Abstract:
A motorized aerator pourer for mixing oxygen with certain liquids such as wine, spirits, water and preventing dripping of the liquid after being poured from a container. The motorized aerator pourer includes a pouring spout assembly being removably engaged to a container for pouring liquid from a container. The assembly includes a motorized aerating component being attached to the pouring spout assembly for mechanically aerating the liquid as it is being poured from a container.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to liquid aerators and more particularly to a new motorized aerator pourer for mixing air with the liquid. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The use of bottle pourers is known in the prior art. More specifically, bottle pourers are known to consist of a funnel like function, where the liquid is poured from a bottle through the funnel like device and into a receiving glass. There are many variations on this theme to use venturi geometric shape principles to introduce air into the liquid stream. Other conventional devices use shape surface geometry to increase the surface area of the funnel like device to increase the surface area of the liquid exposed to the air to increase the rate of oxidation of the liquid. 
         [0003]    Other prior art devices includes liquid pourers having spouts inserted into a bottle with hoses connected to the aerator for allowing air into the bottle. While these devices provide some benefits, there is a need for improved aerator assemblies usable with liquids, including consumable liquids such as wine, fruit, beverages, water, alcohol, spirits, or other beverages. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]    The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
           [0005]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a motorized aerator bottle pourer assembly in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is a bottom plan view of the assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0009]      FIGS. 5 and 6  are side elevation views of the assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 7  is a rear elevation view of the assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 8  is a front elevation view of the assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of a motorized aerator assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0013]      FIG. 10  is a partially exploded side elevation view of the assembly of  FIG. 9 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 11  is a front elevation view of the assembly of  FIG. 9 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    Embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure are set forth hereinafter to provide a thorough understanding and enabling description of a number of particular embodiments. A person skilled in the art will understand, however, that the invention may have additional embodiments, or that the invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific details of the embodiments as shown and described. 
         [0016]    Several embodiments of the technology are directed to motorized aerator assembly for mixing air with a liquid while being poured. One embodiment provides a motorized aerator assembly configured to aggressively aerate liquid to oxidize certain flavor compounds, release dissolved gases like sulfur dioxide or release other volatile components from wine, although the assembly is also useable with other liquids, such as water, alcohol, etc. The motorized aerator pourer allows liquids to pass through spinning members which will mix the liquid with air and propel the liquid from the spout exit into a glass or other receiving receptacle. 
         [0017]    In at least one embodiment, a motorized aerator pourer comprises a pouring assembly removably engageable to a container for pouring liquids from a container. The pouring assembly has a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, and a spout portion that defines a liquid passageway through which a flow of the liquid and air is passed. A propeller with a plurality of propeller blades is rotatably disposed in the spout within the liquid passageway in position to engage the flow of liquid moving through the spout toward the liquid outlet. The propeller is operatively connected to a drive member, such as an electric motor, that spins the propeller at sufficient rate of rotation relative to the spout and the flow of liquid to cause the air to aggressively mix with the liquid in the flow of liquid prior to exiting the spout through the liquid outlet. 
         [0018]    In one embodiment, the propeller has in the range of 1 to 10 propeller blades. The motor may be powered by one or more batteries, rechargeable batteries or capacitor. The motor may be controlled by tilt switch activated upon tilting of the pouring assembly relative to vertical. The assembly can include one or more lights, such as a LED light. The light may be, coupled to and controllable by an on-off switch and/or the tilt switch. The assembly can have a housing portion that contains the electric motor and that has at least one wall portion with the liquid inlet therein. The housing portion is configured to sealably engage the container to allow liquid from the container to be passed through the liquid inlet and spout portion toward the liquid outlet. The housing portion may have a threaded portion configured to threadably engage a portion a mating threaded portion of the container. The spout portion defines an air mixing chamber therein. The assembly can include one or more openings in the spout portion to facilitate cleaning of the air mixing chamber and/or the spout portion. The assembly can include a cap removably disposed over at least one of the liquid inlet port liquid outlet to prevent liquid from the container to enter or exit the spout portion. The assembly can include a screen disposed about the liquid inlet for liquid outlet to filter particulate from the liquid prior to the liquid exiting the liquid outlet. The container may be a bottle, carton, or bladder inside of a box, such as a cardboard box or the like. 
         [0019]    With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1-8 , a motorized aerator pourer assembly  10  embodying the principles and concepts of the present technology is designated by the reference numeral  10  and will be described in greater detail below. The motorized aerator pourer assembly  10  generally has a housing portion  12  with a receiving area  14  shaped and sized engage a portion of the container at its other fluid outlet port or portion. In one embodiment, the receiving area  14  is configured to receive the neck and opening of a wine bottle or other selected container. The receiving area  14  can be configured to engage the bottle or selected container in a friction fit. 
         [0020]    The housing  12  has a wall portion  16  with a fluid inlet opening  18  aligned with the container&#39;s fluid outlet. In one embodiment, the receiving area  14  can extend around the top portion of a wine bottle&#39;s neck to sealably engage the neck, and to coaxially align the fluid inlet opening  18  with the bottle. The housing&#39;s wall portion  16  can include a seal member  20  positioned to sealably engage the portion of the container around its fluid outlet. In one embodiment, the seal member  20  is positioned to sealably engage the top of the bottle neck around its opening, so wine or other liquid exiting the bottle&#39;s neck flows through the fluid inlet opening  18  into the spout without leaking at the interface between the container and the assembly. 
         [0021]    In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 2 , a hollow rubber fitting  15  with a plurality of seal flanges  17  is connected to the housing  12  and is configured to sealably engage the inside surface of a wine bottle&#39;s neck at its opening area, such that the fluid in the bottle can flow from the bottle through the rubber fitting  15  and into the aerator assembly  10 . In another embodiment, the receiving area  14  can have a threaded portion that mates with a threaded area of the container, such as the threads on a screw-top wine bottle. Other embodiments can have other mechanisms for secure engagement between the assembly  10  and the container. 
         [0022]    The housing  12  contains a drive member, such as an electric motor  22 , connected to a power source  23 , such as a battery contained in the housing  12 . The battery can be a rechargeable battery with a battery connector  23   a  or the like. In another embodiment, the power source  23  maybe a capacitor or other power source. The power source  23  may also be connectable to exterior power, such as an A/C outlet for recharging or for operation. 
         [0023]    The motor  22  is operatively connected to a propeller  24  that projects from the wall portion  16 . In the illustrated embodiment, the propeller  24  has a shaft  26  connected to the motor  22  and a plurality of propeller blades  25  extending radially from the shaft  26  at one or more selected angles relative to the shaft. In one embodiment, the propeller can include anywhere from 1 to 10 or more propeller blades on the shaft. The propeller blades  25  are configured as agitators, such that when the electric motor  22  spins the propeller  24  about its longitudinal axis, the propeller blades  25  rotated at a high rate of speed about the longitudinal axis. The propeller blades  25  are oriented at a selected positions relative to the shaft  26  to aggressively agitate liquid passing over the propellers as it flows through the assembly  10 . In the illustrated embodiment, a seal  28  is connected to the portion of the shaft  26  and the wall portion  16  where the shaft  26  extends therethrough and connects to the motor  22 . This seal  28  prevents fluid, such as wine or other selected liquid, from leaking into the housing and/or the motor  22 . 
         [0024]    The assembly  10  of the illustrated embodiment includes a spout portion  30 , sealably connected to the housing  12  around the wall portion  16 . The spout portion  30  has a liquid inlet  32  adjacent to or corresponding to the fluid inlet opening  18  of the wall portion  16 . The spout portion  30  also has a liquid outlet  34  spaced apart from the liquid inlet  32 . The spout portion  30  includes sidewalls  35  extending between the liquid inlet  32  and the liquid outlet  34  to define a spout  36  with a fluid passageway  38  extending therethrough. The propeller  24  project into the fluid passageway  38 , but are offset from the liquid inlet  32 . In the illustrated embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , the spout  36  includes an inlet baffle  50  that projects at least partially into the fluid passageway  38  adjacent to the liquid inlet  32 . This inlet baffle  50  is configured to deflect the flow of liquid entering the spout  36  from the container and direct the liquid flow toward the propeller  24 . 
         [0025]    The spout  36  of the illustrated embodiment, shown in  FIG. 2 , also has an outlet baffle  52  projecting inwardly from the sidewalls  35  into the fluid passageway  38  intermediate the distal end of the propeller  24  and the spout&#39;s outlet  34 . This outlet baffle  52  is positioned and configured to deflect the flow of liquid being pushed by the propeller  24  away from the sidewall  35  to create additional turbulence in the fluid flow prior to the liquid exiting the spout  36  through the liquid outlet  34 . This additional turbulence in the flow also helps aeration of the liquid. 
         [0026]    The assembly  10  is configured such that when it is sealably attached to a wine bottle or other liquid filled container, and the bottle or container is tipped to pour the liquid out, the liquids flows into the assembly  10  through the liquid inlet  32 , along the fluid passageway.  38 , and out of the spout  36  through the liquid outlet  34 . As the liquid flows through the fluid passageway  38 , the liquid passes over the spinning propeller  24 . The motor  22  spins the propeller  24  at a very high rate of speed, thereby very aggressively agitating and aerating the flow of liquid within the spout  36  before it exits the spouts liquid outlet  34 . In illustrated embodiment, spout is configured to have air within the flow passageway, and as the propeller  24  aggressively mixes the air with the wine or other liquid flowing therethrough, the liquid is hyperaerated (i.e., extremely aggressively aerated). As a result, the wine or other liquid exiting the spout will be hyperdecanted as it is poured into a glass or other suitable receptacle. 
         [0027]    In one embodiment, the motor  22 , shaft  26  and propellers  24  are configured to spin at a rate in the range of approximately 5000-20,000 RPM. The propeller blades  25  are arranged at selected angles relative to the shaft to cause excessive mixing and/or cavitation within the liquid as it flows along the liquid passageway, thereby hyperaerating the liquid within the spout  36 . 
         [0028]    In one embodiment, the motor  22  is operatively connected to a manual on/off switch  39  that the operator can activate as they use the assembly  10  to hyperdecant the liquid. In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 2 , the assembly  10  includes a tilt switch  40  movable between off and on positions depending upon the angular orientation of the assembly  10 . In one embodiment, the tilt switch  40  is in an “off” position when the assembly  10  and container are in a first orientation (i.e., a non-pouring orientation), such as in a vertical orientation. Accordingly, the motor  22  and propeller  24  are not activated when the tilt switch  40  is in the “off” position. The tilt switch  40  is movable to the “on” position, thereby turning on the motor  22  and rotating the propeller  24  when the assembly and container are tilted passed a selected angle relative to the first position. As an example, when the assembly  10  is attached to the neck of a wine bottle and the wine bottle is vertically oriented, the tilt switch  40  is in the off position. When the wine bottle is tilted so as to cause liquid to flow out of the neck of the wine bottle, the tilt switch  40  is activated and switched on, thereby turning on the motor to aggressively spin the propeller  24  for aeration of the wine moving through the spout  36 . 
         [0029]    The assembly  10  can also include a light  54 , such as an LED light or the like, coupled to the power source  23  and configured to be turned on and off, so as to illuminate at least a portion of the assembly  10 . In the illustrated embodiment, the light  54  is connected to the housing exterior of and adjacent to the base of the spout  36  and positioned to illuminate at least a portion of the spout  36  and/or the liquid outlet through which the aerated liquid will flow. In one embodiment, the light  54  can be coupled to the tilt switch  40  so as to turn on when the tilt switch  40  is moved to the on position. In one embodiment, the spout  36  is transparent or translucent, and the light  54  can illuminate the inside area of the spout  36 , so as to allow a user to watch the flow of liquid and aeration thereof as it passes through the spout  36 . In another embodiment, the light  54  can be positioned to illuminate the liquid outlet area so as to also illuminate a portion of the glass or other receptacle into which the hyperdecanted liquid is being poured. 
         [0030]    In the embodiment, wherein the assembly  10  is sealably and releasably attached to a wine bottle, operation of the motorized aerator assembly  10  is conveniently performed by holding the bottle in one hand and tilting the bottle toward the receiving glass. As the bottle is tilted the tilt switch  40  activates the LED light  54  and the spinning of the electric motor  22  and propeller  24  as the wine flows over the spinning propeller blades  25  and vigorously splashes and mixes with air within the spout chamber. The spin direction of the propeller blades  25  propels the wine towards the spout exit. 
         [0031]    A second embodiment of the motorized aerator pourer is seen in  FIGS. 9-11 . Where the motorized aerator pourer assembly  100  is removably attached to a box of wine or other liquid. The assembly has a hollow attachment portion  102  that releasably and sealably attached to the box at its outlet port, such that liquid flowing from the box&#39;s outlet port flows into the hollow attachment portion  102 . The hollow attachment portion  100  to is connected to a housing  104  that contains the motor  106  and propeller  108 . The housing  104  defines a spout  105  that receives a flow of the liquid from the hollow attachment portion  100 , the liquid flows along the fluid path to the housing&#39;s outlet  110 . The motor  106  and propeller  108  are coaxially aligned with the outlet  110 , and the propeller  108  is positioned in fluid path. When the motor  106  is turned on or otherwise activated, the propeller  108  spins at a very high rotational rate so as to hyperaerate the flow of liquid in the fluid path prior to exiting through the outlet  110 . In the illustrated embodiment, the assembly  100  has an actuation knob  112  rotatably connected to the top of the housing. The actuation knob  112  is movable between an open/on position and a closed/off position. Rotation or actuation of the novel  112  is configured to turn on or off the motor  106 , thereby turning on or off the propeller  108 . When the knob  112  is in the closed/off position, the knob blocks the fluid from flowing through the housing&#39;s fluid path, such that the liquid is not dispensed from the container. Knob  112  is coupled to the power source  120 , such that when the knob  112  is in the closed/off position, the motor  106  is electrically disconnected from the power source  120 . 
         [0032]    When the knob  112  is in the open/on position, the knob  112  is positioned relative to the housing to allow the liquid to flow along the fluid path to be dispensed from the container. In addition, when the knob is in the open/on position, a switch is closed so as to electrically interconnect the motor  106  with the power source  120 , thereby causing the propeller to spin within the housing so as to hyperaerate the liquid flowing toward the assembly&#39;s outlet. In one embodiment, the knob  112  is configured to move between the closed/off position and the open/on position upon rotating the knob through a range of approximately 90 degrees. When the knob  112  is in the closed/off position and is turned, for example, 90 degrees to the right, this rotation simultaneously engages the battery connectors to the motor terminal to begin the motor  106  and propeller  108  spinning while the wine flows from the container. The wine mixes with air while in the spout chamber and exits through the spout opening. By turning the knob 90 degrees to the left will simultaneously turn off the motor  106  and close the flow of wine from the box. 
         [0033]    From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, certain aspects of the new technology described in the context of particular embodiments may be combined or eliminated in other embodiments. Moreover, while advantages associated with certain embodiments of the technology have been described in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and not all embodiments need necessarily exhibit such advantages to fall within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the disclosure and associated technology can encompass other embodiments not expressly shown or described herein. Thus, the disclosure is not limited except as by the appended claims.