Abstract:
A device for storage of an opened wine container and for preserving wine contained within the opened wine container. A shell is provided having an actuator external thereto, a pressurized source of heavier-than-air inert gas is located within the shell and a regulator for reducing the pressure of the inert gas from a first pressure at the pressurized source of heavier-than-air inert gas to a second pressure at the open wine container. The device further includes a valve body biased to reside upon the open wine container and space from the open wine container when the heavier-than-air inert gas is fed through the valve assembly upon actuation of the actuator.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. Nos. 10/765,632 filed on Jan. 26, 2004 and 10/856,906 filed on Jun. 1, 2004. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     The present invention is directed to a device for the storage of an opened food container, such as an opened wine container or wine bottle. It has been recognized that food products such as wine and coffee, once opened and exposed to ambient air, oxidize thus changing their sought after characteristic taste. The present invention aids in the preservation of said food products and does so in a convenient compact package which can be completely self-contained or powered by an external power supply.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Although the present invention will be described in terms of the preservation of wine, the invention can be extended to other food products such as coffee beans and ground coffee which similarly suffer ill effects when exposed to ambient (air) conditions.  
         [0004]     Virtually anyone who routinely drinks wine notices that if a bottle of wine is uncorked and not completely consumed, the wine contained within the bottle changes in physical and chemical characteristics making the wine much less enjoyable to consume as time passes. This is caused by oxidation, that is, the bonding of oxygen molecules to oxidizable compounds present within the wine. Oxidation of wine results in the production of brown compounds and browning of red pigments with loss of color. It further results in the production of aldehydes and desirable grape (primary), fermentation (secondary) and aging (tertiary) derived flavors. The production of new undesirable flavor compounds can mask the desirable flavor compounds.  
         [0005]     Such oxidizable compounds in wine include phenolics, alcohols and some flavor aldehyde compounds. Although all wines suffer from oxidation, because of the high concentration of phenolics extracted from grape skins during red wine production, red wine has a high reserve of oxidizable compounds and hence appears more sensitive to oxidative spoilage. Sulfur dioxide added to red wine loosely binds to red wine pigments decolorizing the pigment molecules and rendering a portion of the sulfur dioxide ineffective. Sulfur dioxide is also used to inhibit microbial growth and is thus a highly desirable additive for use in red wines.  
         [0006]     It has thus been recognized that it is highly desirable to limit or entirely prevent oxygen, such as that contained in ambient air, from contacting the surface of a food product, such as wine, in order to maintain the product&#39;s desirable flavor and other physical characteristics.  
         [0007]     There have been rather rudimentary attempts to inject an inert gas in the free space of an opened wine bottle in order to displace air contained therein. Such devices generally are in the form of a syringe-like product which enables the user to withdraw air from the bottle&#39;s free space or to inject a gas therein. However, such devices have proven to be ineffective in the flow of the inert gas to the free space above the wine and in removal of the ambient air to substantially reduce oxidation.  
         [0008]     It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a device, in a simple small and compact housing through the use of a single external control switch to enable one to preserve food products, such as wine and coffee, from the ill effects of oxidation.  
         [0009]     It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a device such as that described above which can not only minimize oxidation but also control the food product&#39;s temperature, a desirable expedient in preserving food for an extended duration and to maintain the food product at its proper serving temperature.  
         [0010]     These and further objects can be more readily appreciated when considering the following disclosure and appended drawings.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     A device for storage of an opened wine container and for preserving wine contained within the opened wine container. The device comprises a shell, an actuator external to the shell, a pressurized source of heavier-than-air inert gas located within the shell and a regulator for reducing the pressure of the inert gas from a first pressure at the pressurized source of heavier-than-air inert gas to a second pressure at the opened wine container. A valve assembly is further included within the shell having a valve body biased to reside upon the open wine container and spaced from the open wine container when the heavier-than-air inert gas is fed through the valve assembly upon actuation of the actuator.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  is a side plan view showing the external housing of the present device.  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a side cross sectional view taken along sectional line A-A of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is an expanded side-cross sectional view taken along line B-B of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is an expanded side-cross sectional view showing the details of the pressurized heavier-than-air inert gas supply taken along line C-C of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0016]      FIGS. 5 and 6  are further cross sectional views taken along sectional line A-A of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0017]      FIG. 7  is an expanded side-cross sectional view again taken along section B-B of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0018]     Device  10  is shown as a storage system in its preferred embodiment, capable of preserving a single, opened bottle of wine. As a preferred embodiment, storage can also be carried out while maintaining the opened bottle of wine at a predetermined and controlled temperature appropriate for enhancing preservation. As previously noted, wine preservation is maintained by the introduction of a gas or gas blend into the opened bottle of wine to displace air contained within the free space above liquid and within the bottle thus eliminating or substantially reducing the oxidation that typically renders wine less desirable for consumption allowing it to be drinkable for an extending period of time. As will be noted below, storage temperatures can be maintained through the use of a solid-state thermoelectric heating and cooling system. Ideally, shell  5  including actuator  22  is presented to fully contain the open container and all of the operational components of the present invention. Shell  5  can be composed of either metal or plastic.  
         [0019]     Turning to  FIG. 1 , device  10  is shown as constituting shell  5  having an upper assembly  12  and lower assembly  14  and see-through window area  54  to enable one to view the food product container, such as a wine bottle label there through. In operation, the upper and lower assemblies can be separated enabling the user to place an opened bottle of wine or other food container in lower assembly  14 . Once the bottle is in place, the assemblies are joined enabling one to begin the process of replacing air within the bottle with heavier-than-air inert gas such as argon to prevent or substantially reduce oxidation. Once the upper assembly has been installed into the lower assembly, a storage temperature can, optionally, be set for the desired type of wine or other food product.  
         [0020]     Turning to  FIG. 4 , the overall gas cartridge and delivery system can best be visualized. In doing so, activation lever  22  is provided in conjunction with replaceable gas cartridge  16  containing heavier-than-air inert gas. A threaded safety barrel  18  is shown attaching gas cartridge  16  to gas pressure regulator assembly  20 . Once the upper assembly is placed into lower assembly  12  ( FIG. 1 ) valve body  114  ( FIG. 2 ) resides atop bottle neck  100  and is displaced vertically to accommodate variations in bottle height.  
         [0021]     Turning to  FIG. 2 , valve body  114  can be caused to rest upon bottle neck  100  ( FIG. 7 ) of wine container  1  through gravity as shell  5  is intended to maintain a vertical orientation, at rest, as shown in  FIG. 1 . Sealing engagement is enhanced by rubberized pad or o-ring  40 . Alternatively, valve assembly  32 , in providing rails  42  and helical springs  52  can bias valve body  104  against neck region  100  of bottle  1 . In operation, valve support  34  constituting a portion of valve assembly  32  can surround and be guided by rails  42  which are oriented substantially as is the orientation of open wine container  1 . In this orientation, the valve assembly  32  guided by valve support  34  can insert ( FIG. 2 ) and disengage ( FIG. 3 ) valve body  114  smoothly and efficiently from the opening in neck region  100  in employing the present invention as discussed hereinafter.  
         [0022]     In operation, by depressing actuator  22 , air valve  24  is depressed allowing high pressure gas stored in replaceable gas cartridge  16  to flow to pressure regulation chamber  92 . The gas pressure regulator is composed of counter-balance spring  26 , piston  28  and flow control needle  30 . In combination, these elements reduce the high pressure in the range of 1,000 to 2,500 psi to a preferred operating pressure for approximately 15 to 20 psi. It is noted that low-pressure exits from the regulator section  92  via flexible tube  64  and port  58 .  
         [0023]     Further, as the heavier-than-air inert gas passes through flexible tube  64 , it is fed within valve body  114  and through orifice  90  contained therein. This introduces heavier-than-air inert gas within neck  100 . In that this gas, such as argon, is heavier than air, the oxygen-laden air is forced from the interior of open wine container  100 , at a pathway being provided by the displacement of valve assembly  32  due to the increase in gas pressure within the neck  100  of open wine container  1 . This pathway  72  is depicted in  FIG. 7 .  
         [0024]     In order to introduce heavier-than-air inert gas well within neck  100  and thus proximate meniscus  106  ( FIG. 2 ), tube  104  can be provided as an extension to orifice  90 . This introduces the inert gas well within the neck  100  noting that the inert gas, being heavier than air, first accumulates at meniscus  106  and eventually displaces air which would otherwise be contained within the bottle as it moves upward within it. In employing tube  104 , commingling of the inert gas and oxygen in neck  100  is significantly reduced. Also, by providing restriction  70  within tube  104 , the inert gas can be caused to gently flow within neck  100  at a reduced volumetric flow rate again, reducing commingling of the inert gas and oxygen contained therein.  
         [0025]     Once lever  22  atop device  10  is released, gas pressure to regulation chamber  92  is interrupted and gas pressure to valve assembly  32  is eliminated resulting in valve body  114  either through gravity or spring bias receding against neck  100  of open wine container  1  as shown in  FIG. 2 . This substantially seals neck  100 , substantially preventing gas from escaping thus preserving the bottle contents beneath an atmosphere of heavier-than-air inert gas.  
         [0026]     As noted previous, as a preferred embodiment, the present invention employs hollow tubular member  104  for directing heavier-than-air inert gas within the confines of the open wine container. In doing so, the heavier-than-air inert gas is directed closer to the meniscus level  106  of the wine and away from valve body  114  thus providing for decreased turbulence and more effective venting of oxygen contained within the open space above the liquid level. When dealing with traditional 750 ml wine bottles, hollow tubular member  104  should ideally be sized to extend within the open wine bottle a distance of approximately 4 inches which would typify the liquid level of wine once a single glass has been decanted. It is anticipated that the present invention would only be used in the event that the wine bottle was open, and, typically, one would not open and store wine in a bottle unless at least a single glass was decanted. Hollow tubular member  104  could, however, extend along its longitudinal axis to the full anticipated height of a typical 750 ml wine bottle if desired. Although not shown, hollow tubular member  104  could be characterized as having a series of perforations extending substantially along its longitudinal axis as was described in parent U.S. application Ser. No. 10/856,906, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.  
         [0027]     As further noted previously, shell  5  of the present invention further employs, as a preferred embodiment, a cooling system to maintain the storage temperature of the wine or other food product. Reference is made to  FIGS. 2, 5  and  6  showing thermoelectric cooler  44  creating a temperature differential between two separate forced air currents. The two currents are thermally separate as “cold air” and “hot air” circuits. Wine bottle  1  is placed in the closed loop cold air circuit. Thermoelectric cooler  44  extracts heat from the cold air circuit and transfers it to the hot air circuit where it is exhausted to the atmosphere.  
         [0028]     In operation, the hot side circuit draws ambient air through entrance port  78 . The air is then drawn over the hot side heat sink  48  where it becomes heated due to convective heat transfer from the hot heat sink to ambient air. The air is then drawn through hot side fan  80  and exhausted through hot side exhaust port  82 . Air is drawn through cold-air return port  84  and is then drawn over cold-side heat sink  46  wherein it is cooled. The cold air subsequently passes through cold-air fan  86  and is exhausted into the bottle compartment through cold-air exhaust port  88 . The cold air cools the bottle compartment noting that a thermistor in the cold air circuit is coupled with a potentiometer mounted on printed circuit board  50  to control the power of thermal electric cooler  44  which in turn determines the temperature in the cold air circuit. This provides thermostatic control of the wine bottle temperature. A knob attached to potentiometer  52  allows for adjustment of the storage temperature.  
         [0029]     As noted previously, although the present invention has been described in terms of preserving wine contained within a wine bottle as a preferred embodiment, this invention could also be employed for preserving other food products which are sensitive to the oxidation effects of ambient air. For example, coffee beans and ground coffee would benefit greatly through the use of the present invention.