Patent ID: 9656847
Date: 2017-05-23
CPC Classifications: B65D,B67B,B67C,C12H

Claim:
1. A system for introducing inert gas into a wine bottle for preserving wine in the bottle, the system comprising: a bottle stopper having a body composed of a neck portion for insertion into the neck of the wine bottle, the neck portion configured for liquid sealing the neck of the wine bottle and for maintaining a vacuum inside the bottle, an upper portion extending above the neck portion, and a fluid passageway for pouring wine from the bottle through the neck portion and the upper portion, a removable cap comprising a vacuum valve having a self-closing valve passageway that extends to the fluid passageway, the self-closing valve passageway adapted to be opened by mechanical insertion of a valve opener into the self-closing valve passageway and the removable cap adapted to be inserted into the upper portion of the body of the bottle stopper to form a closed position, to form a vacuum-maintaining seal and to close the bottle stopper; the valve opener for opening the vacuum valve of the bottle stopper; a first fitting for mating with a top of the bottle stopper when the bottle stopper is installed in the wine bottle and aligning the valve opener with the self-closing valve passageway of the bottle stopper for opening the vacuum valve; a pressurized source of inert gas; and a regulator for regulating a pressure of the pressurized source of inert gas to a sub-atmospheric pressure and a passageway for introducing a sub-atmospheric pressure gas to the wine bottle through the self-closing valve passageway.