CA2117043A1

CA2117043A1 - Wine dispensing apparatus

Info

Publication number: CA2117043A1
Application number: CA002117043A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Rodger Dudley Roden
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-03-04
Filing date: 1994-03-04
Publication date: 1995-09-05

Abstract

The device which is the subject of this patent is intended to permit the extraction of wine in small quantities periodically over an extended length of time from a larger container without permitting the wine remaining within the larger container, or the device, to be exposed in any significant way to air.

Description

~1~70~3 Background of the In~re.,lion This invention is a device that permits the extraction of small qua~ Itilies of wine from a larger container without significantly exposing the remaining wine in the larger container, and the device, to air. Pouring a ~olliol~ of wine from a larger container, and then capping it as a means of protecting what remains does not work. Over time, air which has entered the bottle to ~isrl-lce the extracted wine will cause the remaining wine to deteriordle in quality. The same result would occur if wine were extracted from the larger container by the use of a syphon technique, H the wine was disrl?ced by air. If, however, the syphon were modified so that rather than the wine being displaced by air, it was disrl~ced by an inert gas, say nitrogen, then the remaining wine in the larger container would retain its quality. In tion~ if the materials used in the construction of the syphon (which are exposed to air outside the container) are made of, or protected by, high oxygen barrier materials, then any wine that remains within the syphon device will also be protected.

Objects and Advantages ol the Invention The invention is intended to allow the user to extract small amounts of wine from a large container over an exlen.led period of time. Wine that remains either in the container or within the device may be there for an extended period of time and it will be protected from exposure to air. The device is simple to operate and inexpensive to acquire because it uses a simple syphon technique. A non-pressurized gas source (say nitrogen) contained in a collapsible high oxygen-barrier, bag-like container is required for the system. The device is simple to operate. The invention can employ a flexible syphon hose in situations where glass is involved, thereby eliminating the possibility of breaking the glass of the tubing or the conlai"erthat a more rigid hose might tend to do. Where glass is not a factor, a more rigid hose or tubing could be used.
These objects and other advantages may be achieved by the present invention which comprises a conduit for syphoning wine from a container and a second conduit connecting the interior of the container to a source of inert gas contained in a cc"~psible bag so that the volume of wine removed is replaced by inert gas rather than air. Prerer~L,ly the apparatus including the bag is oxygen-barrier material.

~11 7043 Briet Description of the Drawings The invention may be better understood by reference to a desc,i~ tio" of one embodiment illusLralecl in the alLached drawings.
Figure 1 is a side view diagram of the syphon device installed on a wine conla;ner.
Figure 2 is a cross section of the tube in Figure 1.

2 ~ ~704~

Description of the Prefer.ed Embodiments:
The pr~fer,ecl embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 consists of a stopper (1) that fits snugly into the bottle opening and seals the bottle so as not to permit air to enter the bottle. The stopper has two vents, one is for the syphon tube (2) and the other (3) is for a tube which attaches to the inert gas source (6). Both the syphon tube and the tube for the inert gas source fit snugly into the stopper so as not to permit air to enter the bonle.
It is conle" ,~.latecl that when a quantity of wine is drawn from the bottle thewine flow will be stopped by the use of a control valve (5). Wine will remain in the syphon hose so that the syphon does not have to be primed when it is next used. Due to the fact that the wine will remain in the syphon hose it is important that the hose be protected with or made of high oxygen barrier material. The syphon tube is to be made of or protected by a high oxygen barrier material (4).
It is coi1le" ,pldled that the inert gas source will be connected to the syphon device for an extended period of time until all of the wine has been emptied from the bottle. Periodically some of the inert gas may be drawn into the wine bottle to replace wine that is extracted. It is therefore important that the inert gas source remains pure to maintain the quality of the wine remaining in the bottle. If air was to penetrate into it then as it ~lis,Ql~ced wine extracted from the bottle the wine could be contaminated by the air.
The inert gas is therefore to be contained in material that does not permit air to penetrate nor will it permit the inert gas to escape.
The inert gas is not to be pressurized and consequently the container (6) in which the inert gas is to be stored is to be made of a colla,osiL e bag-like ",alerial. The inert gas container is to be attached snugly to the inert gas tube (3) so as not to permit air to enter the bottle containing the wine.
The syphon tube must be impervious to liquid and at the same time have high oxygen barrier characteristics. Rigid or flexible tubing that has these characteristics would be suitable. A second alternative is two layer flexible tubing. The inside layer is made of material that is impervious to liquid while the second layer is sealed material with low oxygen permeability characteristics. Figure 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the syphon hose at the point indicated by 9 in Figure 1. The liquid impervious tube is shown at 2. The low oxygen permeability material which encases the inner 21170~

tube, is shown at 4. The outer layer is sealed to the inner layer at 7 and 8.
Oxygen barrier material of this nature is known and available in the food packaging industry.
Modifications and variations of the illustrated embodiment may be employed without departing from the inventive concept herein.

Claims

1) Apparatus for dispensing wine from a container comprising:
- a first conduit connecting the interior of the container to the exterior for withdrawing wine from the container, including closure means to close said first conduit;
- a second conduit connecting the interior of said container to a source of inert gas outside the container;
- means to seal said container having means to permit said first and second conduits to pass therethrough while preventing the admission of air to the container;
- said source of inert gas being contained in a collapsible bag at ambient pressure.

2) Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which at least one of said conduits is a flexible material impermeable to liquids and has an oxygen impermeable layer covering one surface of the conduit.

3) Apparatus as claimed in claims 1 or 2 in which said collapsible bag is a flexible material substantially impermeable to the inert gas and substantially impermeable to ambient air.