Schedule Gantt Chart

APPENDIX B TABLES, FIGURES, MATRICES

Table 2.1: Translated Customer Needs

Prompt CUSTOMER REVIEW INTERPRETED NEED SPECIFICATIONS

Likes -Black andDecker

ITISAGOODKITCHENDECORATION.

THEJAROPENERNEEDSTOBEAESTHETIC.

ROUNDED EDGESINJECTION MOLDMATERIALS

CLEANAPPEARANCE/COLOR SCHEME

ITISEASYTOUSEANDSTURDY.

THEJAROPENERNEEDSTOBEERGONOMIC.

EASYTOMAINTAINCLEAR USAGELABELS

Likes - OneTouch

ITFITSALMOSTANYJARSIZEANDITNOTHARDFORSTORAGE.

THEJAROPENERNEEDSTOSMALLFORSTORAGE.

COMPACTIBLE

ITISEASYTOUSEANDINEXPENSIVE.

THEJAROPENERNEEDSTOBEAFFORDABLE.

CHEAP MATERIALSSMALL PARTCOUNT

Dislike -Black andDecker

ITDOESNOTFITALLSIZEJARS.

THEJAROPENERNEEDSTOFITVARIETYOFJARSIZES.

ADJUSTABLEMECHANISM

ITDOESNOTFITALLSIZELIDS.

THEJAROPENERNEEDSTOFITVARIETYOFJARHEIGHTS.

ADJUSTABLEMECHANISM

Dislikes -One Touch

ITISSLOWANDITBREAKSAFTERAFEWUSAGES.

THEJAROPENERSHOULDOPENJARSFASTERTHANBYHAND.

HIGH POWERMOTORS

EFFICIENTGEARING

ITTAKESUPTOOMUCH THEJAROPENERSHOULD EFFICIENT MOTOR EFFICIENT



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Specification

FilletedEdges

CleanAppearance/ColorScheme

InjectionMolding

ClearLabeling

AccessibleButtons

Telescoping/Compactable

InexpensiveMaterials

SmallPartCount

AdjustableMechanism

GearingRatios

EfficientMotor

EfficientBattery

OnandOffSwitches

ShieldedLid

RobustMaterialSelection

AdequateHardwareSelection

Customer NeedAesthetically Pleasing X X X X

Ergonomic X X X X

Compact Storage Space X

Affordable X X X

Fits various jar heights X

Fits various jar widths X

Speedy Operating Time X X X

Require less human power X X X X

Supplies Enough Force X X X

Safe Opening Action X X

Sturdy Design X X

POWER. REQUIRELESSPOWER. BATTERYTHEBUTTONONTHEJAROPENERWASTOOBIGTHAT I ACCIDENTLYPRESSIT.

THEJAROPENERSHOULDHAVEANONANDOFFSWITCH.

PROVIDEESSENTIAL USERCONTROLS

ILLUMINATEDPUSHBUTTON/TOGGLESWITCHES

BUTTONSCLEARLYSHIELDEDFROMACCIDENTALUSE

THEJAROPENER

STARTLEDMEWHENITOPENEDTHEJAR

SMOOTHOPENINGACTIONSAFE MOTOR

CONTROL SMOOTH DRIVE SHIELDEDUSER

Suggestedimprovements

ITNEEDSTOHAVEALONGERLIFESPAM.

THEJAROPENERMUSTBESTURDY.

ROBUSTMATERIALSSELECTION

ADEQUATEHARDWARESELECTION

ITNEEDSTOFITALLDIMENSIONSOFANYJARS.

THEJAROPENERMUSTFITAVARIETYOFJARS.

Figure 2.1: Quality Function Decomposition



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Ae sthe ticsErgono mi csEase of StorageAffordableOne Size Fits Al lDurabilityEnergy Efficien tLong Lifeti meEase of Ope rationQuietSafetyProjected TorqueTotal Weigh

Aesthetics 1 0.2 0.33 0.2 0.25 0.33 3 0.5 0.2 2 0.25 0.33 8.59 0.037

Ergonomics 5 1 2 3 2 4 5 4 1 5 2 3 37 0.163

Ease of Storage 3 0.5 1 1 0.5 0.5 2 1 0.2 2 0.33 0.5 12.53 0.055

Affordable 5 0.33 1 1 2 3 4 2 0.33 2 1 1 22.66 0.100

One Size Fits All 4 0.5 2 0.5 1 2 2 1 0.25 2 1 0.5 16.75 0.073

Durability 3 0.25 2 0.33 0.5 1 3 2 0.33 4 0.5 1 17.91 0.0791Energy Efficient 0.33 0.2 0.5 0.25 0.5 0.33 1 0.33 0.2 1 0.25 0.33 5.22 0.023

Long Lifetime 2 0.25 1 0.5 1 0.5 3 1 0.25 2 0.33 0.33 12.16 0.053

Ease of Operation 5 1 5 3 4 3 5 4 1 5 3 3 42 0.185

Quiet 0.5 0.2 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.25 1 0.5 0.2 1 0.25 0.33 5.73 0.025

Safety 4 0.5 3 1 1 2 4 3 0.33 4 1 2 25.83 0.114

Projected Torque 3 0.33 2 1 2 1 3 3 0.33 3 0.5 1 20.16 0.089

Total 226.54 1.000

Scale of Relative Importance

1=equal 2=moderately important 3=strong importance 4=very strong 5=extreme importance

Figure 2.2: AHP Diagram



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Figure 3.2: Concept Screening Matrix

Figure 3.3: Concept Scoring Matrix


Scissor

Bottom/Tires Top

Strap Bottom/

Cone top

Scissor

Bottom/Straight

Clamp top

Scissors bottom,

handcuffs top

Adjustable

Diamond

bottom/ Cone

top

Belt

Driven Top

strap

bottom

aesthetics 1 1 0 0 1 1

ergonomics -1 -1 0 0 -1 -1

easy for storage 0 -1 0 0 1 1

affordable -1 0 0 1 -1 -1

one size fit all 1 0 0 0 0 1

durability 0 1 0 0 1 -1

energy efficient -1 0 0 0 0 -1

long lifetime 0 0 0 0 0 0

easy to operate 1 1 0 0 1 1

quiet 0 0 0 0 0 0

safety 0 1 0 0 1 1

projected torque 1 0 0 0 0 1

Sum + 4 4 0 1 5 6

Sum 0 5 6 12 11 5 2

Sum - 3 2 0 0 2 4

Net Totals: 1 2 0 1 3 2

Rank 4 2 6 4 1 2

Continue? No Yes No No Yes Yes

Relative

Weight

from AHP

Strap

Bottom/

Cone top

Adjustable

Diamond

bottom/

Cone top

Belt

Driven

Top strap

bottom

Selection

Criteria Rating

Weighted

Score Rating

Weighted

Score Rating

Weighte

d Score

aesthetics 0.0379 3 0.1137 3 0.1137 3 0.1137ergonomics 0.1633 2 0.0758 3 0.1137 1 0.0379

ease of storage 0.0553 3 0.1137 3 0.1137 3 0.1137

affordable 0.1 3 0.1137 2 0.0758 2 0.0758

one size fit all 0.0739 3 0.1137 3 0.1137 4 0.1516

durability 0.0791 3 0.1137 4 0.1516 2 0.0758

energy efficient 0.023 3 0.1137 3 0.1137 2 0.0758

long lifetime 0.0537 3 0.1137 3 0.1137 3 0.1137

ease of operate 0.1854 2 0.0758 4 0.1516 4 0.1516

quiet 0.0253 3 0.1137 3 0.1137 3 0.1137

safety 0.114 3 0.1137 4 0.1516 2 0.0758

projected torque 0.089 3 0.1137 3 0.1137 4 0.1516

Totals: 1.2886 1.4402 1.2507

Continue? No Develop No


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APPENDIX C CONCEPT SKETCHES

Figure 3.4: Scissor Bottom/Tires Top

This concept uses a system of tires to drive the lid off of the jar usingfriction. There is a clamping system at the bottom which scissors shut

around the diameter of the jar. This system would be constructed out ofaluminum and would have to contain steel springs to provide tension on thelid from the tires. While this system could quickly remove the lids, operationwould be difficult for the consumer without the use of two hands. The tireswould have to be adjusted individually in order for the jar lid to fit properly.A disadvantage of this system is that there are two independent controlsystems, and the user would have to operate them in sequence.



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Figure 3.5: Strap Bottom/ Cone Top

This concept invokes a rubber strap to secure the bottom of the jarwhile a cone is used to apply torque to the lid. Both components operate

one at a time, incorporating a toggle switch to link the motor to theappropriate device.

The jar is first rested upon a stationary base plate. Concentric guidingcircles are printed on the base to assist in centering the jar. A curvedsupport is then slid along the base plate to make contact with the jar. Therubber strap is fed through this support and wound around a rotating rod.With the touch of a button, the rod is spun in one direction, reducing thelength of the strap in the process. This tightens its contact with the jar.When the rotation direction of the rod is reversed, the strap loosens its gripand the jar can be removed with ease.

The top support is an aluminum bar that has a cone-shaped cutout inthe center. This cutout is coated with a rubber-like material with a highcoefficient of friction. Holding up the top bar are two support cylinders, eachfastened to an outer ring on the base plate. This outer ring is spun via acenter axis rotation which is incorporated into a gear box housed in the baseplate. Once the jar is properly secured, a button initiates the gears,consequently rotating the outer ring. The sheer weight of the cone assembly



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provides enough contact pressure to the lid, unscrewing it from the jarthreads. Again, when the gear rotations are reversed, the cone turns the lidback onto the jar.

Figure 3.6: Scissor Bottom/Straight Clamp Top

Straight clamp top and scissor bottom is a design that the top of the jaropener has a straight clamp that could move up and down depending on theheight of jars, and the size of the clamp could be changed when the jaropener is power on. It would be powered by the motor, and once it reaches a

certain torque, the motor will continue to spin without decrease in size.

The scissor bottom idea was generated from the wedge jar openerdesign; however, man power needs to be eliminated in this design. Thescissor bottom is there to hold the jar tight; it is a scissor design along with abracket that prevents jar from moving around. It gives three points ofcontacts on the jar which would lock the jar tight. The size of this prototype



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would restrain the size of jars that the opener can open, which could be achallenge.

Figure 3.7: Scissors Bottom/ Handcuffs Top

Handcuffs top and scissor bottom is a design that has a handcuffs-likedesign top that looks like two U shaped pieces of metal that are flipped toform a circle in the middle. There are teeth on each pieces and it is attachedonto a shaft. When the shaft turns, the pieces could tighten or loosen thecircle, which is used to grab onto the lid of the jar. The handcuffs top designcould also move up and down depending on the height of jars, and the sizeof the clamp could be changed when the jar opener is power on. It would bepowered by the motor, and once it reaches a certain torque, the motor will

continue to spin without decrease in size.

The scissor bottom idea was generated from the wedge jar openerdesign; however, man power needs to be eliminated in this design. Thescissor bottom is there to hold the jar tight; it is a scissor design along with abracket that prevents jar from moving around. It gives three points of



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contacts on the jar which would lock the jar tight.

The potential problem with this design would be very similar to thebenchmark product, Black and Decker Lid Off Opener, because the size of

the U shape metal would determine the maximum diameter of the possiblejars that would be opened.



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Figure 3.8: Adjustable Diamond Bottom/ Cone Top

This concept follows the same opening principle as the strap/conepermutation, yet investigates a different bottom mechanism. Instead ofusing a rubber strap to tighten the jar in position, two adjustable wedgessecure jar bases of various sizes. Each wedge has a pin at its vertex, inaddition to two pins that fix both wedges together end to end. This creates aparallelogram of varying angles so any sized jar can be squeezed in themiddle. Another benefit of this diamond design is that no matter the size ofthe jar, it always be centered on the base plate. This ensures that the conetop interfaces the lid properly. The mechanism is adjusted by having one pinconnected to a rack and pinion. When the pinion spins one direction, the pinmoves inward, enlarging the center area. Having the pinion rotate in theopposite direction pulls the pin outward, thus closing the inside area.



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Figure 3.9: Belt Driven Top/ Strap Bottom

This system would operate by strapping the jar into a metal enclosureand locking it in place with a worm screw powered by the electric motor.Once the jar is locked in place, the operator would lay a belt around the lid.This belt would be connected to a drive shaft which would be powered toopen or close the jar. There are several advantages to having a belt drivensystem, one being that you have a very high surface area connection withthe lid, making it potentially easier to open a stuck on lid. The strap also hasa couple of advantages one being that it is very strong and can conform todifferent sized jars easily. The belt would have to be adjusted for differentsized jars, and this is the main disadvantage. Adjusting a belt using idlergears and motors would vastly increase the complexity of the design.

Automated Jar Opener Proposal

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