U.S. patent application number 11/743092 was filed with the patent office on 2008-11-06 for flashng bottle pourer.
Invention is credited to Christopher W. Buker, Scott Landon.
Application Number | 20080272147 11/743092 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39938843 |
Filed Date | 2008-11-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080272147 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Buker; Christopher W. ; et
al. |
November 6, 2008 |
FLASHNG BOTTLE POURER
Abstract
A lighted bottle pourer has a standard shape and size top spout
and lower stopper base. The bottle pourer is inserted into the top
of a liquor bottle. Inside the top spout is a circuit board having
two small liquid activated leads that stick out into the central
pouring tube. The circuit board containing the electronics also has
two LEDs that protrude through a reflective ring and a power supply
of batteries. When liquid is poured from the bottle, through the
spout and out of the top, the liquid activated leads cause the
electrical circuit to be energized and light up the LEDs. When the
bartender is finished pouring out the liquor, the leads return the
electronic circuit to the open position and the LEDs are shut
off.
Inventors: |
Buker; Christopher W.;
(Orlando, FL) ; Landon; Scott; (Orlando,
FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DON W. WEBER
235 BRISTOL
TROY
IL
62294
US
|
Family ID: |
39938843 |
Appl. No.: |
11/743092 |
Filed: |
May 1, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
222/113 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 47/06 20130101;
B65D 51/248 20130101; B65D 2547/063 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
222/113 |
International
Class: |
B65D 5/66 20060101
B65D005/66 |
Claims
1: A lighted bottle pouring device, comprising: (a) a top pourer
spout having a central pouring corridor and a lower base; (b) a
circuit board located in said lower spout base having at least one
LED, a power source, and a switching mechanism; (c) a lower sealing
unit having a central pouring corridor in fluid communication with
said spout pouring corridor, attached to the lower part of said top
spout base; (d) a stopper sealing base having a central pouring
corridor in fluid communication with said sealing unit pouring
corridor, attached to the lower part of said sealing unit; wherein
said bottle pouring device may be illuminated when said switch is
activated.
2: A lighted bottle pouring device as in claim 1, wherein said
switching mechanism comprises a liquid activated sensor switch
located in said pouring corridor wherein said switch activates said
LEDs when liquid is poured into said bottle pouring device.
3: A lighted bottle pouring device as in claim 1, further
comprising a reflective ring located in said spout lower base
having holes for receiving said at least one LED.
4: A lighted bottle pouring device as in claim 1, wherein said
switching mechanism comprises a manual switch to activate said
LEDs.
5: A lighted bottle pouring device as in claim 1, wherein said at
least one LED flashes.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to the field of fluid dispensing.
More particularly, a lighted and flashing liquor bottle pourer is
presented.
[0002] The field of liquid dispensing has many tasks and devices
have been introduced to solve many different problems. For example,
fountain dispensers have evolved over the past decades from owner
operated to customer dispensing units. Different inventions and
improvements have been made to increase productivity or the
enjoyment of beverages over the years.
[0003] In the liquor bartending business in particular, various
types of inventions have been devised to aid the bartender in his
daily work. A bartender has to pour liquor from many different
bottles over the course of a day's work. In addition, he or she has
to pour discreet amounts of liquor or other drinks into glasses in
order to create the various drinks served. A bartender may use a
jigger, or measuring glass, to prepare drinks. However, this
procedure is time consuming and hence not cost effective.
[0004] One of the more useful applications has come in the discreet
amount dispensing pourers. In order to improve the speed and
accuracy of pouring a mixed drink, discreet pourers were devised to
automatically measure and dispense portions of liquor for mixed
drinks. These discreet pourers were in the form of removable caps
for liquor bottles. The caps each had a mechanism for first
measuring and then dispensing liquor. Improvements over these
discreet pouring caps have recently become available.
[0005] Some improvements to the pourer art have included a pourer
spout that has a magnetically operated valve. In U.S. Pat. No.
3,920,149 an actuator ring was placed around the pourer spout and
connected by a cable to a computer. When the bottle and ring were
inverted, a switch closed, causing an electromagnetic driver coil
in the spring to be energized. After a set amount of liquor was
dispensed, the computer closed the valve. Such a device not only
measures and dispenses discreet amounts of liquor; it also insures
that the bartender is not serving extra drinks to preferred
customers.
[0006] Yet another example of a pourer is found in the 1997 patent
issued to Loehrke. U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,430 disclosed a separate
spout with a magnetically operated valve that enables the
storeowner to record the amount of liquor dispensed from each
bottle. Such a device can aid in keeping inventory data
current.
[0007] Another example of a sophisticated discreet pourer cap is
found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,354,468 issued to Riek in 2002. The Riek
disclosure describes a beverage dispenser transponder system which
measures a discreet amount of liquor to be dispensed and then
electronically records such pouring at a central location, usually
the cash register of the bar or restaurant. Riek utilizes an
electromagnetic actuator stopper valve to measure and allow
dispensing of liquor from a bottle. The actuator valve is located
in the pouring spout of the Riek device. When liquor is dispensed,
a radio frequency signal is sent from the uniquely identified
bottle to a central data storage decoder. All types of data can be
recorded such as quantity dispensed, volume remaining in the
bottle, cost of the drink, and even the time required to dispense a
particular volume of liquor. The name of the drink or bottle can
also be displayed along with other data.
[0008] The bartending business is a leisure-based business and
aesthetics are an important part of the business. The more
attractive or unique the bar, the more customers are willing to
come to the business and spend their time and resources enjoying
the ambiance of the bar or restaurant. In an attempt to improve the
overall appearance of the bar or liquor, ornamental pouring spouts
have also been introduced. These spouts come in a variety of shapes
and sizes, all designed to improve the appearance of the seating
area. It would be an improvement over the known art to provide
aesthetically pleasing pouring spouts that light up when in
use.
[0009] With the introduction of miniaturization, electronic
novelties have also been introduced into the bar, restaurant and
entertainment industries. Examples of electronic applications in
the bar and restaurant industry include neon lighting, flashing or
rotating lighting and similar visual attractions. It is an object
of this invention to provide lighting for the various bottle
pourers when liquor is being dispensed from the bottle.
[0010] Another object of this invention may be found in the
variation of the use of lighted bottle pourers. In one embodiment
of the invention disclosed, the bottle pourers may be manually
lighted even when they are not in use. This manually lighting of
the bottles would also enhance the ambiance of the bar area. It is
a still further object of this invention to provide lighted bottle
pourers that remain lighted when they are situated on the shelves
in the area behind the bar.
[0011] Other and further objects of this invention will become
obvious upon reading the below described specification.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0012] A lighted bottle pourer is presented that flashes when a
bartender pours liquid from a bottle into a glass. The top spout
and lower stopper of the bottle pourer have a shape similar to
standard bottle pourers used in the industry. However, contained
inside the lower part of the spout are an electronic circuit board,
batteries, a reflector ring and LEDs. Liquid activated sensors are
placed inside the pouring tube or corridor. These sensors come into
contact with liquid as it is being poured through the bottle
pourer. The liquid activated sensors switch on the electrical
circuit when they are in contact with liquid. This lights up the
LEDs and illuminates the bottle pourer spout. A flashing circuit is
also provided which alternately lights up the LEDs. A manual switch
may also be provided to override the liquid activated switches to
turn the electrical circuitry on or off as desired.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
[0013] FIG. 1 is a front view of the bottle pourer with the central
pouring corridor shown in phantom lines.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a side view of the bottle pourer.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a side exploded perspective view of the device
showing the top spout, battery base and batteries, lower sealing
unit and stopper sealing base.
[0016] FIG. 4 is a side cutaway exploded view of the electronic
circuitry of the device showing the reflector ring, circuit board
and battery base.
[0017] FIG. 5 is an electrical schematic of the device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0018] A bottle pourer, especially for liquor bottles, has an
irregularly shaped top 1 and a stopper-sealing base 12. The top 1
has a pourer spout 2 generally as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. At the
lower part of the pourer top 1 is a cylindrical base 3. This
cylindrical base 3 contains the electronics of the present
invention. A central pouring corridor 10 runs longitudinally
through the inner part of the cylindrical base. The electronic
circuit board 5 is essentially doughnut shaped with a hole in the
central part to accommodate the central pouring corridor.
[0019] Sealed inside the base 3 are a top reflector ring 4, a
circuit board 5, a battery base 6 and batteries 9. The electronic
elements of this invention are best shown on FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. The
top cylindrical reflector ring 4 is very thin, with a hole in the
central part to accommodate the central pouring corridor 10, and
has a reflective upper surface to highlight the visual effect of
the left 7 and right 8 LEDs. The reflector ring 4 has at least one
small LED hole for each LED. In the preferred embodiment of the
invention two LEDs are placed on opposite sides of the reflecting
ring 4 on the approximate diameter and protrude slightly through
the respective left 7' and right 8' LED holes in the reflecting
ring.
[0020] The essentially cylindrical sealed base 3 also contains an
essentially cylindrical solid-state circuit board 5. The circuit
board 5 has a hole in its central section and is doughnut shaped.
The circuit board 5 is isolated from the liquid as the liquid is
poured through the central pouring corridor 10. This circuit board
has liquid activated sensor switches embedded into the circuit
board as best shown on FIG. 5. These switches have small leads 14
that protrude into the central longitudinal pouring corridor 10.
The leads are sealed as they pass through the walls of the central
pouring corridor to maintain the isolation of the electronic parts
on the circuit board 5 from the liquid.
[0021] The essentially cylindrical longitudinal central pouring
corridor 10 runs continuously from the bottom of the pourer stopper
all the way to the top spout nozzle 2, as best shown on FIG. 1. As
the bartender or other user inverts the bottle, liquid flows
through the central pouring corridor 10 and is dispensed out the
top nozzle 2. This pouring action fills up the central pouring
corridor 10 with liquid. Because the liquid activated sensors 14
protrude into the central pouring corridor 10 the sensors are
activated when liquid is poured through the corridor. However, the
circuit board 5, batteries 9 and LEDs 7 and 8 are isolated from the
liquid.
[0022] When the liquid activated sensor leads 14 are touched
simultaneously by the liquid they close the circuitry and light up
the left 7 and right 8 LEDs as shown on the electrical schematic
diagram of FIG. 5. When the pour is completed, the liquid no longer
fills the central pouring corridor 10 and the sensors return to
their normally open condition. The normally open condition of the
sensors breaks the circuit and the LEDs are turned off. As an extra
feature of this invention, a small switch may be added to complete
the circuitry at the direction of the user to keep the LEDs
illuminated even when there is no liquid in the central pouring
corridor.
[0023] The left 7 and right 8 LEDs are red and green, respectively,
in the preferred embodiment. The circuitry also includes a flashing
component so that the red and green LEDs are made to alternately
flash when the sensors 14 activate the circuit. In another
embodiment within the contemplation and disclosure of this
invention, the flashing circuitry may be omitted so that the LEDs
are continuously lighted.
[0024] Located underneath the circuit board 5 is a plurality of
batteries 9 used to power the circuit. In the preferred embodiment
three small batteries are used. The batteries are electrically
connected to the circuit board 5 as shown in FIG. 5. The batteries
are above and secured to an essentially cylindrical doughnut-shaped
battery base 6. The use of solar cells as an alternative power
source is also within the spirit of this disclosure.
[0025] The cylindrical reflecting ring 4, circuit board 5 and
battery base 6 are all located within the top pourer spout base 3.
After these components have been inserted into the base 3 in the
manufacturing process, the top part of the lower sealing unit 11 is
attached to the bottom part of the lower spout base 3 and the
electrical components are sealed into the lower base 3. As stated
above, the sensors 14 protrude into the central pouring corridor
10.
[0026] Attached to the bottom of the lower sealing unit 11 is a
flexible stopper bottom base 12. The sealing unit 11 has a central
pouring corridor 10 as shown on FIG. 3. Sealing ring 16 seals the
top of the sealing unit 11 to the lower part of the central pouring
corridor 10 that runs through the top spout 1. The stopper bottom
base 12 is ridged as best shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The ridges 15
allow for a secure and tight fit between the pourer and the bottle.
To facilitate smooth pouring of the liquid, a breather tube 13 is
also provided. The top pourer spout 1 and bottom base 12 of the
device are standard in the industry.
[0027] The top pourer spout 1 of the device may be made of
transparent or translucent material so that patrons may observe the
electronic circuitry and lighting mechanism. Since the light
emitting diodes are bright, the bottle pourer will light up when
the pourer electronics is activated.
[0028] It is to be understood that the above is a description of
the preferred embodiment of the flashing pourer. The details
enumerated are meant as an illustration of the preferred and not as
a limitation on the functionality or appearance of the invention.
Minor variations on the general disclosure are well within the
contemplation and spirit of the invention. For example, one or
three or more LEDs could be used in practicing this invention. All
LEDs could be one color or each could be a different color.
Similarly, one or two batteries could be used rather than the
preferred three. Further, as stated above, the LED lights may flash
or remain constantly on during pouring or a manual or electronic
switch could be used to keep the LEDs illuminated.
* * * * *