Abstract:
A liquid aeration apparatus is a vessel with a neck and an opening that is interconnected to a body. The opening receives a quantity of liquid that is thinned as the liquid is transferred from the neck to the body. The liquid is then collected in the body of the vessel. The body includes at least one tripping mechanism that induces turbulence to the liquid.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    This disclosure is related to aeration of liquids, and particularly to liquids that require aeration prior to drinking. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art. Certain liquids meant for consumption can benefit from aeration or exposure to air. Aeration is known to aid in bringing out the full flavors or body of the liquid as well as to bring out a more aromatic scent to be more pleasing. Aeration is particularly used in aiding the drinkability of beverages that contain alcohol, such as wines and spirits. Aerating the beverage typically comprises opening the container holding the beverage and pouring the liquid into a separate vessel. The vessel typically has a shape that allows for a large surface area of liquid to be exposed to the air and is often referred to as a decanter. The vessel typically has a neck that remains open to the air allowing for the aeration process to occur over time. The vessel may include a stopper or plug which may be inserted into the neck to stop the aeration process from further occurring. 
         [0003]    Aerating a liquid with the current vessel technology typically takes a substantial amount of time. The time required can be 15 minutes to over two hours depending on the type of beverage, age of beverage, and desired or optimal characteristics for the beverage, e.g., when the beverage achieves the desired scent or flavor characteristics. The time delay prevents one from enjoying the beverage with the desired or optimal characteristics when several bottles of beverages are to be drunk in an evening or an impromptu serving is desired with a beverage that benefits from aerating. 
         [0004]    Additionally, intermediary aeration devices exist, e.g., devices that create a venturi effect or separation of the liquid, that may be used as beverages are poured between an original container to a secondary vessel, i.e., an intermediary device between the storing container and the serving vessel or container. The intermediary aeration devices are limited in effectiveness as they only aerate the beverage a defined amount, as originally intended by the manufacturer. Should the particular beverage require more or less aeration, the intermediary aeration device is not capable of producing the required differential amount. Further, the intermediary aeration devices can be difficult to operate as the liquid can back up and overflow the intermediary aeration device or a slight movement in either the device or the original container can cause a spill. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    A liquid aeration apparatus is a vessel with a neck and an opening that is interconnected to a body. The opening receives a quantity of liquid that is thinned as the liquid is transferred from the neck to the body. The liquid is then collected in the body of the vessel. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    One or more embodiments will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  schematically illustrates a vessel capable of aerating and containing a liquid, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  schematically illustrates a cross section of the vessel cut through two adjacent chambers, in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  schematically illustrates the vessel being held in a tipped orientation, in accordance with the present disclosure; and 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  schematically illustrates an active aeration process wherein the vessel is being rotated to cause relative motion between the liquid and the vessel, in accordance with the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    Referring now to the drawings, wherein the showings are for the purpose of illustrating certain exemplary embodiments only and not for the purpose of limiting the same,  FIG. 1  schematically illustrates a vessel  10  capable of aerating and containing a liquid. The vessel  10  includes a neck  12  that has a first end  14  and a distal second end  16 . The first end  14  defines an opening  18  for allowing liquid and gas to pass into and out of the vessel  10 . The opening  18  can be of any shape, e.g., oval or rectangular, but is preferably round. The neck  12  decreases in size between the opening  18  and the second end  16  to spread the liquid evenly around the neck  12  as the liquid is received into the vessel  10 . The neck  12  spreading the liquid around can create a swirling or venturi effect or can create a smooth flow of liquid over an inner surface of the neck  12 . The second end  16  interconnects the neck  12  with a body  20  through a shoulder  22 . The body  20  contains the liquid within the vessel  10  and supports the vessel  10  when placed on a flat surface. The vessel  10  will be described as generally symmetrical about an axis  32  located at or near the center of the vessel  10  for convenience and clarity however it will be apparent that various offsets can be made without varying from the scope of this disclosure, e.g., the neck  12  can extend on an angle from the body  20  and can be directly offset from the axis  32 . 
         [0012]    The first end  14  of the neck  12  is wider than the second end  16  to facilitate pouring the liquid into and out of the vessel  10 . It is understood that the neck  12  can be straight or the second end  16  can be wider than the first end  14  without varying from the scope of the disclosure. The first end  14  has an edge  24  that is thinner than the remainder of the vessel  10  to facilitate a drip free pour of the liquid out of the vessel  10 . Alternatively, the vessel  10  can be a thin wall of a generally constant thickness that also facilitates a controlled drip free pour. The shoulder  22  transitions between the second end  16  and the body  20  in a sloped manner to allow the liquid being poured to remain in contact with the vessel  10  through the shoulder  22 , as will be described in more detail below, until reaching the body  20 . The shoulder  22  being sloped also allows control of the liquid when being poured out of the vessel  10  and is capable of preventing sediment from escaping the vessel  10 . 
         [0013]    The body  20  extends outwardly from the shoulder  22  and is wider than the opening  18  to expose a large surface area of liquid to the air when the vessel  10  contains liquid. The body  20  includes a series of chambers  26 . The body  20  can have any number of chambers  26  greater than one with the preferred number range between three and eleven spaced symmetrically about the axis  32 . It is understood that the chambers  26  may also be spaced asymmetrically about the axis  32  without varying from the scope of the disclosure. 
         [0014]      FIG. 2  schematically illustrates a cross section of the vessel  10  cut through two adjacent chambers  26  as shown on  FIG. 1  at  38 . Each chamber  26  includes a tripping mechanism  28 , such as a wall, that defines the size of the chamber  26  and separates one chamber  26  from another chamber  26 . The tripping mechanism  28  is a partial height of the body  20  and may be sloped toward an adjacent chamber  26 , vertical, or rounded. It will be apparent that the tripping mechanism  28  can be any turbulence causing member, e.g., partition, divider, tube, fin, propeller, blade, airfoil, helicoidal surface, and airfoil shaped blade, regardless of any exterior features created, as will be discussed hereafter. The walls  28  create an exterior indent  30  that creates an individual chamber effect on the outside of the vessel  10  chambers  26 . The chambers  26  include a contact area  34  on the bottom  25  to facilitate resting on a surface. The contact area  34  can be a point on a curve, as part of an arcuate chamber  26 , and flat that creates more surface area contact between the vessel  10  and the resting surface. 
         [0015]      FIG. 3  schematically illustrates the vessel  10  being held in a tipped orientation. The body  20  includes a punt  42 , e.g., a kick up, at the bottom  25  of the vessel  10  generally at the axis  32 . The punt  42  extends into the body  20  of the vessel  10  further defining the individual chambers  26  and providing a relief area at the center of the bottom  25  of the vessel  10 . The combination of the individual chambers  26  and the punt  42  create a hand hold  36  that is ergonomic for pouring and aerating the liquid. One of the individual chambers  26  can rest in a palm with a thumb extending into the punt  42  with fingers wrapping around the body  20  extending toward the shoulder  22 . The first dorsal web, the area between the thumb and first finger, rests in the exterior indent  30  for additional stability when holding the vessel  10 . 
         [0016]    In operation, the liquid desired to be aerated is received by the opening  18  of the vessel  10 . The liquid engages the neck  12  and evenly spreads around the neck, typically in the swirling manner, as the liquid is funneled to the shoulder  22 . The shoulder  22  continues transferring the liquid as the liquid engages the shoulder  22  of the vessel  10  in a layer of liquid that becomes thinner as the surface area of the shoulder  22  increases over the surface area of the neck  12 . The shoulder  22  directs the liquid to the complete inner surface of the body  20  and to collect in the chambers  26 . The neck  12  spreads the thin layer of liquid to the shoulder  22  and into the chambers  26  to complete a passive aeration process by exposing a large surface area of liquid being poured to the air. 
         [0017]    The passive aeration process can continue by leaving the liquid in the body  20  of the vessel  10  over time. The body  20  is wider than the neck  12  and shoulder  22  to expose a large surface area of liquid to air. Exposing the large surface area to the air allows for the natural aeration process to occur. 
         [0018]      FIG. 4  schematically illustrates an active aeration process wherein the vessel  10  is being rotated to cause relative motion between the liquid and the vessel  10 . The active aeration process occurs once the liquid is in the chambers  26 . The vessel  10  can be picked up by any number of methods including the neck  12 , shoulder  22 , body  20 , hand hold  36  and any combination of the neck  12 , shoulder  22 , and body  20 . The vessel  10  can then be moved in a rotational pattern to create relative motion between the liquid and the vessel  10 . Since the liquid is in the chambers  26 , the liquid engages the tripping mechanism  28 , in this case a wall of the respective chamber  26 , thereby creating a wave and tumbling effect that exposes a large amount of the liquid to air at once that quickly aerates the liquid. The combined shape of the body  20 , shoulder  22 , and neck  12  prevent any liquid from escaping through the opening  18 . Residual air can be trapped within the liquid, in form of bubbles further enhancing the passive aeration process. The vessel  10  can be set on a hard surface by way of the contact area  34  allowing the liquid to rest thereby permitting the residual air to dissipate from the liquid. The process can be repeated to achieve the desired amount of aeration for the particular liquid. 
         [0019]    The handhold  36  created by the combination of the punt  42 , a single chamber  26 , and the body  20 . The chamber  26  rests in the palm of a hand with extending a thumb into the punt  42  and wrapping remaining fingers around the body  20 . Holding the vessel  10  by the handhold  36 , a user is able to precisely control the rate of flow of liquid being poured out of the vessel  10 . The handhold  36  permits visual identification of any sediment in the vessel  10 . Using the handhold  36  a user is able to trap any sediment in the shoulder  22  before the sediment can enter the neck  12  and exit the vessel  10 . When the pouring is stopped, the thin opening  18  prevents drips from accumulating around the opening  18  and traveling down the outside of the vessel  10 . The precise control provided by the handhold  36  enables the opening  18  to be gently rested upon a separate vessel, i.e., a drinking glass, and pulled along the opening of the separate vessel thereby further preventing any drips from accumulating around the opening  18  and traveling down the outside of the vessel  10 . 
         [0020]    The disclosure has described certain preferred embodiments and modifications thereto. Further modifications and alterations may occur to others upon reading and understanding the specification. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this disclosure, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.