U.S. patent application number 11/685275 was filed with the patent office on 2008-09-18 for bottled beverage plug for identification.
Invention is credited to Tomasz Domagala.
Application Number | 20080223812 11/685275 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39761584 |
Filed Date | 2008-09-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080223812 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Domagala; Tomasz |
September 18, 2008 |
Bottled Beverage Plug for Identification
Abstract
The present invention discloses a reusable bottle stopper and
identifier comprising a main body with which fits over the opening
of long neck bottle and a sleeve member which fits in the opening
of a long neck bottle. The stopper has a pressure release channel
that allows pressure to leave the bottle. The stopper also has an
area on the outer portion of said main body where an identification
means can be placed. This identification method will specify the
owner of the drink. This will be especially helpful at crowed bars
or social gatherings where drinks are often intermingled. The quick
and easy identification of the bottle's owner will help to
eliminate confusion or even arguments. This system will also have
the added benefit of preventing the spread of germs and disease
that can occur when people share drinks. Additionally, the
invention will prevent spills because the stopper acts to create a
seal and cover the bottle opening.
Inventors: |
Domagala; Tomasz;
(Homosassa, FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TOMASZ S. DOMAGALA
5669 S. TENA PT.
HOMOSASSA
FL
34446
US
|
Family ID: |
39761584 |
Appl. No.: |
11/685275 |
Filed: |
March 13, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
215/230 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 39/16 20130101;
Y02W 30/80 20150501; Y02W 30/807 20150501; B65D 39/0076
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
215/230 |
International
Class: |
B65D 39/00 20060101
B65D039/00 |
Claims
1. A reusable bottle stopper and identifier comprising: a main body
with which fits over the opening of long neck bottle; a sleeve
member which fits in the opening of a long neck bottle; said main
body having a grooved middle portion and said sleeve member having
a grooved opening, said grooved middle portion capable of fitting
into said grooved opening to form a seal; a pressure release
channel that allows pressure to leave the bottle through the top of
said main body, said pressure release channel traveling through
said top member and said grooved middle portion of said top; and an
area on the outer portion of said main body where an identification
means can be placed
2. The reusable bottle stopper and identifier of claim 1 wherein
said pressure release channel narrows to a needle size opening,
said needle size opening being located in said top member.
3. The reusable bottle stopper and identifier of claim 1 wherein
said pressure release channel is closed with a pressure release
button, said button being capable of being depressed to release the
pressure from the bottle.
4. The reusable bottle stopper and identifier of claim 1 wherein
said sleeve member is made from a flexible rubber material.
5. The reusable bottle stopper and identifier of claim 1 wherein
sleeve member is designed to fit into most standard longneck beer
bottles.
6. The reusable bottle stopper and identifier of claim 1 wherein
said identification means is a label or sticker.
7. The reusable bottle stopper and identifier of claim 1 wherein
said identification means is a logo which can be used for
advertising or marketing purposes.
8. The reusable bottle stopper and identifier of claim 1 wherein
said top member is formed in the shape of a billiard ball.
9. The reusable bottle stopper and identifier of claim 1 wherein
said top member is formed in the shape of a sword or dagger
handle.
10. The reusable bottle stopper and identifier of claim 1 wherein
said top member is formed in the shape of an alien or skull
head.
11. The reusable bottle stopper and identifier of claim 1 wherein
said top member is formed in the shape of a chess piece.
12. The reusable bottle stopper and identifier of claim 1 wherein
said top member is formed various ornamental shapes.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is directed towards bottle stopper.
More specifically it discloses a bottle stopper with a pressure
release hole which can also be used to identify the owner of the
bottle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The practice of enjoying pre-packaged carbonated beverages
is an abundantly common choice for those seeking to quench their
thirst. Beverages like soda and beer are often served in long neck
bottles. These drink, especially beer bottles, are usually consumed
in crowded areas. These may include social gatherings or at
restaurant or bars. Two common problems with such carbonated drinks
once a bottle has been opened are the loss of carbonation and the
confusion over the owner of the bottle.
[0003] As drinks such as soda and beer lose their carbonation they
become "flat" and become less desirable. There have been many
inventions directing towards plugging opened bottles to preserve
carbonation. Most of these have been directed towards wine bottles
and not designed for beer bottles to be used in a bar or restaurant
setting. These include U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,915,920, 5,857,580,
6,528,152, 6,212,721, 5,117,995, 6,769,560, 3,944,104, 3,716,163
and 6,796,449. These patents are directed towards wine stoppers and
lack the ability to distinctly identify the owner of the
bottle.
[0004] Other products have been directed towards bottle stoppers
with self venting closures. One such invention is U.S. Pat. No.
4,076,142. Unlike the present invention, this device is not
designed to fit standard beer bottles and identify the owner of the
bottle.
[0005] There have also been a number of products directed towards
beverage identification methods. These include U.S. Pat. Nos.
5,704,144, 4,759,139 and D501,625. None of these also provide the
ability to plug the whole of a bottle or prevent the loss of
carbonation.
[0006] Clearly there is a need for a bottle stopper that is
designed to fit in standard beer bottles, preserves the carbonation
of the beverage in the bottle, and provides a means to identify the
owner of the bottle. Accordingly, the present invention described
herein encompasses these elements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide a
stopper for beverage bottles. In the preferred embodiment the
stopper will be designed to fit standard size bottle neck beer
bottles. The stopper consists of a top member and rubber sleeve
member. The rubber sleeve member will fit in most standard beer
bottles. The rubber sleeve member is constructed to accept the top
member to create a seal and prevent the drink from losing
carbonation.
[0008] It is a further objective of the present invention to
provide a top member that can be used to identify the owner of the
beer. The top member is designed to have a space where an
identification sticker or label can be placed. This identification
method will specify the owner of the drink. This will be especially
helpful at crowed bars or social gatherings where drinks are often
intermingled. This system will also have the added benefit of
preventing the spread of germs and disease that can occur when
people share drinks. Additionally, the invention will prevent
spills because the stopper acts to create a seal and cover the
bottle opening.
[0009] The identification space can be also be used for advertising
or marketing purposes. For instance, emblems from popular sports
teams or movie characters can be used as identification means. In
addition manufactures such as beer makers may use their own logos
and distribute the toppers as promotional pieces.
[0010] It is a further objective of the present invention to
provide a needle size pressure release hole. When the stopper is in
place pressure will begin to build in the bottle from the
carbonation that the stopper is being prevented from release. To
prevent the beverage from spilling out of the bottle when the
stopper is removed, a needle size pressure release hole has been
built in the design of the stopper. There is a channel that travels
the length of the sleeve member and top member. A needle size
pressure release hole then allows a small amount of pressure to be
released from the top member. This will preserve a majority of the
carbonation in the bottle and prevent any spillage when the stopper
is removed. In an alternative embodiment, a plastic pressure
release cap is built into the top of the head of the device, to
release pressure before removing the plug.
[0011] In various exemplary embodiments, the top member of the
stopper can be formed into various molded shapes. These include an
alien head, a skull, an eight ball, the head of a bulldog, a horse
head, or the handle of a sword or dagger. The device can also be
manufactured in a variety of colors.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0012] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
constitute a part of the specification, illustrate presently
preferred embodiments of the invention, and together with the
general description given above and the detailed description given
below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates the preferred embodiment of the present
invention.
[0014] FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of the invention from FIG.
1.
[0015] FIG. 3 illustrates the invention if FIG. 1 in use for
identification purposes.
[0016] FIG. 4 illustrates the present invention in use with a
standard size beer bottle.
[0017] FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the
invention with a pressure release cap.
[0018] FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the current
invention.
[0019] FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the current
invention.
[0020] FIG. 8 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the current
invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0021] It will be readily understood that the components of the
present invention, as generally described herein, could be arranged
and designed in a wide variety of different formulations. Thus, the
following more detailed description of the embodiments of the
compositions or formulations of the present invention are not
intended to limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but are
merely representative of the presently preferred embodiments of the
invention.
[0022] Reference will now be made in detail to the presently
preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are
illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference
numerals refer to like elements throughout.
[0023] Referring now to FIG. 1, the preferred embodiment of the
present invention is shown. The bottle stopper and identifier 10 is
comprised of main body member 11 and sleeve member 15. The sleeve
member 15 is constructed of rubber in the preferred embodiment and
fits into the opening of a standard size beer bottle. The sleeve
member 15 has a grooved opening 16 which accepts the middle portion
14 of the main body member 11. The main body member 11 fits over a
standard long neck beer bottle. When inserted in a bottle, the
grooved bottom 17 fit around the bottle opening. When the grooved
middle portion 14 is inserted in sleeve member 15 the bottle is
resealed.
[0024] Still referring to FIG. 1, pressure release channel 13 can
be seen. The pressure release channel 13 runs through the main body
member 11. When the bottle stopper and identifier 10 is in place in
a bottle, the pressure release channel allows carbonation to travel
from the bottle and out of the main body member 11. This prevent
spills when the main body member 11 is removed from a bottle. In
the preferred embodiment of the invention, the pressure release
channel narrows to needle sized opening 18. This narrow opening
only allows a nominal amount of pressure to be released from the
bottle. This preserves the carbonation of the beverage in the
bottle while preventing any spillage when the main body member 11
is removed. FIG. 2 shows a top view of the main body member 11 with
needle size opening 18.
[0025] FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the
invention which includes a pressure release button 19. The pressure
release button 19 will prevent any carbonation from leaving the
bottle and preserve the freshness of the beverage. When the button
is depressed, the carbonation from the bottle will be released via
the pressure release channel 13. This will allow the bottle stopper
10 to be removed without any spillage.
[0026] Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the identification means of
the bottle stopper 10 will be described. As best seen in FIG. 3,
there is an identification space 12 located on the main body member
11. A label or sticker can be placed on the identification space 12
that will specify the owner of the beverage. Conceivably, any
picture, logo, or mark could be used to distinguish the bottle
stopper 10 to identify the owner of the bottle. FIG. 4 shows the
stopper 10 in use and in place on a beer bottle 20
[0027] FIGS. 5-7 show alternative embodiments of the stopper 10
where the main body member 11 is formed in various ornamental
designs. FIG. 5 shows the main body member 11 in the shape of a
billiard ball 21. FIG. 6 shows the main body member 11 in the shape
of a skull 22. FIG. 7 shows the main body member 11 in the shape of
a sword or dagger handle 23. It is understood that main body member
11 could be formed into various ornamental designs.
[0028] It is also appreciated that additional advantages,
modifications and equivalent embodiments will be apparent to those
skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention, in its broader
aspects, is not limited to the specific details and representative
devices, shown and described herein. Accordingly, various
modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or
scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims and their
equivalents.
* * * * *