Patent Application
20250002227
The present invention relates generally to a stopper for a beverage bottle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a stopper that may be removed from a pressurized beverage bottle, such as a champagne bottle, without the stopper being pushed off of the bottle by the pressure.
In the consumer beverage industry, many beverages are sold in bottles sealed with stoppers (e.g., cork stoppers or rubber stoppers). The beverage is housed in the interior space of the bottle, and the interior space is typically pressurized relative to the ambient environment. The pressure in the interior space may develop in the bottle due to manufacturing processes (e.g., fermentation), or beverage manufacturers may introduce gases (e.g., carbon dioxide) into the interior space of the bottle for carbonating or preserving the beverage. As a result, the stoppers help to seal the beverage and the pressure within the bottles.
One example of a beverage sold in a bottle with a stopper is champagne. During the process of manufacturing champagne, yeast microorganisms are introduced to a mixture of wine and sugar in a glass bottle, and the bottle is sealed with a stopper. As the yeast microorganisms digest the sugar, the microorganisms generate carbon dioxide gas. Some of the carbon dioxide gas is dissolved into the wine, thereby carbonating the champagne. However, excess carbon dioxide is sealed inside the bottle. As a result, excess carbon dioxide may collect in the interior space, and the pressure may increase in the bottle as the yeast microorganisms digest the sugar.
When a consumer opens the bottle (e.g., to drink the beverage), the consumer may remove the stopper from the bottle, and fluid communication may be established between the interior space of the bottle and the ambient environment. As a result, the internal pressure and excess carbon dioxide gas may be released from the interior space of the bottle when the consumer removes the stopper.
However, removing the stopper from the bottle presents safety hazards. For example, as the consumer removes the stopper from the bottle, the carbon dioxide gas may be released quickly and suddenly from the bottle. The quick and sudden release of carbon dioxide from the bottle may generate a force that pushes the stopper outward from the bottle. In some instances, the carbon dioxide may generate a force sufficient to push the stopper off of the bottle, thereby causing the stopper to fly through the air as a projectile. When the stopper is pushed off of the bottle, the stopper has the potential to strike a person, pet, or fragile object. Moreover, the velocity of the stopper may be sufficiently large to injure the person or the pet or to damage the fragile object. Accordingly, when the consumer removes the stopper from the bottle, the stopper has the potential to injure a person or pet or to damage a fragile object.
Therefore, a solution is desired whereby a bottle of champagne can be opened without internal pressure from the bottle pushing the stopper off of the bottle. The solution may allow for excess gas to be released from the interior space of the bottle as the stopper is removed from the bottle.
This invention solves the aforementioned problems by providing a stopper for a bottle that is configured to hold champagne or another carbonated beverage. The stopper may include an upper portion and a lower portion joined together at a middle region of the stopper. In a first position, the stopper may extend through an aperture in the bottle to seal the bottle from the ambient environment. For example, the lower portion of the stopper may be retained in the bottle via a friction fit, and the upper portion of stopper may abut a first end of the bottle to seal the bottle closed. As a result, champagne, internal pressure, and excess gases may be sealed in the bottle by the stopper.
To remove the stopper from the bottle, a consumer may rotate and move the upper portion of the stopper away from the first end of the bottle to place the stopper in a second position. The lower portion of the stopper may include one or more external threads that protrude outward from an outer surface of the stopper. Each of the one or more external threads may be spaced apart from one another and may extend from the lower portion of the stopper toward the upper portion. Thus, as the upper portion of the stopper is moved away from the bottle, a terminal end of each of the one or more external threads may move outward from the bottle. Accordingly, when the stopper is in the second position, the terminal end of each of the one or more external threads may be exposed to the ambient environment.
When the terminal ends of the external threads are exposed to the ambient environment, the stopper may allow the internal pressure and the excess gases to exit the bottle. More particularly, when the stopper is in the second position, the stopper may establish fluid communication between the interior space of the bottle and the ambient environment. For example, the stopper may allow gases to pass through one or more channels positioned and located between the one or more external threads. Thus, internal pressure and excess gases may travel from the interior space of the bottle to the terminal ends of the external threads and the ambient environment when the stopper is in the second position. Therefore, placing the stopper in the second position preferably reduces the internal pressure and the quantity of excess gases stored in the bottle.
Placing the stopper in the second position may also reduce the risk of the stopper injuring a person or a pet or damaging a fragile object. More particularly, because placing the stopper in the second position preferably reduces the internal pressure and the quantity of excess gases, placing the stopper in the second position may reduce the forces pushing the stopper out from the bottle. Thus, placing the stopper in the second position preferably reduces the risk of the stopper being pushed off of the bottle. Moreover, in the event that the stopper is pushed off of the bottle, the reduced internal pressure preferably reduces the velocity of the stopper as it is pushed off of the bottle. Thus, placing the stopper in the second position preferably reduces the risk of the stopper being pushed off the bottle and injuring a person or pet or damaging a fragile object.
For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be made to the following accompanying drawings.
The bottle 1 may be substantially cylindrical. A base 10 of the bottle 1 may positioned and located at a lower first end 15 of the bottle 1, and the base 10 of the bottle 1 may include a substantially circular cross section. In addition, a mouth 20 of the bottle 1 may be may be positioned and located at an upper second end 25 of the bottle 1 opposite from the first end 15. Similarly to the base 10 of the bottle 1, the mouth 20 of the bottle 1 may also include a substantially circular cross section. In contrast to the base 10, however, the size of the mouth 20 is preferably smaller than the size of the base 10.
The mouth 20 of the bottle 1 may additionally include an aperture (not illustrated) for accessing the interior space 5 of the bottle 1. The aperture may be a circular opening extending into the interior space 5 of the bottle 1. As a result, a beverage may be placed into the bottle 1 through the aperture during the manufacturing process. Then, when the consumer wishes to consume the beverage, the beverage may be poured out of the aperture in the bottle 1.
To retain the beverage in the bottle 1, the interior space 5 of the bottle 1 may be sealed while the bottle 1 is being transported or stored. To seal the interior space 5 of the bottle 1, a stopper 30 may be positioned and located in the mouth 20 of the bottle 1. The stopper 30 may be a solid body member made from cork, although other suitable materials (e.g., rubber) are contemplated. When the stopper 30 is positioned and located in the mouth 20, the stopper 30 may be retained in the mouth 20 of the bottle 1 via a friction fit. Thus, the stopper 30 may seal the bottle 1 to preferably stop champagne, internal pressure, and excess gases from exiting the bottle 1. Additionally, in some embodiments, the stopper 30 may be retained on the bottle 1 using a muselet (not illustrated) as known in the art.
Turing to
The lower portion 35 may be positioned and located proximate to a lower end 45 of the stopper 30, and the upper portion 40 may be positioned and located proximate to an upper end 50. The lower end 45 and the upper end 50 may be positioned and located opposite from each other on the stopper 30. The upper portion 40 and the lower portion 35 may be joined together proximate to a middle region 55 of the stopper 30. The middle region 55 may be positioned and located approximately equidistant from the upper end 50 and the lower end 45 of the stopper 30. Thus, the upper portion 40 and the lower portion 35 may be substantially the same length. However, in alternative embodiments, the upper portion 40 and the lower portion 35 may be alternatively configured.
The stopper 30 may be hour-glass shaped, although other shapes are contemplated. More particularly, the stopper 30 may include an upper cross section 60, a lower cross section 65, and a middle cross section 70 positioned and located proximate to the upper end 50, the lower end 45, and the middle region 55, respectively. The upper cross section 60, the lower cross section 65, and the middle cross section 70 may be substantially circular, although other shapes for the cross sections 60, 65, 70 are foreseeable. The upper cross section 60 and the lower cross section 65 may optionally be the same size. However, the size of the middle cross section 70 is preferably smaller than at least one of the size of the upper cross section 60 and the size of the lower cross section 65. As a result, the middle region 55 of the stopper 30 may be smaller than at least one of the upper portion 40 and the lower portion 35. Thus, the stopper 30 may taper or decrease in size from the lower end 45 to the middle region 55, and the stopper 30 may also taper or decrease in size from the upper end 50 to the middle region 55. Accordingly, the stopper 30 may be substantially hour-glass shaped.
As the stopper 30 is removed from the bottle 1, the stopper 30 may gradually release internal pressure and excess gases (e.g., carbon dioxide) from the bottle 1. For example, the lower portion 35 of the stopper 30 may include one or more external threads 75 positioned and located on an outer surface 80 of the lower portion 35. Each of the one or more external threads 75 may be a protrusion extending outward from the lower portion 35 of the bottle 1. As a result, the one or more external threads 75 may each abut the bottle 1 when the stopper 30 is retained in the mouth 20 of the bottle 1.
Each of the one or more external threads 75 may be spaced apart from one another. As a result, the stopper 30 may include one or more channels 82 positioned and located between the one or more external threads 75. Each of the one or more channels 82 may be defined by the outer surface 80 of the stopper 30 and the adjacent external threads 75. In some embodiments, the stopper 30 may include four of the external threads 75 (only three visible in
Each of the one or more external threads 75 may extend from the lower end 45 of the stopper 30 to a terminal end 85 positioned and located proximate to the middle region 55. As each of the external threads 75 extend from the lower end 45 to their respective terminal ends 85, each of the external threads 75 may wrap around the outer surface 80 of the lower portion 35. For example, each of the external threads 75 may curve approximately 90 degrees to partially circumscribe the lower portion 35. As a result, each of the external threads 75 may be shaped as a partial helix extending along the outer surface 80.
When the stopper 30 is retained in the mouth 20 of the bottle 1, the terminal ends 85 of the external threads 75 may be positioned and located in the interior space 5 of the bottle 1 (see
As the upper end 50 of the stopper 30 moves away from the mouth 20 of the bottle 1, the terminal ends 85 of the external threads 75 may exit the interior space 5 via the mouth 20. When the terminal ends 85 of the external threads 75 are positioned and located outside of the bottle 1, the one or more channels 82 may extend from the ambient environment into the interior space 5 of the bottle 1. As a result, fluid communication may be established between the ambient environment and the interior space 5 of the bottle 1. More particularly, the stopper 30 may permit excess gases to flow in the channels 82 between the external threads 75. As the excess gases flow though the channels 82, the excess gases may move from lower end 45 of the stopper 30 to the terminal ends 85 of the external threads 75. Thus, when the terminal ends 85 are positioned and located outside of the bottle 1, the one or more channels 82 may permit internal pressure and excess gases to move from the interior space 5 of the bottle 1 to the ambient environment. Accordingly, excess gases and internal pressure may exit the bottle 1, and fluid communication may be established between the interior space 5 and the ambient environment.
Once the internal pressure and the excess gasses have exited the bottle 1, the interior space 5 of the bottle 1 is preferably at the same or a similar pressure as the ambient environment. Accordingly, once the internal pressure and the excess gases have been released from the bottle 1, the stopper 30 is preferably removable from the bottle 1 without the stopper 30 being pushed off of the bottle 1 by internal pressure or excess gases. Therefore because the stopper 30 is preferably not pushed by off of the bottle 1 by internal pressure or excess gases, the risk of the stopper 30 injuring a person or pet or damaging a fragile object is preferably reduced.
Turning to
Unlike the bottle 1, the bottle 90 may include one or more internal threads 110 positioned and located on the inner surface 105 of the bottle 90. The one or more internal threads 110 may be selectively engageable with the external threads 75 on the stopper 30 (see
Each of the one or more internal threads 110 may be a narrow cavity extending into the inner surface 105, and each of the internal threads 110 may extend from a proximal end 115 to a distal end 120. As each of the internal threads 110 extend from their proximal end 115 to their distal end 120, each of the internal threads 110 may wrap around the inner surface 105 to partially circumscribe the inner surface 105. Thus, each of the internal threads 110 may be shaped as a partial helix, similar to the external threads 75. As a result, the internal threads 110 and the external threads 75 are preferably selectively engageable with each other to retain the stopper 30 in the bottle 90. However, in alternative embodiments, the internal threads 110 on the bottle 90 may be alternatively sized or shaped to retain the stopper 30 in the bottle 90.
To remove the stopper 30 from the bottle 90, the stopper 30 may be rotated. As the stopper 30 rotates, the external threads 75 on the stopper 30 preferably slide within the internal threads 110 on the bottle 90. Because the internal threads 110 and the external threads 75 are at least partially helical-shaped, the stopper 30 preferably moves out from the bottle 90 as the external threads 75 slide along the internal threads 110. Thus, rotation of the stopper 30 preferably causes the upper end 50 (see
Similarly to bottle 1, as the upper end 50 of the stopper 30 moves out from the mouth 95 of the bottle 90, the terminal ends 85 (see
From the foregoing, it will be seen that the various embodiments of the present invention are well adapted to attain all the objectives and advantages hereinabove set forth together with still other advantages which are obvious, and which are inherent to the present structures. It will be understood that certain features and sub-combinations of the present embodiments are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. Since many possible embodiments of the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, it is also to be understood that all disclosures herein set forth or illustrated in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting. The various constructions described above and illustrated in the drawings are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the concepts, principles, and scope of the present invention.
Many changes, modifications, variations, and other uses and applications of the present invention will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations, and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention, which is limited only by the claims which follow.
