GB2420555A

GB2420555A - Corkscrew

Info

Publication number: GB2420555A
Application number: GB0426048A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sebastian Stoddard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-11-26
Filing date: 2004-11-26
Publication date: 2006-05-31
Also published as: WO2006056796A1; GB0426048D0; CN101128390A; GB2442897B; CN101128390B; GB2442897A; GB0801222D0

Abstract

A corkscrew device for driving a screw 7 into a cork in a neck of a bottle and removing the cork from the neck of the bottle by further rotation of the screw, wherein the corkscrew device comprises a base attached to the screw 7, and a head 2 vertically displaceable with respect to the base between at least two positions including a first position in which the head 2 is vertically displaced towards the base and a second position in which the head is vertically displaced away from the base. The head and base together define selectively in said first position a ratchet mechanism 5 by which rotation of the head is imparted to the screw for a first direction of head rotation only so as to facilitate rotation of the screw into a cork and subsequent removal of the cork from the neck of the bottle. The base and head together also define selectively in said second position a ratchet mechanism by which rotation of the head is imparted to the screw for a second, opposite direction of head rotation only so as to facilitate rotation of the screw out from a cork. The device further comprises interacting male and female elements for holding said base and head together in said first position or said second position. Grips 3 may be located on the head, a core 4 may be placed inside the grips 3, the core may include four tabs 5 that provide the locking mechanism for the ratchet. A lid 6 may also be provided.

Description

CORKSCREW

The present application relates to a corkscrew.

The corkscrew is a well-known implement that enables corks to be removed from the necks of bottles of wine.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a new corkscrew that further facilitates at least the operation of driving the screw into the cork.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a corkscrew as defined in claim 1, and a use of a corkscrew as defined in claim 8.

Embodiments of the invention are defined in claims 2 to 7 and 9.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1(a) shows a side view of a corkscrew according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 1(b) shows the corkscrew according to the first embodiment with half of the outer casing removed to show the inner workings; Figure 2 shows an enlarged version of Figure 1(b); Figure 3 is a perspective view of the first embodiment partly in exploded form; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the corkscrew according to the first embodiment with the head positioned for driving the screw into a cork; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the first embodiment with the head positioned for pulling the screw out of the cork; and Figure 6 shows the operation of the corkscrew of the first embodiment including driving the screw into a cork in a bottleneck, pulling the cork from the bottleneck and then removing the screw from the cork.

The corkscrew according to a first embodiment includes a body (1) approximately 156mm in length, roughly conical in shape, with one end wider than the other to admit the head of a wine bottle. At the narrower end is a channel wide enough to admit the passage of a helix screw (7) whilst providing some directional support.

On the internal surface there are eight struts (8) in a vertical orientation widely enough spaced away from each other to allow the passage of a cork up the body's centre but narrowly enough spaced to keep the top of the bottle at the lowest point where the struts begin.

Mounted on the body, but not attached to it by any permanent means, is a structure consisting of six separate pieces. Firstly the head (2) directly interfaces with the body (I) and includes three internal ribs to help locate the internal Core (4) in its two positions. It includes internal teeth arranged in a circular pattern to provide the direction for the ratchet to remove the cork from the screw and also provides three vertical arms that help both align and secure the rest of the structure with the Head.

On top of the Head (2) there are three Grips (3) that are located on the Head (2) in a circular formation to aid in the physical turning of said structure. These are aligned using the vertical arms on the Head and are secured in place once the Lid has been added to the structure. These could be made out of a tactile material such as rubber.

Placed inside of the grips is a central Core (4) that secures the nonfunctional end of the screw (7) as it travels down through the Head (2) and Body (1). The Core has four Tabs (5) that provide the locking mechanism for the ratchet. There are two layers for these tabs, with each layer containing two tabs. Each set of tabs allow the screw to rotate in one direction only with the top set allowing the screw to enter the cork (position 1), and the lower set allowing the screw to be removed from the cork (position 2). These two layers are arranged one on top of the other, below which are circular indents on as cylinder used to position the Core in its up or down position within the structure. There is also a vertical hole in the piece that will help to align the Lid in place and provide additional support for the Core when travelling from position 1 to position 2.

Finally there is a Lid (6) that consists of a circular plane with a cylinder extending vertically beneath it. On the internal wall of the cylinder is the second set of teeth arranged in a circular pattern providing the direction for the ratchet to enter the cork and remove it from the bottle (position 1). On the external surface there are three locating channels that will guide the Lid (6) into its securing position with the Head (2). There is also a smaller cylinder, located in the centre of the plane and extending down in the same direction as the larger cylinder, that helps locate the Lid (6) and the Core (4) and provides added support for the Core (4) when it travels from position 1 to position 2.

The corkscrew described above allows the screw to be easily driven both into and out of the cork. A ratchet mechanism has two different positions in which said ratchet is engaged; one position for driving the screw into the cork, and one for removing the screw from the cork. In order to change the direction the ratchet is travelling in it is simply necessary to either push or pull the top of the corkscrew in the direction that you wish the screw to travel.

In order to remove a cork from a bottle of wine, the body (1) is placed over the top of the wine bottle. The screw (7), attached to the remaining structure of the corkscrew, is then passed through the top of the Body and pushed into the centre of the cork, thereby engaging the core in the primary position of the ratchet. The user then rotates the structure one turn to allow for the screw to gain purchase with the cork. Then, using the structure in a manner similar to that of a salt or pepper dispenser, the user rotates the top of the structure backwards and forwards until the screw is driven into the cork and the cork is pulled from the bottle.

Once the cork is removed the user pulls the structure away from the Body to engage the second position of the ratchet. Then, in a manner similar to that described before, the user rotates the structure backwards and forwards to remove the screw from the cork. Once finished, the cork can be ejected from the Body by pushing the screw back through the hole in the top of the Body until the structure sits easily with it.

The applicant draws attention to the fact that the present invention may include any feature or combination of features disclosed herein either implicitly or explicitly or any generalisation thereof, without limitation to the scope of any definitions set out above. In view of the foregoing description it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A corkscrew for removing a cork from the neck of a bottle, comprising a screw and a head mounted on the screw via a mechanism switchable into at least a first state in which, when inserting the screw into a cork, rotation of the head is imparted to the screw for a first direction of head rotation only so as to facilitate rotation of the screw into a cork; wherein, in use, the action of pushing on the head in the direction of insertion of the screw into the cork automatically ensures that the mechanism is set in the first state.

2. A corkscrew according to claim 1, wherein the mechanism is switchable between said first state and a second state in which, when removing the screw from a cork, rotation of the head is imparted to the screw for a second, opposite direction of head rotation only so as to facilitate rotation of the screw from the cork; wherein, in use, the action of pulling on the head in the direction of removal of the screw from the cork automatically ensures that the mechanism is set in the second state.

3. A corkscrew according to claim I or claim 2, wherein the mechanism is a ratchet mechanism.

4. A corkscrew for removing a cork from the neck of a bottle, comprising a screw and a head mounted on the screw via a ratchet mechanism switchable between a first state for facilitating rotation of the screw into a cork and a second state for facilitating rotation of the screw out of the cork; wherein, in use, the action of pushing on the head in the direction of insertion of the screw into the cork automatically ensures that the ratchet mechanism is set in the first state, and the action of pulling on the head in the direction of removal of the screw from the cork automatically ensures that the ratchet mechanism is set in the second state.

5. A corkscrew for removing a cork from the neck of a bottle, comprising a screw attached to a base, and a head vertically displaceable with respect to the base between at least two positions including a first position in which the head is vertically displaced towards the base and a second position in which the head is vertically displaced away from the head, the head and base together defining selectively in said first position a ratchet mechanism by which rotation of the head is imparted to the screw for a first direction of head rotation only so as to facilitate rotation of the screw into a cork.

6. A corkscrew according to claim 5, wherein the base and head together also define selectively in said second position a ratchet mechanism by which rotation of the head is imparted to the screw for a second, opposite direction of head rotation only so as to facilitate rotation of the screw out from a cork.

7. A corkscrew according to claim 5, wherein the head includes one or more tabs at a lower level and one or more tabs at an upper level, and the base includes a first set of teeth at a lower level and a set of second teeth at a lower level, the lower level tabs and the lower level teeth together defining in said first position the ratchet mechanism by which rotation of the head is imparted to the screw for a first direction of head rotation only so as to facilitate rotation of the screw into a cork, and the upper level tabs and the upper level set of teeth together defining in said second position the ratchet mechanism by which rotation of the head is imparted to the screw for a second, opposite direction of head rotation only so as to facilitate rotation of the screw out from a cork.

8. Use of the corkscrew according to any preceding claim for removing a cork from a neck of a bottle.

9. A corkscrew as substantially hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.