Abstract:
A liquid pourer for a container of liquid includes a circuit actuable in response to inversion of the bottle during pouring to activate one or more LEDs that illuminate the liquid in the container.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/683,792 entitled “Light Emitting Liquid Pourer,” filed May 24, 2005. The disclosure of this provisional patent application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present pertains invention pertains to a method and apparatus for pouring liquids with pourers of the type that are commonly used with bottles of alcoholic beverages and, more particularly, to illuminating the liquid in the bottle during pouring.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     Examples of pourers are described and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,123,225, the entire contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference. An example of a pourer having an illuminating device for the contents of a container is found in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0167445.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention, in its preferred embodiment, is a liquid pourer provided with an illuminating device which includes an electronic assembly, a switch, one or more light sources such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), a power source, and/or optical fibers, all encased in or secured to the pourer. In the preferred embodiment the pourer is a measured pourer of the type commonly used by barkeeps for pouring a predetermined amount (e.g., one ounce) of alcohol from a bottle. The light sources are actuated as liquid is being poured from the pourer to illuminate the liquid in the bottle and/or in the outflow. The result is an eye-appealing illumination display that is enhanced by the movement in the liquid.  
         [0007]     The above features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following definitions, descriptions and descriptive figures of specific embodiments thereof wherein like reference numerals in the various figures are utilized to designate like components. While these descriptions go into specific details of the invention, it should be understood that variations may and do exist and would be apparent to those skilled in the art based on the descriptions herein. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  is a view in perspective of a pourer assembly in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2A  is a top plan view of a connecting member of the assembly of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0010]      FIG. 2B  is a section view in elevation of the connecting member of  FIG. 2A .  
         [0011]      FIG. 2C  is a section view in elevation of an electronic component housing member of the assembly of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0012]      FIG. 2D  is a bottom view in plan of the housing member of  FIG. 2C .  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a series of plan and elevation views of a spout member of the assembly of  FIG. 1   
         [0014]      FIG. 4  includes perspective, elevation and bottom plan views of a stopper member of the assembly of  FIG. 1   
         [0015]      FIG. 5  includes perspective, elevation and bottom plan views of a cap member of the assembly of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  includes elevation and bottom plan views of a pouring screen member of the assembly of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0017]      FIG. 7  is an electrical schematic diagram of the circuit contained in the electronic component housing member of  FIG. 2C . 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]     The following detailed explanations of drawings and of the preferred embodiments reveal the methods and apparatus of the present invention.  
         [0019]     The primary elements in a preferred embodiment of the invention are:  
         [0020]     an electronic assembly including an integrated circuit  10  for receiving power from a voltage source (e.g., three batteries)  11  disposed in an electronic component housing member  13 ;  
         [0021]     a light source comprising one or more LEDs  15  coupled to the electronic assembly in order to emit light; and  
         [0022]     a toggle or actuator switch  17  coupled to the electronic assembly in order to selectively apply actuation voltage from the voltage source to the light source. Switch  17  is typically of the type that is actuated by motion (e.g., tipping of the bottle during pouring), but may alternatively be of the type that is actuated by sound, vibration, voice, light sensitivity, touch, change in resistance, ultrasonic signal, radio frequency (RF) signal, infra-red signal and/or temperature.  
         [0023]     The light source preferably comprises three light emitting diodes (LEDs)  15  of various compositions and colors, including multicolor, and may alternatively comprise surface mount lasers or any other light source suitable for the functions described herein.  
         [0024]     Also housed in member  13  is a magnetically actuable single-pole double-throw (SPDT) power switch  19  that functions to selectively open the electrical circuit and prevent actuation of the light source when a magnet  18  is positioned adjacent the housing member  13  near that switch. The magnet  18  is used to prevent actuation of the LEDs during shipment and storage of the assembly. Switch  19  includes a metal member that magnetically attracts magnet  18  and holds it in place against housing  13 . When the assembly is installed on a bottle the magnet is removed from the unit.  
         [0025]     Housing member  13  is made of hard plastic material and is waterproof to protect the electrical components housed therein from exposure to liquid. Housing member  15  is made of two generally cylindrical segments. A lower segment  13   a  is of larger diameter and houses the light source  15 , circuitry  10  and batteries  11  as well as a portion of actuator  17 . The outside diameter of lower portion  13   a  must be large enough to house the electrical components but smaller than the neck of the bottle into which it will be inserted when the assembly is in use. In addition, at least the bottom portion of segment  13   a  is transparent or translucent so that light emitted from light source  15  is transmitted through the housing wall toward liquid in a bottle on which the assembly is mounted. The upper cylindrical segment  13   b  is of smaller diameter and extends axially upward from segment  13   a  with its axis laterally offset from the axis of segment  13   a . Segment  13   b  houses the other portion of actuator switch  17  as well as power switch  19  located near the upper end of the segment.  
         [0026]     Connecting member  20  is made of a soft rubber member and serves to connect the housing member  13  to the pouring spout  30 . Connecting member  20  includes two side by side hollow cylinders  21  and  23  having parallel axes and joined along a common edge. The shorter cylinder has a larger diameter and receives the upper housing segment  13   b  of housing member  13  in a tight resilient fit. The longer cylinder  23  has the smaller diameter and is inserted into the input tube  31  of the pourer spout  30  in a tight resilient fit. The outer periphery of the connecting member  20  is generally oval-shaped.  
         [0027]     Pourer spout  30  includes an input tube  31  at its lower end that is extended in flow communication with an output tube  32  in a configuration that is conventional in pourer spouts. A filter or screen  33  is positioned at the outlet end of tube  32 . Outlet tube  32  is bent at an angle of approximately 30° from vertical to facilitate pouring of liquid. A vent tube  34  is formed in the same structure and extends from the ambient environment to inside the bottle to deliver vent air that replaces poured liquid to facilitate pouring in a conventional manner. A laterally extending annular flange  35  is disposed exteriorly of the pourer spout  30  at the juncture of tubes  31  and  32 .  
         [0028]     A cap  40  is in the form of an inverted cup with a central opening through which input tube  31  extends downwardly. The annular peripheral wall of the cap extends downwardly in spaced relation to tube  31 . An annular stopper  43  takes the form of a rubber or soft plastic resilient hollow shaft disposed in a tight fit concentrically about tube  31 . A plurality of axially spaced annular ridges extends radially outward from the shaft to a diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of the bottle with which the assembly is to be used. The stopper thus serves as a seal between the interior and exterior of the bottle.  
         [0029]     In operation, when power switch  19  is open due to the presence of magnet i 3  adjacent the switch at the exterior of housing  13 , current through the integrated circuit  10  is blocked. If the magnet is removed, power switch  19  is closed, thereby enabling the circuit in a standby mode. Typically, the assembly is inserted in the neck of a bottle with the pourer spout extending upwardly. When the bottle is inverted, as in pouring contents therefrom, actuator switch  17  is closed and activates an oscillator in integrated circuit  10 . The oscillator output signal causes the LEDs to be energized in a periodic manner, and the resulting flashes of light are directed toward the content of the bottle to produce the desired effect. If plural LEDs and produce respective differently colored light, the visual effects are particularly appealing.  
         [0030]     The pourer is preferably a controlled amount pourer of a conventional type, but may alternatively be a free flowing liquid pourer. The pourers may also include a built in dust cover. The housing  13  encases the power source, electronic assembly, switch, and light emitting source, and is also waterproof.  
         [0031]     The housing may be made of any of the following materials: plastic, metal (such as stainless steel), fiberglass, composites, or any other material suitable for the functions described herein.  
         [0032]     Power for the light source is preferably derived from one or more included voltage sources which may, without limitation, be of the following types: direct current, alternating current, rechargeable batteries, solar power devices, and induction power devices (such as recharging a capacitor through induction). The voltage source can be located anywhere in the unit.  
         [0033]     Illumination effects produced by the invention include one or more of the following, without limitation: moving light, individual alphanumeric characters, words, random pattern effects, strobe effects, streaming effects, phrases, names, logos, designs, which effects may be customized for various applications. The illumination effects may also be time sequenced to produce timed patterns as well as timing for duration of illumination after the switch has returned to the “off” position. The light sources may be located in any convenient location.  
         [0034]     The illumination source may include optical fiber elements of the same or different lengths.  
         [0035]     The present invention may be used in a number of applications such as, but not limited to: novelty items, toys, safety devices, medical devices, textiles (including clothing), food and beverages, and measuring liquid volume and/or liquid levels.  
         [0036]     The invention has application for the following: bottles, liquor bottles, wine bottles, champagne bottles, other beverage containers, vases, flower pots, decorative items, toys, plates, coasters, drinking glasses/cups, pitchers, drinking fountains, soda fountains, taps, beer taps, water fountains, drinking straws, bottle stoppers, corks, caps, wine saver, wine pourers, champagne saver, champagne pourers, can covers, and other such applications.  
         [0037]     Having described preferred embodiments of new and improved liquid pourer with illumination effects, it is believed that other modifications, variations and changes will be suggested to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings set forth herein. It is therefore to be understood that all such variations, modifications and changes are believed to fall within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.