US20200207522A1

US20200207522A1 - Bottle Opening Sealer with an Indicator Window

Info

Publication number: US20200207522A1
Application number: US16/543,784
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard James Sullivan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-12-27
Filing date: 2019-08-19
Publication date: 2020-07-02
Also published as: WO2020136457A1

Abstract

The plurality of indicators is radially connected onto the inner cup, wherein each of the plurality of indicators is selectively displayed through the window.

Description

The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application serial number 62/785,614 filed on Dec. 27, 2018.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a sealing apparatus for a bottle opening. More specifically, the present invention hermetically seals a bottle opening so that the stored liquid can be preserved with the bottle while the present invention is able to indicate the type of liquid within the bottle and monitor the surrounding temperature of the bottle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Bottles that contain cooking oils, wine, champagne, or any other useful liquid or beverage are generally stopped with a cork or screwcap closure. Bottle openers are required to open bottles that are stoppered with a cork. There are many different inceptions of the bottle opener ranging from the simple corkscrew, the screw-pull lever, to complicated carbon dioxide driven openers. The most popular is the wine key, sommelier knife or “waiter's friend” which resembles a pocket-knife and has a small blade for cutting foil and a screw with a bottle brace. Wine poppers are another means of opening a cork closure. A hollow spike is driven through the cork of a bottle. A cartridge of carbon dioxide is then pressed to release a short burst of gas. The sudden increase of pressure dislodges the cork and the stored content can then be served. Two problems can arise with this method: synthetic “corks” may be too dense to penetrate, and bottles not intended for pressure may break. When part of the stored content is utilized and remaining content need to be stored, a stopper is utilized within the bottle to seal the stored content within the bottle since it is difficult to put the original cork back into the bottleneck. Stoppers vary in shapes, sizes, and materials as they are inserted into the bottleneck, creating a barrier between the stored content and the surrounding air. The newer versions of stoppers are made to expand in the bottle to ensure a tighter and hermetic seal. Some stoppers can be vacuum-sealed with a hand pump, to remove oxygen from the bottle, thereby extending the life of the stored content by several days after opening the bottle. However, aforementioned stoppers fail to provide any other functionality other than preserving the stored content within the bottle.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a sealing apparatus that indicate the type of liquid within the bottle and monitor the surrounding temperature of the bottle. More specifically, the present invention provides hermetic seal between the stored content within the bottle and the surrounding air through a sealing mechanism. In addition, the present invention also displays the type of liquid within the bottle as the user is able to specific type of the liquid from a plurality of options. Furthermore, the present invention also monitors and displays the surrounding temperature of the bottle so that the user can easily enhance the flavor profiles of the stored content with respect to the temperature.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the outer cup of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the outer cup of the present invention, showing the plurality of cavities of the incremental rotational mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of the inner cup of the present invention, showing the plurality of teeth of the incremental rotational mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the inner cup of the present invention, showing the plurality of indicators.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the outer cup and the inner cup of the present invention, showing the plane upon which a cross sectional view is taken shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 7 is a cross section view for the outer cup and the inner cup of the present invention taken along line A-A of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the present invention, showing the plane upon which a cross sectional view is taken shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 9 is a cross section view of the present invention taken along line A-A of FIG. 8, showing the configuration of the sealing mechanism.

FIG. 10 is a side view of the lever of the present invention.

DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
The present invention to provide a bottle opening sealer with an indicator window so that the type of liquid stored within the bottle and the surrounding temperature of the bottle can be displayed to the user. More specifically, the present invention provides hermetic seal between the stored liquid within the bottle and the surrounding air through a sealing apparatus. The present invention also displays the specific type of the stored liquid as the user is able to select the specific type of the liquid from a plurality of options. The present invention also monitors and displays the surrounding temperature of the bottle so that the user can figure out the optimal storage conditions to enhance the flavor profiles of the stored liquid with respect to the temperature.
The present invention comprises an outer cup 1, an inner cup 6, a sealing mechanism 16, a window 27, and a plurality of indicators 28 as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 8-9. In reference to the general configuration of the present invention, the inner cup 6 is radially enclosed by the outer cup 1 so that the outer cup 1 is able to rotate around the inner cup 6. A connector 23 of the sealing mechanism 16 is axially positioned and slidably traverses through the outer cup 1 and the inner cup 6. The connector 23 functions as a base member within the sealing mechanism 16 as a lever 17 and an elastic sleeve 26 of the sealing mechanism 16 are coupled to the connector 23. More specifically, the elastic sleeve 26 is positioned within the inner cup 6 and slidably engaged around the connector 23. The lever 17 is externally positioned to the outer cup 1 and hingedly mounted to the connector 23 about the outer cup 1. As a result, the structural configuration of the lever 17 is able to vertically move the connector 23 up and down within the inner cup 6 and the outer cup 1 thus creating a sealed position and an opened position for the sealing mechanism 16. When the sealing mechanism 16 is at the opened position, the connector 23 and the elastic sleeve 26 are at their neutral positions in such a way that the elastic sleeve 26 can be inserted into the bottle opening as the diameter of the elastic sleeve 26 is smaller than the diameter of the bottle opening. When the sealing mechanism 16 is at the sealed position, the connector 23 is vertically pulled upward and the elastic sleeve 26 is compressed in such a way that the diameter of the elastic sleeve 26 increases. Then, the elastic sleeve 26 is able to function as a barrier between the stored liquid and the surrounding air as the elastic sleeve 26 is internally pressed against the bottle opening. The window 27 is laterally integrated onto the outer cup 1, and the plurality of indicators 28 is radially connected onto the inner cup 6. As a result, opposite rotation of the outer cup 1 and the inner cup 6 is able to selectively display each of the plurality of indicators 28 through the window 27.
In reference to FIG. 2-3, the outer cup 1 is generally formed into a bell-shaped body and comprises an outer base 2, an outer lateral wall 3, a bottom edge 4, and a first opening 5. More specifically, the outer lateral wall 3 is perimetrically connected around the outer base 2 thus delineating the overall profile of the outer cup 1. The bottom edge 4 is perimetrically positioned around the outer lateral wall 3 and positioned opposite of the outer base 2, wherein the diameter of the bottom edge 4 is larger than the diameter of the outer base 2. The first opening 5 concentrically traverses through the outer base 2 so that the connector 23 can be sildably inserted through the first opening 5. The window 27 is laterally integrated onto the outer lateral wall 3 and positioned in between the bottom edge 4 and the outer base 2. Furthermore, a transparent panel is perimetrically connected within the window 27 so that the inner cup 6 and the plurality of indicators 28 can be protected from unnecessary elements such as dust, liquid, or any other similar types of external elements.
In reference to FIG. 4-5, the inner cup 6 is generally formed into a bell-shaped body that is similar to the outer cup 1. The inner cup 6 comprises an inner base 7, a support base 8, an inner lateral wall 9, a bottom groove body 10, a bottle-neck receiver opening 11, and a second opening 12. More specifically, the inner lateral wall 9 is perimetrically connected around the inner base 7 thus delineating the overall profile of the outer cup 1. The bottom groove body 10 is perimetrically connected around the inner lateral wall 9, wherein the bottom groove body 10 and the inner base 7 are oppositely positioned of each other about the inner lateral wall 9. The bottom groove body 10 provides a supporting platform within the present invention so that the bottom edge 4 of the outer cup 1 can slidably engage with the inner cup 6. The inner base 7 and the support base 8 are concentrically connected to each other as the support base 8 is encircled within the inner lateral wall 9. Furthermore, the bottle-neck receiver opening 11 is delineated by the inner base 7 and the inner lateral wall 9 so that the bottle opening can be inserted into the present invention during usage. The second opening 12 concentrically traverses through the inner base 7 and the support base 8 so that the connector 23 can be slidably inserted through the second opening 12.
In reference to FIG. 6-7, when the inner cup 6 is radially enclosed by the outer cup 1, the inner cup 6 is fully hidden within the outer cup 1. More specifically, the outer base 2 of the outer cup 1 is concentrically positioned atop the inner base 7 of the inner cup 6 thus covering the inner base 7. The outer lateral wall 3 of the outer cup 1 is concentrically positioned around the inner lateral wall 9 of the inner cup 6 so that the inner lateral wall 9 can be covered. The bottom edge 4 of the outer cup 1 is concentrically engaged within the bottom groove body 10 of the inner cup 6 so that the bottom edge 4 can be hidden and slidably engaged within the bottom groove body 10. The first opening 5 of the outer cup 1 is concentrically positioned to the second opening 12 of the inner cup 6 thus enabling an obstruction free pathway for the vertical movement of the connector 23, with respect to the inner cup 6 and the outer cup 1.
The present invention further comprises an incremental rotational mechanism 13 that precisely aligns each of the plurality of indicators 28 to the window 27. More specifically, the incremental rotational mechanism 13 aligns and displays a single indicator from the plurality of indicators 28 through the window 27 while remaining indicators of the plurality of indicators 28 are hidden behind the outer lateral wall 3. The incremental rotational mechanism 13 comprises a plurality of teeth 14 and a plurality of cavities 15, wherein the engagement between the plurality of teeth 14 and the plurality of cavities 15 precisely aligns each of the plurality of indicators 28 to the window 27. In reference to the preferred embodiment of the present invention that is shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 5, and FIG. 7, the plurality of teeth 14 is radially connected onto the inner base 7 and positioned opposite of the support base 8. The plurality of cavities 15 is radially connected to the outer base 2 and oriented toward the bottom edge 4. When the outer cup 1 encloses the inner cup 6, the plurality of teeth 14 is positioned adjacent to the plurality of cavities 15. In other words, the plurality of cavities 15 and the plurality of teeth 14 are oriented toward the each other so that the plurality of cavities 15 can be rotationally engaged with the plurality of teeth 14. Resultantly, the engagement between the plurality of cavities 15 and the plurality of teeth 14 selectively aligns each of the plurality of indicators 28 to the window 27. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of cavities 15 radially traverses onto the inner base 7 and positioned opposite of the support base 8. The plurality of teeth 14 is radially connected to the outer base 2 and oriented toward the bottom edge 4 thus orienting the plurality of teeth 14 and the plurality of cavities 15 toward each other.
In reference to FIG. 8-9, the connector 23 comprises a shaft 24 and a head 25 so that the elastic sleeve 26 can be retained within the inner cup 6. More specifically, the shaft 24 and the head 25 are adjacently and axially connected to each other. The shaft 24 is slidably positioned within the first opening 5 and the second opening 12. The head 25 is concentrically positioned within the inner lateral wall 9 in such a way that the head 25 vertically moves within the inner cup 6 in relation to movement of the shaft 24. The lever 17 and the shaft 24 are terminally positioned with each other about the outer base 2 so that the lever 17 can be hingedly mounted to the shaft 24. The hinged connection between the lever 17 and the shaft 24 allows the sealing mechanism 16 to move in between the opened position and the sealed position. The elastic sleeve 26 is concentrically positioned around the shaft 24 and extended from the head 25 to the support base 8. Furthermore, the outer diameter of the elastic sleeve 26 is either smaller than or equal to the diameter of the head 25 when the sealing mechanism 16 at the opened position. However, when the sealing mechanism 16 converts from the opened position to the sealed position, the upward movement of the head 25 compresses the elastic sleeve 26 against the support base 8 thus expanding the outer diameter of the elastic sleeve 26.
In order to move and lock the sealing mechanism 16 between the opened position and the sealed position, the lever 17 comprises a triangular arm section 18 and an elongated arm section 22 as shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 10. The triangular arm section 18 and the elongated arm section 22 being adjacently connected to each other thus delineating the overall profile of the lever 17. The elongated arm section 22 provides the necessary surface area and an ergonomic surface to grasp the lever 17 so that the user can comfortably operate the sealing mechanism 16. The triangular arm section 18 is positioned adjacent to the outer base 2, and the elongated arm section 22 is positioned offset of the outer base 2. Furthermore, the triangular arm section 18 comprises a first side 19 and a second side 20, wherein the first side 19 and the second side 20 are oriented at an acute angle 21. Preferably, a curved section is positioned in between the first side 19 and the second side 20 so that the lever 17 can be smoothly moved between the opened position and the sealed position. When the sealing mechanism 16 is at the opened position, the first side 19 is externally pressed against the outer base 2 thus maintaining an upright position for the triangular arm section 18 while the elongated arm section 22 is positioned atop the outer base 2. When the sealing mechanism 16 is at the sealed position, the second side 20 is externally pressed against the outer base 2 thus maintaining a folded position for the triangular arm section 18 while the elongated arm section 22 is positioned adjacent to the outer lateral wall 3.
In reference to FIG. 3-5, the plurality of indicators 28 is radially positioned around the inner base 7 and adjacently connected onto the inner lateral wall 9 so that each of the plurality of indicators 28 can be selectively displayed through the window 27. The plurality of indicators 28 comprises a liquid crystal thermometer indicator 29, a first beverage indicator 30, a second beverage indicator 31, a third beverage indicator 32, and a cooking oil indicator 33 so that the user of the present invention is able to match the type of liquid stored within the bottle to one of the plurality of indicators 28 and monitor the surrounding temperature of the bottle.
The liquid crystal thermometer indicator 29 functions as a liquid crystal temperature gage within the present invention so that the surrounding temperature of the bottle can be displayed through the window 27. For example, when the present invention is utilized with a bottle and the surrounding temperature of the bottle need to be displayed, the user can align the liquid crystal thermometer indicator 29 to the window 27 by the opposite rotation of the outer cup 1 and the inner cup 6.
The first beverage indicator 30 preferably illustrates champagne or sparkling wine. For example, when a champagne or sparkling wine bottle need to reseal after the original cork is removed, the first beverage indicator 30 is aligned and displayed through the window 27 as the sealing mechanism 16 hermetically seals the opening of the champagne or sparkling wine bottle.
The second beverage indicator 31 preferably illustrates white wine. For example, when a white wine bottle need to reseal after the original cork is removed, the second beverage indicator 31 is aligned and displayed through the window 27 as the sealing mechanism 16 hermetically seals the opening of the white wine bottle.
The third beverage indicator 32 preferably illustrates red wine. For example, when a red wine bottle need to reseal after the original cork is removed, the third beverage indicator 32 is aligned and displayed through the window 27 as the sealing mechanism 16 hermetically seals the opening of the red wine bottle.
The cooking oil indicator 33 preferably illustrates any kind of cooking oils such as olive oil, palm oil, soybean oil, canola oil, corn oil, peanut oil, vegetable oils, coconut oil, or any other type of similar oils. For example, when an olive oil bottle need to reseal after the original cork is removed, the cooking oil indicator 33 is aligned and displayed through the window 27 as the sealing mechanism 16 hermetically seals the opening of the olive oil bottle.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A bottle opening sealer with an indicator window comprising:

an outer cup;

an inner cup;

a sealing mechanism;

a window;

a plurality of indicators;

the sealing mechanism comprising a lever, a connector, and an elastic sleeve;

the inner cup being radially enclosed by the outer cup;

the connector being axially positioned to the inner cup and the outer cup;

the connector being slidably traversing through the outer cup and the inner cup;

the elastic sleeve being positioned within the inner cup;

the elastic sleeve being slidably engaged around the connector;

the lever being externally positioned to the outer cup;

the lever being hingedly mounted to the connector about the outer cup;

the window being laterally integrated onto the outer cup; and

the plurality of indicators being radially connected onto the inner cup, wherein each of the plurality of indicators is selectively displayed through the window.

2. The bottle opening sealer with an indicator window as claimed in claim 1 comprising:

the outer cup comprising an outer base, an outer lateral wall, a bottom edge, and a first opening;

the outer lateral wall being perimetrically connected around the outer base;

the bottom edge being perimetrically positioned around the outer lateral wall, opposite of the outer base; and

the first opening concentrically traversing through the outer base.

3. The bottle opening sealer with an indicator window as claimed in claim 1 comprising:

the inner cup comprising an inner base, a support base, an inner lateral wall, a bottom groove body, a bottle-neck receiver opening, and a second opening;

the inner lateral wall being perimetrically connected around the inner base;

the bottom groove body being perimetrically connected around the inner lateral wall;

the bottom groove body and the inner base being oppositely positioned of each other about the inner lateral wall;

the inner base and the support base being concentrically connected to each other;

the support base being encircled within the inner lateral wall;

the bottle-neck receiver opening being delineated by the inner base and the inner lateral wall; and

the second opening concentrically traversing through the inner base and the support base.

4. The bottle opening sealer with an indicator window as claimed in claim 1 comprising:

an outer base of the outer cup being concentrically positioned atop an inner base of the inner cup;

an outer lateral wall of the outer cup being concentrically positioned around an inner lateral wall of the inner cup;

a bottom edge of the outer cup being concentrically engaged within a bottom groove body of the inner cup; and

a first opening of the outer cup being concentrically positioned to a second opening of the inner cup.

5. The bottle opening sealer with an indicator window as claimed in claim 4 comprising:

an incremental rotational mechanism;

the incremental rotational mechanism comprising a plurality of teeth and a plurality of cavities;

the plurality of teeth being radially connected onto the inner base, opposite of a support base of the inner cup;

the plurality of cavities radially traversing into the outer base;

the plurality of cavities being oriented toward the bottom edge;

the plurality of cavities being positioned adjacent to the plurality of teeth; and

the plurality of cavities being rotationally engaged with the plurality of teeth, wherein the rotational engagement between the plurality of cavities and the plurality of teeth aligns each of the plurality of indicators to the window.

6. The bottle opening sealer with an indicator window as claimed in claim 1 comprising:

the connector comprising a shaft and a head;

the shaft and the head being adjacently connected to each other;

the shaft being slidably positioned within a first opening of the outer cup and a second opening of the inner cup;

the lever and the shaft being terminally positioned with each other about an outer base of the outer cup;

the lever being hingedly mounted to the shaft;

the head being positioned within an inner lateral wall of the inner cup;

the elastic sleeve being concentrically positioned around the shaft; and

the elastic sleeve being extended from the head to a support base of the inner cup.

7. The bottle opening sealer with an indicator window as claimed in claim 1 comprising:

the lever comprising a triangular arm section and an elongated arm section;

the triangular arm section and the elongated arm section being adjacently connected to each other;

the triangular arm section being positioned adjacent to an outer base of the outer cup; and

the elongated arm section being positioned offset of the outer base.

8. The bottle opening sealer with an indicator window as claimed in claim 7 comprising:

the triangular arm section comprising a first side and a second side; and

the first side and the second side being oriented at an acute angle.

9. The bottle opening sealer with an indicator window as claimed in claim 1 comprising:

the plurality of indicators being radially positioned around an inner base of the inner cup; and

the plurality of indicators being adjacently connected onto an inner lateral wall of the inner cup.

10. The bottle opening sealer with an indicator window as claimed in claim 9, wherein the plurality of indicators comprising a liquid crystal thermometer indicator, a first beverage indicator, a second beverage indicator, a third beverage indicator, and a cooking oil indicator.