Patent ID: 6651834
Filing Date: 2003-11-25
Classification: B65D,C10M

Abstract:
A stopper for use in the neck of a bottle, the bottle having a vacuum therein, the stopper comprising:an outer body including a cylindrical sleeve portion and a resilient lower flange portion adapted for insertion into the bottle neck, the sleeve portion having an outer surface adapted for forming an air-tight and fluid-tight seal with the bottle neck and defining an axial bore having an interior surface, the lower flange portion extending radially inward from the interior surface to an axial orifice having a sealing surface, the lower flange portion having a bottom biasing surface adapted for being acted on by the vacuum in the bottle; a valve actuator including an upper operator portion connected to a lower valve body portion by a longitudinally extending shaft portion, the shaft portion having an indicator disposed proximate to the operator portion, the lower valve body portion and at least a part of the shaft portion being disposed within the bore of the outer body, the valve body portion being sealingly engageable with the sealing surface of the orifice to close the orifice; and a substantially rigid inner body including a longitudinally extending sleeve portion disposed intermediate the sleeve portion of the outer body and the shaft portion of the valve actuator; wherein the vacuum in the bottle acts on the biasing surface of the lower flange portion to bias the lower flange portion and the valve actuator downward into the bottle neck in opposition to a resilience force of the lower flange portion, whereby the indicator is withdrawn within the bore of the outer body when the vacuum is greater than a predetermined value and the indicator is visible above the outer body when the vacuum is less than the predetermined value.