The disclosure relates to the bottling industry and more specifically to the plugging of bottles.
This disclosure and enablement relates to a bottle stopper device, also known as a cork having built-in self-opening and self-plugging features. The self-opening feature eliminates the need for a tool; one example tool is a corkscrew for opening a wine bottle. The self-opening and self-plugging bottle stopper is for all liquids, including wine, other beverages, and non-beverages. The self-plugging feature prevents the bottle stopper from ejecting, and flying out of the bottle during the self-opening, (uncorking process) where self-plugging halts the bottle stopper,
A bottle stopper device is adapted for self-opening and self-plugging a bottle. The device comprises: a cylindrical cover having a bottom end and a top end, wherein the cylindrical cover is sized and shaped to plug a bottle, a cartridge encompassed by the cylindrical cover and having: a fluid chamber, at least one lateral protrusion thereon to form between the cartridge and the cylindrical cover at least one fluid channel for fluidly connecting between a space below the bottom end and above the top end. The conduit has at least one inlet and at least one outlet. An activation cap is mounted to push the conduit along a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical cover from a closed state to an open state. In the open state, the at least one outlet extends beyond the bottom end and the at least one inlet is fluidly connected to the fluid chamber. In the closed state, the at least one outlet and the at least one inlet are mounted between the bottom end and the top end.
The following aspects are various implementations of the bottle stopper device adapted for self-opening and self-plugging a bottle. In one implementation, the conduit further comprises a conduit tip having a range between a 30 to a 60 degree angle measured along the longitudinal axis of the bottle. In one implementation, the cylindrical cover is a solid cylindrical cover drilled to create the hollow cylindrical cover; wherein the drill bit for drilling having a diameter in a range between 10 millimeters and 10.5 millimeters. In one implementation, the hollow cylindrical cover having the following dimensions: (1) an inner diameter in a range between 9.5 millimeters and 11 millimeters, (2) an outer diameter in a range between 24 millimeters and 25 millimeters, and (3) a vertical height in a range between 43 millimeters and 45 millimeters. In one implementation the cartridge further comprises an upper valve connecting to a lower valve via a male and female screwing connection; wherein cartridge having steel walls suitable for welding selected from a group consisting of: L304, and L316. In one implementation, the upper valve ingests the activation cap; wherein the upper valve having a top end connecting to a closing nut and a pin assembled in the closing nut; wherein the activation cap further comprises a cylindrical protrusion with at least one slit; wherein the pin is a locking pin passing thorough the at least one slit to prevent removing the activation cap from the upper valve. In one implementation, the lower valve has at least one inlet thereon to ingress the fluid from the fluid chamber into the lower valve; wherein in the closed state, the lower valve has at least two O-rings encompassing the conduit, wherein the at least one inlet and the at least one outlet are located between O-rings; and wherein in the open state, the at least one inlet is fluidly connected to the fluid chamber and the at least one outlet extends beyond the at least one O-ring for the at least one outlet to extend beyond the bottom end. In one implementation, the conduit has a top end positioned vertically coupling to the activation cap, wherein the activation cap has a cylindrical protrusion forming at least two prongs at a bottom end for coupling to the conduit; wherein pulling the activation cap causes the at least two prongs to separate from the conduit. In one implementation, the conduit is positioned in the center of the cartridge. In one implementation, the conduit is positioned along the side of the cartridge. In one implementation, pulling the activation cap can cause contracting and expanding, where the prongs are a first element and where the conduit is a second element, the first and second elements are selected from a group consisting of: (1) the prongs are contracting in diameter and there is no change to the conduit, and (2) the conduit is expanding in diameter and there is no change to the prongs. In one implementation, the bottle stopper plugs a wine bottle. In one implementation, the wine bottle has a wine bottle pressure range between 2.4 bars and 7 bars; wherein in the open state a fluid pressure greater than 5 bars can move the bottle stopper to unplug the bottle. In one implementation, the fluid chamber of the bottle stopper contains a nitrogen fluid; wherein the fluid chamber has a pressure range between 45 bars and 47 bars. In one implementation, the cartridge having at least one lateral protrusion further comprises at least one gap adjacent to the at least one protrusion joining to the cylindrical cover for moving in tandem to unplug the bottle during the open state. In one implementation, the at least one gap lowers the fluid pressure from moving the bottle stopper upwards; wherein the bottle stopper halts after moving upwards in a range from 30 millimeters to 38 millimeters. In one implementation, the bottle stopper is a champagne stopper for a champagne bottle.
The following is a method of manufacturing bottle stoppers. The manufacturing method comprises the following steps: (1) inserting via a molding machine, a cartridge having at least one lateral protrusion into a mold; (2) adding via a molding machine, a cork powder for molding into a cylindrical cover; wherein the cylindrical cover is joining to the cartridge having at least one lateral protrusion; (3) heating the mold comprising the cartridge having at least one lateral protrusion with the cork powder wherein the cork powder joins with the cartridge having at least one lateral protrusion; and (4) cooling the mold for forming the solid self-opening and self-stopping bottle stopper. In one implementation, the mold is heated to a maximum of 130 degrees Celsius for forming the bottle stopper adapted for self-opening and self-plugging. In one implementation, the cartridge has a maximum of a 140 bar pressure limit during the heating of the mold.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and/or scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the description pertains. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments of the description, exemplary methods and/or materials are described below. In case of conflict, the patent specification, including definitions, will control. In addition, the materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and are not to be limiting.
Described are embodiments of the teaching, for example only, regarding the accompanying drawings. With specific reference now to the drawings, the details shown are, for example, and for an illustrative discussion of embodiments of the description. The description taken with the drawings makes apparent to those skilled in the art how to practice embodiments of the description.
The disclosure describes a bottle stopper adapted for self-opening and self-plugging a bottle. Activating the bottle stopper for self-opening occurs by first pulling on and then pushing down on an activation cap. After initiating the activation act, the bottle stopper can move itself in an upward direction, in a direction moving out of the bottle. Activation does not require external tools, such as a corkscrew. A definition of self-plugging is where the bottle-stopper can halt/stop the self-opening action from moving the bottle stopper in an upward direction and moving out of the bottle. The self-plugging halts the bottle stopper movement is in a range between over 60% to less than 100% movement out of the bottle. The self-plugging prevents the bottle stopper from flying out of the bottle and is a safety feature. The specification discloses two embodiments of the bottle stopper: a first aspect and best mode is the bottle stopper with an activation cap assembled in the center, and a second alternative aspect is the bottle stopper with the activation cap assembled on the side.
The cylindrical cover 4 encompasses the cartridge 16, wherein the cartridge has at least one lateral protrusion 18 positioned thereon. The cartridge 16 is an external shell for the assembly of elements inside, as described later. The reference number 16 can refer to either the entire cartridge or to an external body cover that has a cylindrical shape, where the context of a sentence shows the intent. Positioning at least one lateral protrusion 18 on a cartridge 16 along the horizontal axis of the bottle is to join the cartridge to the cylindrical cover 4. Upon insertion into a bottle, pressure of the bottle diameter hole against the cylindrical cover 4 causes a contracting in diameter of the bottle stopper where the cylinder cover presses against the at least one lateral protrusion 18 extending out of the body cylindrical cover to cause a joining action, as described further on in the document.
An activation cap 10 has a cylindrical protrusion 12 mounted on a conduit 20, where the activation cap and the conduit are elements assembled in the cartridge 16. The conduit has at least one inlet and at least one outlet; the conduit forming a conduit and the conduit mounted in the cartridge;
The cartridge 16 has a fluid chamber 7 for fluidly connecting to a space 3 below the bottom end. The activation cap 10 mounts on the top distal end of the conduit to push the conduit, having at least one inlet and at least one outlet from a closed state to an open state. In the open state, the conduit 20 with at least one outlet extends beyond the bottom end of the bottle stopper and the conduit with at least one inlet fluidly connects the space 3 to the fluid chamber 7 inside the cartridge. As disclosed below in
The activation cap 10 mounts on the conduit 20 for pushing the input and output ports 22 of the bottle stopper from a closed state to an open state. In the open state, the at least one output port 22 extends beyond the bottom end and the at least one inlet fluidly connects to the fluid chamber, wherein at least one fluid channel fluidly connects between a space below the bottom end and fluidly connects above the top end of a bottle stopper for self-opening. The self-plugging occurs when the bottle stopper moves up to a level on the horizontal axis of the bottle to at least one gap 19 and next to at least one lateral protrusion 18. The self-plugging prevents egression of a bottle stopper from a bottle.
The bottle stopper moves upwards along a longitudinal axis with a force exerted by the fluid 6 entering the beverage bottle 2. the cartridge 16 having the at least one lateral protrusion joining to the cylindrical cover for moving in tandem, for pushing the bottle stopper upward to unplug the bottle. As the bottle stopper moves upward, the fluid channel 5 between the cartridge 16 and the cylindrical cover 4, can egress fluid 6 out of the bottle 2. In some embodiments, the fluid channel during the open state is between the cartridge having at least one lateral protrusion and the cylindrical cover 4 further comprises at least one gap 19 next to the at least one protrusion. In some embodiments, the fluid chamber provides a fluid pressure greater than 5 bars to move the cylindrical cover joined to the cartridge, having the at least one lateral protrusion, both in tandem to unplug (uncork). In some embodiments, the at least one gap lowers the fluid pressure to less than 5 bars. In some aspects, the self-plugging halts the bottle stopper with a range of 9 millimeters to 11 millimeters from the top end of the bottle. In some aspects, the bottle stopper halts after moving upward in a range from 30 millimeters to 38 millimeters.
After the self-plugging process is complete, the bottle stopper halts in a raised, higher position along the longitudinal axis of the bottle as shown in
In some embodiments, a wine stopper cartridge has a fluid containing nitrogen (N2) and wherein the nitrogen (N2) has a pressure range between a lower limit of 45 bars and a higher limit of 47 bars. In some embodiments, a wine stopper closes a wine bottle having a pressure range in a space 3 between a lower limit of 2.4 bars and a higher limit of 7 bars. 17. In some aspects, the self-opening can move the bottle stopper upward in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the bottle until the self-plugging halts the upwards movement in a range at the level of the at least one gap 19 between the at least one lateral protrusion 18. In some aspects, the fluid may be carbon dioxide, argon, helium, xenon, nitrogen and krypton or mixtures thereof.
The conduit 20 has a top end positioned vertically, along a longitudinal axis, coupling to the activation cap 10, wherein the activation cap 10 has a cylindrical protrusion 12 forming at least two prongs at a bottom end for coupling to the conduit 20. Pulling the activation cap causes the at least two prongs to separate from the conduit. Pulling can cause contracting and expanding, where the prongs are a first element and where the conduit is a second element, the first and second elements are selected from a group consisting of: (1) the prongs are contracting in diameter and there is no change to the conduit, and (2) the conduit is expanding in diameter and there is no change to the prongs.
In some aspects the self-opening and self-plugging bottle stopper can have valves and comprises: activation cap 10, cylindrical protrusion 12, closing nut 30, upper valve 40, cartridge 16, at least one lateral protrusion 18, at least one gap 19, cylindrical cover 4, conduit 20, at least one input and at least one output port 22, conduit tip 23, O-ring 60, lower valve 50, O-ring 62, and pin 32.
A person having skill in the art can redesign the center mounted/assembled activation cap into a variety of aspects. Some of the important features common to all aspects are: the at least one lateral protrusion 18, activation cap 10 with a cylindrical protrusion 12, conduit 20 with inlet/outlet ports, O-rings 60/62, and at least one gap 19.
The following is a method for manufacturing bottle stoppers.
A method of manufacturing bottle stoppers, the manufacturing method comprising the following steps: (1) inserting via a molding machine, a cartridge having at least one lateral protrusion into a mold; adding via a molding machine, a cork powder for molding into a cylindrical cover; (2) the cylindrical cover is joining to the cartridge, having at least one lateral protrusion; heating the mold comprising the cartridge having at least one lateral protrusion with the cork powder; wherein the cork powder joins with the cartridge having at least one lateral protrusion; and cooling the mold for forming the solid self-opening and self-plugging bottle stopper. In some aspects, heating the mold to a maximum of 130 degrees Celsius for forming the bottle stopper adapted for self-opening and self-plugging. In some aspects, the cartridge 16 has a maximum 140 bar pressure limit during the heating of the mold. In some aspects, the manufacture of the conduit 20 is from a plastic material to lower product costs. In some aspects; the manufacture of the conduit 20 is from a metallic, ceramic, or other solid material.
The following are methods of a mechanized bottle plugging tool to plug a self-opening and self-stopping beverage stopper:
A method of a mechanized bottle plugging tool for a self-opening and self-stopping beverage stopper into a bottle, the method of a mechanized bottle plugging tool comprising the following steps:
The method of claim 20, wherein step (a) is further comprising:
The descriptions of the various embodiments, options, and aspects of the description have been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application or technical improvement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.
It is expected that during the life of a patent maturing from this application many relevant methods and systems will be developed and the scope of the term a processor, an active sensor system, coding and modulation is intended to include all such new technologies a priori.
As used, the terms self-opening and self-plugging bottle stopper and bottle stopper are synonymous.
As used, the term “about” refers to ±10%.
The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, “includes”, “including”, “having” and their conjugates means “including but not limited to”. This term encompasses the terms “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of”.
The phrase “consisting essentially of” means that the composition or method may include additional ingredients and/or steps, but only if the additional ingredients and/or steps do not materially alter the basic and novel characteristics of the claimed composition or method.
As used herein, the singular form “a”, “an” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, the term “a compound” or “at least one compound” may include a plurality of compounds, including mixtures thereof.
The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance or illustration”. Any embodiment described as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments and/or to exclude the incorporation of features from other embodiments.
The word “optionally” is used herein to mean “is provided in some embodiments and not provided in other embodiments”. Any particular embodiment of the description may include a plurality of “optional” features unless such features conflict.
Throughout this application, various embodiments of this description may be presented is in a range format. It should be understood that the description in range format is merely for convenience and brevity and should not be construed as an inflexible limitation on the scope of the description. Accordingly, the description of a range should be considered to have specifically disclosed all the possible subranges as well as individual numerical values within that range. For example, description of a range such as from 1 to 6 should be considered to have specifically disclosed subrange such as from 1 to 3, from 1 to 4, from 1 to 5, from 2 to 4, from 2 to 6, from 3 to 6 etc., as well as individual numbers within that range, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. This applies regardless of the breadth of the range.
Whenever a numerical range is indicated herein, it is meant to include any cited numeral (fractional or integral) within the indicated range. The phrases “ranging/ranges between” a first indicate number and a second indicate number and “ranging/ranges from” a first indicate number “to” a second indicate number are used herein interchangeably and are meant to include the first and second indicated numbers and all the fractional and integral numerals there between.
It is appreciated that certain features of the description, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination with a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the description, which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination or as suitable in any other described embodiment of the description. Certain features described in the context of various embodiments are not to be considered essential features of those embodiments, unless the embodiment is inoperative without those elements.
Although the description has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the broad scope of the appended claims.
It is the intent of the applicant(s) that all publications, patents and patent applications referred to in this specification are to be incorporated in their entirety by reference into the specification, as if each individual publication, patent or patent application was specifically and individually noted when referenced that it is to be incorporated herein by reference. In addition, citation or identification of any reference in this application shall not be construed as an admission that such reference is available as prior art to the present invention. To the extent that section headings are used, they should not be construed as necessarily limiting. In addition, any priority document(s) of this application is/are hereby incorporated herein by reference in its/their entirety.
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