Household Appraratus For Storing Bottles,notably Bottles Of Wine That Have Been Opened And/or Partially Consumed

Abstract

This household apparatus (1) comprises a vacuum draught head (60, 62) for each bottle (2, 3), each head delimiting a suction passageway suitable for being connected to a vacuum source (6). In order to make the use of this apparatus extremely easy and fast, while obtaining a storage via the vacuum that is of good quality and stable over time, means (110) for moving each head mechanically guide the head relative to a frame (10) of the apparatus and press each head in sealed contact against the neck (4, 5) of the bottle so that its suction passageway emerges in the neck when the bottle occupies a predetermined position that is fixed relative to the frame.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a household appliance for storing at least one bottle containing a beverage and having a neck that is open, in particular a bottle of wine that has been uncorked and/or partially consumed.

[0002] In order to preserve wine, or more generally any beverage, in an open bottle, it is well known that it is necessary to prevent the beverage from coming into contact with the oxygen of the air, since otherwise its taste and organoleptic properties in particular will deteriorate rapidly. Furthermore, it is preferable to keep the bottle at a given temperature, depending on the quality of the wine, this temperature generally being lower than room temperature in rooms that are occupied on a daily basis.

[0003] In the field of professional wine service, in particular in restaurants, there exist appliances for this purpose that make use of a first pipe that opens out into the top portion of the bottle so as to apply a continuous pressure of a gas that is inert, such as nitrogen, this pressure advantageously being used to drive wine out through a second pipe so as to serve the wine without it being necessary to remove the system that supports the first and second pipes and that is fitted in leaktight manner to the neck of the bottle. Appliances of that kind require the second pipe to be immersed in the volume of wine down to the bottom of the bottle, such that the appliance must normally be cleaned each time the bottle is changed. Such handling is time-consuming and in any event completely ill-suited to domestic use, which by definition must be simple and easy for a non-professional user. In addition, the cost of that kind of appliance remains high.

[0004] The invention thus applies to household appliances, i.e. to appliances that seek to increase comfort and make life easier at home, and in particular it relates to household appliances for preservation purposes. In this field, a first known solution, derived from the above-mentioned professional solution, consists in injecting an inert and/or heavy gas into an uncorked wine bottle prior to reclosing the bottle with its original cork. Using an inert gas requires the air that was previously contained in the bottle to be expelled therefrom, while using a heavy gas does not require the entire bottle to be filled with the gas, since the presence of a "gas buffer" on the free surface of the wine suffices, in principle, to prevent the wine oxidizing. Once the bottle has been recorked, it is then stored in a cabinet or in a container, preferably having its inside temperature adjusted to the quality of the wine stored in this way. It can be understood that the handling operations needed to preserve the wine in an open bottle are thus numerous and fiddly for the user, and that they take a long time, which means that they are perceived as being similar to household chores, far removed from the pleasure a user seeks in having a good wine available for consumption over several days.

[0005] Another known solution consists in using a suction head for evacuating the bottle, and in known appliances this is presented in the form of a special stopper incorporating a valve: after the special stopper has been fitted to the neck of the bottle in which wine is to be preserved, the user actuates a vacuum pump, either manually or using electrical power, so as to suck the air contained in the top portion of the bottle out through a passage that is defined in the special stopper. Once a satisfactory level of vacuum has been reached, the vacuum pump is separated and the special stopper is left in place, with its valve preventing outside air from penetrating into the top portion of the bottle. The bottle is then put away in a cabinet or a container, which is preferably refrigerated. Evacuating the bottle thus avoids the need to make use of an inert and/or heavy gas, which would present significant cost, which might not be harmless in terms of health and long-term effects on the environment, and in any event which presents a "chemical" aspect that some users find unpleasant. In addition, in order to reach a satisfactory level of vacuum inside the bottle, handling such suction heads can be particularly troublesome because of the length of time it takes the user and because of the sealing difficulties involved.

[0006] Furthermore, both with appliances using inert and/or heavy gases and with appliances that enable the bottle to be evacuated, the quality with which the wine is preserved generally falls off rapidly since, insofar as the free surface of the wine is greater inside a partially consumed bottle than in a full bottle, where the free surface of the wine is in the neck, outside air tends naturally to be drawn back in through the stopper closing the bottle.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to propose a household appliance for storing at least one uncorked bottle, which appliance is extremely easy and quick to use, while guaranteeing high quality preservation that is stable over time.

[0008] To this end, the invention provides a household appliance for preserving a beverage contained in at least one bottle that has already been opened, such as an uncorked bottle of wine, the appliance being as defined in claim 1.

[0009] The idea underlying the invention is to seek great simplification in the handling that a user needs to perform, so that the user needs to perform only the natural and agreeable actions of taking hold of an opened bottle and pouring out the liquid it contains, where necessary several times over, and then placing the bottle in or returning it to a predetermined location in which the appliance in accordance with the invention guarantees that the liquid remaining in the bottle is preserved. For this purpose, the idea on which the invention is based is to avoid any need for the user to move the neck of the bottle manually up to the suction head for evacuating the bottle, by making provision for this movement to take place automatically, or at least for it to be assisted by the appliance, by virtue of its means for moving the suction head. In practice, the head is mounted to be movable relative to the case of the appliance, with the path followed by the head in movement being predetermined so that when the user places or returns the opened bottle in a predetermined stationary location relative to the case, the above-mentioned means for moving the head guide it effectively to the neck of the bottle, regardless of the height of the bottle. Furthermore, the above means for moving the head are designed, in accordance with the invention, to press and hold the head against the neck of the bottle so as to guarantee good sealing between the head and the neck. A vacuum can then pass effectively through the suction passage defined by the head so as to evacuate the bottle, i.e. reduce its inside pressure to a level that is satisfactory for preserving the liquid it contains. Typically, in order to preserve wine, the level of the vacuum needs to reach more than 0.1 bar less than atmospheric pressure. In addition, the way these means for moving the head press the head in leaktight manner against the neck of the bottle is reproducible and stable over time, thereby guaranteeing a high level of preservation for the liquid contained in the bottle.

[0010] In practice, actuating the vacuum source, such as a vacuum pump, and acquiring the means for moving the head, in particular the portion of said means linked to move with the head, can be controlled in different ways. Advantageously, user participation in these actions is minimal, the user doing no more, for example, than to press directly on a switch, or to close a door, the door co-operating with the case to define a compartment for storing the bottle, and the compartment preferably being refrigerated, or to apply a very simple drive force to the head, e.g. pushing it downwards. Sensors for identifying the presence of a bottle in its predetermined position relative to the case may even be provided for controlling the above-mentioned actions, thereby further reducing the contribution of the user in said actions. In any event, it will be understood that once these actions have started, the user can move away quickly from the appliance in accordance with the invention, since the appliance can advantageously move the head automatically until it makes leaktight contact against the neck of the bottle and then, likewise automatically, it can evacuate the bottle without any need for the user to take further action. In other words, the appliance of the invention operates, at least to a large extent, in time while the user can be doing something else.

[0011] Additional characteristics of the appliance of the invention that are advantageous taken in isolation or in any technical feasible combination are specified in dependent claims 2 to 15.

[0012] The invention can be better understood on reading the following description given purely by way of example and made with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic front elevation view of an appliance in accordance with the invention;

[0014] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the FIG. 1 appliance, with several components thereof omitted from FIG. 2 for reasons of clarity;

[0015] FIG. 3 is a fragmentary diagrammatic section on line of FIG. 1;

[0016] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a refrigerator element of the appliance, shown on its own;

[0017] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a vacuum suction head forming part of the appliance of FIGS. 1 and 2;

[0018] FIGS. 6 to 8 are diagrammatic sections of the head on the plane VI marked in FIG. 5, showing three different respective configurations of use of the head within the appliance;

[0019] FIG. 9 is a view analogous to FIG. 1 of a variant appliance in accordance with the invention;

[0020] FIGS. 10A and 10B are diagrammatic sections on line XI-XI marked in FIG. 1, relating to another variant embodiment of the appliance in accordance with the invention;

[0021] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another embodiment of an appliance in accordance with the invention;

[0022] FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the FIG. 11 appliance with some of the components thereof omitted to enable the inside of the appliance to be observed;

[0023] FIG. 13 is a fragmentary section on plane XIII of FIG. 12;

[0024] FIG. 14 is an elevation view seen looking along XIV of FIG. 12;

[0025] FIG. 15 is a perspective view from a viewing angle different from that of FIGS. 11 and 12, showing a portion only of the appliance, and including in particular one of its vacuum suction heads;

[0026] FIG. 16 is a fragmentary section on XVI-XVI of FIG. 14, showing the FIG. 15 portion of the appliance mounted in a utilization configuration different from that shown in FIG. 12;

[0027] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a refrigerator element of the appliance of FIGS. 11 to 16, shown on its own; and

[0028] FIG. 18 is a fragmentary diagrammatic section of the FIG. 17 refrigerator element, analogous to FIG. 3.

[0029] FIGS. 1 to 3 show a household appliance 1 for conserving two bottles of wine 2 and 3. Each bottle 2, 3 includes a neck 4, 5 at its top end enabling the wine to be taken, i.e. enabling the wine contained in the bottle to be poured out therefrom. The necks 4 and 5 are uncorked, i.e. they do not have their own stoppers, typically made of cork, that serve originally to keep the bottle closed in leaktight manner to enable it to be transported from a bottling site to an uncorking site where the consumer removes the original cork, in order to consume the wine contained in the bottle.

[0030] The appliance 1 comprises a case 10 for storing bottles 2 and 3. In the example shown in the figures, the case advantageously presents an outside shape that is generally cylindrical, on a circular base and centered on a vertical axis X-X. The inside volume of the case 10 is subdivided into two main sub-volumes, considered as being located respectively at the front and at the rear, it being understood that when the appliance 1 is in normal operation, the front sub-volume faces towards the user while the rear sub-volume 12 faces the other way. These front and rear sub-volumes are separated from each other by a vertical partition 14 permanently incorporated in the case 10 and extending in a diametral plane thereof, i.e. in a plane containing the axis X-X. The front sub-volume is thus defined, at its rear, by the partition 14, towards the top, by a ceiling wall 16, and towards the bottom by a floor wall 18. In addition, the front sub-volume is subdivided into two lateral compartments, respectively a left compartment 20 and a right compartment 22 as seen by the user looking at the appliance 1 from in front. For this purpose, the compartments 20 and 22 are separated by a vertical partition 24 lying in a diametral plane of the case 10, and forming a plane of symmetry for the compartments 20 and 22 in this example. On its side remote from the partition 24, the compartment 20 is closed by a side wall 26 which, in this example, corresponds to a portion of the cylindrical shape of the case 10. Symmetrically about the partition 24, the side wall 28 closes the right compartment on its side remote from the partition 24.

[0031] The compartments 20 and 22 are dimensioned to receive respective ones of the bottles 2 and 3 in a vertical configuration, with their bottoms bearing in stable manner on the floor wall 18 and their necks 4, 5 directed towards the ceiling wall 16. For this purpose, at the front of the case 10, the partition 24 and the walls 16 and 18 define firstly in co-operation with the wall 26 an opening 30 giving access to the compartment 20 for the bottle 2, and secondly in co-operation with the wall 28 an opening 32 giving access to the compartment 22 for the bottle 3.

[0032] In optional but preferred manner, the compartments 20 and 22 are refrigerated, i.e. they are associated with refrigerator means adapted to lower the temperatures inside the compartments compared with ambient temperature outside the case 10. The refrigerator means may be of any known type, and preferably, as shown, it is in the form of a single Peltier element 34, i.e. a single thermoelectric element suitable for converting electrical energy into a flow of heat. As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the Peltier element 34 comprises a main body 36 generally in the form of a rectangular block and permanently fastened to the partition 14, passing through it and extending over substantially the entire horizontal dimension thereof. In a manner that is not shown in the figures, the body 36 contains thermoelectric components suitable for generating a flow of heat between the cold front face 38 and the hot rear face 40 of the body 36. For this purpose, each of its faces 38 and 40 is constituted by an air heat exchanger, in particular in the form of a metal radiator structure.

[0033] On its rear face 40, the body 36 is fitted with a fan unit 42 that stirs the air in the rear sub-volume 12. On its front face 38, the body 36 has two fan units 44 and 46, serving to stir the air contained in the compartments 20 and 22, respectively. For this purpose, the front face 38 is split in its middle portion by a vertical groove for receiving the partition 24, as can clearly be seen in FIG. 3. In operation, the partition 24 thus isolates the compartments 20 and 22 thermally from each other.

[0034] By having bottles 2 and 3 that contain respective wines having different qualities, associated with respective different preservation temperatures in storage, the structure of the Peltier element 34 presents a particular advantage. Since the compartments 20 and 22 then need to present different internal temperatures, the thermal stresses on the front face 38 of the element 34 are asymmetrical on opposite sides of the partition 24. In other words, assuming by way of example that the compartment 20 needs to be refrigerated more than the compartment 22, then the portion of the front face 38 carrying the fan unit 44 is stressed thermally to a greater extent than the portion of said face 38 carrying the fan unit 46. This leads to large refrigeration capacity for the compartment 20, in particular to refrigeration capacity that is greater than that that would be obtained by a standard Peltier element having only one fan on its cold side, for constant electricity consumption.

[0035] To maintain substantially constant temperatures in the compartments 20 and 22, the case 10 is fitted with two movable doors 50 and 52. Each door 50 and 52 is movable relative to the case between a position where it closes the corresponding opening 30, 32, as shown for the right compartment 22 in FIGS. 1 and 2, and an open position where it releases access to the opening, as shown for the left compartment 20 in the figures. Advantageously, as can clearly be seen in FIG. 2 where numerous components of the appliance including the Peltier element 34 are omitted for reasons of clarity, each door 50, 52 is generally in the form of a portion of a cylinder that matches the cylindrical outside shape of the case 10 and that is centered on the axis X-X. As a result, each door 50, 52 is mounted on the case 10 so as to pass between its closed and open positions by moving generally in rotation about the axis X-X. This movement in rotation is represented by an arrow 54 for the door 50 passing from its open position towards its closed position, whereas the door 52 passing from its closed position to its open position is represented by an arrow 56.

[0036] Each compartment 20, 22 is fitted internally with a head 60, 62 making it possible, as explained in greater detail below, to evacuate the corresponding bottle 2,3, i.e. to extract a large fraction of the air present in the top portion of the bottle, between the free surface of the wine it contains and the top end of its neck 4, 5. The heads 60 and 62 are identical to each other, the head 60 being shown in greater detail in FIGS. 5 to 8, such that only the head 60 is described in detail below, it being understood that the head 62 presents the same arrangement.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the head 60 comprises a main tubular body 64 of longitudinal central axis Z-Z that extends vertically, in operation. At its bottom end, the body 64 is surrounded by an outer edge 66 extended in diametrically opposite directions relative to the axis Z-Z by two horizontal branches 68. The top end of the body 64 forms a tube 70 for connection to a flexible hose 72 (FIGS. 1 and 2) connected at its end remote from the head 60 to an electrically-driven vacuum pump 6. The hose connecting the head 62 to the same vacuum pump 6 is referenced 74 in FIGS. 1 and 2. In the figures, the vacuum pump 6 is shown in highly diagrammatic manner for the purpose of understanding the invention, it being understood that in practice it is arranged and hidden in the rear sub-volume 12 of the case 10 where it is powered electrically.

[0038] In its main portion, the body 64 is provided internally with a valve 76 that is permanently fitted, e.g. by screwing an outside thread of the valve into inside tapping of the body 64. The valve 76 is a commercially available component and it is not shown in detail in the figures, it being specified that it is partially hollowed so as to put its top and bottom ends into fluid flow communication therethrough when used under specific conditions described in detail below.

[0039] The head 60 also includes a base 78 arranged essentially beneath the body 64 and presenting a generally tubular shape, centered on the axis Z-Z. The bottom end of this base 78 is shaped as a truncated cone, thereby defining a frustoconical outside structure 80 centered on the axis Z-Z and flaring towards the body 64.

[0040] In its main portion, the base 78 is provided with an annular outside flange 82 extending around the entire periphery of the base. On its bottom side, the flange 82 is permanently secured to a flat gasket 84 centered on the axis Z-Z, with the top end of the frustoconical surface 80 terminating thereat. On its top side, the flange 82 is provided with an O-ring 86 centered on the axis Z-Z and fitted around the tubular body of the base 78.

[0041] At its top end, the flange 82 is also provided, in permanent manner, with two vertical pegs 88 that are diametrically opposite about the axis Z-Z. The pegs 88 enable the base 78 to be assembled to the body 64, and for this purpose they are slidably received in two complementary holes 90 passing vertically through the branches 78. The base 78 is thus movable in translation along the axis Z-Z relative to the body 64, by each peg 88 slidably co-operating with its hole 90. The movements in translation between the body 64 and the base 78 are limited, downwards, by the flange 82 against which the bottom faces of the branches 78 can come into abutment, and, upwards, by screws 92 permanently fastened to the top ends of the pegs 88 and having heads that can come into abutment against the top faces of the branches 78, with respective washers being interposed therebetween.

[0042] The base 78 is thus movable relative to the body 64 between a low extreme position shown in FIG. 6 in which the base and the body are spaced apart from each other, with the top end of the base being received in non-leaktight manner in the bottom opening of the body 64, and a high extreme position shown in FIG. 7 in which the base and the body press vertically one against the other, with the O-ring 86 being interposed between them, thereby sealing the connection between the top opening of the base 78 and the bottom opening of the body 64. In this high position, the bottom end of the valve 76 presses against a horizontal bridge of material 94 extending across the top opening of the base 78, such that via internal arrangements of the valve 76 that are not shown, the central through orifice 96 of the body 64 is put into fluid flow communication via the valve with the through central orifice 98 in the base 78. These two orifices 96 and 98 then form an air suction passage 100 between the bottom end of the base 78 and the top end of the body 64. In the low position of the base 78, the bottom end of the valve 76 is spaced apart from the bridge 94, such that by means of the above-mentioned internal arrangements, the valve 76 isolates the orifices 96 and 98 hermetically from each other, which amounts to closing the passage 100.

[0043] The appliance 1 also includes mechanical means 110 for moving the head 60 relative to the case 10, and shown in FIG. 1 but not in FIG. 2. In practice, the means 110 are duplicated for moving the respective heads 60 and 62 independently of each other, it being understood that each set of means 110 presents a structure that is identical, being arranged in a respective one of the compartments 20 and 22. The means 110 associated with the compartment 20 are described in detail below, it being understood that the means 110 associated with the compartment 22 are constituted by the same components as those described below and are given the same numerical references in the figures.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 1, the means 110 comprise a horizontal bar 112 having its longitudinal ends received in respective vertical slideways 114 and 116, that are fastened respectively to the wall 26 and to the partition 24. Co-operation between the longitudinal ends of the bar 112 and these slideways 114 and 116 enables the bar 112 to be guided vertically relative to the case 10.

[0045] In order to drive the bar 112 mechanically relative to the case 10, the means 110 include movement transmission elements between the bar and the corresponding door 50. In particular, in the embodiment described, these transmission elements are designed to transform the rotary movement of the door 50 about the axis X-X between its open and closed positions into vertical movement in translation. For this purpose, the above-mentioned transmission elements include, for example, a vertical wormscrew 118: that is driven in rotation about its axis by the door 50; that meshes with a tapped nut 120 secured to the case 10; and that has one end secured to the bar 112. As a result, when the door 50 goes from its open position to its closed position, the screw 118 moves in translation so as to move the bar 112 from a high position, as shown in the compartment 20, to a low position, as shown in the compartment 22. Conversely, when the door 50 goes from its closed position to its open position, the bar 112 is moved from its low position to its high position, because the transmission of movement by the screw 118 is reversible. Naturally, other embodiments of the transmission elements can be envisaged.

[0046] The means 110 for moving the head further include two vertical rods 130 and 132 connecting the bar 112 to the head 60. Each rod 130, 132 is mounted to slide vertically both through the bar 112 and through one of the branches 68 of the body 64. Means for stopping movement in translation, such as clips 134, prevent each rod from disengaging downwards from the bar 112 and from disengaging upwards from the branches 68. The bar 112 and the body 64 are normally spaced apart vertically from each other by a spring 136 interposed between them, advantageously being arranged around one of the rods 130 and 132.

[0047] There follows a description of how the appliance 1 is used.

[0048] Initially, it is assumed that the compartment 20 is empty, with the corresponding door 50 open. The user who has uncorked the bottle 2 and has consumed only a fraction of the wine it contained, places the bottle manually in the compartment 20, vertically under the head 60. The user is advantageously assisted in appropriately positioning the bottle relative to the head by an element 140 that is secured to the case 10 and that is shaped for this purpose. In the embodiment shown in the figures, this positioning element 140 is in the form of a fork with the bottle 2 being inserted between the front ends of its branches, thereby being progressively centered between the branches when the user pushes the bottle rearwards, until it comes into abutment against the end where the branches meet each other, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this predetermined stationary position for the bottle 2, the neck 4 is situated vertically beneath the base 78 of the head 60, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6.

[0049] After letting go the bottle 2, which remains in stable manner with its bottom standing on the floor wall 18, the user causes the door 50 to go into its closed position. In practice, the user pushes the door manually, in particular using the same hand as was previously used for putting the bottle in the compartment 20, or in a variant the user presses a finger of that hand on a switch for controlling motor drive, in particular electrical drive of the door 50. The door thus goes from its open position to its closed position by moving in rotation about the axis X-X, as represented by arrow 54. This rotary movement is transmitted to the bar 112, in particular by the screw 118, which converts it into downward movement in translation, thereby moving said bar from its high position to its low position. This downward movement in translation of the bar 112 is transmitted by the spring 136 to the body 64 of the head 60, as represented by arrows 150 in FIGS. 2 and 6. The downward movement of the body 64 causes the base 78 to move in corresponding manner by the inside faces of the branches 68 bearing against the top face of the flange 82, until the base 78 is pressed against the neck 4 of the bottle 2, as shown in FIG. 7. More precisely, when the base 78 comes into the immediate vicinity of the neck 4, its frustoconical surface 80 penetrates vertically downwards inside the neck so that by sliding contact between said surface 80 and the inside face of the neck, the neck becomes progressively centered relative to the head 60, i.e. its longitudinal axis tends to become aligned with the axis Z-Z. In the configuration of FIG. 7, the head 60 and the bottle 2 are thus centered one relative to the other, with the gasket 84 vertically interposed and squeezed between the neck 4 and the flange 82 of the base 78.

[0050] It should be understood that the spring 136 presents considerable stiffness, in the sense that it transmits the downward drive force between the bar 112 and the body 64 so as to press the base 78 firmly against the neck 4, without itself being significantly compressed. Where appropriate, the downward movement of the rods 130 and 132 may continue, particularly so long as the door 50 has not reached its closed position. The spring 136 then compresses to accommodate the extra stroke of the bar 112 relative to the base 78. The head 60 is thus effectively put into place on the neck 4 regardless of the height of the bottle 2, i.e. the vertical distance between the top end of its neck and the floor wall 18. The appliance 1 thus automatically handles bottles of different heights.

[0051] As explained above, in the FIG. 7 configuration, the valve 76 opens the suction passage 100. By then actuating the vacuum pump 6, the air contained in the top portion of the bottle 2 is sucked out through this passage, as represented by arrows 152 in FIG. 7, so that the top of the bottle is evacuated. In practice, the level of vacuum achieved in the bottle, compared with atmospheric pressure, needs to be greater than 0.1 bar, so as to be situated around 0.3 bar.

[0052] It could also be observed that the vacuum pump 6 may advantageously be actuated under the control of the door 50, in particular when the door reaches its closed position, as identified by an end-of-stroke switch that is electrically connected to the pump. In a variant, the pump may be controlled by means of sensors that detect the opposition to downward movement of the head 60 when it presses against the neck 4.

[0053] It can be understood that the user does not need to wait for a vacuum to become established in the bottle 2 in the sense that once the user has set closure of the door 50 into operation, the user is free to go away from the appliance 1 to do something else.

[0054] The bottle 2 is then effectively stored by the appliance 1 with its head 60 being held firmly in leaktight manner against the neck 4 by the means 110. Optionally, the vacuum pump 6 is reactivated on a regular basis. Preservation by the bottle is further improved by cooling the atmosphere inside the compartment 20.

[0055] When the user desires to consume the wine remaining in the bottle 2, the user opens the door 50, either by moving it manually or by operating a switch to cause it to be moved by an associated motor. The movement of the door in rotation about the axis X-X from its closed position to its open position, in the opposite direction to arrow 54, causes the bar 112 to be driven upwards, as represented by arrows 154 in FIG. 8. Initially, and where necessary after decompressing the over-stroke spring 136, the body 64 is driven upwards by the bar 112 by means of the rods 130 and 132 without the base 78 being driven upwards correspondingly, as shown in FIG. 8. As explained above, the valve 76 then closes while the outside air goes around the O-ring 86 to penetrate into the orifice 98 and thus reestablish pressure inside the bottle 2, as represented by arrows 156 in FIG. 8. As a result, raising the head 60 does not lead to the bottle 2 being raised correspondingly by a suction cup effect, and a vacuum is maintained in the hoses 72 and 74, and also in the bottle 3.

[0056] Continuing its upward movement, the bar 112 acts via the rods 130 and 132 to move the body 64 upwards, and then, when the top faces on the branches 68 come into abutment against the heads of the screws 92, it moves the base 78 upwards. The head 60 is thus driven upwards so as to return to its initial configuration. The user can then take hold of the bottle 2 and extract it from the compartment 20.

[0057] FIG. 9 shows a variant of the appliance 1 which differs from that of FIGS. 1 to 8 only in the shape of its means 160 for moving each head 60, 62 relative to the case 10, as a replacement for the means 110. As shown in FIG. 9, these means 160 comprise, for each compartment 20, 22, a pneumatic actuator 162 having its stationary portion 164 secured to the case, e.g. to the ceiling wall 16, and its moving rod 166 secured to the bar 112. The advantage of this variant is that each actuator 162 can be controlled by the vacuum pump 6, its stationary portion 164 being connected to the pump via a specific duct 168 and incorporating a return spring that is not shown in the figures. In practice, the actuators 162 may advantageously be actuated under the control of the opening/closing action of the doors 50 and 52.

[0058] FIGS. 10A and 10B show another variant 170 of the means for moving each head 60, 62 relative to the case 10 of the appliance 1. Instead of providing mechanical or pneumatic drive for the bar 112, as with the above-described means 110 and 160, a compression spring 172 is interposed vertically between the bar 112 and the case 10, in particular its ceiling 16. This spring 172 is suitable for being compressed by the user on inserting the bottle 2 in the compartment 20, by bringing the neck 4 of the bottle around the surface 80 of the head 60. The case 10 is dimensioned so that the user is obliged to compress the spring 172 in order to be able to place the bottom of the bottle so that it presses against the floor wall 18. For this purpose, and as shown in FIG. 10A, the user inserts the bottle 2 into the compartment 20 at an angle inclined relative to the vertical, and then while moving the bottle upwards to compress the spring 172, as represented by arrow 174, the user also tilts it towards the rear, as represented by arrow 176, so as to cause it to stand up vertically. Once the bottle is thus standing vertically with its bottom resting on the floor wall 18, the spring 172 expands partially, as represented by arrow 178, while continuing to keep the head 60 pressed in leaktight manner against the neck 4, as shown in FIG. 10B.

[0059] The bottle 2 is extracted by acting in the opposite manner, it being observed that the need to tilt the bottom of the bottle forwards relative to the neck 4 makes it easier for air to return into the neck and thus limits the suction cup effect.

[0060] FIGS. 11 to 18 show another example of a household appliance 201 that differs from the appliance 1 described above, and that also enables two bottles of wine to be conserved, analogous to the bottles 2 and 3 described above. The appliance 201 comprises a case 210 for storing these bottles, and unlike the case 10 of the appliance 1, it presents an outside shape that is more complex than a cylindrical shape, thereby illustrating the multiplicity of case shapes that are covered by the present invention. Overall, and using the same conventions for directions as used above for the case 10, the inside volume of the case 210 is subdivided into a rear sub-volume (not shown in the figures) and a front sub-volume that is itself subdivided into a left compartment 220 and a right compartment 222. As can clearly be seen in FIGS. 12 and 13, the compartments 220 and 222 are separated by a vertical partition 224 extending from a floor wall 218 to a ceiling wall 216 along an intermediate partition 214 between the rear and front sub-volumes. The compartments 220 and 222 are closed on their sides remote from the partition 224 by respective side walls 226 and 228, and in front by respective doors 250 and 252. In FIG. 12, the door 252 and the bottles 2 and 3 are omitted for reasons of visibility.

[0061] Each compartment 220, 222 is associated with a suction head 260, 262 for evacuating a bottle. As in the appliance 1, the heads 260 and 262 of the appliance 201 are identical to each other, the head 260 being shown in greater detail in FIGS. 15 and 16.

[0062] In the same manner as the compartments 20 and 22 of the appliance 1, the compartments 220 and 222 are dimensioned to enable the respective bottles 2 and 3 to gain access thereto and to stand vertically therein, with their bottoms bearing stably against the floor wall 218. This floor wall 218 optionally presents an arrangement that could also be implemented in the appliance 1 and that consists in shaping the top face of the wall 218 with concave spherical cap-shaped depressions 218A and 218B associated with the compartments 220 and 222 respectively. As can be seen clearly in FIG. 13, each depression 218A, 218B presents an axis of revolution X.sub.A-X.sub.A, X.sub.B-X.sub.B that is substantially vertical. The geometrical center C.sub.A, C.sub.B of each depression 218A, 218B is situated in the zone occupied by the neck 4, 5 of the bottle 2, 3 when it is standing on the floor wall 218. In other words, the radius of curvature of each depression is substantially equal to the height of the bottles 2 and 3. In this way, if the bottle is not put down centrally about the axis X.sub.A-X.sub.A or X.sub.B-X.sub.B, as shown for the bottle 2 in FIG. 13, then the bottle bears against the depression 218A, 218B in a manner that is inclined a little relative to the above-mentioned axis such that its neck 4, 5 is substantially generally centered on the center C.sub.A, C.sub.B. Thus, whatever the exact position of the bottle 2, 3 on the depression 218A, 218B, the neck 4, 5 of the bottle occupies the same position relative to the case 210, so that the corresponding suction head 260, 262, described in detail below, is capable of co-operating therewith in effective and reliable manner. In particular, by providing for the axes X.sub.A-X.sub.A and X.sub.B-X.sub.B to be substantially in alignment with the respective central axes Z-Z of the heads 260 and 262, each head can be pressed against the corresponding bottle in effective manner, regardless of the exact position of the bottle on the corresponding depression 218A, 218B.

[0063] As shown in detail in FIG. 16, the head 260 comprises a main tubular body 264 of substantially vertical longitudinal central axis Z-Z. In its intermediate portion, the body 264 is provided internally with a horizontal wall 266 that occupies a diametral plane of the body. This wall 266 is provided with vertical arms 268 projecting downwards from the bottom face of the wall 266, these arms 268 being distributed in regular manner around the axis Z-Z. The top end of the body 264 forms a tube 270 for connection to a flexible hose 272 having its end remote from the head 260 connected to a vacuum pump analogous to the vacuum pump 6 described with reference to the appliance 1. For convenience, this pump is likewise referenced 6 for the appliance 201, as can be seen in FIG. 15, it being understood that this pump can be arranged in the same manner as described above for the appliance 1.

[0064] In its main portion the body 264 is provided internally with a valve 276 analogous to the above-described valve 76.

[0065] The head 260 also includes a base 278 essentially arranged beneath the body 264 and presenting a generally tubular shape centered on the axis Z-Z.

[0066] The bottom end of the base 278 is shaped analogously to the base 78, i.e. as a truncated cone, thereby defining a frustoconical outside surface 280 centered on the axis Z-Z and diverging towards the body 264, with the same advantages as those explained above for the appliance 1.

[0067] The base 278 is provided on the outside with two annular rims extending around the entire periphery of the base, namely a bottom rim 282 and a top rim 283. A compression spring 285 is interposed along the direction of the axis Z-Z between the rim 282 and the wall 266. The rim 283 is adapted to bear downwards against the free ends of the arms 268, under drive from the spring 285, thereby tending to move the base 278 downwards relative to the body 264.

[0068] At its bottom end, the base 278 is permanently secured to an essentially flat gasket 284 centered on the axis Z-Z and at which the top of the frustoconical surface 280 terminates. Unlike the gasket 84 of the appliance 1, having its entire top face in contact with the base 78, substantially all of the top face of the gasket 284 is spaced apart from the base 278, thereby leaving between them a non-negligible axial space, except at the central portion of the gasket. In this way, by making the gasket 284 out of elastic material, the gasket forms a flexible lip suitable for being deformed to a greater or lesser extend around its periphery by the top end face of the neck 4, 5 of the bottle 2, 3 when the head 260, 262 is pressed in leaktight manner against the neck. This shaping of the gasket 284 as a flexible sealing lip enables the heads 260 and 262 to adapt to the various diameters of bottle necks without degrading the quality of the leaktight contact in operation between said heads and the bottle necks.

[0069] An O-ring 286 centered on the axis Z-Z is interposed between the top end face of the base 278 and the wall 266 of the body 264. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the O-ring 286 is fastened to the bottom face of the wall 266, being received in a complementary groove. The O-ring 286 is functionally analogous to the O-ring 86 of the heads 60 and 62 of the appliance 1.

[0070] In the same manner as the base 78 being movable relative to the body 64 in the heads 60 and 62 of the appliance 1, the base 278 is movable relative to the body 264 between a low extreme position, shown in FIG. 16, in which the base and the body are spaced apart from each other under the action of the compression spring 285, and a high extreme position (not shown) in which the base and the body are pressed vertically one against the other with the O-ring 286 interposed between them, thereby sealing the connection between the bottom opening of the body 264 and the top opening of the base 278. The valve 276 acts in the same manner as the valve 76: in the above-mentioned high position, the through central orifices 296 and 298, respectively defined by the body 264 and the base 278, are put into fluid flow communication through the valve and then form an air suction passage 300 between the bottom and top ends of the head 260, 262, whereas in the above-mentioned low position, the valve 276 isolates the orifices 296 and 298 hermetically from each other, thereby closing the passage 300.

[0071] Furthermore, compared with the means 110, 160, or 170 for moving the heads 60 and 62 in the appliance 1, the appliance 201 has other means 310 for moving each of the heads 260 and 262 relative to the case 210. Each head 260, 262 is thus associated with a cylindrical housing 312 centered on the axis Z-Z. The body 264 of the head 260 or 262 is located inside the housing 312, being pressed in abutment against a bottom end internal rim 313 by a compression spring 336 interposed between the wall 266 of the body 264 and a top end portion of the housing 312. Each housing 312 is assembled to the case 210 so as to be movable in a vertical direction. In the embodiment described, each housing 312 is slidingly received in a vertical sheath 314 secured to the sealing wall 216. Each sheath presents an inside diameter that matches the outside diameter of the housing 312, so as to guide the cylinder effectively as it moves relative to the case 210.

[0072] In addition, at its rear side, each cylinder 312 is permanently provided with a rack 318 meshing with a toothed wheel 320 carried by the end of a shaft 322 supported by the top side of the ceiling wall 216. The opposite end of the shaft 322 carries a toothed wheel 324 meshing with a horizontal rack 326. The rack 326 is supported by the top side of the ceiling wall 216 so as to move in horizontal translation between front and back. A traction spring 328 is interposed between the rack 326 and a stationary portion of the ceiling wall 216 so that when the housing 312 is moved downwards in translation, its movement is transmitted to the spring 328 successively via the wheel 320, the shaft 322, the wheel 324, and the rack 326, thereby tensioning the spring 328. In other words, the spring 328 tends to hold the housing 312 mechanically in a position where it is moved in translation upwards relative to the case 210.

[0073] In order to keep the housing 312 in a position in which it has been moved in translation downwards, i.e. in order to counter the action of the spring 328, the case 210 is provided, for each housing 312, with a rocker arm 330 having one end 331 inserted by a compression spring 332 in a complementary notch 334 defined in the top portion of the housing 312, as can clearly be seen in FIG. 15.

[0074] The appliance 201 is used in a manner that is substantially analogous to the appliance 1. Below, the description relates more particularly to the differences in the way the two appliances are used.

[0075] Initially, it is assumed for example that the compartment 220 is empty, with its corresponding door 250 open. The user places the bottle 2 manually in the compartment 220, causing it to rest on the depression 218A, with the neck 4 of the bottle thus being substantially centered on the center C.sub.A regardless of any tilt the bottle might have relative to the axis Z-Z, as explained above. The head 260 and its housing 312 are then configured relative to the case 210 and the bottle 1 in the manner shown in FIG. 16.

[0076] Thereafter, the user causes the door 250 to take up its closed position, and then pushes the housing 312 manually downwards as represented by arrow 350 in FIG. 16. This downward movement in translation of the housing 312 is transmitted by the spring 336 to the body 264 of the head 260, the body in turn entraining the base 278 by the downward movement in translation being transmitted by the spring 285, until said base is pressed against the neck 4 of the bottle 2, as described in detail above for the head 60 of the appliance 1.

[0077] The user continues moving the housing 312 downwards until the end 331 of the arm 330 is inserted in the notch 334 under drive from the spring 332. The arm 330 thus holds the housing 312 in its position where it is moved downwardly in translation relative to the case 210, as shown in FIGS. 11 to 13. The spring 336 compresses to accommodate the corresponding extra stroke of the housing 312 relative to the base 278.

[0078] By then actuating the vacuum pump 6, the air contained in the top portion of the bottle 2 is sucked out through the passage 300 so that the bottle is evacuated. In practice, actuation of the vacuum pump 6 may be controlled in the various manners mentioned above for the appliance 1.

[0079] When the user desires to consume the wine remaining in the bottle 2, the user opens the door 250. Advantageously, moving the door to its open position causes the arm 330 to be disengage automatically from the notch 334 by means of a cam 338 linked to the door. If such an arrangement is not provided, then the user needs to tilt the arm 330 under manual control, e.g. by means of a button (not shown) that is easily accessible to one of the user's fingers when the door 250 is open. The spring 328 then relaxes, driving the housing 312 upwards successively via the rack 326, the wheel 324, the shaft 322, the wheel 320, and the rack 318. The appliance 210 is then in the initial configuration described above.

[0080] Comparing the way the appliances 1 and 201 are used shows that with the appliance 1, the movement of the heads 60 and 62 is mechanically coupled to opening and closing the doors 50 and 52, whereas with the appliance 201, the movement of the heads 260 and 262 is decoupled from the opening and closing of the doors 250 and 252, except concerning possible automatic unlocking of the housing 312 by drive from the optional cams 338.

[0081] FIGS. 17 and 18 show the refrigerator means of the appliance 201 in detail, it being understood that these refrigerator means could be arranged in the appliance 1 instead of the Peltier element 34. In this embodiment, the refrigerator means are in the form of a double Peltier element 234. More precisely, two Peltier main bodies 236 and 237 are secured side by side permanently to the partition 214, and they pass through said partition. Each cold front face 238, 239 of the bodies 236 and 237 is fitted with a respective fan unit 244, 246, the partition 224 being arranged between them. Advantageously, the hot rear faces 240 and 241 of the bodies 236 and 237 are fitted with a common fan unit 242.

[0082] Using a double Peltier element 234 presents a genuine advantage in limiting electricity consumption when the two compartments 220 and 222 need to present different internal temperatures. Under such circumstances, it may suffice to power only one of the two bodies 236 and 237 electrically, i.e. the body that is associated with the compartment that is to have the lower temperature. The low temperature produced in that compartment then tends to spread into the other compartment through the partition 224, and by stirring the air with the fan unit 224 or 246 in the warmer compartment, the temperature desired for that compartment may be reached without it being necessary to power the corresponding Peltier element body electrically.

[0083] It is possible to envisage various modifications and variants for the above-described appliances 1 and 201. By way of example:

[0084] the doors 50 and 52 or 250 and 252 may present shapes other than those shown in the figures, while being suitable for being moved in a variety of ways, it being possible, for example, for them to be swing doors, lift doors, sliding doors, telescopic doors, etc.;

[0085] in a simplified version of the appliance 1 or 201, the appliance need not have its own refrigerator means such as the Peltier element 34 or the double Peltier element 234, and need not have its doors 50 and 52 or 250 and 252, so that it does not have bottle storage compartments; under such circumstances, the movements of the suction heads 60 and 62 or 260 and 262 are controlled by actuation taking the place of opening and closing the doors, in particular by actuating specific control means carried by the case 10 or 210, the case then presenting the simplified shape of a bracket for supporting the heads and the means for moving them;

[0086] in another version, the appliance 1 may be incorporated inside a cabinet for storing bottles, in particular wine bottles; the case 10 is then incorporated in a specific zone of the inside volume of the cabinet, preferably in the optionally curved inside portion of the door that gives access to said internal volume; thus, if the door is transparent, the user can see directly and clearly the or each bottle that has its neck engaged in one of the suction heads: the vacuum is provided by a pump situated outside the cabinet, e.g. in a compartment dedicated to the compressor for the cold circuit of the cabinet, and it is taken to the head by one or more ducts internal to the cabinet, and located in part in the hinge region of the door; under such circumstances, the heads are preferably driven by the vacuum, as in the embodiment of FIG. 9, so as to avoid providing a supply of electricity in the door of the cabinet, thereby limiting safety risks associated with an electric cord being subjected to flexing when the door is opened and closed; the heads may be connected to the atmosphere either under the control of the door being open, or by pressing on a button inside or outside the cabinet;

[0087] in addition to being used for moving the heads 60 and 62 as in the variant of FIG. 9, the vacuum delivered by the pump 6 may be used for driving movement of the doors 50 and 52;

[0088] other forms of means 110, 160, and 170 for moving the heads are possible and may for example comprise actuators, such as an electrical jack;

[0089] in a variant that is not shown, the flat gasket 84 or the lip gasket 284 of each suction head may include a gasket constituted by an inflatable tube that, when deflated, is easily inserted inside the neck of a bottle while the head is moving downwards, and that, once inflated, fits in leaktight manner against the inside periphery of the neck of the bottle; the tube is inflated by providing a fluid flow connection between the tube and a cylindrical chamber having an inside volume that is compressed by a piston, advantageously a piston driven by the vacuum coming from the pump 6;

[0090] the appliance may also be fitted with a system for neutralizing each of its heads 60 and 62 so as to enable it to store, in particular at a cooled temperature, one or more bottles without evacuating it/them, in particular bottles that have not yet been opened, it being observed that it is possible to store such bottles in the appliance 201 without making any additional arrangements thereto, since it is the user who causes the heads 260 and 262 to move down by acting directly on them;

[0091] the vacuum pump 6 and/or motor drive for the doors 50 and 52 or 250 and 252 may be controlled, in part or entirely, by detectors for detecting the presence of bottles 2 and 3 in the corresponding compartments 20 and 22 and/or by detectors for detecting the hand of the user coming close or going away;

[0092] it is possible to envisage positioning elements other than the fork 140, such as a defined indentation in the floor wall 18 or 218, such as the depressions 218A and 218B, or a centering V, etc.;

[0093] the Peltier element 34 may be replaced by other refrigerator means, such as a system using a compressor, a system for circulating cold water, an atmospheric refrigeration system, etc.; in addition, the temperature of the cold air obtained by these various refrigerator means may either be predetermined, in particular depending on whether the bottle of wine for cooling contains a white wine or a red wine, or else it may be set by the user adjusting a setpoint knob or the like;

[0094] generally speaking, the vacuum pump 6 may be replaced by a vacuum source, such as a vacuum network;

[0095] the case 10 or 210 could define only a single storage compartment, and likewise it could equally well delimit three or even more storage compartments; and/or

[0096] the appliance may incorporate photocells making it possible to recognize automatically a red wine or a white wine by the difference in transparency, i.e. not only to detect the presence of the bottle, but also to adjust the refrigeration temperature setpoint as a function of the wine.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A household appliance for storing at least one bottle containing a beverage and having a neck that is open, such as a bottle of wine that has been uncorked and/or consumed in part, the appliance comprising: a vacuum source, at least one suction head for evacuating the bottle, said head defining a suction passage connected to the vacuum source, a case supporting the at least one suction head in movable manner, and means for moving the at least one suction head, adapted to guide the at least one suction head mechanically relative to the case and to press the at least one suction head to bear in leaktight manner against the neck of the bottle so that its suction passage opens out into the neck when the bottle occupies a predetermined stationary position relative to the case.

17. An appliance according to claim 16, wherein the at least one suction head is provided at its end facing towards the bottle in its predetermined position, with a frustoconical surface adapted to center the at least one suction head and the bottle relative to each other when the at least one suction head is pressed against the neck of the bottle by the means for moving the at least one suction head.

18. An appliance according to claim 16, wherein the means for moving the at least one suction head comprise at least one slideway or a sheath for guiding the at least one suction head, permanently secured to the case.

19. An appliance according to claim 16, wherein, for the or each bottle that is to be conserved, the case defines a compartment for storing the bottle in its predetermined position and is fitted with a moving door giving access to said compartment, opening and closing movements of the door controlling movements or locking/unlocking of the position of a movable portion of the means for moving the at least one suction head.

20. An appliance according to claim 19, wherein the appliance includes a Peltier element having its main body provided, on its cold side, with two fan units associated respectively with two compartments defined by the case and thermally isolated from each other.

21. An appliance according to claim 19, wherein the appliance includes a double Peltier element having two main bodies that are provided on their respective cold sides with respective fan units that are associated respectively with two compartments defined by the case and separated from each other by a thermally conductive partition.

22. An appliance according to claim 19, wherein the means for moving the at least one suction head comprise mechanical means for transmitting movement between the corresponding door and the at least one suction head, adapted firstly to drive the head so as to be pressed against the neck of the bottle in its predetermined position when the door is moved to close access to the corresponding compartment, and secondly to drive the at least one suction head in the opposite direction when the door is moved to open said access.

23. An appliance according to claim 16, wherein the means for moving the at least one suction head comprise firstly a stationary portion secured to the case and connected to the vacuum source, and secondly a movable portion for driving the at least one suction head, being mounted movably in the stationary portion and actuated by the vacuum delivered by the vacuum source.

24. An appliance according to claim 16, wherein the means for moving the at least one suction head include resilient means interposed directly or indirectly between the case and the at least one suction head, said resilient means being adapted to be compressed when the bottle is moved relative to the case into its predetermined position, so that the resilient means apply a resilient compression force on the at least one suction head so as to drive it and press it against the neck of the bottle when said bottle occupies its predetermined position.

25. An appliance according to claim 16, wherein the means for moving the at least one suction head comprise a housing for housing the at least one suction head and suitable for being moved manually relative to the case so as to move the at least one suction head until it is pressed against the neck of the bottle in its predetermined position.

26. An appliance according to claim 25, wherein the means for moving the at least one suction head further comprise resilient means interposed directly or indirectly between the case and the housing so as to be tensioned when the housing is driven to move the at least one suction head so as to be pressed against the neck of the bottle.

27. An appliance according to claim 25, wherein the means for moving the at least one suction head further comprise means for locking the housing in a position in which the head is pressed against the neck of the bottle.

28. An appliance according to claim 16, wherein the case defines a concave depression on which the bottle stands in its predetermined position, said depression presenting an axis of revolution that substantially coincides with the direction in which the at least one suction head is guided relative to the case, and presents a center of curvature situated in the region in which the at least one suction head moves.

29. An appliance according to claim 16, wherein the means for moving the at least one suction head include an over-stroke spring adapted to accommodate the over-stroke of a movable portion of said means relative to the head when the head is pressed against the neck of the bottle.

30. An appliance according to claim 16, wherein the at least one suction head includes a main body constrained to move with a movable portion of the means for moving the at least one suction head, and a base for bearing against the neck of the bottle, the base being assembled to the main body so as to be movable in the direction in which the at least one suction head is guided relative to the case, and wherein the suction passage includes two through orifices that are defined respectively by the main body and the bearing base and that are in fluid flow communication with a valve interposed therebetween, the valve being adapted both to open the suction passage when the main body and the bearing base are pressed in leaktight manner against each other, and to close said suction passage when the main body and the bearing base are spaced apart from each other in non-leaktight manner.