Abstract:
A cork extracting device includes a bifurcated body defining a pair of depending legs. Circumferentially spaced ribs project laterally from each leg to define guide surfaces for an extracted cork, the lower ends of the ribs defining two different-sized bottle neck seats. An oblong handle with an elastomeric covering is fixed to one end of a worm which extends through a collar in the upper end of the body and downwardly between the legs. Flexible and resilient fingers are cut from each leg and respectively carry foil cutters, the fingers being manually depressible to engage the cutters with a bottle neck foil for cutting the foil in response to rotation of the body about the bottle neck.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of the filing date of copending U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/280,080, filed Mar. 30, 2001. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     This application relates to hand-operated utensils and, in particular, relates to utensils which assist in opening containers, such as bottles or the like. The application relates in particular to utensils in the nature of cork extracting devices for opening bottles, such as wine bottles, of the type which are closed with a cork. 
     Corkscrews are well known and a wide variety of corkscrews and utensils including corkscrews have heretofore been provided. However, many such devices are difficult and/or uncomfortable to use. Many devices provide no effective means for properly centering a corkscrew relative to the associated cork to be removed and many prior devices are uncomfortable to use, particularly for persons suffering with arthritis or the like. Also, many prior devices are not well suited for opening bottles of the type wherein the cork and bottle neck are covered with a foil wrapper or the like, providing no effective means to facilitate removal of the foil. Furthermore, prior cork extracting devices of the type which have a receptacle designed to receive the end of the bottle neck therein, have not heretofore been easily adaptable for use with different sizes or styles of bottle necks. 
     SUMMARY 
     This application discloses a cork extracting device which avoids the disadvantages of prior such devices while affording additional structural and operating advantages. 
     An important aspect is the provision of a cork extracting device which is readily adaptable for receiving different size bottle necks therein. 
     A still further aspect is the provision of a device of the type set forth, which is easy and comfortable to use. 
     Another aspect is the provision of a cork extracting device which facilitates centering on the neck of a closed bottle to be opened. 
     A still further aspect is the provision of a device of the type set forth, which facilitates removal of the foil wrapper of a corked wine bottle. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the subject matter sought to be protected, there is illustrated in the accompanying drawings an embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, the subject matter sought to be protected, its construction and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated. 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cork extracting device; 
     FIG. 2 is a slightly reduced, exploded, perspective view of the body portion of the device of FIG.1; 
     FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the device of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the device of FIG. 3, as viewed from the right-hand side thereof; 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken generally along the line  5 — 5  in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken generally along the line  6 — 6  in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the device of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged top plan view of the device of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view of the upper portion of the assembled body of FIG. 2; and 
     FIGS. 10 and 11 are enlarged, fragmentary views of the lower end of FIG. 6, illustrating use of the device on two different types of wine bottles. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-4, there is illustrated a cork extracting device generally designated by the numeral  10 , which includes an elongated body  11 , which may be formed of a suitable plastic material. The body  11  has a generally cylindrical hub  12  at one end thereof, the lower end of the body  11  being bifurcated to form a pair of elongated, spaced-apart legs  13 , which are formed as mirror images of each other. Each leg  13  is generally part-cylindrical in shape, having a convex outer surface and a concave inner surface. Referring also to FIGS. 5,  6  and  9 , the hub  12  has an upper end surface  14  and a lower or inner end surface  15  disposed adjacent to the upper ends of the legs  13 . Formed axially through the hub  12 , from the upper end surface  14  to the lower end surface  15 , is a cylindrical bore  16  having a first counterbore  17  and a second counterbore  18 . 
     Referring also to FIG. 7, formed on the inner surface of each of the legs  13 , intermediate the ends thereof, are three radially inwardly projecting and longitudinally extending retention ribs  20 , which are substantially equiangularly spaced apart. The inner edge of each rib  20  defines an elongated guide surface  21  disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis the body  11 , so that the guide surfaces  21  lie substantially along a common imaginary cylinder dimensioned to receive therein and guide there along a cork of an associated bottleneck, as will be explained more fully below. Extending radially outwardly from the guide surface  21  of each rib  20  adjacent to the lower end thereof is a shoulder  22 , the shoulders  22  lying in a common plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body  11  and cooperating to define a seat structure for an associated bottle neck. Depending from the outer edge of each shoulder  22  is a substantially vertical surface  23  which joins at its lower end with a guide surface  24  which slopes radially outwardly and axially toward the distal end of the associated leg  13 . Each guide surface  24 , in turn, joins at its lower end with a further radially outwardly extending shoulder  25 . The shoulders  25  on the several ribs  20  lie in a common plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body  11  and cooperate to define another seat structure for an associated bottle neck. Depending from the outer edge of each shoulder  25  is a short vertical surface  26  which, at its lower edge, joins a guide surface  27  which slopes radially outwardly and axially toward the distal end of the associated leg  13  and merges into the inner surface of the associated leg  13 . 
     Formed through each leg  13  adjacent to the distal end thereof is a generally horseshoe-shaped slot  30 , which defines a finger  31  hingedly connected to the remainder of the leg  13  at the lower end of the slot  30  to facilitate flexing of the finger  31  resiliently radially inwardly and outwardly. Formed through the finger  31  adjacent to the upper end thereof is a rectangular aperture  32  communicating with short upwardly and downwardly extending rectangular recesses  33  centrally thereof (see FIG.  2 ). Disposed in each aperture  32  is a cutter disc  34  having a vertically extending axle  35 , the ends of which are respectively disposed in the recesses  33 . Referring in particular to FIGS. 2 and 6, each of the fingers  31  is provided with a cover  36  having an aperture  37  formed therethrough, in which is received a pad  38  having a laterally outwardly extending flange  39  which engages the inner surface of the cover  36  to limit the depth of insertion in the aperture  37 . The cover is fixedly secured to the associated finger  31 , serving to hold the associated pad  38  against the outer surface of the finger  31  and also retaining the cutter disc  34  in place for rotational movement about its axle  35 . The cover  36  may be held in place by ultrasonic welding. 
     Referring to FIGS. 4-6 and  9 , seated in the counterbore  17  of the hub  12  is a cylindrical bushing  40  having a bore therethrough which is coaxial with and of the same diameter of the bore  16 . Formed on the inner surface of the bushing  40  is a section of a helical screw thread  41 . The bushing  40  extends axially the entire depth of the counterbore  17 . Seated in the counterbore  18  is an annular collar  42  having at the lower end thereof a laterally outwardly extending annular flange  43  which may be secured to the body  11 , as by ultrasonic welding, for retaining the bushing  40  in place. 
     Referring in particular to FIGS.  1  and  3 - 6 , the cork extracting device  10  also includes a corkscrew assembly  50 , which includes a two-part handle assembly  51  and a worm  55 . The handle assembly  51  includes a base portion  52 , the upper end of which is oval in transverse cross section perpendicular to the axis of the body  11 , while the lower end thereof defines a neck portion generally circular in transverse cross section. Fixedly secured to the base portion  52  at its lower end is an annular collar  53  having a depending cylindrical neck  54  which is dimensioned to telescopically receive therein the collar  42 . The worm  55  is fixedly secured to the base portion  52 , and, more specifically, the base portion  52  may be molded around the upper end of the worm  55 . The handle assembly  51  also has a top portion  56  which interfits against the upper end of the base portion  52 , as by snap fitting. The entire handle assembly  51  is overmolded with a covering  58 , which may be formed of a suitable elastomeric material, such as that sold under the trademark SANTOPRENE. The covering  58  extends over the entire outer surface of the handle assembly  51 , with only the lower end of the neck  54  projecting therefrom. The worm  55  has a pitch equal to that of the screw thread  41  and fits down through the bushing  40  and the collar  42 , being threadedly engageable with the screw thread  41 . The handle assembly  51  is freely rotatable about the axis of the worm  54  relative to the body  11  for moving the corkscrew assembly  50  axially upwardly and downwardly relative to the body  11 . It will be appreciated that the bushing  40  and the collar  42  accurately center the worm  55  between the legs  13 . 
     Referring now also to FIGS. 10 and 11, the operation of the cork extracting device  10  will be described. Referring to FIG. 10, the use of the device will be illustrated in connection with a first type of wine bottle  60  having a neck  61  with an annular end surface  62  closed by a cork  63  and covered with a foil  64 . The cork extracting device  10  is fitted over the neck  61  of the bottle  60 , with the legs  13  straddling the neck  61 . If the cork extracting device  10  is in the configuration illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 with the handle assembly  51  disposed against the upper end of the body  11 , the body  11  is inserted over the neck of the bottle until the pointed tip of the worm  55  engages the foil covering over the cork. Downward pressure may be exerted to pierce the covering and then the handle assembly  51  is rotated to drive the worm  55  into the cork in a known manner. Initially, the entire cork extracting device  10  moves downwardly with the worm  55  until the covered end surface  62  of the bottle neck  61  seats against the seat structure defined by the shoulders  22 , shown in FIG.  10 . In this regard, the neck  61  will be guided into the seating position by the sloping guide surfaces  24 . Once the bottle neck  61  is seated on the shoulders  22 , the body  11  cannot move further downwardly relative to the bottle  60 , so continued rotation of the worm  55  will draw the cork  63  upwardly between the legs  13 , being guided by the vertical guide surfaces  21 , with the cork  63  breaking through the top of the foil covering  64  until the cork  63  bottoms against the inner end surface  15  of the body  11  or clear the neck  61 . If it has not cleared the neck  61 , it will be sufficiently extending therefrom to make removal relatively easy by pulling upwardly on the handle assembly  51 . Alternatively, the handle assembly  51  may initially be screwed upwardly from the body  11  until the tip of the worm  54  is disposed above the level of the seat structures on the body  11 . In this case, the body  11  is fitted over the bottle neck until the covered end surface  62  of the bottle neck  61  seats against the seat structure defined by the shoulders  22 , and then the worm  55  is screwed downwardly through the cork  63  until the handle assembly  51  bottoms on the upper end of the body  11 , whereupon cork extraction continues, as described above. 
     The cutter assembly defined by the cutter discs  34  may be used to cut the foil covering  64  to facilitate removal of the upper, broken portion thereof. In this regard, when the covered end surface  62  of the neck  61  is seated on the shoulders  22 , the pads  38  of the fingers  31  may be depressed radially inwardly, as with an index finger and thumb, so that the cutter discs  34  pierce the sides of the foil covering  64 . Then, the body  11  and the bottle  60  are rotated relative to each other in opposite directions about the longitudinal axis of the bottle for cutting the foil  64  around the entire circumference of the neck  61 , so that the upper part of the foil  64  may be easily removed from the neck, leaving no loose or hanging shards. This is preferably done before cork extraction, so that as the cork is extracted, it pulls the severed top portion of the foil off the bottle neck. 
     FIG. 11 illustrates operation of the cork extracting device  10  with a bottle having a different-sized neck  64  with a laterally outwardly extending flange  66  at one end thereof to provide an enlarged-diameter end surface  67 . The operation is substantially the same as was explained above with respect to FIG. 10, except that in this case, the end surface  67  of the bottle neck  65  seats against the seat structure defined by the shoulders  25 , being guided to this seating engagement by the sloping guide surfaces  27 . 
     As can be seen, the handle assembly  51  has a generally oblong, ovoid shape at the upper end thereof, cooperating with the more cylindrical lower end or neck portion to define a pair of lobes beneath which fingers of a user&#39;s hand may be wrapped to facilitate pulling a cork from a bottle neck. Also, the ovoid, bulbous shape of the handle provides a comfortable ergonomic shape which is easy to grasp and rotate in use, the elastomeric covering  58  providing a particularly comfortable grip, which is both cushioned and non-slip in nature. 
     While, in the illustrated embodiment, the body  11  has two depending legs, it will be appreciated that a different number of legs could be provided. Also, while three of the ribs  20  have been described as formed on each of the legs  13 , it will be appreciated that a different number of ribs could be used. 
     From the foregoing, it can be seen that there has been provided an improved cork extracting device which is of simple and economical construction, provides effective and accurate centering over an associated bottle neck, is comfortable and easy to use, provides effective and simple foil cutting in combination with cork extraction, and is readily adapted for use with different-sized bottle necks. 
     The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as a limitation. While a particular embodiment has been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the broader aspects of applicants&#39; contribution. The actual scope of the protection sought is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective based on the prior art.