WO2008061547A1

WO2008061547A1 - Cork remover for sparkling wine bottles

Info

Publication number: WO2008061547A1
Application number: PCT/EP2006/011168
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ruggero Ferrari
Original assignee: Marchignoli, Marisa
Priority date: 2006-11-22
Filing date: 2006-11-22
Publication date: 2008-05-29
Also published as: EP2089307A1

Abstract

A cork remover (1) for sparkling wine bottles (B), comprising a fork (4) connected to a first inner body (2) which coaxially cooperates with a second body (3), and is arranged to slide therein when driven by an external ring nut (G) engaged in corresponding threads (F) of the second body (3) and mechanically connected thereto; said fork (4) is adapted to fit under the bulge of the cork (T), so that, as the ring nut (G) is turned, the inner body (2) slides within the second body (3) and said cork (T) is extracted and trapped in said cork remover (1). In an upside-down configuration, the cork remover may be conveniently used to reclose a bottle.

Description

CORK REMOVER FOR SPARKLING WINE BOTTLES

DESCRIPTION

This invention relates to a cork remover and corker for sparkling wine bottles .

As it is known, sparkling wine bottles are usually opened manually, after removal of the securing wire which is designed to hold the cork in a stable position and prevent it from popping out of the bottle due to the presence of gas in the wine .

Therefore, a first drawback of this type of bottles is related to safety.

Furthermore, sometimes cork extraction is uncontrolled and may be highly dangerous when the cork pops up in undesired directions, possibly striking people's eyes.

Another drawback is that, once the bottle has been opened, its content is not effectively preserved and, unless the bottle is properly recorked, degassing occurs and the wine contained therein loses its best organoleptic properties .

The object of the present invention is to provide and make available a cork remover for sparkling wine bottles, which can facilitate cork extraction while retaining the latter to prevent it from undesirably popping up .

Another object of this invention is to allow an opened sparkling wine bottle to be reclosed so that wine can be preserved.

Thus, all the above drawbacks are obviated.

These objects and advantages are achieved by the cork remover and corker for sparkling wine bottles of this invention, which is characterized by the annexed claims .

These and other features will be more apparent from the following description of a few embodiments , which are shown by way of example and without limitation in the accompanying drawings , in which :

- Figure 1 is a top view of the cork remover and corker for sparkling wine bottles according to the present invention,

- Figure 2 shows a bottom view of the cork remover and corker of Figure 1,

- Figure 3 is a sectional view of the cork remover and corker as taken along line B-B,

- Figure 4 is a sectional view as taken along the line B-B of Figure 1 , - Figure 5 shows an upside-down view of the B-B section, for corking operation,

- Figure 5A shows an embodiment of the invention,

- Figure 6 is a sectional view, as taken along the line A-A of Figure 4 , showing the dual corking and cork removing operation of the invention.

Referring to Figures 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 and 6 , numeral 1 generally designates a cork remover for sparkling wine bottles, essentially composed of two coaxial, mutually cooperating bodies 2 and 3 , preferably having a cylindrical shape.

The first inner cylinder 2 has a fork 4 in its lower portion, which is designed to fit between the lip of the bottle B and the bulge of the sparkling wine cork T and has a rubber layer 5 at its top. The cylinder 2 has a pin 6 passing therethrough, and projecting therefrom on both sides, which is adapted to fit and slide in corresponding slots 7 of the cylinder 3. Such second cylinder 3 and such body 2 have an opening 20 in the lower front portion, for the passage of the cork T to be extracted and a suitable fork 8 at the top, which will fit under the lip of the bottle B to be recorked: the rubber layer 5 maintains the gas in the bottle in stable conditions.

As mentioned above, the cylinder 3 has two slots 7 at opposite ends for the passage of the pin 6.

Still at the center, the cylinder 3 has longitudinally extending threads F.

Such threads F are engaged by a suitable ring nut G, which has an annular recess 9 at its center, for engagement of each of the ends of the above mentioned pin 6; thus, the latter may slide idly. The ring nut G acts as a knob for controlling the inner cylinder 2 to extract the cork or recork the bottle.

The cork removing operation will be now described, with reference to Figure 3. The cork remover 1 has to be placed on the bottle B to be opened with the fork 4 interposed between the cork T and the bottle B, more precisely on the lip of the latter; by holding the cylinder 3 by one hand, the ring nut G may be operated to extract the cork T , because as the ring nut G is lifted it carries the pin 6 with it, the latter in turn carrying with it the inner cylinder 2 and the fork 4.

At the same time, the cylinder 3 holds (by its bottom edge 3a) the lip of the bottle firm in the previously fixed position.

Once the cork T has been extracted, it is trapped in the cavity of the cork remover 1 (between the fork 4 and the bottom base, designated by numeral 11) ; this allows to restrain the pop up force and eliminates any risk of injury.

If preservation of the remaining sparkling wine is needed or desired, the cork remover has to be simply turned upside-down (Figure 5) and placed on the bottle with the fork 8 under the lip, and the ring nut G has to be tightened: the rubber layer 5 will thus seal the bottle for proper preservation.

One more opening 30 is provided here, at the higher portion, like in the lower portion of the bodies 2 and 3, for lateral introduction of the bottle to be recorked.

In figure 5A is shown an embodiment in which the cork remover and corker herein disclosed is provided with the introduction of a spring M inside or below the rubber layer 5 : the action of said spring will keep the rubber layer 5 pressed against the rim of the bottle B in order to guarantee the holding.

The cork remover and corker herein disclosed, which form the subject of the present application, greatly improve safety for the operator which uses the sparkling wine bottle and facilitates such use.

While a cylindrical body 2 and 3 is mentioned in the above example, any shape thereof may be envisaged. While a cork remover and corker having a dual cork extracting and inserting function is mentioned in the above example, protection is also requested for the cork extracting function only.

The illustrated sizes are to be intended as indicative, and particularly the forks 4 and 8 will be dimensioned for optimized fit with currently available sparkling wine bottles .

Claims

1. A cork remover and corker (1) for sparkling wine bottles (B) , characterized in that it comprises a means (4) for extracting a sparkling wine cork (T) , said means (4) being connected to a first body (2) which coaxially cooperates with a second body (3) , and is arranged to slide therein when driven by an external ring nut (G) engaged in corresponding threads (F) of the second body (3) and mechanically connected thereto; said extraction means (4) being adapted to fit under the bulge of the cork (T) , so that, as the body (2) slides, said cork (T) is removed while being trapped in said cork remover and corker (1) .

2. A cork remover and corker (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said ring nut (G) has an annular recess (9) for engagement of the ends of a pin (6) which extends through said second body (2) .

3. A cork remover and corker (1) as claimed in claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the cylinder (3) has slots (7) at opposite ends for the passage of the pin (6) .

4. A cork remover and corker (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the body (3) has a suitable fork (8) at its top, and the body (2) has a top rubber layer (5) ; the bottle (B) to be corked being adapted to be suitably inserted between said fork (8) and said layer (5) ; the distance between the rubber layer (5) and the bottle (B) held by the fork (8) being adjusted using the ring nut (G) which drives the body (2) .

5. A cork remover and corker (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the bodies (2, 3) have a cylindrical shape .

6. A cork remover and corker (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, as the cork (T) is extracted by the extraction means (4) , the cylinder (3) holds the lip of the bottle (B) firm in position.

7. A cork remover and corker (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said bodies (2, 3) have an opening (20) for lateral introduction of the bottle (B) and the cork (T) to be removed.

8. A cork remover and corker (1) as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that said body (3) has an opening (30) for lateral introduction of the bottle to be corked.

9. A cork remover and corker (1) as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the rubber layer (5) includes a spring M whose action is such that it keeps the rubber layer 5 pressed against the rim of the bottle B and guarantees the holding; said spring being positioned inside or below said rubber layer (5) .