Wine preserver and dispenser
AssigneeHoward John Cream
InventorRudolph L. Heuser
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There is described apparatus for protecting and dispensing wine from a bottle in which a stopper assembly inserted in the neck of the bottle receives a removable cap assembly. The cap includes a chamber receiving gas under pressure from a cartridge stored in the cap. A valve in the stopper has three positions, an off position, a bottle venting position, and a bottle pressurizing position. In the latter position, gas under pressure stored in the cap is directed into the bottle so as to insert an inert gas into the bottle. In the vent position, excess pressure in the top of the bottle can be relieved. A second valve in the stopper controls an output spigot from which wine is dispensed from the bottle.
Claims13
Apparatus for protecting wine in an opened bottle comprising:
- a stopper assembly, a cap assembly detachably mounted on the stopper assembly, the cap assembly in combination with the stopper assembly forming a sealed enclosed chamber for receiving a compressed gas cartridge, means projecting into the chamber for automatically puncturing a cartridge in the chamber to release gas under pressure into the sealed chamber when the cap assembly is attached to the stopper assembly, the stopper assembly having a portion adapted to be inserted in the open neck of a wine bottle, the stopper assembly having a first passage opening into the chamber, a second passage opening into the inside of the bottle and a third passage opening to the outside of the bottle, three position valve means for interconnecting said passages, the valve means in a first position shutting off all three passages, the valve means in a second position shutting off the passage to said chamber and connecting the passage to the inside of the bottle to the passage to the outside of the bottle for venting the inside of the bottle, the valve means in the third position connecting all three passages together, and means for manually activating the valve means to move the valve means to any of said three positions.
Apparatus for protecting and dispensing liquid in a bottle or the like, comprising:
- a stopper assembly including valve body and stopper portion projecting from the body adapted to be inserted in the open mouth of the bottle, a cap assembly removably secured to the stopper assembly and forming a sealed chamber, means for pressurizing the chamber with an inert gas, the valve body having a passage extending from the chamber through the stopper portion of the stopper assembly for directing gas from the chamber to the interior of the bottle, and purging valve means positioned in the valve body of the stopper assembly, the purging valve means being movable between three positions, the valve means in a first position blocking flow of gas through the passage between the chamber and the interior of the bottle, the valve means in a second position blocking flow of gas from the chamber but connecting a vent opening to the interior of the bottle, the valve means in a third position connecting the passage from the chamber to the interior of the bottle and connecting the interior of the bottle to the vent opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.