US 6,622,595 B1Granted

Cork extractor tool

OwnerWilliam Federighiinventor

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Abstract

A cork extractor tool for removing the cork from wine bottles has a cylindrical needle carrier with an attached axially directed hollow needle of sufficient length to penetrate through the cork. The needle carrier is slidably disposed within a tubular sleeve which closely fits within a handle. The handle and tubular sleeve are arranged to rotate the needle carrier and needle using a pair of helical grooves disposed through the tubular sleeve, with a pair of corresponding roller guides which extend radially inwardly from the handle through the respective helical groove and which are affixed to the needle carrier. A pair of radially oppositely disposed graspable positioning legs include lower arcuate bottle gripping portions which engage the bottle to facilitate placement of the cork extractor tool on the bottle. As the handle is axially forced downwardly from a raised position along the tubular sleeve to a lower position thereon, the needle penetrates the cork in an axially rotating fashion to facilitate easy cork penetration. Pressurized fluid is then injected into the bottle from a replaceable container of the pressurized fluid having an integral metering valve. The metering valve introduces a controlled volume of the pressurized fluid through the needle into the bottle to smoothly eject the cork from the bottle. Removed corks are easily stripped from the needle by a cork stripping portion of the tubular sleeve through which the needle extends and retracts during use by reversing the motion to return the handle to the raised position. Optional cutting blades on the positioning legs facilitate cutting of foil wrapping at the top of bottle prior to cork removal.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A cork extractor tool for withdrawing a cork from the neck of a bottle, the cork extractor tool which utilizes a replaceable pressurized container having a generally cylindrical fluid container which contains a pressurized fluid having a boiling point below room temperature so as to expand upon depressurization, and a valve covering an opening in an end portion of the fluid container with an outlet tube which opens the valve when depressed to release pressurized fluid from the pressurized container through the outlet tube, the cork extractor tool comprising:

a tubular sleeve having an annular outer wall adapted to receive at least the end portion of the fluid container therewithin, and having a positioning portion extending from a bottom end of said tubular sleeve adapted for grasping in-hand and coaxially engaging the neck of the bottle above the cork, the pressurized container being longitudinally movable within said tubular sleeve to actuate the valve to release pressurized fluid therefrom;
a handle coaxially disposed about said tubular sleeve, said handle having a longitudinal bore that extends completely through said handle in which said tubular sleeve is closely slidably disposed;
a needle carrier slidably disposed within said tubular sleeve which is operatively connected to said handle for axial and rotational movement therewith within said tubular sleeve, said needle carrier having a longitudinal bore therethrough adapted to receive pressurized fluid from the outlet tube of the pressurized container;
a hollow needle extending axially from said needle carrier adapted for axial and rotational movement with said needle carrier and being of sufficient length to penetrate axially through the cork and having a longitudinal passage for transporting the pressurized fluid therethrough, said needle being operatively connected to the needle carrier to receive pressurized fluid therefrom and pass the pressurized fluid through into the bottle;
and
a rotation device operatively interconnecting said tubular sleeve and said handle, and being adapted to produce relative rotational motion therebetween upon axial translation thereof;
and
wherein when said positioning portion of said tubular sleeve coaxially engages the neck of the bottle above the cork and said handle is forced downwardly toward the cork, said needle is axially driven through the cork with an axial rotation to facilitate penetration, and when the pressurized container is subsequently depressed to inject the pressurized fluid into the bottle through said needle, with a resulting rise in pressure within the bottle as the pressurized fluid expands to a gas acting to eject the cork from the bottle.

5 more elements

A cork extractor tool for withdrawing a cork from the neck of a bottle, comprising:

a replaceable pressurized container having a generally cylindrical fluid container which contains a pressurized fluid having a boiling point below room temperature so as to expand upon depressurization, and a valve covering an opening in an end portion of said fluid container with an outlet tube which opens said valve when depressed to release pressurized fluid from said pressurized container through said outlet tube;
a tubular sleeve having an annular outer wall adapted to receive at least said end portion of said fluid container therewithin, and having a positioning portion extending from a bottom end of said tubular sleeve adapted for grasping in-hand and coaxially engaging the neck of the bottle above the cork, said pressurized container being longitudinally movable within said tubular sleeve to actuate said valve to release pressurized fluid therefrom;
a handle coaxially disposed about said tubular sleeve, said handle having a longitudinal bore that extends completely through said handle in which said tubular sleeve is closely slidably disposed;
a needle carrier slidably disposed within said tubular sleeve which is operatively connected to said handle for axial and rotational movement therewith within said tubular sleeve, said needle carrier having a longitudinal bore therethrough adapted to receive pressurized fluid from said outlet tube of said pressurized container;
a hollow needle extending axially from said needle carrier adapted for axial and rotational movement with said needle carrier and being of sufficient length to penetrate axially through the cork and having a longitudinal passage for transporting the pressurized fluid therethrough, said needle being operatively connected to the needle carrier to receive pressurized fluid therefrom and pass said pressurized fluid through into the bottle;
and
a rotation device operatively interconnecting said tubular sleeve and said handle, and being adapted to produce relative rotational motion therebetween upon axial translation thereof;
and
wherein when said positioning portion of said tubular sleeve coaxially engages the neck of the bottle above the cork and said handle is forced downwardly toward the cork, said needle is axially driven through the cork with an axial rotation to facilitate penetration, and when said pressurized container is subsequently depressed to inject said pressurized fluid into the bottle through said needle, with a resulting rise in pressure within the bottle as said pressurized fluid expands to a gas acting to eject the cork from the bottle.

6 more elements

A cork extractor tool for withdrawing a cork from the neck of a bottle, the cork extractor tool which utilizes a replaceable pressurized container having a generally cylindrical fluid container which contains a pressurized fluid having a boiling point below room temperature so as to expand upon depressurization, and an initially sealed opening in an end portion of the fluid container, the cork extractor tool comprising:

a valve operatively associated with the initially sealed opening and adapted to sealingly receive the end portion of the fluid container and open the initially sealed opening for fluid flow to said valve, said valve which opens when depressed to release pressurized fluid from the pressurized container;
a tubular sleeve having an annular outer wall adapted to receive at least said end portion of the fluid container therewithin, and having a positioning portion extending from a bottom end of said tubular sleeve adapted for grasping in-hand and coaxially engaging the neck of the bottle above the cork, the pressurized container being longitudinally movable within said tubular sleeve to actuate said valve to release pressurized fluid therefrom;
a handle coaxially disposed about said tubular sleeve, said handle having a longitudinal bore that extends completely through said handle in which said tubular sleeve is closely slidably disposed;
a needle carrier slidably disposed within said tubular sleeve which is operatively connected to said handle for axial and rotational movement therewith within said tubular sleeve, said needle carrier having a longitudinal bore therethrough adapted to receive pressurized fluid from said valve;
a hollow needle extending axially from said needle carrier adapted for axial and rotational movement with said needle carrier and being of sufficient length to penetrate axially through the cork and having a longitudinal passage for transporting the pressurized fluid therethrough, said needle being operatively connected to the needle carrier to receive pressurized fluid therefrom and pass said pressurized fluid through into the bottle;
and
a rotation device operatively interconnecting said tubular sleeve and said handle, and being adapted to produce relative rotational motion therebetween upon axial translation thereof;
and
wherein when said positioning portion of said tubular sleeve coaxially engages the neck of the bottle above the cork and said handle is forced downwardly toward the cork, said needle is axially driven through the cork with an axial rotation to facilitate penetration, and when said pressurized container is subsequently depressed to inject said pressurized fluid into the bottle through said needle, with a resulting rise in pressure within the bottle as said pressurized fluid expands to a gas acting to eject the cork from the bottle.

6 more elements

A cork extractor tool for withdrawing a cork from the neck of a bottle, comprising:

a replaceable pressurized container having a generally cylindrical fluid container which contains a pressurized fluid having a boiling point below room temperature so as to expand upon depressurization, and an initially sealed opening in an end portion of said fluid container;
a valve operatively associated with the initially sealed opening and adapted to sealingly receive said end portion of said fluid container and open said initially sealed opening for fluid flow to said valve, said valve which opens when depressed to release pressurized fluid from said pressurized container;
a valve operatively associated with said opening which opens when depressed to release pressurized fluid from said pressurized container;
a tubular sleeve having an annular outer wall adapted to receive at least said end portion of said fluid container therewithin, and having a positioning portion extending from a bottom end of said tubular sleeve adapted for grasping in-hand and coaxially engaging the neck of the bottle above the cork, said pressurized container being longitudinally movable within said tubular sleeve to actuate said valve to release pressurized fluid therefrom;
a handle coaxially disposed about said tubular sleeve, said handle having a longitudinal bore that extends completely through said handle in which said tubular sleeve is closely slidably disposed;
a needle carrier slidably disposed within said tubular sleeve which is operatively connected to said handle for axial and rotational movement therewith within said tubular sleeve, said needle carrier having a longitudinal bore therethrough adapted to receive pressurized fluid from said valve;
a hollow needle extending axially from said needle carrier adapted for axial and rotational movement with said needle carrier and being of sufficient length to penetrate axially through the cork and having a longitudinal passage for transporting the pressurized fluid therethrough, said needle being operatively connected to the needle carrier to receive pressurized fluid therefrom and pass said pressurized fluid through into the bottle;
and
a rotation device operatively interconnecting said tubular sleeve and said handle, and being adapted to produce relative rotational motion therebetween upon axial translation thereof;
and
wherein when said positioning portion of said tubular sleeve coaxially engages the neck of the bottle above the cork and said handle is forced downwardly toward the cork, said needle is axially driven through the cork with an axial rotation to facilitate penetration, and when said pressurized container is subsequently depressed to inject said pressurized fluid into the bottle through said needle, with a resulting rise in pressure within the bottle as said pressurized fluid expands to a gas acting to eject the cork from the bottle.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.