EP3287414A1

EP3287414A1 - Corkscrew

Info

Publication number: EP3287414A1
Application number: EP16782689.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Francisco Barbera Traspuesto
Original assignee: Koala Internacional Hosteleria SL
Current assignee: Koala Internacional Hosteleria SL
Priority date: 2015-04-21
Filing date: 2016-04-14
Publication date: 2018-02-28
Also published as: ES2590402B1; WO2016170210A1; ES2590402A1; EP3287414A4

Abstract

The present invention relates to a corkscrew having a spiral (1) which has: a free end (11) for being introduced in a cork (7) to be removed and a connecting end (12) opposite the free end (11). The corkscrew also has a guide (2) for the spiral (1) which has: a first seating (21) for housing the connecting end (12) in a start of removal position and a second seating (22) for housing the connecting end (12) in an end of removal position.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a corkscrew.

PRIOR ART

Corkscrews used for removing the cork from bottles and other vessels are known. However, the known corkscrews have a series of problems when trying to remove the cork from a vessel that remain unsolved:

i) the corks break sometimes, therefore damaging the content of the vessel to be opened;
ii) the force required for levering hinders and complicates the attempt to remove the cork;
iii) the positioning of the corkscrew is unstable during the cork removal operation, slowing down said operation because the user is obliged to readjust the position of the corkscrew to continue with the opening operation;
iv)removal of the cork is hindered due to the interference or the rubbing of the cork with elements of the corkscrew that encumber the removal, therefore increasing the force required to remove the cork.

Not only do these problems hinder the cork removal operation, but rather they can thwart the attempt due to the cork breaking and even due to the vessel breaking as a result of the user's struggle to try to remove the cork, which can end with the bottle falling.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a corkscrew such as the one defined in the independent claim. The dependent claims define preferred embodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a view of the corkscrew of the invention in the open position.
Figure 2 is a view of the corkscrew of the invention in the start of removal position.
Figure 3 is a view of the corkscrew of the invention in the end of removal position.
Figure 4 is a view of the corkscrew of the invention in the closed position.

The reference numbers of the elements of the invention are indicated below:

Spiral (1)
Free end (11)
Connecting end (12)
Guide (2)
First seating (21)
Second seating (22)
Support (3)
Seating end (31)
Cavity (32)
Handle (4)
First articulation (41)
Second articulation (42)
Blade (5)
Projection (6)
Cork (7)

DETAILED DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

As described, a basic embodiment of the invention relates to a corkscrew comprising:

1a) a spiral (1) comprising:
- 1a1) a free end (11) configured for being introduced in a cork (7) to be removed;
- 1a2) a connecting end (12) opposite the free end (11);
1b) a guide (2) for the spiral (1) comprising:
- 1b1) a first seating (21) configured for housing the connecting end (12) in a start of removal position;
- 1b2) a second seating (22) configured for housing the connecting end (12) in an end of removal position.

The system of the spiral (1) and guide (2) for the spiral (1) of the invention allows removing a cork with less effort when levering than known corkscrews do.
According to other features of the invention:

2a) The corkscrew can comprise a support (3) comprising a seating end (31) configured for being supported on the opening of a vessel covered by the cork (7) and a cavity (32) configured for preventing interference with a cork (7) to be removed. The support (3) does not rub against the cork (7) during removal, since in addition to having only one recess for contact in a single position with the opening of the vessel, instead of the two usual recesses, it also has the shape defined by the cavity (32). The combination of the spiral (1) with the guide (2) for the spiral (1) and the support (3) of the invention makes the removal operation for removing the cork (7) easier compared with known corkscrews, not only due to the less force required for levering, but rather because since the support (3) is one-piece and has a single recess for contacting with the vessel, the corkscrew of the invention has a more stable behavior during the removal process than known corkscrews do, thereby making the operation easier for the user who is opening the vessel, not just because said user has to exert less force but rather because the action of opening is more comfortable.
3a) The corkscrew may also comprise a handle (4) comprising a first articulation (41) configured for being connected to the guide (2).
4a) The handle (4) may comprise a second articulation (42) configured for being connected to the support (3).
5. The spiral (1), the guide (2), the support (3), the handle (4), the first articulation (41) and the second articulation (42) can be connected in order to define:
- 5a) an open position of the corkscrew configured for allowing introduction of the spiral (1) in the cork (7) to be removed;
- 5b) a lever position in which the support (3) is supported on the opening of a vessel covered by the cork (7);
- 5c) a start of removal position in which the connecting end (12) is in the first seating (21);
- 5d) an end of removal position in which the connecting end (12) is in the second seating (22);
- 5e) a closed position in which:
  - 5e1) the support (3) and the handle (4) are closed about the second articulation (42);
  - 5e2) the spiral (1) and the guide (2) are contained between the support (3) and the handle (4).
  - The closed position is the usual position when the corkscrew is not in use. In the closed position, the support (3) and the handle (4) define a cavity where the spiral (1) and the guide (2) are housed.
6. The corkscrew may also comprise a blade (5). The blade (5) can be connected in the second articulation (42). The blade (5) may comprise a built-in projection (6). The projection (6) allows more easily removing the capsule from a bottle.
The projection can be a bend made from the same material as the steel of the blade, i.e., the blade (5) and the projection (6) form a single piece.
9. The spiral (1) may comprise four turns.

Therefore, since the spiral (1) has four turns instead of the five usual turns, it is shorter and does not completely go through the cork (7), preventing part of the cork from falling into the content of the vessel, damaging said content, which could be wine, for example.

Claims

A corkscrew comprising:
1a) a spiral (1) comprising:
1a1) a free end (11) configured for being introduced in a cork (7) to be removed;

1a2) a connecting end (12) opposite the free end (11);
characterized in that:
it comprises:

1b) a guide (2) for the spiral (1) comprising:
1b1) a first seating (21) configured for housing the connecting end (12) in a start of removal position;

1b2) a second seating (22) configured for housing the connecting end (12) in an end of removal position.
The corkscrew according to claim 1, comprising:
2a) a support (3) comprising a seating end (31) configured for being supported on the opening of a vessel covered by the cork (7);
characterized in that:
2b) the support (3) comprises a cavity (32) configured for preventing interference with a cork (7) to be removed.
The corkscrew according to any of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that it comprises:
3a) a handle (4) comprising a first articulation (41) configured for being connected to the guide (2).
The corkscrew according to claim 3, characterized in that:
4a) the handle (4) comprises a second articulation (42) configured for being connected to the support (3).
The corkscrew according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the spiral (1), the guide (2), the support (3), the handle (4), the first articulation (41) and the second articulation (42) are connected in order to define:
5a) an open position of the corkscrew configured for allowing introduction of the spiral (1) in the cork (7) to be removed;

5b) a lever position in which the support (3) is supported on the opening of a vessel covered by the cork (7);

5c) a start of removal position in which the connecting end (12) is in the first seating (21);

5d) an end of removal position in which the connecting end (12) is in the second seating (22);

5e) a closed position in which:
5e1) the support (3) and the handle (4) are closed about the second articulation (42);

5e2) the spiral (1) and the guide (2) are contained between the support (3) and the handle (4).
The corkscrew according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises a blade (5).
The corkscrew according to claim 6, characterized in that the blade (5) is connected in the second articulation (42).
The corkscrew according to any of claims 6 to 7, characterized in that the blade (5) comprises a built-in projection (6).
The corkscrew according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the spiral (1) comprises four turns.