GB2392607A

GB2392607A - A hanging wine bottle holder

Info

Publication number: GB2392607A
Application number: GB0217202A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Neil Venners
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-07-25
Filing date: 2002-07-25
Publication date: 2004-03-10
Also published as: GB0217202D0

Abstract

A hanging wine bottle holder 1 comprises a sleeve 2 dimensioned so as to fit closely around a wine bottle 7, the sleeve having a hanger portion 3 which supports a hook fixing 4. The sleeve may be formed of a fabric material or with a metallic or plastic frame. The sleeve provides a convenient support for a wine bottle, allowing the bottle to be hung on a heating radiator, for example, allowing the wine to be heated. The holder may carry a decorative device which may be in the form of a waiter, chef or sailor uniform.

Description

WINE BOTTLE WARMER DEVICE

This invention relates to a wine bottle warmer device. It relates particularly to a bottle warmer that can enable a wine bottle to be warmed to a suitable temperature to enable the wine therein to be served at its best.

In the use of wine at home, it is normally preferred if a red wine is served at room temperature. Frequently, when one brings a bottle of red wine into the room, it is found to be too cold for use immediately and if one makes an attempt to drink this wine it will be difficult to appreciate this fully until the liquid has become warmed up. Some users have tried to warm the wine by placing the bottle in warm water, a microwave oven or beside an open fire, however, these methods are makeshift practices which are not satisfactory and would not be recommended. The use of an electric heater, for example, that of patent No. FR24278 1 1, which discloses an electric heater that can be inserted in the wine in the bottle also has its disadvantages. It would be preferable if there was a method of warming the wine that was convenient to use and did not involve a long wait for the warming effect to be obtained.

I have now devised a method of warming a wine bottle that requires only a natural heating process and which does not involve any interference with the contents of the bottle. According to the invention, there is provided a wine bottle warmer device comprising a sleeve so dimensioned as to fit closely around a wine bottle when present, the sleeve having a hanger portion which supports a hook fixing. The hook fixing may be of such a size as to be capable of being attached to the top of a room heater such as a panel heater or central heating radiator.

The sleeve may be formed of a suitable fabric. Alternatively, the sleeve may be a

( rigid or flexible frame formed, for example, of a metal, a wire or of a plastics composition.

The sleeve may be of a generally cylindrical shape.

The sleeve may be arranged to carry a decorative emblem relevant to the use of wine. This feature may be a wine label, an advertisement, or a representation of a uniform such as a waiter uniform, a chef uniform, or a sailor uniform.

The invention also comprises the wine bottle warmer device just described when including a wine bottle.

By way of example, a particular embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure I is a front perspective view of the wine bottle warmer device, Figure 2 shows a side view, Figure 3 is a plan view, and, Figure 4 depicts the bottle warmer device supporting a wine bottle.

As shown in Figures I and 2, the wine bottle warmer device I is formed as an open top container with a sleeve 2 which carries a hanger portion 3 supporting a metal hook 4.

The hook 4 is of such a size as to be capable of fitting over a top edge of a room heater such as an electric panel heater or central heating radiator. The sleeve 2 is provided with decorative emblems 6 which in this instance are a miniature bow tie and buttons.

Figure 3 is a view from above of the bottle warmer device. The internal diameter of the sleeve 2 is such that it will make a close fit with a wine bottle when this is present.

Figure 4 shows the wine bottle warmer device I when including a wine bottle 7.

The bottle 7 is a standard red wine bottle of 750ml capacity.

In use of the wine bottle warmer device, this will first be assembled with a wine

-3 bottle, the wine from which is intended to be consumed later, and this combination will be attached by the hook 4 to an upper edge of a suitable room heater. The heater may be an electric panel heater or central heating radiator and it will of course be in its operating state. The wine bottle will preferably be in an opened condition because a red wine should be exposed to the air for a few hours before it is to be used. The hook 4 then acts to hold one side of the sleeve 2 against the surface of the room heater so that a heat transfer will take place by contact. The wine will thus be allowed to breathe and to warm through in a convenient manner. When a suitable period has elapsed, the wine bottle may be taken from the warmer device and it will be found to be in a good condition for its qualities to be enjoyed. The wine bottle warmer device of the invention has been found to be an inexpensive item to manufacture and its use can help to increase the enjoyment that is obtainable from a bottle. The possibility of decorating the bottle warmer device with a suitable emblem can add to this enjoyment and provide an opportunity for contributing a particular theme to the use of the device. Decorative features such as a wine label, an advertisement, or a representation of a uniform such as a waiter uniform, a chef uniform, or a sailor uniform have been proposed. The bottle warmer device is very suitable for being given with a full wine bottle as a wine-related gift. The hook 4 may be supported entirely on the hanger portion 3 of the warmer device 1. The hook 4 may thus be attached to a support plate (not shown) which is sewn into the fabric of the hanger portion 3. In an alternative construction, the plate may be arranged to extend down the side of the hanger portion 3 and the sleeve 2 so that this will serve to maintain the sleeve in an upright condition even when this is not supported from the hook 4. In a further embodiment,

-4 separate stiffeners could also be provided in the sleeve 2 to hold it upright when the hook was not being used.

The parts of the warmer device which are not intended to be in contact with the heater may be provided with a thermal insulation layer. This will help to ensure that the body of wine in the bottle will become evenly heated throughout its volume.

The wine bottle warmer device is capable of being produced in different sizes to suit, for example, the standard and the litre-size wine bottle.

The foregoing description of an embodiment of the invention has been given by

way of example only and a number of modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For instance, instead of the hook 4 being a metal hook, this might be a preformed plastics hook which would be attached by sewing to the material of the hanger portion 3. The warmer device may be made of a mesh material. A two-bottle version could alternatively be made by providing a large bottle warmer capable of holding two bottles in a side- by-side arrangement.

Claims

( -5 CLAIMS

I A wine bottle warmer device comprising a sleeve so dimensioned as to fit closely around a wine bottle when present, the sleeve having a hanger portion which supports a hook fixing.
2 A bottle warmer device as claimed in Claim 1, in which the sleeve is formed of a

fabric material.
3 A bottle warmer device as claimed in Claim 1, in which the sleeve is formed with a frame of a metal, wire or plastics composition.
4 A bottle warmer device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, in which the sleeve has a generally cylindrical shape.
5 A bottle warmer device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, in which the device carries a decorative emblem relevant to the use of wine.
6 A bottle warmer device as claimed in Claim 5, in which the emblem is a representation of a waiter, a chef or a sailor uniform.
7 A bottle warmer device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6, when including a wine bottle.
8 A wine bottle warmer device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.