CHAMPAGNE BOTTLE OPENER

Abstract: A device for the controlled removal and re-insertion of the cork used with the conventional champagne bottle. The device has a first member having a cavity which is sized and shaped to straddle the neck of the bottle, and specifically the circumferential rib which the conventional champagne bottle has near the spout. A second member is sized and shaped to slide onto the head of the cork. Various types of handles, linkages and gears are shown to move the two members apart, linearly, and under leverage, so that the cork can be removed and re-inserted with ease.

Description: BACKGROUND The device of this invention pertains to a mechanical apparatus for the controlled removal and re-insertion of the plastic cork (or any other similarly shaped cork) from and into the conventional champagne bottle. This type bottle has a circumferential rib around the neck of the bottle near the spout over which the wire stays on an unopened champagne bottle are tied. The unopened champagne bottle can be, particularly if agitated, under great pressure. Many people, ceilings and light fixtures have been injured or damaged when struck by the champagne bottle cork, which can be propelled under great force when the bottle is opened. This problem is compounded when the cork is tightly stuck in the bottle such that great exertion is required to remove it. In this instance, the person opening the bottle is usually agitating the bottle, albeit unknowingly, in his or her attempts to open it. Also, because the person is intent upon winning out over the stubborn cork, the person may not be as careful as he or she should be preventing the released cork from striking someone or something. Lastly, when the bottle is agitated, then opened, a significant portion of the champagne inside is lost. These problems have existed heretofore because a simple, workable champagne bottle opener has not been available. Even today, the vast majority of all champagne bottles, particularly in the home, are opened by hand, with the user grasping the bottle around the neck, and pushing against the cork with his or her thumbs. Surprisingly, while many different devices are available for removing the cork from a wine bottle, the opening of a champagne bottle remains an unpleasant, potentially dangerous activity. Therefore, a need exists for a simple, workable champagne bottle opener. This invention provides such an opener in a device which has a first member which slides onto and straddles the neck portion of the champagne bottle, and specifically has a groove which engages the circumferential rib on the neck. A second member is slidable onto the head of the cork. Two different embodiments are provided as means to separate the first member from the second member linearly and under leverage so that the cork can be removed from and reinserted into the bottle easily and under control, without having to agitate the bottle. In the preferred embodiment, the device may be operated by one hand, as a single handle is connected via a linkage to both first and second members so that such rotation of the handle downward causes separation. The other embodiment which uses double handles is also provided. US-A-4 680 993 discloses a champagne bottle opener in accordance with the prior art portion of claim 1. As compared therewith, the present invention, as defined in claim 1, provides an improved linkage to assist in maintaining linearity of the cork and bottle during movement of the cork relative to the bottle during operation of the device with separation of the two members respectively holding the cork and the bottle taking place in a straight line at a rate which varies with the handle position. Description of the Figures Figure 1 is a front view of the preferred embodiment of this invention. In this position, the handle is up and the first and second members are together. In this position, the device would be fitted onto the neck of the bottle and the cork. Figure 2 is a side view or the device shown in Figure 1. Figure 2 shows the handle and linkage mechanism. Figure 3 is a top view showing the device in the open position. Figure 4 is a side view showing the device in the open position. This illustrates how rotation of the handle downward causes the first and second members to separate. Figure 5 is a back view of the device in the open position. In this figure, the handle has been broken away. Figure 6 is a top view of a clip which can be fitted into the second member to grip the cork. Figure 7 is a side view of that clip. Figure 8 is a top view of a clip that can be fitted into the first member to grip the bottle. Figure 9 is a side view of that clip. Figure 10 is a front view of an alternate embodiment of this invention. Here, two handles and associated linkage are utilized to separate the first and second members. Figure 11 is a side view of this alternate embodiment. Figure 12 is a bottom view of this embodiment. Figure 13 is a side view of this embodiment, showing the device in the open, or separated position. Figure 14 is a top view of the device in the open position. Figure 15 is a side view of the neck and cork configuration of the standard champagne bottle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As preferably embodied, all components are made of metal. It is foreseen, however, that many of the components could be made of polymer or composite materials. Looking at Figure 1, the device comprises a first member, generally designated 10, a second member, generally designated 12, and handle and linkage means generally designated 14. First member 10 is preferably of unitary construction. The central body 16 of first member 10 is semi-cylindrical in shape, having a channel 18 formed therein. Cavity 18 approximates the outside configuration of the neck 19 and spout 21 (see Figure 19) area of the standard champagne bottle. Specifically, a groove 20 is formed in cavity 18 to engage the circumferential rib 23 which rings the exterior of the standard champagne bottle, near the spout. Body 16 is horseshoe shaped such that it can slide onto the champange bottle from the side. A clip 22 resides in an appropriately sized groove in cavity 18 to grip the neck of the bottle so that first member 10 is held into position on the bottle, without the operator having to continuously hold the device in position by hand. On opposing sides of body 16, clevises 24 and 26 are formed integrally with body 16. The importance of clevises 24 and 26 will be discussed later. The second member 12 is also preferably of unitary construction. It has a body 28 in which cavity 30 is formed. The interior of cavity 30 has a flaired, helmet-like shape such that it will slide snugly, but comfortably, onto the head 25 of the standard plastic (or other similarly shaped) champagne cork. A semi-circular flange 32 rings the bottom of cavity 30 and extends inwardly such that when second member 12 is fitted onto the head 25 of the champagne cork, semi-circular flange 32 will extend under head 25. Flange 32, then, will be the surface which engages the head 25 of the cork to remove it. Conversely, the top piece 34 covers the top of cavity 30 and will be that surface which engages the head 25 of the cork during reinsertion. A clip 36 can be inserted into an appropriately sized groove in cavity 30 to hold the cork in cavity 30 after it has been removed from the bottle. Clevices 35 and 37 are formed on opposing sides of body 28. In the preferred embodiment shown in Figures 1 through 5, the handle and linkage means 14 has an elongate handle 38 which is shaped for comfortable gripping by the person using the device. It should be noted that the handle is centrally located parallel to the center line of the overall device. The handle 38 is attached to a cross-piece 40. At either end of cross-piece 40, arms 42 and 44 (which are mirror images of one another) are formed. In the end of arms 42 and 44, a pair of lugs 46 and 48, respectively, are formed (see Fig. 2). Lugs 46 and 48 are rotatably attached to clevises 35 and 37 by means of clevis pins 50 and 51. A second pair of lugs 47 and 49 are formed in arms 42 and 44 and are attached to clevises 52 and 53 by means of clevis pins 54 and 55. Clevis 52 is formed in one end of dog-leg linkage 56. Clevis 53 is formed in one end of dog-leg linkage 57. The other end of dog-leg linkages 56 and 57 have lugs 58 and 59 which are rotatably attached to clevises 24 and 26 by means of clevis pins 60 and 61. As seen in Figure 2, the placement of these various components are such that when the device is in the closed position (with first member 10 and second member 12 being brought together), the center points for clevis pins 51, 55 and 61 (and their mirror-image counterparts) are aligned, when viewed from the side, with the approximate center line of the neck 19 and cork 25 of the bottle to be opened. This provides for the linear separation of second member 12 from first member 10 when handle 38 is rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2. To further ensure linear travel, guide means are provided. A pin holder 62 is formed integrally with the body 16 of first member 10. A pin 64 extends parallelly to the center line of the cavity 18 and the cavity 30. A guide channel 66 is formed to second member 12. Pin 64 is housed and slidable within guide channel 66. In an alternate embodiment, shown in Figures 10 through 14, single handle linkage means are modified to use two, opposing handles 70 and 72. Further, in this embodiment, although body 16 of first member 10, and body 28 and cavity 30 of second member 12 remain the same, clevises 74 and 76 replace the clevises 24 and 26 in the previous embodiment in first member 10. Similarly, clevis 78 and clevis 80 replace clevises 35 and 37 on second member 12. Handle 70 is journalled to clevis 78 by means of clevis pin 82. Handle 70 is also journalled to linkage 84 by means of clevis 86 which is formed in the proximal end of linkage 84, and by clevis pin 88. The distal end of linkage 84 is journalled to clevis 74 by means of clevis pin 90. Similarly, on the other side, handle 72 is journalled to clevis 80 by means of clevis pin 92, and to linkage 94 by means of clevis 96, which is formed in the proximal end of linkage 94, and by clevis pin 98. In turn, the distal end of linkage 94 is journalled to clevis 76 by means of clevis pin 100. In this embodiment, the pin holder 62, pin 64 and guide channel 66 operate the same as in the previous embodiment.

Claims: A device for controlled removal and reinsertion of the cork (25) from a standard champagne-bottle which has an exterior circumferential rib (23) about its neck (19) near the spout (21), the device comprising: a first member (10) designed and constructed to straddle the neck of the bottle, said first member having a semi-circumferential groove (20) which engages the circumferential rib (23) on the neck (19) of the bottle; a second member (12) designed and constructed for insertion onto the cork (25) in the champagne bottle, said second member being further designed and constructed such that when in position on the cork (25), said member (12) substantially surrounds the head of the cork (25), such that said second member (12) can be used to pull the cork out of the bottle, or to push the cork back into the bottle; a linkage (57) having lower ends pivotally attached to the lower pivot points (61) on the first member (10); and an elongate handle means (38) pivotally attached to upper pivot points (55) at the upper ends of the linkage (57), and to pivot points (51) on the second member (12), such that rotating the handle means downwardly will cause the first and second members to separate in a straight line from a closed position to an open cork removal position, characterised in that the linkage (57) is a dog leg linkage with the pivot points (51) on the second member (12) being intermediate the lower and upper pivot points in the closed position of the device with the lower (61), middle (51), and upper (55) pivot points being in vertical alignment with each other parallel with the centreline of the bottle neck (19) in such closed position. A device according to claim 1, wherein the handle means comprises a single handle (38) having a crosspiece (40) with arms (42,44) at either end thereof, lugs (46,48) on the respective arms (42,44) are pivotally connected to the upper and middle pivot points of respective dog leg linkages (56,57) provided on opposite sides of the first and second members. A device according to claim 1, wherein a pair of elongate handles (70,72) are provided, one on each side of the device, cooperating with respective ones of a pair of the dog leg linkages (84,94) on opposite sides of the device, such that coincident downward and outward rotation of said handles causes said first member and said second member to separate linearly and under leverage. A device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, further comprising guide means (64) for ensuring linear separation of said first member (10) and said second member (12). A device according to claim 4, wherein said guide means comprises a pin (64) attached to said first member (10) and extending perpendicularly thereabove and a channel (66) formed in said second member (12), said pin (64) being housed and slidable within said channel (66). A device according to any preceding claim, further comprising means (22,36) attached to said first member (10) and said second member (12) for gripping the bottle and cork or cap tightly, such that said device will remain in position on the bottle, and the cork, once removed from the bottle, will remain attached to said second member. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the first member (10) has a cavity (18) that is sized and shaped such that it will slide, from the side, onto the neck (19) of the champagne bottle, said cavity further having the groove (20) formed therein which, upon insertion of said first member onto the bottle accommodates the circumferential rib (23) on the neck (19) of the bottle, and such that said first member (10), in this position, will not move longitudinally relative to the bottle; and the second member has a cavity (30) therein which is sized and shaped such that it will slide, from the side onto the standard cork head (25) when the cork is in the bottle, said second member (12) further having a flange (32) which, when said second member (12) is in position on the cork head (25) will extend underneath the bottom of the cork head (25) such that said flange (32) will engage said cork head (25) to remove the cork from the bottle. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein a clip (36) is inserted into the second member (12) for holding the cork after it has been removed from the bottle.

Inventors: GIEBELER, BEN FREDERICK
Applicants: GIEBELER, BEN FREDERICK
Application year: 1988
Main classification: B67B7
IPC codes: B67B7