GB2182647A

GB2182647A - Preventing oxidation of liquid in containers

Info

Publication number: GB2182647A
Application number: GB08527603A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Benjamin Glyn Roberts
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-11-08
Filing date: 1985-11-08
Publication date: 1987-05-20
Also published as: GB2182647B; GB8527603D0

Abstract

A kit for preventing oxidation of a liquid 2 which partly fills a container 1 comprises an inflatable bag 4, part of which can be inserted into the container through an opening 3 thereof and inflated therein so as to displace substantially all the air which is in the container; a tube 6 for insertion through the opening 3 in the container for permitting displaced air to leave the container; and a stopper 7 for the opening for sealing the inflated bag within the container and preventing air from leaving the inflated part of the bag or from entering the container through the opening. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Preventing oxidation of liquid in containers The present invention relates to a kit and a method for preventing oxidation of liquid in containers, in particularwinein partlyfull wine bottles.

When wine comes into contact with air, the fruit content in the wine is slowly oxidised. This oxidation process deteriorates both the taste and bouquet of the wine. Generally, the oxidation ofthewine is not noticeable to the drinker until some hours afterthe wine has become exposed to the air. Often, a drinker opens a bottle of wine and only drinks a partofthe wine in the bottle. Naturally, he would wish to pres- erve the remainder of the wine in good condition so that it can be drunkat a latertime. If the bottle is left uncorked, or even if the cork is replaced, airremains in contactwiththewinewhich can oxidise the wine and make it unpalatable for later consumption.

There is thus a need for a method for preventing the oxidation of wine in partly-drunk bottles.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a kit for preventing oxidation of liquid which partlyfills a container, the kit comprising an inflatable bag part of which can be inserted into a containerthrough an opening thereof and inflated therein so asto displace substantially all the airwhich is in the container; a tubeforinsertionthroughtheopening in the con tainerforpermitting displaced airtoexitthecon- tainer; and a stopperforthe opening for seaiing the inflated bag within the container and preventing air from leaving the inflated part of the bag orfrom entering the containerthrough the opening.

The present invention further provides a method for preventing oxidation of liquid which partly fills a container,the method comprising thesteps of:- (a) inserting part of an inflatable bag into a containerthrough an opening thereof.

(b) inserting a part of a tube into the container through the opening; (c) inflating the said part of the bag so as to dis placesubstantiallyall the airwhich is in the container; the displaced airexiting the containerbyway ofthetube; and (d) inserting a stopper into the opening so asto seal the inflated bag within the container and prevent airfrom leaving the inflated part ofthe bag orfrom entering the containerthrough the opening.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described byway of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevational part-sectional view of a partly-filled wine bottle having inserted therein an in flatable bag in accordance with the method of the in- vention; Figure2 is a view, similarto Figure 1, showing the wine bottlewiththe inflatable bag andatubetherein; Figure3is a view, similarto Figure 1, showing the wine bottle with the bag which has been inflated and the tube therein; and Figure4is a view, similarto Figure 1, showing the wine bottle containing the inflated bag and being sealed with a stopper.

Referring to Figure 1, a bottle 1 containing an amount of wine 2 which partly fills the bottle 1 has inserted through the neck 3 thereof a rolled-up orfolded up bag 4 of plastics material such that the open end 5 of the bag 4 protrudes above the neck 3 of the bottle 1. The bag 4 is inserted until it extends approximately 5 cm belowthe surface ofthewine 2 inthe bottle 1.

The plastics material of the bag 4 has a veryfine thickness such that the bag 4 is very pliable and can readily accommodate folds in the plastics material.

The bag 4 has a transverse cross-section which is largerthan that of the bottle 1 and also is long enough sothatthe bag 4can be inserted right down to the bottom of the bottle 1 if required. While bags 4 ofvarious shapes and sizes may be employed, a part icularly preferred bag 4 is rectangular and is 36 cms long by 18 cms wide, the bottom ofthe bag 4 being straight and having no gussets. These dimensions may be related to those of a typical Burgundy bottle which is 27.5 cms high by 25 cms in circumference.

Thus the circumference of the preferred bag 4 is 11 cms greaterthan that of a typical wine bottle.

As is shown in Figure 2, a hollow tu be 6 of plastics material is then inserted into the bottle 1 until the lower end of the tube 6 is approximately 2.5 cm above the level of liquid in the bottle 1.Thetube6 protrudes above the neck3 of the bottle 1. The tube 6 is preferably3to 5 mm in diameter and is ofa length which is greater than that of the bottle 1.

Figure3 shows how the bag 1 and tube 6can be used cooperatively to expel from the bottle 1 air which is in contact with the wine 2. To carry outthe method of the invention, a person blows into the open end 5 of the bag 1 as shown by arrow A. Thus causes the bag 1 to inflate and displace airwhich is inside the bottle 1. The displaced air can exit the bottle 1 through the tube 6 which acts as an exitvent, as shown by arrow B. The bag 4 is inflated until substantiallyall ofthe airwhich was originally inthe bottle 1 has been displaced by the inflated bag 4. In the fully inflated state, the bag 4 extends down to the level of wine 2 and is closely adjacent the sides and neck of the bottle 1.Since the bag 4 is larger in transverse cross-section than the bottle 1 and is very pliable, the extra material is readily folded over itself at the sides ofthe bag 4 so as substantially to eliminate all the pockets ofairwhich lie betweenthewine 2 and the bag 4 and between the sides and neck of the bottle 1 and the bag 4.

I have found that if it is attempted to blow up the bag 4 in the bottle 1 without the tube 6 being provided, once the bag 4is partly-inflated it blocks the neck 3 of the bottle 1 and prevents anyfurther air which is in the bottle 1 from being displaced. This would result in residual air remaining in the bottle 1 in conntactwith the wine 2 which would cause deterioration of the wine 2 over a period of time. Thus the provision ofthe tube 6 permits easy inflation of the bag 4so asto displace substantially all the original airfrom the bottle 1.

When the bag 4 has been inflated fully, as is shown on Figure 4, the tu be 6 is removed and a stopper 7, such as a cork, is inserted into the neck3 of the bottle 1 with the uninflated open end of the bag 4 protruding above the stopper 7 outside the bottle 1. The stopper 7 is of such dimensions that it forms an airtight seal in the neck so as both to seal the airwithin the bag 4 and to pre vent the ingress of external air into the bottle 1 which could come into contact with the wine 2.

When it is desired to drink the wine 2 in the bottle 1, the stopper 7 is removed and then the bag 4 is slowly withdrawn from the bottle 1. For convenience, the tube 6 may be employed to provide a vent for air.

The invention permits partly-drunk bottles of wine to be stored for relatively long periods of time, i.e. a number of days, without substantially any oxidation ofthe wine occurring. The method is very reliable and simple to use and the kit is very inexpensive to manufacture.

Claims

1. A kit for preventing oxidation of liquid which partly fills a container, the kit comprising an inflatable bag, part of which can be inserted into a containerthrough an opening thereof and inflated therein so as to displace substantially all the air which is in the container; a tube for insertion through the opening in the container for permitting displaced airto exitthe container; and a stopperforthe open ingforsealing the inflated bag within thecontainer and preventing airfrom leaving the inflated part of the bag orfrom entering the containerthrough the opening.

2. A kit for preventing oxidation of liquid which partlyftlls a container substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

3. A method for preventing oxidation of liquid which partlyfiils a container, the method comprising the steps of: (a) inserting partofan inflatable bag into a containerthrough an opening thereof.

(b) inserting a part of a tube into the container through the opening; (c) inflating the said part of the bag so as to dis- place substantially all the airwhich is in the container; the displaced air exiting the container byway ofthetube; and (d) inserting a stopper into the opening so as to seal the inflated bag within the container and prevent airfrom leaving the inflated part ofthe bag orfrom entering the containerthrough the opening.

4. A method for preventing oxidation of liquid which partlyfillsa containersubstantiallyashere it before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.