U.S. patent application number 12/445291 was filed with the patent office on 2010-02-25 for bottle air evacuation system with stopper and vacuum pump.
Invention is credited to Anthony Kitchener, Gerard Kitchener.
Application Number | 20100043917 12/445291 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39282356 |
Filed Date | 2010-02-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100043917 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kitchener; Gerard ; et
al. |
February 25, 2010 |
BOTTLE AIR EVACUATION SYSTEM WITH STOPPER AND VACUUM PUMP
Abstract
A bottle air evacuation apparatus includes a stopper for a
bottle with the stopper having a valve component associated with a
central aperture through the stopper, along with a device for an
upper portion of the stopper for actuating a vacuum pump device
when the stopper is placed in a fixed receptor in a housing
associated with the vacuum pump. The stopper acts to trigger an
electrical sensor in the receptor and the housing is located within
a wine storage facility, which can be a storage cabinet. The device
for actuating the vacuum pump may be an inductive or conductive
device and the stopper can be a resiliently compressible material.
The conductive device is a metallic strip located about the
exterior periphery of the stopper above the shoulder. The vacuum
pump and the wine storage cabinet or freezer or refrigerator
preferably share a common power supply.
Inventors: |
Kitchener; Gerard;
(Victoria, AU) ; Kitchener; Anthony; (North
Melbourne, AU) |
Correspondence
Address: |
EDWIN D. SCHINDLER
FIVE HIRSCH AVENUE, P.O. BOX 966
CORAM
NY
11727-0966
US
|
Family ID: |
39282356 |
Appl. No.: |
12/445291 |
Filed: |
October 12, 2007 |
PCT Filed: |
October 12, 2007 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/AU2007/001546 |
371 Date: |
April 11, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
141/65 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25D 23/12 20130101;
B65B 31/047 20130101; B65D 81/2038 20130101; F16K 15/147
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
141/65 |
International
Class: |
B65B 31/04 20060101
B65B031/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 13, 2006 |
AU |
2006905668 |
Claims
1-13. (canceled)
14. A bottle air evacuation apparatus, comprising: a stopper for a
bottle with said stopper having a central aperture therethrough; a
valve component for the central aperture of said stopper; and,
means for actuating a vacuum pump when said stopper is placed in a
fixed receptor in a housing for the vacuum pump.
15. The bottle air evacuation apparatus according to claim 14,
wherein said means for actuating a vacuum pump is an inductive
device.
16. The bottle air evacuation apparatus according to claim 14,
wherein said means for actuating a vacuum pump is a conductive
device.
17. The bottle air evacuation apparatus according to claim 14,
wherein said stopper is made of a substantially resiliently
compressible material.
18. The bottle air evacuation apparatus according to claim 14,
wherein said stopper has a peripheral shoulder that, when said
stopper is located within an opening of a bottle, is located above
a rim of the bottle.
19. The bottle air evacuation apparatus according to claim 18,
wherein said means for actuating a vacuum pump is a conductive
device that includes a metallic strip located about an exterior
periphery of said stopper above said peripheral shoulder.
20. The bottle air evacuation apparatus according to claim 14,
wherein said valve component is an elongate opening provided in an
upper interior surface of said stopper, so that the elongate
opening closes in an absence of actuating the vacuum pump and the
elongate opening opens when the vacuum pump is actuated.
Description
TECHNICAL AREA
[0001] This invention relates to the area of beverage storage and
in particular to the area of storing and preserving the quality of
wines in incompletely filled wine bottles, such as occurs after
partial use, such that deterioration of the contents due to
oxidation is either avoided or Is minimal.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
[0002] It is well known that wine requires the correct temperature
and humidity to be stored correctly and to facilitate this process
cooled cabinets are often used to store unopened wines. Once wine
bottles have been opened however it is common for the unconsumed
portion of an open bottle of wine to become oxidised with storage
whether in a chilled facility or otherwise.
[0003] One means of preserving opened wines has been the removal of
air in a bottle with insertion of an inert gas into the wine
bottle, and resealing in some manner, however such methods have
proven to be difficult to effect easily. Alternate means have
included the removal of air by means of either electrical or hand
operated air evacuation devices.
[0004] With these devices a specially adapted stopper with a valve
is inserted into the mouth of a bottle and a vacuum pump device
applied to the stopper such that air is largely removed from the
bottle. These devices however have drawbacks such as excessive time
and effort to actuate, in the case of hand held devices, and high
cost and complexity in the case of electrically powered units which
also have excessive space requirements.
[0005] In a standard embodiment of this type of operation the
apparatus is mounted on a bench top or the like so that a bottle
can be brought into proximity with the apparatus and engaged with
it without requiring any particular manipulation of the bottle.
[0006] This stand alone type of apparatus is of course bulky and
requires a particular area to be put aside for its specific
purpose.
[0007] In addition these means of preserving the quality of opened
bottles of wine do not address the problems associated with storing
the wine which can only be adequately stored using specific purpose
wine storage cabinets to avoid the problems associated with
variable temperature and humidity.
[0008] Air evacuation from wine bottles is however an effective way
of preserving wine in opened bottles and the use of a one way valve
in a wine bottle stopper is desirable as a vacuum in the bottle is
maintained for an appreciable period of time. It is however
preferred that improved means of effecting this air evacuation be
provided.
OUTLINE OF THE INVENTION
[0009] A first object of the invention is to ameliorate the
problems associated with providing separate air evacuation means
and appropriate wine storage means.
[0010] A second object of the invention is to provide alternative
and improved means of effecting such air evacuation from
bottles.
[0011] While the invention is discussed herein in terms of
evacuating excess air from wine bottles it is understood that the
concepts of the invention can be applied to any air evacuating
equipment.
[0012] The invention is a bottle air evacuation system which
includes a stopper for a bottle, which stopper has a valve
component associated with a central aperture through the stopper,
and means associated with an upper portion of the stopper to
actuate a vacuum pump device when the stopper is placed in a fixed
receptor in a housing associated with the vacuum pump.
[0013] It is preferred that the means for actuating the vacuum pump
is that the stopper acts to trigger at least one electrical sensor
in the receptor.
[0014] It is also preferred that the housing be located within a
wine storage facility and that this facility be a wine storage
cabinet.
[0015] It is preferred that the means to actuate the vacuum pump be
a conductive device or alternately an inductive device.
[0016] It is preferred that the stopper be generally of a
resiliently compressible material.
[0017] It is also preferred that the stopper be provided with a
peripheral shoulder which can locate above a bottle rim.
[0018] It is further preferred that a conductive device which is a
metallic strip be located about the exterior periphery of the
stopper above the shoulder.
[0019] While any appropriate valve member may be used it is
preferred that a simple elongate opening be provided in an upper
interior surface of the stopper such that the opening seals in the
absence of vacuum pump actuation and opens when a vacuum pump
device is actuated.
[0020] It is further preferred that this aperture be
reinforced.
[0021] For convenience sake it Is preferred that the vacuum pump
device be located within a wine storage cabinet or other existent
wine storage facility.
[0022] It may be preferred that the vacuum pump be located in the
rear of a cooled cabinet and utilise its compressor or the vacuum
pump may be located inside the cooled cabinet.
[0023] While it may be preferred that the wine storage facility be
a specific purpose wine storage cabinet it may also be a unit
combined with a freezer or refrigerator which is adapted for the
storage conditions required or It may simply be associated with a
standard refrigerator with no specific wine storage area.
[0024] In order that the invention may be more readily understood
we shall describe by way of non limiting example a specific
embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
[0025] FIG. 1 Shows a wine cabinet and vacuum pump assembly;
[0026] FIG. 2 Shows cross-sections through the preferred stopper of
the invention;
[0027] FIG. 3 Shows side and perspective views of the stopper of
the invention;
[0028] FIG. 4 Shows the stopper inserted in a partly filled
bottle;
[0029] FIG. 5 Shows the neck of a wine bottle and stopper inserted
into the vacuum pump receptor;
DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
[0030] The invention relates to a means for removing air from a
bottle of wine, which is normally stored in a wine cabinet, from
which bottle the wine has been at least partially removed. When the
neck of a bottle is inserted into a receptor in the wine cabinet,
interaction between a stopper and contacts in an adaptor or signal
converter in the receptor causes air to flow from the bottle to the
pump until a preset pressure is reached and a pressure switch stops
the pump.
[0031] By this means a fast and repeatable vacuum may be obtained
for multiple bottles of wine and after evacuation of the air the
bottle of wine may be stored in the cabinet.
[0032] In one embodiment of the invention a cooled cabinet 10 is
fitted with a vacuum pump 11 located adjacent a convenient part of
the cabinet, in the case shown in FIG. 1 being the top, although
the rear or anywhere chosen on the wine cabinet could be preferred.
This vacuum pump 11 is connected by tube 12 to an internal receptor
16 in housing 14.
[0033] A custom designed stopper 30 is provided for a wine bottle
20 which stopper is adapted to cooperate with receptor 16 in the
wine cabinet 10 such that when the stopper in the top of a bottle
enters the housing 14 the pump 11 is actuated and air is evacuated
from the bottle.
[0034] The vacuum pump is preferably powered from the same source
as the cooled cabinet and a transformer ensures that the current
through the receptor contacts is low. The source of power to the
pump is however not restricted in the invention.
[0035] The means to activate the pump, and its Interaction with the
stopper, is also not restricted In the invention however a
preferred embodiment will be described as follows.
[0036] In this embodiment of the invention actuation of the pump is
effected by conductive means.
[0037] The stopper 30 is manufactured from a generally resilient
material and has a central aperture 31 therethrough and has a valve
component 35 in an upper surface 34 of the stopper surmounting this
central aperture. The valve 35 takes the form of an elongate slit
in this upper surface 34 and upon actuation of the vacuum pump 11
air is drawn through this valve and from the bottle
[0038] The stopper is provided with a peripheral shoulder which
surmounts the upper rim 25 of the bottle. A neck 37 extends above
the shoulder 36 and a metallic conductive ring 38 surrounds the
outer periphery of this neck.
[0039] When the bottle neck and stopper are Inserted into the
housing 14 contact between of conductive ring 38 and contacts in
the sides of receptor 16 in the housing causes a current to flow
along conductors 32 which activates the vacuum pump 11. The precise
switching means used to control the timing of the pump action is
not restricted in the invention however it Is preferred that the
pump switch off when the desired pressure has been reached.
[0040] At this time the bottle and stopper can be removed and a
seal effected and the bottle may be stored in the cabinet.
[0041] Alternate means may be used to actuate the pump and these
may include such things as a push button or perhaps opening the
cabinet door, this could also be effected by quickly opening and
closing the door. Similarly, should the pressure switch not act in
a given time a timer may be used to turn off the pump.
[0042] It may also be preferred that a proximity sensor determine
when the stopper is adjacent the adaptor and actuate the pump.
[0043] While the embodiment of the invention described is preferred
alternative embodiments of the invention could include the
following.
[0044] In one embodiment of the invention the stopper can be
manufactured from an electrically conductive material such as a
plastic polymer with a suitable conductive filler. The adaptor is
made of non conductive material and fitted with two electrical
contacts.
[0045] When the stopper is brought in close proximity with the
adaptor and the conductive stopper touches the isolated contacts an
electrical circuit is made.
[0046] By means of a sensitive relay the small electrical current
flowing through the stopper may be used to initiate operation of
the pump. After the pump runs it continues to do so until a
pressure sensitive switch, or other such device, indicates that the
desired bottle pressure has been reached. It is however preferable
that direct electrical contact not be made.
[0047] The concept of the invention is not restricted to the
configuration of the apparatus herein described and therefore,
whilst we have described here an embodiment of the invention
incorporating an air evacuation device in association with a wine
storage device or the like, and also various means of actuating the
air evacuation device, it is envisaged that other embodiments of
the Invention will exhibit any number of and any combination of the
features previously described. It is further to be understood that
variations and modifications in this can be made without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *