WO2021138178A1 - Distributeur pour bouteille de boisson - Google Patents

Distributeur pour bouteille de boisson Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2021138178A1
WO2021138178A1 PCT/US2020/066774 US2020066774W WO2021138178A1 WO 2021138178 A1 WO2021138178 A1 WO 2021138178A1 US 2020066774 W US2020066774 W US 2020066774W WO 2021138178 A1 WO2021138178 A1 WO 2021138178A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
wine
beverage
bottle
dispenser
valve
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2020/066774
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Raffaele Virgillo
Timothy M. BOTTGER
Original Assignee
Raffaele Virgillo
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
Priority claimed from US16/733,978 external-priority patent/US10946348B1/en
Application filed by Raffaele Virgillo filed Critical Raffaele Virgillo
Publication of WO2021138178A1 publication Critical patent/WO2021138178A1/fr

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Classifications

    • 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
    • B65D47/00—Closures with filling and discharging, or with discharging, devices
    • B65D47/04—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps
    • B65D47/20—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps comprising hand-operated members for controlling discharge
    • B65D47/30—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps comprising hand-operated members for controlling discharge with plug valves, i.e. valves that open and close a passageway by turning a cylindrical or conical plug without axial passageways
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
    • B01F23/00—Mixing according to the phases to be mixed, e.g. dispersing or emulsifying
    • B01F23/20—Mixing gases with liquids
    • B01F23/23—Mixing gases with liquids by introducing gases into liquid media, e.g. for producing aerated liquids
    • B01F23/234—Surface aerating
    • B01F23/2341—Surface aerating by cascading, spraying or projecting a liquid into a gaseous atmosphere
    • B01F23/23412—Surface aerating by cascading, spraying or projecting a liquid into a gaseous atmosphere using liquid falling from orifices in a gaseous atmosphere, the orifices being exits from perforations, tubes or chimneys
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
    • B01F23/00—Mixing according to the phases to be mixed, e.g. dispersing or emulsifying
    • B01F23/20—Mixing gases with liquids
    • B01F23/23—Mixing gases with liquids by introducing gases into liquid media, e.g. for producing aerated liquids
    • B01F23/236—Mixing gases with liquids by introducing gases into liquid media, e.g. for producing aerated liquids specially adapted for aerating or carbonating beverages
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
    • B01F33/00—Other mixers; Mixing plants; Combinations of mixers
    • B01F33/50—Movable or transportable mixing devices or plants
    • B01F33/501—Movable mixing devices, i.e. readily shifted or displaced from one place to another, e.g. portable during use
    • B01F33/5011—Movable mixing devices, i.e. readily shifted or displaced from one place to another, e.g. portable during use portable during use, e.g. hand-held
    • 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
    • B65D47/00—Closures with filling and discharging, or with discharging, devices
    • B65D47/04—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps
    • B65D47/32—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps with means for venting
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47G—HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT
    • A47G23/00—Other table equipment
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
    • B01F2101/00—Mixing characterised by the nature of the mixed materials or by the application field
    • B01F2101/06—Mixing of food ingredients
    • B01F2101/16—Mixing wine or other alcoholic beverages; Mixing ingredients thereof
    • B01F2101/17—Aeration of wine
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12H—PASTEURISATION, STERILISATION, PRESERVATION, PURIFICATION, CLARIFICATION OR AGEING OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; METHODS FOR ALTERING THE ALCOHOL CONTENT OF FERMENTED SOLUTIONS OR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
    • C12H1/00—Pasteurisation, sterilisation, preservation, purification, clarification, or ageing of alcoholic beverages
    • C12H1/12—Pasteurisation, sterilisation, preservation, purification, clarification, or ageing of alcoholic beverages without precipitation
    • C12H1/16—Pasteurisation, sterilisation, preservation, purification, clarification, or ageing of alcoholic beverages without precipitation by physical means, e.g. irradiation

Definitions

  • This invention relates generally to the introduction of a gas into the outflow of a contained liquid, and more specifically to a device for introducing a controlled amount of gas like air into a liquid flowing out of a container such as the aeration of wine as it is poured from a bottle.
  • Wine is an alcoholic beverage usually made from the juice of grapes. Once the grapes are crushed, the resulting juice is converted by the winemaker into wine via a fermentation process using yeast. Following a clarification step in which yeast particles and other unwanted substances are removed from the wine, the product is often aged for a few years in wooden or stainless-steel barrels in order to soften harsh flavors and allow desirable flavors to develop. Finally, the wine is packaged in sealed bottles whereupon it continues to age slowly inside the bottle.
  • Winemaking is a complex process in which ripened grapes from a chosen variety are carefully selected at the correct time in the field to control the sugar content, flavor, and aroma.
  • the length of contact between the grape juice and skins is also carefully controlled since it affects the color and taste of the wine.
  • the temperature of the fermentation process must also be controlled to regulate the rate of conversion of the sugars into wine and the resulting grape aromas.
  • the wood used for the aging barrels and time of aging will directly influence the transfer of additional flavors into the wine. All of these steps undertaken by a skilled winemaker will directly influence the flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel of the resulting wine product for the end customer.
  • Wine tasting is a sensory examination or appreciation of the wine using the nose, tongue, and eyes.
  • Wines contain many chemical compounds from the grapes or other fruits used to produce the wine.
  • the sweetness of the wine is determined by the amount of residual sugar remaining in the wine after fermentation, relative to the acidity present in the wine.
  • Dry wines for example, only contain small amounts of residual sugar. Again, the winemaker has carefully selected and balanced all of these factors in order to deliver a wine product with a specific flavor profile, aroma, and mouth feel to the customer who will drink the bottle of wine.
  • Wine is generally stored in a bottle with a cork stopper inserted into the neck of the wine bottle during the bottling operation.
  • This stopper is meant to prevent air from entering the bottle that might spoil the wine prior to it being drunk by the customer. Too much exposure by the wine to oxygen gas contained in atmospheric air causes the wine to oxidize. All oxygen needs is a simple catalyst for this oxidation reaction to occur.
  • Anthocyanins, catechins, epicatechins and other phenols naturally contained in the wine are very susceptible to oxidation. When oxidation does take place, the pigmentation that provides the wine its desirable color decreases along with a loss in the aromas and flavors that makes the wine pleasurable to drink.
  • the ethanol present within wine can also oxidize into other compounds responsible for tainted flavors and aromas. Both red and white wines will lose their vibrancy. White wines begin to brown, while red wines lose their ruddy hue to become russet or orange in color. In extreme cases of oxygen exposure, the acetaldehyde in the wine converts to acetic acid, thereby turning the wine into vinegar.
  • U.S. Patent No. 4,473,174 issued to Heuser discloses a wine preserver and dispenser containing a solid cap assembly that is inserted into the neck of the wine bottle.
  • a three-way valve controls the discharge of the wine from the bottle through the influence of positive pressure produced by carbon dioxide stored inside a cartridge housed inside the cap assembly.
  • the wine is dispensed through a discharge spigot without any need to invert the bottle during pouring in the normal manner.
  • the carbon dioxide gas that is introduced into the bottle also acts to expel atmospheric air to preserve the wine from oxidation.
  • U.S. Patent No. 8,556,136 issued to Huynh shows a wine pourer that is inserted into the neck of an opened wine bottle to provide a convenient pouring spout.
  • Vacuum products are also available within the market.
  • the wine drinker inserts the device into the neck of the wine bottle and then imparts a vacuum condition to withdraw atmospheric air from the bottle.
  • the device is removed from the wine bottle neck to break the vacuum seal and permit atmospheric air to reenter the bottle to push the wine out when the bottle is inverted to pour the wine.
  • oxygen gas can also be beneficial to wine.
  • the oxygen allows the juicy flavors and aromas in the wine to become more present to the drinker, thereby making it easier to identify exactly what the drinker is smelling, and hopefully the character of the wine intended by the winemaker.
  • Exposure of the wine to oxygen also softens the mouth feel of the wine due to breaking down tannins that cause the harsh, dry sensation along the drinker’s cheeks and tongue. This aeration process is especially beneficial for young red wines whose bright acidity and gripping tannins can seem unpleasant to the drinker.
  • nasty smelling compounds contained within the wine like ethanol and sulfites and sediments evaporate.
  • Wine decanters may also be used to aerate wines. Typically made from glass and exhibiting a variety of shapes and sizes, they allow the contents of the wine bottle to be poured into the decanter having an opening to atmospheric air larger than the wine bottle. Sediments contained particularly in older red wines can also settle to the bottom of the container while the wine breathes inside the decanter for several hours.
  • Vigorous pouring of the wine might cause the discharged volume of wine to impede the necessary inflow of air into the air intake channel for aerating the wine. Indeed, a large volume of discharged wine might even be drawn into the air intake channel to completely block the necessary air flow from entering the air intake channel for aerating the wine.
  • Mok seems to compensate for this competition for space within his device between the entering air and exiting wine by requiring his hour-glass shape for the liquid outlet channel and cylindrical-shaped air intake channel with a larger diameter upper portion and smaller diameter lower portion in order to produce a Venturi effect for accelerating the introduction of the air into the traveling wine. See also U.S. Design Patent D720,959 issued to Mok.
  • TenTen Labs of Chicago, Illinois sells a wine aerator pourer.
  • Mounted inside a spout that is inserted into the neck of an opened wine bottle is a metal plate containing a plurality of holes.
  • the poured wine passes through these holes on its way to the open pour spout.
  • the agitation of the wine caused by its interaction with the plate causes incoming air to blend with the wine.
  • the Ten Labs’ device allows the large volume of incoming air to flow in an unimpeded manner into the wine bottle where it can start to oxidize the wine inside the bottle while it is being consumed at the table.
  • the character of the wine is being tainted at the same time that the device is trying to aerate the wine to improve its character.
  • Dispensing devices are also known within the industry for wine and liquor bottles.
  • U.S. Patent No. 2,283,652 issued to Schwarzkopf discloses such a dispenser apparatus that is screwed into engagement with the neck of an inverted bottle.
  • the dispenser contains a spring-actuator valve that is closed to prevent the alcohol from flowing out of the bottle.
  • the valve is lifted to its open position to prevent the alcohol to flow from the bottle.
  • U.S. Patent No. 3,845,787 issued to Slagle illustrates an automated liquor dispensing system in which multiple bottles in series are connected to each other by siphoning hoses.
  • the volume of discharged liquor is replenished from the subsequent bottles by means of the siphoning hoses.
  • this device does not introduce air into the discharged liquid should the dispensing system be adapted for wine.
  • U.S. Patent No. 5,186,358 issued to McVay teaches a dispenser device that may be inserted into the open neck of a bottle. A ball valve may be closed by means of a turn handle to stop the flow of the liquid contained inside the bottle.
  • a beverage bottle dispenser that mixes an inflowing gas like air into a discharged flow of liquid like wine while minimizing the flow of the air into the bottle itself, would be beneficial.
  • Such a device would allow a bottle of wine to be aerated during the pouring process, while minimizing oxidation of the remaining wine contained inside the bottle.
  • the dispenser device should create turbulent flow of the discharged wine flow so that the incoming air flow may be thoroughly admixed into the out flowing wine in order to improve its sensory characteristics, aromas, and mouth feel.
  • a dispenser for discharging a beverage from a bottle with a controlled amount of a gas thoroughly admixed into the discharged beverage is provided by the invention.
  • the dispenser comprises a hollow frustoconical body having a sidewall, the frustoconical body having an open first end and a closed second end having a diameter larger than the diameter of the first end.
  • the open lesser end of the dispenser device is adapted to be inserted into the necked opening of the beverage bottle.
  • a pour path inside the device leads from a beverage inlet port in the first end to a beverage outlet port within the sidewall adjacent to the closed end.
  • a valve situated along the pour path between the open end and closed end of the frustoconical body has a first open position for maintaining the pour path leading from the beverage inlet port to the beverage outlet port, while the second closed position of the valve interrupts the pour path.
  • An agitation plate having a plurality of holes is positioned inside the frustoconical body downstream of the valve along the pour path.
  • a gas inlet port within the sidewall for a gas leads to the po - path and is positioned within the frustoconical body downstream of the agitation plate.
  • the valve When the valve is placed in its first open position and the bottle is inverted, the beverage passing through the pom path to the beverage outlet port is subject to turbulence created by the agitation plate to break up the liquid beverage within the frustoconical body to form bubbles as the gas flowing through the gas inlet port into the pom path is thoroughly admixed into the beverage.
  • the valve When the valve is placed in its second closed position, the beverage contained inside the bottle is sealed to prevent exposure to the gas.
  • the frustoconical body at or adjacent to the open lesser end is sheathed in a resilient frustoconical sleeve segment.
  • the resilient frustoconical sleeve segment functions to form a seal between the frustoconical body at or adjacent to the open lesser end of the dispenser and the neck of the beverage bottle into which the open lesser end may be inserted to avoid spillage of the beverage passing through the dispenser device.
  • the beverage bottle is a wine bottle which has been freshly uncorked and is filled with wine which has yet to breathe.
  • the dispenser with its open lesser end inserted and sealed within the neck of the wine bottle defines the pour path for the wine to exit the wine bottle when the valve is in the first open position, so that the wine passes from within the wine bottle, through the neck and into the dispenser body, through the channel and valve in the first open position, then exits the dispenser body through the beverage outlet aperture adjacent the closed greater end of the device.
  • the dispenser may be used to quickly and conveniently aerate wine while it is being poured from a bottle to improve the flavor, aroma, and mouth feel of the wine.
  • the size of the gas inlet port limits the amount of air that can pass back into the bottle.
  • This feature of the dispenser device minimizes oxidation of the remaining wine contained inside the bottle. Closing the valve of the dispenser device allows the device to serve as a temporary closure for the wine bottle with any remaining wine to be sealed inside the bottle without a need for a separate sealing stopper. The minimized amount of air contained inside the bottle substantially eliminates the need to purge air from the bottle to avoid spoilage of the wine due to oxidation.
  • the invention also provides a method for dispensing aerated wine from a freshly uncorked bottle, the method comprising the steps of inserting the open end of the dispenser of the structure described above into the neck of the bottle, and establishing a seal by compressing a resilient sleeve between the frustoconical body adjacent to the open lesser end and the neck of the wine bottle; inverting the wine bottle so that wine from the newly opened bottle passes into the pour path, is subjected to turbulence created by the agitation plate, and encounters air passing into the pour path from the gas inlet aperture to form bubbles with the air thoroughly admixed into the wine with the resulting aerated wine flowing through the outlet aperture adjacent to the closed end of the frustoconical body.
  • wine from the newly opened bottle is aerated to reduce the breathing time period necessary for improving the taste, aroma and mouth feel of the wine, with the remaining wine contained inside the bottle being sealed from exposure to the air that would oxidize the wine.
  • Figure 1 schematically depicts a perspective view of a beverage bottle dispenser according to the present invention
  • Figure 2 schematically is a perspective view of the opposite side of the beverage bottle dispenser of Fig. 1;
  • Figure 3 is an exploded view of the beverage bottle dispenser view shown in Fig.
  • Figure 4 is a sectional view of the dispenser of Fig. 1 which schematically depicts the valve in a first open position;
  • Figure 5 is a perspective view of the lower housing for the dispenser
  • Figure 6 is a perspective view of the ball valve for the dispenser
  • Figure 7 is a perspective view of the upper housing for the dispenser
  • Figure 8 is an upwards perspective view of the upper housing of Fig. 7; and Figure 9 is a perspective view of the agitation plate for the dispenser.
  • a dispenser for discharging a liquid beverage like wine from a bottle with a controlled amount of gas like oxygen in ambient air thoroughly admixed into the discharged beverage is provided by the invention.
  • the device comprises a frustoconical body having a beverage inlet aperture, and beverage outlet aperture, and a gas inlet aperture located within the sidewall of the frustoconical body.
  • a valve regulates the passage of the beverage through the device.
  • the dispenser device When the dispenser device is inserted into the neck of an opened bottle, the bottle is inverted, and the valve is opened, the beverage passes along a pour path between the beverage inlet port and the beverage outlet port with the liquid beverage broken up into bubbles along the pour path by an agitation plate and the gas passing through the gas inlet aperture then becoming admixed with the bubbled beverage.
  • wine may be aerated as it is poured from its bottle to improve the flavor, aroma, and mouth feel characteristics of the wine.
  • the valve When the valve is closed, the wine no longer flows out through the pour path, while being protected from oxidization by exposure to ambient air that could spoil the wine.
  • beverage means any liquid product meant for human consumption, including but not limited to wine.
  • gas means any gaseous element or component that is to be efficaciously admixed into the beverage to improve its sensory characteristics, including but not limited to oxygen contained in ambient air.
  • the beverage bottle dispenser 10 is described for understandability by the reader in terms of its use for treating wine that is aerated by means of oxygen gas contained in ambient air to improve the flavor, aroma, and mouth feel sensory characteristics of the wine product. But it should be understood that the beverage bottle dispenser 10 is not limited to such aeration of wine products, since the treatment of many other beverage products by means of many other gases is possible by the dispenser device of this invention.
  • the beverage bottle dispenser 10 of the present invention is depicted in Figs. 1-5. As shown in Figs. 1-2, the beverage bottle dispenser 10 has a frustoconical body 12 with an open lesser end 14 and a closed greater end 16, the diameter of the closed greater end being greater than the diameter of the open lesser end.
  • the frustoconical body 12 comprises a lower housing 20, an upper housing 22, and an end cap 24.
  • Collar 34 formed around the upper end of body 28 has an outside diameter that is greater than the outside diameter of ring wall 30.
  • Formed within the inside of collar 34 is circular recess 38 having a flat bottom surface 40 and a sidewall 42.
  • Two half circle cut-away regions 44 are formed within the upper end of sidewall 38.
  • the interior diameters of ring wall 30 and collar 34 are preferably substantially similar to provide a continuous lower channel 46 for passage of the wine that enters beverage inlet port 32.
  • Beverage inlet port 32 is preferably oval in cross-sectional shape. The dimensions of this ovular beverage inlet port shape are about 6-7 mm x 11 -11.5 mm, preferably about 6.35 mm x 11.25 mm.
  • the upper housing 22 in turn, is shown more clearly in Figs. 7-8. It comprises a hollow frustoconically-shaped body 50 forming an interior region 52.
  • the sidewall 54 of frustoconical body 50 has a ring portion 56 extending into the interior along its bottom end.
  • This ring portion 56 in turn, has a circular recess 58 formed within its bottom end having a flat top surface 60 and a sidewall 62.
  • Formed within the top surface of ring portion 56 is annular recess 64.
  • the interior diameter of ring position 56 defines an upper channel 66 for carrying the wine product that passes through the beverage bottle dispenser device 10.
  • This upper channel 66 is in open communication with interior chamber 68 that is defined by sidewall 54 of upper housing 22.
  • Two circular cutaway regions 68 are formed within the bottom end of sidewall 54.
  • the diameters of cutaway regions 68 should be substantially similar to the diameters of cut-away regions 44 formed within lower housing 20.
  • end cap 24 fits around the top of upper housing 22.
  • a rib 80 extending from bottom of the cap snap fits into an annular recess 82 formed within the top of sidewall 54 of the upper housing. This arrangement securely connects end cap 24 to upper housing, so that it does not become dislodged and separate from the upper housing while wine is flowing through interior chamber 68 in the upper housing.
  • beverage outlet port 84 Formed within the sidewall portion of the end cap is beverage outlet port 84 (see Fig. 1).
  • Beverage outlet port 84 is preferably circular in cross- sectional area shape. This beverage outlet port is about 5-7 mm in diameter, preferably about 5 mm in diameter.
  • the lower housing 20, upper housing 22, and end cap 24 may be made from a suitable clear and hard material that is food grade and can be ultrasonically welded or assembled by adhesive. Food-grade polycarbonate or polystyrene is preferred.
  • the frustoconical body 12 for the dispenser device 10 is preferably about 54 mm high, about 17 mm in diameter around the inlet of the lower housing 20, and about 36 mm in diameter at the top of the end cap 24, although other dimensions are possible.
  • Lower channel 46, upper channel 66, and interior chamber 68 combine to form the pour path 86 for the wine traveling through the dispenser device 10 between beverage inlet port 32 and beverage outlet port 84.
  • a guide channel 88 may optionally be formed within the sidewall 54 of upper housing 22 connecting with beverage outlet port 84. While wine will fill a portion of the interior chamber 68 when the dispenser device 10 is attached to the neck of an opened and inverted wine bottle being poured, this guide channel 88 may help to guide a steady stream of wine to the outlet port 84 to facilitate the pouring operation and reduce spillage of the wine exiting the outlet port 84.
  • a hand-operated closure valve 90 is juxtaposed between lower housing 20 and upper housing 22. While a number of different types of valves like a ball valve, PID valve, gate valve, or flapper valve may be suitable for the beverage bottle dispenser 10, the valve 90 is preferably a ball valve with an actuator extending from or through the frustoconical body. The actuator serves to move and rotate the ball valve from the first open position to the second closed position, or from the second closed position to the first open position.
  • such a ball valve 90 comprises a spherical body 92 having a through bore 94 oriented along axis A-A coincident with pour path 86 inside the dispenser device 10.
  • the spherical body 92 is rotated around axis B-B by means of the actuator.
  • Handle 98 is connected to at least one end of spherical body 92 along this axis B-B. More preferably, the handle acts as a visual indication, as well as a tactile indication, of whether the ball valve is in the first open position or the second closed position.
  • the actuator of the ball valve extends from both ends of the ball valve, and the indicator handle is one of a pair of indicator handles, each situated on opposite ends of the ball valve.
  • the material for the spherical body 92 of the ball valve could be food-grade polypropylene, high-density polyethylene (“HDPE”), or nylon with food-grade polypropylene being preferred.
  • the surface finish for the spherical body 92 should be about 32-64, preferably about 32.
  • ball valve 90 fits between the top end of collar 34 of lower housing 20 and the bottom end of inwardly directed collar 56 of upper housing 22.
  • Handles 98 extend outside of the upper and lower housings.
  • handles 98 When the user rotates handles 98 to the open position to line up through bore 94 in spherical body 92 with lower channel 46 and upper channel 66, wine may freely travel along pour path 86.
  • handles when handles are rotated by the user to the closed position to cause through bore 94 to be substantially perpendicular to lower channel 46 and upper channel 66, then the spherical body 92 in valve 90 will block the pour path 86, so that the wine may no longer travel through the beverage bottle dispenser 10 to outlet port 84.
  • a lower seal 100 and an upper seal 102 may be inserted into annular recesses 38 and 58 formed within lower housing 20 and upper housing 22, respectively. These seals are annular in form, with an opening for allowing wine to pass through them.
  • the seals 100 and 102 are compressed between the valve body 92 and the lower housing 20 and upper housing 22 to prevent leakage of the wine through the holes 104 formed within the frustoconical body 12 of the beverage bottle dispenser 10 by means of the cooperating cut-away regions 44 and 68 of the lower housing 20 and upper housing 22, respectively, through which the actuator for handles 98 extend.
  • the interference dimension for these seals 100 is about 0.2 mm. This means that when compressed, the elastomeric material of the seal will overlap the ball valve by about 0.2 mm.
  • Lower housing 20 and upper housing 22 may be secured together by suitable means such as adhesive or sonic welding to provide an integrated frustoconical body 12 that does not leak and contains the valve body 90, seals 100 and 102 and other parts inside.
  • agitation plate 110 is inserted into the exterior upper housing 22 perpendicular to axis A- A, and in a position below the gas inlet port 70 (i.e., upstream of the gas inlet port along pour path 86).
  • This agitation plate 110 comprises a disk-shaped body 112 with a plurality of through holes 114 formed through the body 112.
  • the agitation plate 110 may be made from any suitable food-grade, non-corrosive metal material , but 300 Series stainless steel is preferred.
  • a channel may be formed within the circumference of the interior surface of the upper housing (not shown) for containing the outer edge of the agitation plate securely in place inside the housing.
  • the gas inlet port 70 is about 2.5-3.5 mm in diameter, preferably about 3.0 mm in diameter.
  • the gas inlet port 70 and the beverage outlet port 84 are situated on opposite sides of the channel. More preferably, the inlet aperture and the outlet aperture are situated on opposite sides of the frustoconical body 12, and the actuator and ball valve 90 are situated on the axis B-B substantially perpendicular to the axis A-A defined by the lower channel 46, upper channel 66, and interior chamber 68.
  • the gas inlet port 70 has a cross-sectional area and the beverage outlet aperture 84 has a cross-sectional area, wherein the cross-sectional area of the gas inlet aperture is not more than about half of the cross-sectional area of the beverage outlet aperture.
  • This relationship acts to limit the amount of gas that enters the upper channel 66 which can then migrate back through the holes in the agitation plate 110 back through the lower channel 46 to enter the bottle.
  • this limitation upon the air entering the wine bottle will reduce any oxidation of the remaining wine contained inside the bottle after the valve 90 is closed.
  • the combination of the reduced size of the gas inlet port 70 relative to the beverage outlet port 84 and the relatively closed end of the upper housing 22 will produce a Venturi effect as the wine travels through the dispenser device 10. More specifically, when the wine bottle with the dispenser device attached to its open neck is inverted by the user during pouring, the wine travels through the lower housing 20 by means of gravity. A vacuum condition is created around the gas inlet port 70, thereby leading to a pressure increase in the upper housing 22. This vacuum condition will pull air through the gas inlet port 70 into the upper housing. At the same time, the increased pressure condition in the upper housing 22 will push the wine through the beverage outlet port 84 to dispense the wine.
  • the volume of air that does migrate back through the agitation plate 110 and opened valve 90 into the bottle replaces the volume in the bottle evacuated by the discharged wine to prevent a vacuum condition from forming inside the bottle that would otherwise impede the discharge of the wine from the bottle.
  • the reduced volume of air that migrates back into the bottle minimizes oxidation of the remaining wine contained inside the bottle and the consequent need to purge air from the bottle to preserve the wine.
  • the frustoconical body 12 shape of the dispenser device 10 having a smaller bottom end and a larger top end provides a “pour spout” for the wine discharged from the beverage outlet port 84 with the travel of the wine through the length of the device being enhanced by the increasing cross-sectional area along its length.
  • either or both of the closed greater end 16 or end cap 24 of the dispenser 10 or upper housing 20 adjacent to the greater closed end includes indicia, such as instructions and/or advertising subject matter and/or personalized information recorded concerning the particular wine in the bottle about to be dispensed or preserved by the dispenser 10.
  • Frustoconical sleeve 120 may be inserted around the exterior surface of ring wall 30 of lower housing 20 (see Fig. 3).
  • this frustoconical sleeve 120 becomes compressed when ring wall 30 of lower housing 20 of the beverage bottle dispenser 10 is inserted into the neck of the opened wine bottle.
  • the sleeve seals the gap between the bottle and the dispenser to prevent wine from seeping through the gap during the pouring operation.
  • the dispenser 10 may be inserted into the open neck of the bottle and provide a pour path 86 within the dispenser device for the wine to be dispensed.
  • the pour path 86 is defined as traveling from the beverage inlet port 32 of the device through the lower channel 46, through the through bore 94 of ball valve 90 when it is placed in the first open position, onward through the upper channel 66 into the interior chamber 68 toward the closed greater end 16 of the dispenser device 10, and finally exiting the dispenser 10 through the beverage outlet port 84.
  • the bottle with the dispenser inserted into its neck is inverted and valve 90 opened.
  • the cross-sectional area of the gas inlet port 70 is not more than about half of the cross-sectional area of the beverage outlet port 84. This relationship between the cross-sectional area of the gas inlet port 70 and the beverage outlet aperture 84 increases the relative velocity of the air entering relative to wine exiting the dispenser device 10, and also discourages wine from inadvertently exiting through the gas inlet port 70.
  • the dispenser device 10 when inserted into the neck of the bottle of wine also may serve to preserve the fresh characteristics of the wine when the ball valve 90 is set to the second closed position due to preventing air flow into the wine bottle. Subsequently, when dispensing of wine may be again desired, the wine to be dispensed is nearly in the same condition as when the wine bottle was first uncorked.

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Devices For Dispensing Beverages (AREA)
  • Closures For Containers (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un distributeur pour distribuer une boisson à partir d'une bouteille de boisson, en particulier pour distribuer du vin à partir d'une bouteille de vin et faciliter l'aération du vin distribué lorsqu'il est versé pour raccourcir le temps normalement consacré à la respiration du vin. Une extrémité plus petite ouverte du distributeur s'insère dans le col d'une bouteille de vin et, de préférence, en assure l'étanchéité. Une soupape peut être fermée pour conserver temporairement le vin dans la bouteille pour une aération ultérieure pendant la distribution.
PCT/US2020/066774 2020-01-03 2020-12-23 Distributeur pour bouteille de boisson WO2021138178A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US16/733,978 US10946348B1 (en) 2016-04-08 2020-01-03 Dispenser for beverage bottle
US16/733,978 2020-01-03

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2021138178A1 true WO2021138178A1 (fr) 2021-07-08

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2020/066774 WO2021138178A1 (fr) 2020-01-03 2020-12-23 Distributeur pour bouteille de boisson

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2021138178A1 (fr)

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4982879A (en) * 1989-12-19 1991-01-08 Apf Industries Bottle contents dispensing and contents preservation apparatus
US5293912A (en) * 1991-06-13 1994-03-15 Wildash Timothy J Wine breather
US20080290118A1 (en) * 2007-05-25 2008-11-27 Gregory John Luzaich Pour through oxidation suppressing stopper
US9272834B2 (en) * 2013-03-14 2016-03-01 Carlos Fernando Bazoberry System and method for preserving wine and other perishable substances

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4982879A (en) * 1989-12-19 1991-01-08 Apf Industries Bottle contents dispensing and contents preservation apparatus
US5293912A (en) * 1991-06-13 1994-03-15 Wildash Timothy J Wine breather
US20080290118A1 (en) * 2007-05-25 2008-11-27 Gregory John Luzaich Pour through oxidation suppressing stopper
US9272834B2 (en) * 2013-03-14 2016-03-01 Carlos Fernando Bazoberry System and method for preserving wine and other perishable substances

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