Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B31/00—Packaging articles or materials under special atmospheric or gaseous conditions; Adding propellants to aerosol containers
  • B65B31/04—Evacuating, pressurising or gasifying filled containers or wrappers by means of nozzles through which air or other gas, e.g. an inert gas, is withdrawn or supplied
  • B65B31/046—Evacuating, pressurising or gasifying filled containers or wrappers by means of nozzles through which air or other gas, e.g. an inert gas, is withdrawn or supplied the nozzles co-operating, or being combined, with a device for opening or closing the container or wrapper
  • B65B31/047—Evacuating, pressurising or gasifying filled containers or wrappers by means of nozzles through which air or other gas, e.g. an inert gas, is withdrawn or supplied the nozzles co-operating, or being combined, with a device for opening or closing the container or wrapper the nozzles co-operating with a check valve in the opening of the container or wrapper
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D81/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
  • B65D81/18—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient
  • B65D81/20—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient under vacuum or superatmospheric pressure, or in a special atmosphere, e.g. of inert gas
  • B65D81/2007—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient under vacuum or superatmospheric pressure, or in a special atmosphere, e.g. of inert gas under vacuum
  • B65D81/2038—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient under vacuum or superatmospheric pressure, or in a special atmosphere, e.g. of inert gas under vacuum with means for establishing or improving vacuum
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
  • F16K15/00—Check valves
  • F16K15/14—Check valves with flexible valve members
  • F16K15/144—Check valves with flexible valve members the closure elements being fixed along all or a part of their periphery
  • F16K15/147—Check valves with flexible valve members the closure elements being fixed along all or a part of their periphery the closure elements having specially formed slits or being of an elongated easily collapsible form
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
  • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F25D23/00—General constructional features
  • F25D23/12—Arrangements of compartments additional to cooling compartments; Combinations of refrigerators with other equipment, e.g. stove

Definitions

• This invention relates to the area of beverage storage and in particular to the area of storing and preserving the quality of wines in incompletely filled wine bottles, such as occurs after partial use, such that deterioration of the contents due to oxidation is either avoided or is minimal.
• the apparatus is mounted on a bench top or the like so that a bottle can be brought into proximity with the apparatus and engaged with it without requiring any particular manipulation of the bottie.
• Air evacuation from wine bottles is however an effective way of preserving wine in opened bottles and the use of a one way valve in a wine bottle stopper is desirable as a vacuum in the bottle is maintained for an appreciable period of time. It is however preferred that improved means of effecting this air evacuation be provided.
• a first object of the invention is to ameliorate the problems associated with providing separate air evacuation means and appropriate wine storage means.
• a second object of the invention is to provide alternative and improved means of, effecting such air evacuation from bottles.
• the invention is a bottle air evacuation system which includes a stopper for a bottle, which stopper has a valve component associated with a central aperture through the stopper, and means associated with an upper portion of the stopper to actuate a vacuum pump device when the stopper is placed in a fixed receptor in a housing associated with the vacuum pump.
• the means for actuating the vacuum pump is that the stopper acts to trigger at least one electrical s.ensor in the receptor.
• the housing be located within a wine storage facility and that this facility be a wine storage cabinet.
• the means to actuate the vacuum pump be a conductive device or alternately an inductive device. It is preferred that the stopper be generally of a resiliently compressible material,
• stopper be provided with a peripheral shoulder which can locate above a bottle rim, .
• a conductive device which is a metallic strip be located about the exterior periphery of the stopper above the shoulder.
• vafve member While any appropriate vafve member may be used it is preferred that a simple elongate opening be provided in an upper interior surface of the stopper such that the opening seals in the absence of vacuum pump actuation and opens when a vacuum pump device is actuated.
• this aperture be reinforced.
• the vacuum pump device be located within a wine storage cabinet or other existent wine storage facility.
• the vacuum pump be located in the rear of a cooled cabinet and utilise its compressor or the vacuum pump may be located inside the cooled cabinet.
• the wine storage facility be a specific purpose wine storage cabinet it may also be a unit combined with a freezer or refrigerator which is adapted for the storage conditions required or it may simply be associated with a standard refrigerator with no specific wine storage area.
• the invention maybe more readily understood we shall describe byway of non limiting example a specific embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings.
• Fig. 1 Shows a wine cabinet and vacuum pump assembly
• Fig. 2 Shows cross-sections through the preferred stopper of the invention
• Fig. 3 Shows side and perspective views of the stopper of the invention
• Fig. 4 Shows the stopper inserted in a partly filled bottle
• Fig. 5 Shows the neck of a wine bottle and stopper inserted into the vacuum pump receptor
• the invention relates to a means for removing air from a bottle of wine, which is normally stored in a wine cabinet, from which bottle the wine has been at least partially removed.
• a stopper and contacts in an adaptor or signal converter in the receptor causes air to flow from the bottle to the pump until a preset pressure is reached and a pressure switch stops the pump.
• a fast and repeatable vacuum may be obtained for multiple bottles of wine and after evacuation of the air the bottle of wine may be stored in the cabinet.
• a cooled cabinet 10 is fitted with a vacuum pump 11 located adjacent a convenient part of the cabinet, in the case shown in Figure 1 being the top, although the rear or anywhere chosen on the wine cabinet could be preferred.
• This vacuum pump 11 is connected by tube 12 to an internal receptor 16 in housing 14.
• a custom designed stopper 30 is provided for a wine bottle 20 which stopper is adapted to cooperate with receptor 16 in the wine cabinet 10 such that when the stopper in the top of a bottle enters the housing 14 the pump 11 is actuated and air is evacuated from the bottle.
• the vacuum pump is preferably powered from the same source as the cooled cabinet and a transformer ensures that the current through the receptor contacts is low.
• the source of power, to the pump is however not restricted in the invention.
• actuation of the pump is effected by conductive means.
• the stopper 30 is manufactured from a generally resilient material and has a central aperture 31 therethrough and has a valve component 35 in an upper surface 34 of the stopper surmounting this central aperture.
• the valve 35 takes the form of an elongate slit in this upper surface 34 and upon actuation of the vacuum pump 11 air is drawn through this valve and from the bottle
• the stopper is provided with a peripheral shoulder which surmounts the upper rim 25 of the bottle.
• a neck 37 extends above the shoulder 36 and a metallic conductive ring 38 surrounds the outer periphery of this neck.
• the bottle and stopper can be removed and a seal effected and the bottle maybe stored in the cabinet.
• Alternate means may be used to actuate the pump and these may include such things as a push button or perhaps opening the cabinet door, this could also be effected by quickly opening and closing the door. Similarly, should the pressure switch not act in a given time a timer may be used to turn off the pump. It may also be preferred that a proximity sensor determine when the stopper is • adjacent the adaptor and actuate the pump.
• the stopper can be manufactured from an electrically conductive material such as a plastic polymer with a suitable conductive filler.
• the adaptor is made of non conductive material and fitted with two electrical contacts.
• the small electrical current flowing through the stopper may be used to initiate operation of the pump. After the pump runs it continues to do so until a pressure sensitive switch, or other such device, indicates that the desired bottle pressure has been reached. It is however preferable that direct electrical contact not be made.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Dispersion Chemistry (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Devices For Dispensing Beverages (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)
• Cold Air Circulating Systems And Constructional Details In Refrigerators (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=39282356

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (13)

Family Cites Families (8)

• 2007
  • 2007-10-12 AU AU2007306930A patent/AU2007306930A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2007-10-12 WO PCT/AU2007/001546 patent/WO2008043151A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2007-10-12 US US12/445,291 patent/US20100043917A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2007-10-12 EP EP07815351A patent/EP2074040A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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