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US 10,611,533 B2Granted
Vacuum wine bottle stopper and cap, and method of use
OwnerDavid Glenn Duckworthinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wine bottle stopper is provided including a vacuum stopper and a removable decorative cap. The wine stopper includes an upper portion and a lower portion. A central conduit extends longitudinally through the vacuum stopper, and a one-way valve is located within the central conduit. The vacuum stopper has a bottom shaft sized for insertion into a wine bottle's opening. The vacuum stopper's upper portion extends exterior to the wine bottle. Meanwhile, the decorative cap has a sidewall and a top forming a central cavity sized to engage and cover the wine stopper's upper portion. Preferably, the decorative cap includes a decorative feature providing a pleasing appearance.
Claims20
A wine bottle stopper for a wine bottle comprising:
- a vacuum stopper including a neck portion, an upper portion extending above said neck portion, a conduit extending longitudinally through said neck portion and said upper portion, and a one-way valve located within said conduit which freely permits air to flow upwardly through said conduit but inhibits air from flowing downwardly through said conduit, said neck portion having a diameter for entering and providing a seal with a bottle's circular opening, said upper portion having a longitudinally extending height and a laterally extending rim which is too large to enter into a bottle's circular opening;
- and
- a removeable cap for engaging and covering said vacuum stopper's upper portion, said cap having a top and a sidewall forming a central cavity, said cavity sized and having a height to entirely accept said vacuum stopper's upper portion including said rim in said cavity, and said cavity sized so that said cap's sidewall can form a press fit engagement with said vacuum stopper upper portion's rim.
A wine bottle, vacuum stopper and removeable cap combination comprising:
- a bottle having a chamber and a neck with a circular opening;
- a vacuum stopper including a neck portion, an upper portion extending above said neck portion, a conduit extending longitudinally through said neck portion and said upper portion, and a one-way valve located within said conduit which freely permits air to flow upwardly through said conduit but inhibits air from flowing downwardly through said conduit, said neck portion positioned within and providing a seal with said bottle's circular opening, said upper portion having a longitudinally extending height which forms the portion of the vacuum stopper which is exterior of said bottle's neck and a laterally extending rim which is too large to enter into said bottle's circular opening;
- and
- a removeable cap for covering said vacuum stopper's upper portion, said cap having a top and a sidewall forming a central cavity, said cavity sized and having a height to entirely accept said vacuum stopper's upper portion in said cavity, and said cavity sized so that said cap's sidewall can form a press fit engagement with said vacuum stopper upper portion's rim;
- and
- wherein said vacuum stopper's neck portion is positioned within said bottle's neck, and said vacuum stopper's upper portion including rim is within and completely covered by said removeable cap.
3 more elements
A method of evacuating and storing wine in a wine bottle comprising the steps of:
- providing a bottle having a chamber partially filled wine, said bottle having and a neck with a circular opening;
- providing a vacuum stopper including a neck portion, an upper portion extending above said neck portion, a conduit extending longitudinally through said neck portion and said upper portion, and a one-way valve located within said conduit which freely permits air to flow upwardly through said conduit but inhibits air from flowing downwardly through said conduit, said neck portion positioned within and providing a seal with said bottle's circular opening, said upper portion having a longitudinally extending height and a laterally extending rim which is too large to enter into said bottle's circular opening;
- providing a removeable cap for covering said vacuum stopper's upper portion, said cap having a top and a sidewall forming a central cavity, said cavity sized and having a height to entirely accept said vacuum stopper's upper portion in said cavity, and said cavity sized so that said cap's sidewall can form a press fit engagement with said vacuum stopper upper portion's rim;
- providing a pump capable of pumping air through vacuum stopper's conduit;
- positioning said vacuum stopper's neck portion through said circular opening within said wine bottle's neck to form a gaseous seal between said vacuum stopper and said wine bottle's neck, said vacuum stopper's upper portion extending longitudinally exterior of said bottle's neck;
- evacuating air from said bottle by pumping air through vacuum stopper's conduit;
- and
- completely covering said vacuum stopper's upper portion including rim with said removeable cap by placing said removeable cap upon said vacuum stopper's upper portion.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.