Abstract:
A bottle aerator of the type having a venturi tube having a constricted section with a narrower cross-sectional section and a fluid inlet section having a wider cross-sectional section, such that the fluid pressure is lower in the constricted section compared to the pressure in the fluid inlet section, and the fluid speed is higher in the constricted section compared to the fluid speed in the fluid inlet section, which is improved by the constricted section being constructed and arranged so that when the bottle aerator is inserted into a bottle, the constricted section is positioned inside the bottle. The air inlet is provided at or below the constricted section, which allows air from outside the bottle to mix with the fluid as it passes through the constricted section, so that the fluid is aerated while still inside the bottle.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority from provisional application no. 61/390,428, filed Oct. 6, 2010, and claims priority from provisional application no. 61/415,381, filed Nov. 19, 2010, and also claims priority from provisional application no. 61/479,692, filed Apr. 27, 2011, the entire contents of each of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
     Not Applicable 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to bottle aerators, and more particularly pertains to bottle aerators in which the aeration takes place inside the bottle, as the liquid is poured from the bottle. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Prior art bottle aerators which aerate the liquid in the bottle are known, for example: 
     US 2010/0058933 published Mar. 11, 2010; 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,104, issued Jan. 21, 1997, and 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,452, issued Jan. 22, 1985. 
     Prior art bottle aerators which aerate the liquid as it is poured from the bottle are also known, for example: 
     U.S. Pat. No. 8,011,540, issued Sep. 6, 2011; 
     US 2011/0024925, published Feb. 3, 2011; 
     US 2010/0091605, published Apr. 15, 2010; 
     US 2010/0025867, published Feb. 4, 2010; 
     US 2010/0006603, published Jan. 14, 2010, and 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,568,660, issued May 27, 2003. 
     The VinOAir from Cork Pops Inc. also aerates as the liquid is poured from the bottle, and more information can be found at http://www.vinoair.com. 
     Prior art aerators which aerate the liquid after it is poured out of the bottle are also known, for example: 
     US 2011/0042835, published Feb. 24, 2011; 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,841,584, issued Nov. 30, 2010; 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,614,614, issued Nov. 10, 2009; 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,263, issued Feb. 3, 1998, and 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,129, issued Jul. 24, 1979. 
     The Vin-Aire from Prime Wine Products LLC also aerates after the liquid is poured from the bottle, and more information can be found at http://www.vin-aire.com. 
     None of these prior art bottle aerators aerate the liquid inside the bottle, as the liquid is poured from the bottle. An advantage of aerating the liquid inside the bottle, as the liquid is poured from the bottle, is that it allows the spout to be longer, but with less protruding above the top of the bottle. 
     The entire contents of each of the patents, patent publications and websites discussed herein is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     Applicant has also found that the prior art designs do not optimize the aeration with the rate at which the liquid pours from the bottle. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Applicant has invented a better bottle aerator of the type having a venturi tube having a constricted section with a narrower cross-sectional section and a fluid inlet section having a wider cross-sectional section, such that the fluid pressure is lower in the constricted section compared to the pressure in the fluid inlet section, and the fluid speed is higher in the constricted section compared to the fluid speed in the fluid inlet section, which is improved by the constricted section being constructed and arranged so that when the bottle aerator is inserted into a bottle, the constricted section is positioned inside the bottle. 
     The air inlet is provided at or below the constricted section, which allows air from outside the bottle to mix with the fluid as it passes through the constricted section, so that the fluid is aerated while still inside the bottle. 
     Applicant has invented a better bottle aerator of the type having a venturi tube having a constricted section with a narrower cross-sectional section and a fluid inlet section having a wider cross-sectional section, such that the fluid pressure is lower in the constricted section compared to the pressure in the fluid inlet section, and the fluid speed is higher in the constricted section compared to the fluid speed in the fluid inlet section, which is improved by providing an air inlet at or below the constricted section, which allows air from outside the bottle to mix with the fluid as it passes through the constricted section. 
     The constricted section is constructed and arranged so that when the bottle aerator is inserted into a bottle, the constricted section is positioned inside the bottle, so that the fluid is aerated while still inside the bottle. 
     Applicant has found that the air can be introduced into the venturi tube below the bottom section, in the bottom section or in the constricted section, and in a variety of locations, such as on the side of the bottle aerator or directly in the air channel. 
     Applicant has also found that an additional venturi tube can be attached to a bottle aerator to further aerate the fluid, using the air already entrained in the fluid. 
     Applicant has also found through experimentation that it can improve the performance of the VinOAir wine aerator by sliding the elastic extension disclosed herein onto the bottom portion of the VinOAir, which has the effect of restricting the air outlet in the VinOAir wine aerator. This has the effect of speeding the flow rate of wine out of the bottle, with no loss in aeration. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side perspective view of an embodiment of the bottle pourer 
         FIG. 2  is a different side perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-section view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged cross-section view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  shows the dimensions of the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a side perspective view of the bottle aerator, without the elastic sleeve  32  or the extension  34  attached. 
         FIG. 8  shows the dimensions of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  is a side view showing the position of air outlet  26  in side air channel  24 . 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the sleeve  32 , tab  40  and extension  34 . 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-section view of  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 12  is an alternative embodiment of  FIG. 10 , with no flow restriction  36 . 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of extension  34 . 
         FIG. 14  is a cross-section view through the side of  FIG. 13 . 
         FIG. 15  is a cross-section view of an alternative embodiment, with no flow restriction  36  and with air outlet(s)  26  located in the constriction  12 . 
         FIG. 16  is a cross-section view of an alternative embodiment, with no flow restriction  36  and with air outlet  26  located in the constriction  12 , but located directly under air channel  22 , eliminating the need for side channel(s)  24 . 
         FIG. 17  is a top perspective view showing the top end of air outlet channel  26 , terminating in air channel  22 . 
         FIG. 18  is a perspective view of an embodiment which eliminates air outlet(s)  26 , and allows the air to enter through fluid inlet  38 . 
         FIG. 20  is a cross-section view of the embodiment of  FIG. 18  (without extension  34 ), showing dimensions. 
         FIG. 21  is an exploded perspective view of a bottle aerator attachment, which further aerates the fluid by pouring it through an additional venturi tube, which re-aerates the fluid with the air already entrained in the fluid. 
         FIG. 22  is a cross-section view of the inventive attachment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     While this invention may be embodied in many forms, there are described in detail herein specific embodiments of the invention. This description is an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments illustrated. 
     For the purposes of this disclosure, like reference numerals in the figures shall refer to like features unless otherwise indicated. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1-6 , an embodiment of the inventive bottle aerator is shown generally at  10 . The bottle aerator includes a venturi tube having three sections, a narrow constriction section  12 , a larger cross-sectional bottom section  14  and a larger cross-sectional top section  16 . The aerator portion defining the venturi tube is preferably formed of molded plastic, but can be manufactured in any conventional manner. The narrow constriction section  12  has a diameter of 5.5 mm and extends 6 mm (see  FIG. 6 ). The bottom section  14  flares out at a 30° angle. The top section  16  flares out at a 5° angle, and terminates in a pour spout  18 . An air inlet is provided at  20 , which allows air to enter air channel  22 , side air channels  24 , which permits the air to enter the bottom venturi tube section at air outlets  26  (one on either side). The air can also enter the air tube extension  28 , and can exit out air outlet  30 . An elastic sleeve  32  covers at least part of the venturi tube (the part which will sealingly engage with the bottle opening), and the venturi tube flares out at an angle of approximately 3.3°, so that the bottle pourer can act as a stopper, and can be removably engaged into the opening of a bottle, forming a seal with the top of the bottle. 
     In this embodiment, the overall length of the bottle aerator is 115 mm. The air tube extension  28  is defined by extension  34 , which also includes restriction  36 . Like elastic sleeve  32 , the extension  34  is made of an elastic material. Restriction  36  is sized so that only about 3.5 mm of the fluid inlet  38  is accessible. The 30° angle on bottom venturi section  14 , combined with the restriction  36  aid in the venturi effect. The length of extension  34  and the air outlet  30  equalize the system and help create a vacuum when pouring stops, to prevent dripping of the fluid. Applicant has found that restriction  36 , which allows the fluid to go from a larger cross-section area, to a narrower cross-section area (at the restriction), and then to a larger cross-section area (including the inside the bottom section  14 , above and to the right of the restriction  36 , aids in the venturi effect by providing a location for additional air to gather to be sucked into the constricted section to aid in aeration. Without the restriction  36  (or in the embodiment of  FIGS. 18-20  discussed below, the restriction coupled with the around 2 mm gap from the fluid inlet or around 5 mm from the lower end of the constricted section, i.e. the throat or narrowest point of the venturi tube), the aeration isn&#39;t as effective as with the restriction  36 . It should be understood that the important point is to restrict the flow of fluid that passes through the construction, and that many ways exist to perform that function. For example, fluid such as wine could enter the bottle aerator below the fluid inlet with a restricted opening of approximately 3.5 mm and the opening could be located on the side of the bottle aerator. This would act as a flow restrictor and perform the same function as the restriction  36 , positioned approximately 2 mm below the fluid inlet. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , air channel  22 , and side air channels  24  are molded into the outside surface of the bottle aerator  10 , and air channels  24  allow air to enter the at least one air outlet  26  (which can be located at either side, or on both sides), which allow air to enter bottom section  14  to aerate fluid passing through bottom section  14  and constriction section  12 . Elastic sleeve  32  encloses and defines the air channels  22  and  24 .  FIG. 8  shows the dimensions of  FIG. 7 . Tab  40  slidably engages with extension  34 , which can be made out of an elastic material, and can be easily removed for ease of cleaning. It should be understood that as many air outlets  26  as are desired, could be incorporated, as long as they are in communication with the air channel  22  and/or air channels  24 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , a perspective view and cross-sectional view of the elastic sleeve  32 , tab  40 , restriction  36  and extension  34  are shown. 
       FIG. 12  shows an alternative embodiment without the restriction  36 . 
       FIGS. 13 and 14  show a perspective view and the dimensions of extension  34 . 
     In operation, bottle aerator  10  is inserted into an open bottle, so that elastic sleeve  32  forms a seal with the bottle opening. The bottom section  14  and narrow constriction  12  are positioned inside the bottle. As the bottle is poured, fluid begins to flow through fluid inlet  38 , which creates a suction which pulls air into air inlet  20 , down air channel  22 , through side channels  24  to air outlet  26 , and also down air tube extension  28  and out air outlet  30 . As the fluid speeds up going through constriction  12 , the fluid and air entering bottom section at  26  mix together, aerating the fluid. When pouring stops, the vacuum created by the air in  26 ,  24 ,  22  and  28 , pull the fluid back and prevent the fluid from dripping. 
       FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the bottle aerator  10 . In this embodiment, no flow restriction  36  is included, allowing more fluid to flow through fluid inlet  38 . Also, air outlet  26  has been positioned in the constriction section  12 , rather than in bottom section  14 . 
       FIG. 16  is a cross-section view of an alternative embodiment, with no flow restriction  36  and with air outlet  26  located in the constriction  12 , but located directly under air channel  22 , eliminating the need for side channel(s)  24 . 
       FIG. 17  shows a top view of air outlet channel  26 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 18-20 , an embodiment of the invention is shown which eliminates air outlet  26 . In this embodiment, the air channel  22  allows the air to flow into air tube extension  28  (defined by extension  34 ). The air splits and part exits  28  at  30 , while part of the air flows up channel  42  and into fluid inlet  38 . Extension  34  is not slid fully onto tab  40 , but allows an approximately 2 mm gap to exist at  44 , which creates a restriction to flow so the fluid is passing from a larger cross-section area to a narrower cross-section area defined by the restriction, and then to a larger cross-section area defined by bottom partition  14 , before the constricted section  12 . It has been found that varying the size of air inlet  22 , fluid inlet  38  and gap  44  (in this embodiment or the amount of restriction in the other embodiments), will change the aeration behavior. The dimensions shown in the various embodiments provide a good balance of aeration and fluid flow rate out of the bottle. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 21-22 , a bottle aerator attachment  50  is shown. Attachment  50  is a secondary venturi tube which is designed to attach to any commercially available aerator, such as bottle aerator  10 , or a handheld aerator, via elastic connector piece  52 . Attachment  50  can either snap-fit or elastically attach to the pouring end of bottle aerator  10  (or the bottom end of handheld aerator) via connector  52 . Attachment  50  is a venturi tube, which re-aerates the fluid pouring out of the pouring end of aerator  10 , using the air already entrained in the fluid by the bottle aerator. If desired, multiple venturi tubes could be attached in series, to further aerate and re-mix the fluid with the entrained air. The aerator attachment can be used with a bottle aerator or a handheld aerator 
     Applicant has also found experimentally that if the extension  34  is attached to the air tube end of a VinOAir wine aerator, extending furtherest into the wine bottle, that by restricting the size of the air outlet, the flow rate of the aerated wine pouring out of the bottle increases, with no loss of aeration. 
     While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention. 
     The above disclosure is intended to be illustrative and not exhaustive. This description will suggest many variations and alternatives to one of ordinary skill in this art. All these alternatives and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the claims where the term “comprising” means “including, but not limited to”. Those familiar with the art may recognize other equivalents to the specific embodiments described herein which equivalents are also intended to be encompassed by the claims. Further, the particular features presented in the dependent claims can be combined with each other in other manners within the scope of the invention such that the invention should be recognized as also specifically directed to other embodiments having any other possible combination of the features of the dependent claims. For instance, for purposes of claim publication, any dependent claim which follows should be taken as alternatively written in a multiple dependent form from all prior claims which possess all antecedents referenced in such dependent claim if such multiple dependent format is an accepted format within the jurisdiction (e.g. each claim depending directly from claim  1  should be alternatively taken as depending from all previous claims). In jurisdictions where multiple dependent claim formats are restricted, the following dependent claims should each be also taken as alternatively written in each singly dependent claim format which creates a dependency from a prior antecedent-possessing claim other than the specific claim listed in such dependent claim below (e.g. claim  3  may be taken as alternatively dependent from claim  2 ; claim  4  may be taken as alternatively dependent on claim  2 , or on claim  3 ; claim  6  may be taken as alternatively dependent from claim  5 ; etc.). 
     This completes the description of the preferred and alternate embodiments of the invention. Those skilled in the art may recognize other equivalents to the specific embodiment described herein which equivalents are intended to be encompassed by the claims attached hereto.