Dispenser for wine

• US 4,706,847 A
• Filed: 05/05/1986
• Issued: 11/17/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SanMar Corporation (SanMar)
• Original Assignee: Senmar Corporation
• Inventors: Sankey, Douglas, Sankey, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Rolla, Joseph J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huppert, Michael S.
• Application Number:
  US06/859,429
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 222/1, 222/132, 222/136, 222/152, 222/394, 222/396, 222/399, 222/400.7, 222/478-479, 222/481-482, 222/501, 222/180-181, 222/185, 222/386.5, 215/231, 137/212, 137/329.4, 137/614.04, 137/614.2, 137/846
• US Class Current: 222/1
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/04 Apparatus utilising compressed air or other gas acting directly or indirectly on beverages in storage containers
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0885 Means for dispensing under specific atmospheric conditions, e.g. under inert gas
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2001/0481 Single inert gas, e.g. N2
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6195 Spring bias
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87957 Valves actuate each other

Abstract

A wine dispensing mechanism for dispensing individual portions of wine from a bottle while protecting the remaining wine in the bottle against the deleterious effects of air. The dispenser uses a source of low pressure inert gas for a number of bottles of wine through the use of a plug which is inserted in the neck of the wine bottle in place of the cork. The plug has a gas inlet and a wine outlet with self-closing valves in each. A coupler which is easily connected to and disconnected from the plug is connected to a source of inert gas and a wine dispensing tap. The coupler has separate wine and gas passages with a self-closing valve in the gas passage. The plug and coupler can only be connected with the gas and wine passages properly aligned and the self-closing valves in each are automatically opened when they are connected, and closed when disconnected.

Claims

1. The combination of a wine dispensing mechanism coupled to a bottle of wine lying in on its side on a support with the neck of the bottle in a downwardly inclined position to dispense the contents by the combined effect of gravity and low pressure gas while protecting the remaining contents of the bottle against the deleterious effects of air, and utilizing a single source of low pressure inert gas for a number of bottles of wine, the mechanism attached to the inclined bottle so supported including:

a plug which is inserted in the neck of the wine bottle to replace the cork,

said plug being equipped with a gas inlet having an inner end and a wine outlet having an inner end, both inner ends being located inside the neck of the inclined bottle and restricted thereto, and having self-closing valves in the inlet and the outlet,

a coupler connected to a wine dispensing tap and a source of low pressure gas,

said couplier having separate gas and wine passages formed therein with a self-closing valve positioned in the gas passage,

means associated with the plug and coupler to permit them to be connected only with the gas inlet of the plug connected with the gas passage in the coupler and the wine outlet in the plug connected with the wine passage in the coupler,

means to automatically open the self-closing valves in the plug and coupler upon connecting of the plug and coupler,

the gas inlet including a gas passage extending through the plug with a check valve located in the gas passage to prevent wine from entering the gas passage, and in which the check valve communicates with an extension of the gas passage, which extension is presented by a tubular member which extends into the neck of the bottle beyond the inner end of the wine outlet thereby to limit gas percolating into the wine outlet.

2. The combination according to claim 1 in which the check valve is a duckbill valve.

3. The combination according to claim 2 in which the duckbill valve is installed in the outer end of the tubular member which presents the extension of the gas passage, said tubular member being attached at its outer end to the portion of the plug having the gas inlet passage.

4. A method of dispensing individual portions of wine from a bottle while protecting the remaining wine in the bottle against the deleterious effects of air, including the steps of:

removing the cork from the wine bottle and inserting a plug in place thereof with the plug having a gas inlet and wine outlet each having an inner end opening into communication with the interior of the neck of the bottle so supported, each of the gas inlet and the wine outlet having a self-closing valve therein,

supporting the wine bottle on its side with the bottom of the bottle slightly elevated to induce gravity flow of wine from the bottle,

connecting a coupler to the plug with the coupler having a gas passage connected to a source of low pressure inert gas and a wine passage connected to a dispensing tap for the wine with the passages of the coupler aligned respectively with the gas inlet and wine outlet of the plug and opening the self-closing valves of the inlet and outlet upon connection of the coupler to the plug,

withdrawing an individual portion of wine under the combined influence of the gas pressure in the bottle and gravity while permitting additional gas to flow into the bottle to replace the portion of wine being dispensed,

disconnecting the coupler from the plug and applying the disconnected coupler to an identical plug of a different bottle of wine while leaving the plug in the bottle of wine from which the coupler was disconnected to protect that bottle of wine against the deleterious effects of air and

attaching to the plug a member presenting an extension of the gas passage, which member has an inner end extending beyond the inner end of the wine outlet inside the neck of the bottle thereby to limit gas percolating into the wine outlet.