WO2000056614A1 - Appareil pour enlever les bouchons - Google Patents

Appareil pour enlever les bouchons Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2000056614A1
WO2000056614A1 PCT/US1999/006302 US9906302W WO0056614A1 WO 2000056614 A1 WO2000056614 A1 WO 2000056614A1 US 9906302 W US9906302 W US 9906302W WO 0056614 A1 WO0056614 A1 WO 0056614A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
cork
anchor
bottle
handle
pulling
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1999/006302
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
William A. Gardner
Original Assignee
Gardner William A
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Gardner William A filed Critical Gardner William A
Priority to PCT/US1999/006302 priority Critical patent/WO2000056614A1/fr
Priority to AU34526/99A priority patent/AU3452699A/en
Publication of WO2000056614A1 publication Critical patent/WO2000056614A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67B—APPLYING CLOSURE MEMBERS TO BOTTLES JARS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; OPENING CLOSED CONTAINERS
    • B67B7/00—Hand- or power-operated devices for opening closed containers
    • B67B7/02—Hand- or power-operated devices for opening closed containers for removing stoppers
    • B67B7/06—Other cork removers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D39/00—Closures arranged within necks or pouring openings or in discharge apertures, e.g. stoppers
    • B65D39/16—Closures arranged within necks or pouring openings or in discharge apertures, e.g. stoppers with handles or other special means facilitating manual actuation

Definitions

  • This invention pertains generally to devices and methods for removing corks from bottles, and more particularly to a cork removal apparatus in which an anchor is integrated with the cork in the bottling process, in which the cork is extracted with a cork-pulling handle that is packaged with the bottle or provided separately, and in which the cork-pulling handle is coupled to the anchor during bottling or later by the consumer.
  • the first is that the cork must provide an adequate seal against the inside walls of the neck of the bottle.
  • the second is that a permanently installed pulling device must not protrude through the bottom or sides of the cork and it must not split or tear the cork because of the likelihood of resultant wine leakage and/or wine contamination.
  • the third is that the cork and cork-puller installation into the wine bottle must not unduly complicate the present bottle-corking technology used throughout the industry.
  • the fourth is that the cork must be easily extractable by the consumer without the use of cumbersome, awkward, or clumsy auxiliary devices. These requirements, however, tend to work against one another.
  • the pulling force can increase by as much as 20 kg, or more, due to the addition of adequate amounts of paraffin wax for sealing.
  • the only known viable prior device for quick and easy cork removal without a separate apparatus is the "cork stopper for bottles of wine" described in U.S. Patent No. 4,889,251 issued to Hojnoski on December 26, 1989.
  • the Hojnoski device comprises an integrated cork and puller that enables the wine consumer to quickly and easily remove the cork, provided that the cork is sufficiently well coated with a lubricating agent such as silicone.
  • the cork/glass seal obtained is not as good as it should be because it is not possible to use enough wax in the cork coating. That is, it is wax that provides a good cork/glass seal. However, wax acts counter to the silicone lubricant and makes the cork stick to the glass. Consequently, if enough wax is used to provide a good seal, the pulling force required to extract the cork (which would normally be as high as 35 kg to 40 kg) using the Hojnoski device is too great. This results from the fact that Hojnoski uses a pulling device that is part of the cork unit, as desired, but because of this it is so small that only two fingers can be used for the pulling operation.
  • the Spelling device is not viable, including the fact that it is not designed for high-speed bottling/corking equipment, and the requirement of a degree of elasticity and tensile strength of the stopper that exceeds that of cork resulting in a significant likelihood of the cork splitting during corking and, as a result, the wine leaking and becoming subject to contamination.
  • the present invention satisfies these needs, as well as others, and overcomes the deficiencies of previously developed cork removal devices.
  • SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The foregoing needs are addressed by the present invention which generally comprises a cork anchor and an attached or detached cork-pulling handle that can withstand the required pulling forces while allowing the consumer to use more than two fingers to pull the cork out of the bottle, thereby enabling the consumer to apply pulling forces just as large as those currently being used with prior art auxiliary cork screws.
  • the present invention will have little or no impact on the high-speed mechanized corking equipment widely used in the industry, and does not introduce means by which the wine can be contaminated.
  • the present invention generally comprises a composite cork and cork-removing unit having two components.
  • One component is the cork, in which an anchor for a cork-pulling handle is secured.
  • the second component is a cork-pulling handle which can be connected to the anchor by any of several means, and which can be stored with the bottle as an integral part of the bottle/capsule/label package, or can be supplied separately.
  • the top of the anchor is approximately flush with the top of the cork.
  • the top of the anchor contains an eye, or other female, or male, part of a latch which can be hooked or otherwise connected to a mating part of a latch, using the stem of a detached pulling handle which contains the hook or other female, or male, latch at its end.
  • the handle/stem combination can, as an example, resemble the basic T-shaped cork screw except, in place of a screw at the end of the stem, there is simply a hook.
  • the stem is joined to the handle with a hinged joint that allows the stem to be folded up against and co-linear with the handle.
  • the pulling handle When folded into this compact storage configuration, the pulling handle can be stored against the side of the bottle neck, parallel to the bottle axis and congruent with the circumference of the bottles' neck. In any of the storage positions, the handle can be secured with any of various conventional means such as a plastic ribbon around the bottle, or with a quick release device like a rip tab that tears along a perforation.
  • the top of the anchor is permanently connected to the stem or the lengthwise center of a pulling handle with a flexible cord or strap having adequate tensile strength to withstand a pulling force of approximately 40 kg.
  • the pulling handle can be a separate handle that is stored in the position described above, or it can be integrated with the wrapper which covers the top part of the neck of the bottle so that the wrapper, designed with adequate stiffness and gripping length, becomes the pulling handle.
  • the pull cord or strap is fastened to the anchor using any of numerous conventional methods. For example, one end of the cord could be looped through an eye at the top end of the anchor and then clamped to the cord. A similar connection can be made on the pulling handle.
  • the pulling handle can be soft, rather than stiff (as needed when the cord is connected at the lengthwise center) in which case the cord would run through the handle, emerging from both ends.
  • This latter approach also can be integrated with the wrapper by using a capsule style wrapper formed by two halves with a hinge. When two packaging rip tabs are pulled, the wrapper can be folded open into a handle positioned perpendicular to the axis of the bottle and twice the length of the original wrapper. By using a folding crease as a hinge across the disk-shaped top of the wrapper and extending between the two tops of the two rip-tab paths, the opening operation is facilitated.
  • the bottle-neck wrapper is integrated with the pulling handle, but there is no cord involved and there is no connection operation to be performed by the consumer. Rather, the connection between the anchor in the cork and the pulling handle is made when the handle/wrapper combination is applied to the bottle during production.
  • the handle can be foldable in one direction, so that it can be wrapped over the top of the bottle, but not foldable in the opposite direction so that, in the operational position, the handle is stiff enough to enable the user to execute the necessary pull using a three- or four-finger grip.
  • a cork anchor is used wherein the head section of the anchor is substantially flat and circular and is raised above the cork body so that a gap exists between the cork and the anchor head area, this gap allows the bottle to breath and facilitates the attachment of the cork pulling handle.
  • a removable packaging ring is added, that surrounds the raised head of this anchor wherein the top of the ring is substantially flush with the top of the anchor head and aligned with the diameter of the bottle neck. The ring provides a tamper seal while offering a more attractive and smoother wrapper presentation on the top of the bottle.
  • a pivoting handle assembly is provided to give the person pulling the cork an ability to rotate the handle during cork extraction, while it additionally allows the cork pulling device to be folded up and affixed to the side of the bottle without any portion of the cork- pulling device extending above the top of the bottle or extending outwardly beyond the largest diameter of the bottle.
  • a lever arm is pivotally attached to one end of an extendable pivoting handle assembly, to provide the person pulling the cork with additional leverage and control.
  • the lever arm forms a fulcrum against the top ridge of the bottle so that the cork is removed with less pulling force.
  • the extendable handle and lever arm all fold together and can be affixed to the side of the bottle without any portion of the cork-pulling apparatus extending above the top of the bottle nor extending outwardly beyond the largest diameter of the bottle.
  • a simpler one piece puller handle is employed that contains a slotted-hole for engaging the head of the cork anchor. The handle can be stored alongside the neck of the bottle.
  • any method of cork-pulling such as lever-type pullers and geared pullers, can employ this invention by providing a means, such as a hook or slidable catch slot, for attaching the cork-pulling handle to the anchor in the cork.
  • An object of the invention is to provide for the easy and convenient removal of a cork from a bottle.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide a cork removal apparatus that can be easily packaged with a bottle.
  • Another object of the invention is to avoid the requirement that the consumer perform the operation of anchoring a pulling device to the cork.
  • Another object of the invention is to avoid the requirement that the consumer force a device through, into, or along the sides of the cork. Another object of the invention is that the consumer only be required to perform a simple straight pulling operation in order to uncork the bottle.
  • Another object of the invention is that the consumer not be required, after uncorking a bottle, to unscrew a corkscrew or similar means from the cork.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide a cork removal apparatus that can be manufactured at a sufficiently low cost for use as a disposable cork removal device.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide a cork removal apparatus that can be employed with corks of various styles, compositions, and manufacture including natural corks, synthetic corks, agglomerated natural corks, and others.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide compatibility with a wide variety of cork pulling devices including straight pulling, lever pulling, geared pulling, high speed production pullers, and others.
  • Another object of the invention is to eliminate mishaps whereby the "corkscrew" mechanism of rapid cork removal devices pulls back out and of the cork while leaving the cork still in the bottle.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of a cork removal apparatus according to the invention shown in combination with a hook-and-eye style of cork pulling anchor and its associated cork.
  • FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view of a cork pulling anchor of FIG. 1 inserted into its associated cork.
  • FIG. 3 is a front view of the assembly shown in FIG. 2, depicting the cork pulling anchor embedded in its associated cork.
  • FIG. 4 is a plan view of the assembly shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.
  • FIG. 5 is a front view of an alternative embodiment of the assembly shown in FIG. 2 through FIG. 4 showing a cork anchor having a flat head section with a hole.
  • FIG. 6 is a plan view of the assembly shown in FIG. 5.
  • FIG. 7 is a front view of an alternate embodiment of the assembly shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 showing a cork anchor having a flat head section with a gap under the anchor head and including a packaging ring.
  • FIG. 8 is a plan view of the assembly shown in FIG. 7.
  • FIG. 9 is an elevation view of a bottle showing the cork pulling handle portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 stored along the neck of the bottle.
  • FIG. 10 is a perspective assembled view of the cork removal apparatus of FIG. 1 , in which the handle portion is coupled to the cork anchor using a cord.
  • FIG. 1 1 is an elevation view of the cork removal apparatus of FIG. 10, in which a planar handle piece threaded by a cord, is used in place of the handle and stem of FIG. 10.
  • FIG. 12 is an elevation view of the cork removal apparatus of FIG. 1 1 , with the planar handle section rotated for a facing view.
  • FIG. 13 is a plan view of a cork removal apparatus according to the invention in which a cork pulling handle is integrated with the bottle neck wrapper.
  • FIG. 14 is an elevation view of the cork removal apparatus of FIG. 13 in partial cross-section, in which a cork pulling handle is integrated with the bottle neck wrapper.
  • FIG. 15 is an elevation view of the cork removal apparatus shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 with the combination bottle neck wrapper and handle partially open.
  • FIG. 16 is a front view of the cork removal apparatus of FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 shown with combination bottle neck wrapper fully deployed into a handle.
  • FIG. 17 is a perspective assembled view of a cork removal apparatus according to the invention in which a contoured handle assembly and pulling stem are pivotally attached and connected by means of a slot to a raised flat top cork anchor, and further shown placed on a bottle depicted in phantom.
  • FIG. 18 is a perspective exploded view of the cork removal apparatus of FIG 17, with the cork/anchor assembly shown inserted into a bottle depicted in phantom.
  • FIG. 19 is an elevation view of the cork removal apparatus of FIG. 17 and
  • FIG. 18 with the handle portion shown in partial cross-section.
  • FIG. 20 is an elevation view of the cork removal apparatus of FIG. 17.
  • FIG. 21 is an elevation view of the cork removal apparatus of FIG. 17, shown folded and stored alongside the neck of a bottle depicted in phantom, with the packaging ring shown in cross-section.
  • FIG. 22 is a perspective assembled view of a cork removal apparatus in which a extendable contoured handle and a pulling stem are pivotally attached and connected to a raised flat top cork anchor wherein an additional lever assembly is coupled to the opposite end of the handle to decrease the required pulling force, shown attached to a bottle depicted in phantom.
  • FIG. 23 is a perspective exploded view of the cork removal apparatus of FIG 22, with the cork/anchor assembly inserted in a bottle depicted in phantom.
  • FIG. 24A is an elevation view the cork removal apparatus of FIG. 22, shown fully engaged with the cork anchor but prior to commencement of extraction.
  • FIG. 24B is an elevation view the cork removal apparatus of FIG. 24A, shown fully engaged with the cork anchor and cork partially removed.
  • FIG. 24C is an elevation view the cork removal apparatus of FIG. 24A, shown fully engaged with the cork anchor and cork fully removed.
  • FIG. 25 is an elevation view of the cork removal apparatus of FIG. 22, shown folded and stored alongside the neck of a bottle depicted in phantom, with the packaging ring shown in cross section.
  • FIG. 26 is a side view of the lever arm used on the cork removal apparatus shown in FIG. 22.
  • FIG. 27 is a plan view of the lever arm of FIG. 26.
  • FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional front view of the lever arm of FIG. 26 taken through line 28-28.
  • FIG. 29 is an elevation view of the lever arm shown in FIG. 26.
  • FIG. 30 is an assembled elevation view of the cork removal apparatus of FIG. 22 showing the lever arm in partial cross section.
  • FIG. 31 is an elevation view of the handle portion of the cork removal apparatus of FIG. 22 shown with the handle extension fully extended.
  • FIG. 32 is an elevation view of the handle portion of the cork removal apparatus of FIG. 22 shown with the handle extension retracted.
  • FIG. 33 is a cross section view of the handle assembly of FIG. 32 taken through 33-33.
  • FIG. 34 is a perspective assembled view of a cork removal apparatus according to the invention in which a one-piece slotted handle assembly is attached to the cork anchor.
  • FIG. 35 is an exploded perspective view of the cork removal apparatus shown in FIG. 34.
  • FIG. 36 is an elevation view in partial cross-section of the handle shown in FIG. 34 taken through line 36-36.
  • FIG. 37 is an elevation view of the cork removal apparatus shown in FIG. 34, stored alongside the neck of the bottle depicted in phantom, with the packaging ring shown in cross section.
  • FIG. 1 through FIG. 37 where like reference numerals denote like parts. It will be appreciated that the apparatus may vary as to configuration and as to details of the parts without departing from the basic concepts as disclosed herein.
  • a cork removal apparatus 10 in accordance with the present invention includes an anchor 12 which is configured to be embedded into a cork 14.
  • cork means natural or synthetic corks, including plastic corks, agglomerated natural corks, foam corks and the like.
  • Anchor 12 comprises an elongated tapered shank 16 having first and second ends 18, 20, respectively, and spiral threads 22 around the circumference of shank 16 extending between first and second ends 18, 20.
  • Shank 16 may or may not be tapered toward distal end 18, and the proximal end 20 includes an eye 24 which provides an opening 26 therein.
  • the eye shown in the head of the anchor is only slightly larger than the shank, providing just enough material around the eye to withstand approximately 40 kg of pulling force, along with the amount of twisting torque that is applied when the anchor is initially screwed into place within the cork.
  • anchor 12 Because anchor 12 will remain in cork 14 for extended periods of time during storage, the integrity of cork 14 must not be compromised when an anchor is inserted. Consequently, the bottom 28 and outside circumference 30 of cork 14 must not be broken through. Also, little or no tearing or splitting should occur in the interior of cork 14. Thus, some conventional screw designs will not suffice for anchor 12.
  • the preferred manner of meeting the foregoing requirements, while insuring that anchor 12 is sufficiently secured in cork 14 to withstand a pulling force of approximately 40 kg, is to install the anchor as follows.
  • An optional pilot hole 32 approximately 2 mm in diameter can be drilled at, or near, the center of the top 34 of cork 14, and down the longitudinal axis to approximately 10 mm from the bottom 28 of cork 14.
  • the overall diameter of shank 16 and threads 22 should not exceed approximately 9.0 mm for a pilot hole that size.
  • the diameter of shank 16 should be approximately 3.0 mm to 4.0 mm and the protrusion of threads 22 from shank 16 should not exceed approximately 2.0 mm to 2.5 mm on each side of the shank.
  • anchor 12 is specially designed so that it can be screwed into the cork, with or without, the pilot hole 32 so as not to tear or split the cork. It will be appreciated that the exact dimensions to be used can be adjusted to accommodate the desired range of natural cork grades and desired variety of agglomerated and synthetic cork types.
  • cork-pulling handle 36 which can be connected to anchor 12 by any of several methods, and which can be stored with or separately from the bottle.
  • cork-pulling handle 36 is shown as comprising an elongated stem 38 having first and second ends 40, 42, respectively, and an elongated gripping member 44 coupled to the proximal end 42 of stem 38.
  • Located at distal end 40 is an arcuate hook 46 that is configured to be received through opening 26 in eye 24 of anchor 12.
  • the grip/stem combination can, as an example, resemble the basic T-shaped cork screw except that, in place of a screw at the end of the stem, there is simply a hook.
  • gripping member 44 should be sufficiently long to accommodate a three- or four-finger grip and approximately the diameter of a cork to provide a comfortable gripping surface.
  • gripping member 44 is slightly concave on one side so that it will follow the contour of the side of a bottle for packaging, and stem 38 includes a hinged joint 48 so that the handle can be folded down for compactness packaged in that manner.
  • a variety of other means to couple the cork-pulling handle 36 to anchor 12 could be substituted.
  • cork 14 can be optionally drilled and anchor 12 screwed into the drilled pilot hole 32, as previously described, either prior to, or after, corking the bottle.
  • the cork anchor 12 is shown assembled into the cork 14 in FIG. 2, such that the pilot hole 32 has been fully filled, leaving no void below the anchor 12 while providing sufficient clearance from the bottom 28 of the cork 14 to prevent splitting and leakage. If the cork anchor 12 is inserted into the cork 14 before the normal corking process the radial compression of the cork prior to insertion further secures the anchor 12 within the cork 14.
  • the bottler or manufacturer may additionally choose to coat either the anchor or the optional pilot hole, with one or more materials to reduce cork tearing upon anchor insertion and to enhance security of the anchor to cork connection.
  • FIG. 1 A top view of the anchor within a cork 14 is shown in FIG. 4 where the head 20 of the cork anchor 12 is seen extending from a recess created by pilot hole 32 drilling.
  • hook 46 and eye 24 can be varied in a number of ways and are only examples of coupling mechanisms that could be employed.
  • the eye section can be in a head that is only slightly larger than the shank and provides just enough material to withstand approximately 40.0 kg of pulling force, as well as the twisting torque that occurs when the anchor is screwed in to place.
  • the eye section can be in a large head that extends above the cork and thus can serve additional functions such as that of providing a visual enhancement.
  • FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 Another embodiment of the "eye" style anchor is shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6.
  • the anchor 50 of FIG. 5 is embedded in the cork 14 and has a flat substantially circular head section 52 with an eye created by the hole 54 that enters and exits the top part of the anchor.
  • the hook on a handle apparatus is slid through the eye hole 54 in order to make the connection for cork extraction.
  • FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 Another embodiment of a different anchor style is shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8.
  • the anchor 56 is shown embedded in the cork 14 with a gap 70 between the head 58 of the anchor 56 and the cork 14. The gap is accessed by the pulling handle to connect with this style of cork anchor to effect cork removal.
  • a packaging ring 62 is shown encircling the flat head 58 of the anchor 56.
  • a simple packaging ring is shown that provides for a smooth flush contour of the wrapper that is used over the neck of many bottles.
  • the packaging ring could alternately be formed in various ways to provide other decorative effects.
  • the head 58 of the anchor 56 shown in FIG. 8 contains cutouts 60 that are used for applying torque to the anchor 56 to facilitate the process of assembling the anchor 56 into the cork 14.
  • the packaging ring 62 can be seen surrounding the anchor head 58.
  • the pulling stem can be folded co-linearly with the handle. Referring now to FIG. 9, when the handle is folded into this compact storage configuration, it can be stored parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bottle and congruent with the circumference of the neck of the bottle, and may be stored against the shoulder 64 of the bottle 66, or along the neck 68 of the bottle 66 as depicted in FIG. 9.
  • the cork-pulling handle can be secured with any of various conventional means such as a plastic ribbon (not shown) around the bottle, with a quick release device like a rip tab (not shown) that tears along a perforation.
  • a flexible cord or strap 72 having an adequate tensile strength to withstand a pulling force of approximately 40.0 kg is used to permanently couple anchor 12 to cork- pulling handle 36.
  • hook 46 has been replaced with an eye 74 having an opening 76 through which the cord 72 is threaded and fastened with a conventional clamp 78 or the like.
  • the other end of the cord 72 is threaded through the eye 24 in anchor 12 and held in place with another conventional cord clamp 80 or similar fastening device.
  • cork-pulling handle 36 can be stored in the position shown in FIG. 9 with cord 72 and cork-pulling handle 36 secured to the bottle in the same manner described above. Referring now to FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, an alternative embodiment of the cork-pulling handle 36 is shown.
  • cork-pulling handle 36 comprises an elongated generally flat handle 82 having a plurality of openings 84 along the central longitudinal axis of handle 82 through which a flexible cord 72 is threaded so that it emerges from ends 86, 88 as shown.
  • the handle 82 is rotated in FIG. 12 to better see the shape used in this embodiment of the handle. Note that in this embodiment the handle 82 easily rotates and fits comfortably in the user's hand.
  • the cork anchor is screwed into the cork, either directly or by threading it into an optional pilot hole drilled in the cork.
  • the normal corking process which involves compressing the cork, then secures the anchor in the cork.
  • the anchor can be screwed into the cork once it has been pressed into the bottle during the corking process, since the cork does not need to have a pilot hole for the anchor to be properly inserted.
  • the cork-pulling handle is attached to the bottle for storage.
  • a cord or the like is used to couple anchor 12 and cork-pulling handle 36, the intermediate operation of connecting the cord to the anchor and cork-pulling handle would be required.
  • the anchor and cork-pulling handle can be constructed from metal, or preferably from a medium-hard polyester resin, such as polyethylene or similar material that can be used in an injection mold.
  • the handle portion can be made from softer more flexible material if desired. This material need withstand only one use, unlike a conventional auxiliary cork screw.
  • the cord can be fishing line, cord material, cable, chains or other flexible material that has a tensile strength rating of approximately 40.0 kg.
  • a cork pulling handle can also be integrated with the bottle top wrapper by the creation of a wrapper capsule 90 as depicted in FIG. 13 through FIG. 16.
  • the cork-pulling handle 36 is integrated with the capsule style wrapper 90 that covers the top part of neck 68 of bottle 66, so that the wrapper itself, designed with adequate stiffness and gripping length, becomes the pulling handle.
  • wrapper 90 includes two rip tabs 92a, 92b that are co-linear with the bottle axis, separated from each other by approximately 180 degrees, and run the length of wrapper 90 as shown in FIG. 14. When tabs 92a, 92b are pulled, wrapper 90 is split into the two sections 94a, 94b as shown in FIG. 15.
  • the two sections can be folded open and rotated into a handle 108 that is perpendicular to the axis of the bottle and twice the length of the original capsule wrapper 90 of FIG. 14.
  • cord 58 By threading cord 58 through openings 102a, 102b in sections 94a, 94b, respectively, in the top 98 of wrapper 90 (FIG. 13), as well as through openings 104a, 104b in the bottom ends 106a, 106b of sections 94a and 94b respectively, of wrapper 90 (FIG.
  • the handle will naturally rotate 180° as one prepares to pull the cord, and the handle will fit comfortably in the user's hand and operate similar to handle 82 shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12.
  • the bottle-neck wrapper with cork-pulling handle as described above, without requiring that a connection operation be performed by the consumer.
  • the connection between anchor 12 in cork 14 and cork-pulling handle 36 would be directly made when the capsule style handle/wrapper combination is applied to the bottle during production.
  • the handle can be foldable in one direction, so that it can be wrapped over the top of the bottle, but not foldable in the opposite direction so that, in the operational position, the handle is stiff enough to enable the user to execute the necessary pull using a three- or four-finger grip.
  • the cork and anchor assembly can be produced as earlier described, while the capsule wrapper with strap in connection with the anchor may be added to the bottle at any time after the bottle has been corked.
  • the capsule wrapper which forms the handle may be made from a variety of materials including polyester resins, such as polyethylene or similar material that can be used in an injection mold.
  • FIG. 17 shows an embodiment of the cork removal apparatus wherein a contoured handle assembly and pulling stem are pivotally attached and shown connecting to a raised flat-top anchor by means of a slot in the stem.
  • Handle 110 is pivotally connected to a stem 1 12.
  • the lower end of the stem 1 12 contains a slot 1 16 that is used for engaging the head 58 of the cork anchor 56 so that upon pulling the handle the cork will be extracted.
  • the pivoting handle allows the person extracting the cork to rotate the handle for better comfort while it allows the handle to be folded upon itself for storage.
  • This handle assembly is shown again in FIG.
  • the handle 1 10 has two circular bosses 1 14 extending out on each side, over which the corresponding holes (not shown) on the stem section 112 are slid to form the pivot.
  • the handle 110 is shown as a single piece unit with a web 111 across the center to reinforce the pivot area.
  • the cross section of the stem 112 shows that a large portion of the area between the front and back of the stem are left open to allow room for the handle 110 to pivot down into the stem 112 for storage.
  • Both sides of the slot 116 are shown in FIG. 17 as engaged on the head 58 of the anchor 56, wherein it will be noted that in FIG.
  • FIG. 20 shows a front view of the handle 110 with stem 112 attached at a pivot 114 connected to the cork anchor 56.
  • the pivoting handle can be folded and stored along the side of the bottle.
  • the labels and wrappers that would generally cover the neck of the bottle and attach the handle to the side of the bottle are not shown.
  • the head 58 of anchor 56 is shown with an encircling packaging ring 62.
  • the packaging ring 62 serves twin functions; it provides a safety seal, while it additionally creates a flush transition between the bottle and the anchor head 58 that enhances aesthetics when used by itself, or when used under a wrapping material.
  • the handle 110 has been folded into the stem 112 by rotating it through the pivot 114, thus forming a co-linear assembly that simplifies storage.
  • the bulk of the folded pulling handle is stored against the neck of the bottle 68 with the lower section positioned against the shoulder of the bottle 64 to prevent the handle from slipping downward in the finished package.
  • FIG. 22 An alternate embodiment of a levered cork removal apparatus is shown in FIG. 22, wherein a lever is used to reduce the amount of pulling force required to remove the cork.
  • a contoured handle 118 is attached to a stem 120 by means of a pivot 122 as in the previously described embodiment.
  • a lever 126 is connected to one end of the handle 118 by a pivot 128, while the other end of the lever 130 is placed against the top of the bottle to provide a fulcrum.
  • the stem 120 is attached to the handle 118 by means of a pivot 122 and contains a slot 124 that engages the head 58 of the cork anchor 56.
  • the handle 118 To remove the cork, the end of the handle 118 that is opposite of the lever arm is pulled, whereby the force produced acts through the fulcrum created by the bottle lip 130 of the lever arm 126 pressing against the bottle, so that a reduction in required pulling force is achieved.
  • the handle 118 also contains a swing out extension 132 to allow for greater leverage and thereby to further reduce the pulling force required.
  • the handle extension 132 is attached to the handle by means of a pivot 134.
  • the figure depicts cork extraction in progress as the cork shown in phantom is seen partially removed from the bottle.
  • This handle assembly is shown again in FIG. 23 disconnected from the head 58 of the cork anchor 56.
  • the slot 124 and the bottle lip 130 of the lever are more easily seen in this exploded view (FIG.
  • FIG. 24A through FIG. 24C show the apparatus at three stages of the cork extraction process.
  • FIG. 24A the cork puller has been unfolded and attached to the cork anchor on top of the bottle, cork extraction is ready to commence. With the application of upward force to the handle 132, the cork begins to pull out.
  • FIG. 24B depicts the cork approximately half-way removed. Continued application of force on the handle 132 results in the full extraction of the cork as depicted in FIG. 24C, at which time the cork puller is separated from the bottle and the fully intact cork with anchor can be removed from the cork puller to be either saved or discarded. Referring to FIG.
  • the handle extension can be retracted and the pivoting handle and lever arms folded to allow the cork pulling apparatus to be stored along the side of the bottle. Again, the figure does not show the labels and wrappers that would generally cover the neck of the bottle and attach the handle to the side of the bottle.
  • a packaging ring 62 as previously described provides a safety seal and allows for the creation of a more aesthetic package.
  • the lever arm by itself is shown in FIG. 26 through FIG. 29.
  • a side plan view of the lever arm 126 is shown with the pivot point lying to the right and the bottle catch lip on the left.
  • the hidden lines of the stem show the holes 129 through which the bosses from the handle section 118 are inserted. The view depicted in FIG.
  • FIG. 27 is looking up from underneath of the lever arm 126, wherein the circular section that mates with the top of the bottle can be seen. And a hidden line representation of the same piece in the same orientation is shown in FIG. 29.
  • FIG. 30, shows the unit assembled and ready for pulling the cork.
  • the bottle catch lip 130 of the lever arm 126 is easily seen in this view pressing against the lip of the bottle.
  • the extendable handle 118 is shown in FIG. 31 through FIG. 33.
  • the handle 118 with extension 132 swung out on pivot 134 to its full extension is shown in the front view of FIG. 31. Bosses protrude on each side of the handle 118 at locations marked by the pivot points 122, 128.
  • a hidden line on top of the handle shows a concave section of the handle that fits against the neck of the bottle for storage.
  • the extendable handle has a radiused lower section the full width of handle 118 to provide a wide smooth hand-grip for pulling. When collapsed, this lower part of the handle stows underneath the handle 118 which can be seen in FIG. 32.
  • a sectional view of the manner in which the handle extension 132 fits underneath the body of the handle 118 is shown in FIG. 33.
  • the underside of the handle 132 is a semicircular section that has been slid under the body of the handle 118.
  • the protruding bosses that provide the pivots 122 on either side of the handle 118, and the concave indentation in the top of the handle to fit the neck of the bottle.
  • FIG. 34 An alternative embodiment of a simplified cork removal apparatus is shown assembled in FIG. 34, wherein a simple handle 136 with contours 138 and a slotted hole 140 are used to remove the cork by means of its attached anchor.
  • the handle 136 shown in FIG. 34 is pulled directly up from the bottle to extract the cork.
  • the contour of 138 mates with the side of the bottle for storage.
  • a depiction of the handle separated from the cork and anchor is shown in FIG. 35.
  • To attach the handle to the cork the head 58 of the anchor 56 is slipped up through the hole 140 and slid along the holes' slotted region so that a substantial contact surface between handle 136 and anchor head 58 is created.
  • a cross section of the handle is shown in FIG. 36 taken through line 36-36 of FIG. 34.
  • the extent to which the anchor head 58 is slid along the slot portion of the hole 140 is easily seen in this figure.
  • the handle is shown stored alongside the neck of the bottle in FIG. 37.
  • the contoured edges 138 of the handle 136 fit against the neck of the bottle.
  • a packaging ring 62 encircles the head 58 of the cork anchor 56 for safety and aesthetics.
  • this invention provides various embodiments of an integrated cork stopper/anchor assembly for a wine bottle, or the like, that can be removed using a cork-pulling handle capable of being packaged with the bottle or provided separately.
  • the anchor can be installed in any type of cork including natural corks, agglomerated natural cork, synthetic corks, and others including plastic corks and the like.
  • the cork-pulling handle can be packaged separately from the cork stopper/anchor assembly as shown with the hook and eye couplers and the raised head anchor and slot couplers described in the embodiments previously described, wherein the consumer makes the connection and pulls the cork.
  • the cork-pulling handle can be permanently connected to the anchor using cords, straps or similar means.
  • the cork pulling handle can be tied or otherwise secured to the bottle, or can be integrated with the wrapper or capsule that covers the neck of the bottle and seals the cork.
  • the cork-pulling handle can be a completely separate detached component that is sold separately if desired.
  • the present invention provides for the quick and easy removal of a cork from a bottle without having to engage the cork with a separate corkscrew or other cork removal device.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Devices For Opening Bottles Or Cans (AREA)

Abstract

Un appareil pour enlever un bouchon (14) d'une bouteille, une ancre (56) étant intégrée dans le bouchon (14) et une poignée tire-bouchon (110) étant prévue pour venir en prise avec l'ancre et enlever le bouchon. La poignée tire-bouchon peut être reliée à l'ancre par un moyen parmi d'autres et peut être rangée conjointement avec la bouteille comme partie intégrante de l'ensemble bouteille/capsule/étiquette ou peut être fournie séparément.
PCT/US1999/006302 1999-03-22 1999-03-22 Appareil pour enlever les bouchons WO2000056614A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US1999/006302 WO2000056614A1 (fr) 1999-03-22 1999-03-22 Appareil pour enlever les bouchons
AU34526/99A AU3452699A (en) 1999-03-22 1999-03-22 Cork removal apparatus

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US1999/006302 WO2000056614A1 (fr) 1999-03-22 1999-03-22 Appareil pour enlever les bouchons

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2000056614A1 true WO2000056614A1 (fr) 2000-09-28

Family

ID=22272420

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US1999/006302 WO2000056614A1 (fr) 1999-03-22 1999-03-22 Appareil pour enlever les bouchons

Country Status (2)

Country Link
AU (1) AU3452699A (fr)
WO (1) WO2000056614A1 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ES2552849A1 (es) * 2014-06-02 2015-12-02 Universitat Politècnica De Catalunya Mecanismos para descorchar tapones de geometría cilíndrica con accesorio extractor incorporado, o tapones con ranuras laterales y accesorio extractor independiente
US20210387839A1 (en) * 2019-03-11 2021-12-16 Christopher Kirk Carter Wine Opener with Interior Threads

Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE197203C (fr) *
DE297516C (fr) *
US746799A (en) 1903-03-24 1903-12-15 Henry C Donohoe Incubator.
FR2280E (fr) * 1904-03-03 Antoine Arseguet Extracteur-bouchon
US1204712A (en) 1916-07-18 1916-11-14 Thomas C Spelling Stopper.
GB128179A (en) * 1919-05-26 1919-06-19 James Hewitt Baldwin Improvements in or relating to Closures for Bottles, Jars and the like.
US1416616A (en) * 1921-04-16 1922-05-16 Crane Louis Nonremovable cork
FR620803A (fr) * 1926-08-26 1927-04-29 Bouchon de bouteille à usage continu
FR2766163A1 (fr) * 1997-07-18 1999-01-22 Philippe Arnould Bouchon a extraction facile et son extracteur

Patent Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE197203C (fr) *
DE297516C (fr) *
FR2280E (fr) * 1904-03-03 Antoine Arseguet Extracteur-bouchon
US746799A (en) 1903-03-24 1903-12-15 Henry C Donohoe Incubator.
US1204712A (en) 1916-07-18 1916-11-14 Thomas C Spelling Stopper.
GB128179A (en) * 1919-05-26 1919-06-19 James Hewitt Baldwin Improvements in or relating to Closures for Bottles, Jars and the like.
US1416616A (en) * 1921-04-16 1922-05-16 Crane Louis Nonremovable cork
FR620803A (fr) * 1926-08-26 1927-04-29 Bouchon de bouteille à usage continu
FR2766163A1 (fr) * 1997-07-18 1999-01-22 Philippe Arnould Bouchon a extraction facile et son extracteur

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ES2552849A1 (es) * 2014-06-02 2015-12-02 Universitat Politècnica De Catalunya Mecanismos para descorchar tapones de geometría cilíndrica con accesorio extractor incorporado, o tapones con ranuras laterales y accesorio extractor independiente
US20210387839A1 (en) * 2019-03-11 2021-12-16 Christopher Kirk Carter Wine Opener with Interior Threads
US11897743B2 (en) * 2019-03-11 2024-02-13 Christopher Kirk Carter Wine opener with interior threads

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU3452699A (en) 2000-10-09

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US6763961B2 (en) Apparatus for opening a bottle sealed with a cork stopper
CA2585019C (fr) Dispositif de fermeture de capsule a onglet d'ouverture
US5884789A (en) Cork removal apparatus
US6179140B1 (en) Cork removal apparatus
US6116116A (en) Corkscrew with ribbed arm
US20050056612A1 (en) Systems, devices and methods for opening a bottle sealed with a stopper and for sealing a bottle
US20040031770A1 (en) Systems, devices and methods for opening a bottle sealed with a stopper and for sealing a bottle
WO2000056614A1 (fr) Appareil pour enlever les bouchons
EP1091879B1 (fr) Fermeture ayant moyens de perforation et embout verseur
US20040232099A1 (en) Systems, devices and methods for opening a bottle sealed with a stopper and for sealing a bottle
US6637295B2 (en) Cork remover for champagne bottles or the like
JP2003522684A (ja) 閉栓方法及び閉栓具、並びに発泡酒用容器
CN106430051A (zh) 带有一个或多个辅助用具的翼式拔塞钻
FR2823737A1 (fr) Tire-bouchon sommelier
US4804099A (en) Bottle closure system
JP2007506622A (ja) 栓除去工具
CN201415939Y (zh) 开瓶器
AU2003247398A1 (en) Systems, devices and methods for opening a bottle sealed with a stopper and for sealing a bottle
JP3452992B2 (ja) 炭酸飲料用壜の閉栓構造
KR200391158Y1 (ko) 회전형 병마개 오프너
CN2331608Y (zh) 容器口锁封防伪装置
KR200315333Y1 (ko) 위조식별이 용이한 캔마개
FR2564072A1 (fr) Capsule de garantie en matiere plastique, valve a clapet et reservoir comportant une telle capsule
CN2232409Y (zh) 瓶塞可顶出的起泡饮品瓶封口装置
JPS5820530Y2 (ja) 冷菓用容器

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AK Designated states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): AE AL AM AT AU AZ BA BB BG BR BY CA CH CN CU CZ DE DK EE ES FI GB GD GE GH GM HR HU ID IL IS JP KE KG KP KR KZ LC LK LR LS LT LU LV MD MG MK MN MW MX NO NZ PL PT RO RU SD SE SG SI SK SL TJ TM TR TT UA UG US UZ VN YU ZA ZW

AL Designated countries for regional patents

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): GH GM KE LS MW SD SL SZ UG ZW AM AZ BY KG KZ MD RU TJ TM AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LU MC NL PT SE BF BJ CF CG CI CM GA GN GW ML MR NE SN TD TG

121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application
DFPE Request for preliminary examination filed prior to expiration of 19th month from priority date (pct application filed before 20040101)
REG Reference to national code

Ref country code: DE

Ref legal event code: 8642

122 Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase