Patent Publication Number: US-11046502-B2

Title: Replaceable beverage outlet and conduit for dispenser

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This Application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/770,320, entitled “REPLACEABLE BEVERAGE OUTLET AND CONDUIT FOR DISPENSER” filed on Nov. 21, 2018, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to the dispensing or other extraction of fluids from within a container, e.g., in the dispensing of wine from a wine bottle. Beverage dispensers, including devices arranged to clamp to a container, are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,010,588 and 7,712,637. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     One or more embodiments in accordance with aspects of the invention allow a user to withdraw or otherwise extract a beverage, such as wine, from within a bottle that is sealed by a cork, plug, elastomeric septum or other closure without removing the closure. In some cases, removal of liquid from such a bottle may be performed one or more times, yet the closure may remain in place during and after each beverage extraction to maintain a seal for the bottle. Thus, the beverage may be dispensed from the bottle multiple times and stored for extended periods between each extraction with little or no effect on beverage quality. In some embodiments, little or no gas, such as air, which is reactive with the beverage may be introduced into the bottle either during or after extraction of beverage from within the bottle. Thus, in some embodiments, a user may withdraw wine from a wine bottle without removal of, or damage to, the cork, and without allowing air or other potentially damaging gasses or liquids entry into the bottle. 
     In some embodiments, beverage-contacting components may be replaced between dispensing operations. This may allow a user to avoid cross-contamination, e.g., so a dispensed beverage does not have a taste or appearance that is negatively affected by a previously dispensed beverage. Replacement of beverage contacting components may also allow a user to avoid other problems, such as a clogged dispensing part, a worn or broken needle, etc. In some cases, a dispenser may have dispensing components that are dedicated for use with a particular type of beverage, and a user may replace the components depending on the type of beverage being dispensed. For example, a beverage dispensing device may include a body with a needle arranged to receive a flow of beverage under pressure from a beverage container and to dispense the beverage at a dispensing outlet of the device. The needle may include one or more lumens or passageways that receive beverage under pressure from a container, such as a wine bottle. In some embodiments, both the needle and the dispensing outlet may be replaceable, thereby replacing all portions of the dispenser that contact beverage during dispensing. 
     In one aspect of the invention, a container-mounted beverage dispenser includes a body adapted to be secured to a beverage container so as to support the dispenser on the beverage container, and at least one conduit removably attached to the body to deliver gas into a container holding a beverage and to receive beverage from the container for conducting the beverage out of the container. A dispensing outlet is removably attached to the body and fluidly coupled to the at least one conduit for receiving beverage and dispensing the beverage in a user&#39;s cup. At least one valve may be attached to the body to control gas flow into the container or beverage flow out of the container via the at least one conduit, e.g., to control dispensing of beverage, and a source of pressurized gas may be fluidly coupled to the at least one conduit. 
     In some embodiments, the at least one conduit and the dispensing outlet are the only portions of the dispenser that contact beverage during dispensing. As a result, all portions of the dispenser that contact a beverage may be replaceable. In some cases, the beverage-contacting portions may be arranged as a single part, and in others, may be arranged as two or more parts. In one embodiment, the at least one conduit includes a single conduit to deliver gas into the container and receive beverage from the container, and the at least one valve includes a gas valve adapted to control gas flow into the single conduit. The single conduit may be part of a needle arranged to be inserted through a cork in an opening of the container to position a distal end of the needle in an interior space of the container, and the needle may have an opening at the distal end to provide fluid communication with the single conduit, e.g., to deliver gas into the container and receive beverage from the container In another arrangement, the at least one conduit includes a first conduit to deliver gas into the container and a second conduit to receive beverage from the container. Thus, the at least one conduit may include two lumens, one each for gas and beverage flow. In some cases, the first and second conduits are part of a needle arranged to be inserted through a cork in an opening of the container. 
     In some embodiments, the dispensing outlet is formed as part of a cap arranged to removably engage with the body and secure the at least one conduit to the body. For example, the at least one conduit may include a first conduit to deliver gas into the container and a second conduit to receive beverage from the container, and the first and second conduits may be arranged as a single piece arranged to be inserted into an opening of the beverage container. A hub may be mounted to a proximal end of the first and second conduits with the hub being adapted to secure the first and second conduits to the body. In some cases, the cap may be arranged to engage the body to secure the hub to the body and to fluidly connect the dispensing outlet to the second conduit. 
     In some configurations, the dispenser may include a controller adapted to automatically control the at least one valve to allow gas flow in the at least one conduit to pressurize an interior space of the beverage container. The at least one valve may include a gas control valve arranged to control flow of gas from the source of pressurized gas to the at least one conduit, and/or a beverage control valve arranged to control flow of beverage from the at least one conduit to the dispensing outlet. 
     In some embodiments, the dispenser includes a clamp attached to the body with the clamp arranged to removably attach the body to the container, e.g., so that the dispenser can be supported by the clamp on the container. The body may be movable relative to the clamp to insert the at least one conduit into an interior space of the container, e.g., the at least one conduit may be part of a needle arranged to be inserted through a cork in an opening of the container by moving the body downwardly relative to the clamp. 
     In another aspect of the invention, a container-mounted beverage dispenser includes at least one conduit to deliver gas into a beverage container holding a beverage and to receive beverage from the container for conducting the beverage out of the container. The at least one conduit may be arranged as discussed above, e.g., with one or more lumens, including a hub at a proximal end, etc. A body of the dispenser may be adapted to be secured to the beverage container so as to support the dispenser on the beverage container, e.g., using a clamp that engages the container neck. The body may have an opening to receive and engage with the at least one conduit with the at least one conduit being receivable into the opening by inserting a distal end of the at least one conduit into the opening and then engaging a proximal end of the at least one conduit to the body at the opening. For example, the at least one conduit may be arranged as a needle having a hub at a proximal end, and the needle may be engaged with the body by inserting the distal end of the needle into the opening of the body and extending the needle through the opening so that the hub is engaged with the body at the opening. At least one valve may be attached to the body to control gas flow into the container or beverage flow out of the container via the at least one conduit, and a source of pressurized gas may be fluidly coupled to the at least one conduit. 
     In some embodiments, a dispensing outlet may be removably attached to the body and fluidly coupled to the at least one conduit for receiving beverage and dispensing the beverage in a user&#39;s cup. For example, the dispensing outlet may be arranged to secure the at least one conduit to the body. In some configurations, the dispensing outlet may be part of a cap arranged to removably engage with the body and secure the at least one conduit to the body, e.g., the cap may be engaged with the body over the hub of a needle to trap the needle in the opening of the body. 
     In some embodiments, the dispenser may have a controller adapted to automatically control the at least one valve to allow gas flow in the at least one conduit to pressurize an interior space of the beverage container. The at least one valve may include a gas control valve arranged to control flow of gas from the source of pressurized gas to the at least one conduit, as one example. Other optional features of the dispenser are discussed in more detail below. 
     Various exemplary embodiments of the device are further depicted and described below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Aspects of the invention are described with reference to various embodiments, and to the figures, which include: 
         FIG. 1  shows a schematic view of a beverage dispensing device in preparation for introducing a conduit through a closure of a beverage bottle; 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a dispensing device in an illustrative embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  shows a cap with a dispensing outlet removed from the dispensing device of the  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  shows the  FIG. 2  embodiment with the cap removed; 
         FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of a needle in an illustrative embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  shows a front view of the needle of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  shows a cross sectional view of the  FIG. 5  needle along the line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 8 ; and 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of the  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Aspects of the invention are described below with reference to illustrative embodiments, but it should be understood that aspects of the invention are not to be construed narrowly in view of the specific embodiments described. Thus, aspects of the invention are not limited to the embodiments described herein. It should also be understood that various aspects of the invention may be used alone and/or in any suitable combination with each other, and thus various embodiments should not be interpreted as requiring any particular combination or combinations of features. Instead, one or more features of the embodiments described may be combined with any other suitable features of other embodiments. 
       FIG. 1  shows a schematic view of one embodiment of a beverage dispensing system (or device)  1  that incorporates one or more aspects of the invention. Generally, the device  1  is used to insert a needle or other conduit into a beverage container  700 , inject gas into the container  700  via the conduit, and dispense beverage forced out of the container  700  by the injected gas or other pressure in the container. This illustrative device  1  includes a body  3  with an attached source of pressurized gas  100  (such as a compressed gas cylinder) that provides gas under pressure (e.g., 2600 psi or less as dispensed from the cylinder) to a regulator  600 . In this arrangement, the cylinder  100  is secured to the body  3  and regulator  600  by a threaded connection, although other configurations are possible, such as those described below and/or in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,867,209; 5,020,395; and 5,163,909 which are hereby incorporated by reference with respect to their teachings regarding mechanisms for engaging a gas cylinder with a cylinder receiver. The regulator  600  is shown schematically and without detail, but can be any of a variety of commercially available or other single or multi-stage pressure regulators capable of regulating gas pressures to a pre-set or variable outlet pressure. The main function of the regulator  600  is to provide gas at a pressure and flow rate suitable for delivery to the container  700  (such as a wine bottle), e.g., so that a pressure established inside the container  700  does not exceed a desired level. In other embodiments, no pressure regulation of the gas released from the cylinder  100  need be done, and instead, unregulated gas pressure may be delivered to the container  700 . 
     Embodiments include at least one valve to control the flow of gas into and/or a flow of beverage from the container  700 . In this embodiment, a gas control valve  36  is provided to control the flow of gas from the gas source  100  to a flow path in fluid communication with the interior of the container  700 . Optionally, a beverage control valve (not shown) may be provided to control the flow of beverage from the container  700  to a dispensing outlet  38 , but is not employed in this embodiment. Other arrangements are possible, e.g., a single valve may control the flow of both gas and beverage (e.g., using a three-way valve), a single valve may be used to control beverage flow only (e.g., gas flow from the gas source  100  to the container  700  may be always open with the device  1  engaged with a container  700  and beverage flow may be controlled by opening/closing a beverage control valve only). The gas control valve  36  and/or other valves if used may be controlled by a controller  34 , i.e., control circuitry. For example, the controller  34  may detect when the device  1  is engaged with a container  700  and/or that a conduit is in fluid communication with an interior space of the container  700 , e.g., by detecting that the needle has been inserted through a cork or a device clamp  4  is engaged with a container neck, and then control the valve(s) accordingly. Where not controlled by a controller  34 , the gas control valve  36  may be manually operable by a user, and/or a user may provide input to the controller  34  via a user interface (button, touch screen, etc.) to cause the valve to open and/or close. As another option, where multiple valves are used, operation of the valves may be tied together, whether mechanically or via electronic control, e.g., so that when a gas control valve  36  is opened, the beverage control valve is closed, and vice versa, or so that when one valve is open the other valve is open as well (such as when using a two lumen needle to access the interior of the container  700 ). 
     To introduce gas into the container  700  and extract beverage, at least one conduit is put in fluid communication with the interior of the container  700 . In this embodiment, a needle  200  attached to the body  3  is inserted through a cork or other closure  730  that seals an opening at a neck of the container  700 . In this illustrative device  1 , the needle  200  includes two lumens or conduits with at least one needle opening along a sidewall of the needle near the needle tip or distal end of the needle  200  to provide fluid communication with the lumen(s) of the needle  200 . While the needle  200  may be inserted into and through the cork or other closure  730  in different ways, in this embodiment, the device  1  includes a base  2  which may be secured to the container  700  by a clamp  4 . As will be appreciated, a beverage dispensing device may benefit from a clamp or other arrangement configured to engage the device  1  with a container  700 , e.g., by clamping the device  1  to the neck of a bottle so the device is supported on the bottle. The device can include one or more clamp arms  41  that are movably mounted to the base  2  that are arranged to engage with a bottle. Thus, the clamp may receive a container neck into a receiving space  44  of the clamp  4 . In this embodiment, clamp arms  41  (only one shown in  FIG. 1 ) are spring biased to move relative to the base  2  to exert an engagement force on the container neck. The spring biased nature of the clamp engagement may also allow the clamp  4  to accommodate differently sized container necks. Alternately, the clamp  4  may secure the base  2  to the container neck in other ways, such as by securing a ratcheting strap, buckle, threaded fastener, etc. 
     The body  3  may be movable relative to the base  2 , e.g., a rail on the body  3  may move within a corresponding channel of the base  2 . Thus, movement of the body  3  and attached needle  200  relative to the container closure  730  may be guided by the base  2 , e.g., the body  3  may slide relative to the base  2  between an upper position and a lower position to move the needle  200  into/out of the closure  730 . In addition, movement of the needle  200  may be guided by a needle guide  202  that is attached to the base  2  and positioned over the closure  730 . To insert the needle  200  through the closure  730 , a user may push downwardly on the body  3  while maintaining the base  2  and the container  700  at least somewhat stationary relative to each other. The needle  200  will pass through the closure  730 , guided in its motion, at least in part, by the guided motion of the body  3  relative to the base  2  (e.g., by the rail and channel). Other arrangements for guiding movement of the body  3  relative to the base  2  are possible, such as providing one or more rails on the base  2  which engage with a channel or other receiver of the body  3 , providing an elongated slot, channel or groove on the body or base which engages with a corresponding feature (e.g., a tab) on the other of the body or base and allows for sliding movement, a linkage that connects the body and base together and allows for movement of the body to insert the needle into the closure, and others. 
     With the needle  200  suitably inserted through the closure  730 , the distal end of the needle  200  may be positioned below the closure  730  and within the interior space of the container  700 . This allows fluid communication between the interior of the container  700  and one or more conduits of the needle  200 . In embodiments where a needle  200  includes one lumen or conduit, the valve  36  may be controlled to provide pressurized gas into the container  700  and allow beverage to flow from the container  700 . For example, gas may first be introduced into the container  700  via a single of the needle conduit to establish a pressurized condition in the container  700 , and then gas flow may be stopped and pressurized beverage may be permitted to flow out of the single conduit to the dispensing outlet  38 . Where the needle  200  includes two lumens or conduits (or two or more needles are used), one or more conduits may be dedicated to gas flow into the container and one or more other conduits may be dedicated to beverage flow. Thus, the gas control valve  36  may control gas flow into the gas conduit(s), and a beverage control valve may be provided to control beverage flow from the beverage conduit(s). It should be appreciated that use of a needle or other structure capable of penetrating a cork or other closure is not necessary. Instead, any suitable hose, pipe, tube or other conduit may be used as a needle, e.g., a cork may be removed and the conduits fluidly coupled to the container  700 , e.g., by a plug, stopper or cap through which the conduit(s) extend. Thus, a needle need not be made capable of penetration though a bottle cork or other closure. 
     In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the dispensing device includes beverage contacting components that may be removed and replaced by other components. As discussed above, this may allow a user to avoid cross contamination when dispensing different beverages. In this embodiment, the device  1  includes a replaceable needle  200  and dispensing outlet  38 . Since the beverage lumen  201  of the needle  200  and the dispensing outlet  38  are the only portions of the device that contact beverage during dispensing, all beverage-contacting portions of the device  1  may be replaced, as desired. Although a needle  200  or other conduit arrangement and dispensing outlet  38  may be removable engaged with a device  1  in different ways, in this embodiment the needle  200  includes a pair of lumens  201 ,  203  that are attached together and extend from a hub  206  which is engaged in an opening  32  of the body  3 . To remove the needle  200  from the body  3 , a cap  35  is first removed since the cap  35  acts to secure the needle  200  in engagement with the body  3 . With the cap  35  removed, the needle  200  may be moved upwardly from an opening  32  of the body  32  so that the hub  206  is moved upwardly and out of the opening  32 . The needle  200  may be further withdrawn until the distal end of the needle  200  exits the opening  32 . To replace a new needle  200 , a distal end of the needle  200  may be first inserted into the opening  32  and the needle  200  extended through the opening  32  until the hub  206  is engaged with (e.g., received into) the opening  32  as shown in  FIG. 1 . The dispensing outlet  38  may also be releasably engaged with the opening, and in this embodiment the dispensing outlet  38  is formed as part of the cap  35  that is attachable to the body  3  over the hub  206  of the needle  200 . Engagement of the cap  35  with the body  3  may serve a few purposes, including securing the hub  206  in the opening  32 , and fluidly coupling the dispensing outlet  38  with the beverage lumen  201  of the needle  200 . The cap  35  may engage the body  3  in different ways, such as by a bayonet connection, a threaded connection, one or more screws or other fasteners, etc. Also, although the needle  200  and cap  35  are arranged as two separate parts in this embodiment, the cap  35  and needle  200  may be made as one piece so that engagement of the one-piece cap  35  and needle  200  attaches the beverage-contacting conduit of the needle  200  and the dispensing outlet  38  to the body  3  in one operation. In other arrangements, the dispensing outlet  38  may be made as one piece with the needle  200  or other beverage conduit  201 . Thus, the dispensing outlet  38  need not be made part of a cap  35  or other similar structure. 
       FIGS. 2-4  show an illustrative embodiment of a dispensing device  1  that includes the features of  FIG. 1 . The body  3  is movable vertically, in an up-and-down direction, relative to the base  2 , e.g., in a direction along a length of the needle  200  so that movement of the body  3  relative to the base  2  can insert the needle  200  into and through a closure  730  of a container  700 .  FIG. 2  also shows two clamp arms  41  of the clamp  4  in this embodiment which can receive and engage with a container neck, e.g., so that the device  1  is fully supported and suspended on the container  700 . In this illustrative embodiment, the clamp arms  41  are pivotally mounted to the base  2  such that the arms  41  are normally biased to move toward each other, e.g., to clamp a bottle neck positioned between the arms  41 . However, the clamp arms  41  may be movably mounted relative to the base  2  in other ways, such as by a linkage, living hinge, and others. Also, one arm may be fixed to the base while the other is made movable (although in this embodiment the arms are still said to be moveable relative to each other). Torsion or other springs may be used to provide the biasing force (if provided at all) on the clamp arms  41 . The clamping force of the clamp arms  41  may be sufficiently robust to support the device  1  on the bottle  700 , or even to allow a user to lift and pour beverage from the bottle  700  by grasping and manipulating the device  1 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the clamp arms  41  may each include an engagement surface  43  that can contact the container neck and aid in the clamp  4  engaging with the container neck. In this embodiment, the arms  41  define a receiving space  44  between the arms  41  where the container neck is received and engaged by the clamp  4 . The arms  41  define an entry opening  46  at a bottom end of the clamp  4  (see  FIG. 2 ) which may be sized and shaped to allow the top of a container neck to be introduced between the arms  41  so that the arms  41  can be forced downward onto the container neck. The engagement surfaces  43  may contact the container neck, e.g., at a lip  702 , to aid in entry of the container neck into the receiving space  44 . In this embodiment, the engagement surfaces  43  extend vertically on the respective clamp arm  41 , e.g., to help guide movement of the container neck in its travel into the receiving space  44 . The engagement surfaces  43  may have a relatively hard, low-friction surface to help allow the clamp arms  41  engage the neck while allowing the neck to shift in position relative to the clamp arms  41 . A lower portion  43   b  of the engagement surfaces may slope inwardly and upwardly relative to the receiving space  44  and may contact the container neck to move the arms  41  away from each other to enlarge the receiving space  44  and allow the container neck to move into the receiving space  44 . The sloped nature of the lower portion  43   b  may allow the clamp  4  to accommodate differently sized and shaped container necks as well as provide relatively gradual movement of the clamp arms  41  away from each other against the spring bias urging the arms  41  together as the container neck is received. As noted above, the arms  41  may be biased toward each other by a relatively high force of a spring. However, the sloped arrangement of the engagement surfaces  43  may provide suitable mechanical advantage to a user pressing downwardly on the clamp  4  to force the arms  41  apart and seat the container neck in the receiving space  44 . The container neck may be received until contacting a needle guide  202  or other stop, which prevents further movement of the container neck into the receiving space  44 . The engagement surfaces  43  may include an upper portion  43   a  that ramps or slopes upwardly and outwardly relative to the receiving space  44 . This arrangement may provide at least two functions, i.e., helping maintain the container neck seated at a fully received position in the receiving space  44  and/or aiding in removal of the clamp  4  from the container neck. To maintain the container neck seated at a fully received position in the receiving space  44 , the upper portion  43   a  may exert a radially inward and upward force on the container neck, e.g., at the lip  702 , (or from the reference point of the container, a radially outward and downward force on its clamp arm  41 ) that helps keep the container neck in contact with the needle guide  202  or other stop. That is, while both the upper and lower portions  43   a ,  43   b  may exert a radially inward force on the container neck, the upper portion  43   a  may exert an upward force on the container neck due to its sloping upwardly and outwardly relative to the receiving space  44 . This may help urge the container neck to move upwardly relative to the clamp  4  (or urge the clamp  4  to move downwardly relative to the container  700  depending on the frame of reference). To aid in removal of the clamp  4 , the upper portions  43   a  may allow the clamp  4  to be removed from the container neck by simply pulling upwardly on the clamp  4  relative to the container  700 . In the same way that the lower portions  43   b  may assist in receiving the container neck into the receiving space  4  by forcing the clamp  4  downwardly onto the container, the upper portions  43   a  may assist in removal of the neck from the receiving space  44 . For example, the upper portions  43   a  may contact a lip  702  of the container neck and urge the arms to move outwardly and away from the container neck as the clamp  4  is move upwardly relative to the container  700 . 
     To aid in engagement of the clamp  4  in the  FIGS. 1-4  embodiment by pressing the clamp  4  downwardly on the container  700 , a latch  9  as shown in  FIG. 1  may be provided to lock the body  3  in an upper position relative to the base  2 . This can allow a user to grasp the body  3  and push downwardly to engage the clamp  4  with the container  700  without inserting the needle  200  into the closure  730 . In this illustrative embodiment, a latch  9  is implemented by a movable latch bolt  92  that is mounted to the base  2  and can move to the left under a spring bias to engage with a latch slot  93  in the body  3  when the body  3  is in an upper position relative to the base  2  as shown in  FIG. 1 . A latch slide  91  is mounted to the base  2  and is spring biased to move downwardly in the position shown in  FIG. 1  to block movement of the bolt  92  to the right. Thus, the body  3  is prevented from moving relative to the base  2  so long as the bolt  92  is engaged with the slot  93  and the slide  91  prevents movement of the bolt  92  to the right. This allows a user to grasp the body  3  and force the clamp  4  downwardly over a container neck so the container neck is received into the receiving space  44 , e.g., as guided by one or more engagement surfaces  43  as discussed above. The engagement of the clamp  4  with the container may be performed without the body  3  moving downwardly relative to the base  2 . However, the slide  91  is arranged so that when the top of a container neck is fully received into the receiving space  44  of the clamp  4 , the top of the container neck contacts the slide  91  and moves the slide  91  upwardly against the spring bias. This aligns a notch in the slide  91  with the bolt  92 , allowing the bolt  92  to move to the right. The upper positioning of the slide  91  may be detected by a container sensor  81 , which may include a switch that is actuated (closed or opened) by upward positioning of the slide  91 . With the notch of the slide  91  aligned with the bolt  92 , downward force on the body  3  relative to the base  2  causes a portion of the body  3  to contact a ramp on the end of the bolt  92 , forcing the bolt  92  to move to the right and into the notch of the slide  91 . This clears the latch  9  and the body  3  can continue downward movement relative to the base  2 , thereby inserting the needle  200  as guided by the needle guide  202  into the closure  730  of the container. When the body  3  is positioned in its lower position relative to the base  2 , the needle  200  is fully inserted and the needle sensor  82  may detect that the body  3  is in its lower position, e.g., by a switch being actuated by contact with the base  2 . The controller  34  may receive information from the container and needle sensors  81 ,  82 , and in response take desired action, such as starting a dispensing operation, allowing manual or automatic operation of the gas control valve  36 , and so on. 
     In arrangements where the clamp arms  41  are biased to move apart or are not biased at all, a locking mechanism may be used to engage the clamp arms  41  to the bottle. That is, whether the clamp arms  41  are spring biased or not, movement of the arms may be restricted or otherwise controlled in some way by a locking mechanism. For example, the arms  41  may be secured together by a ratchet and pawl mechanism that allows the clamp arms  41  to move freely toward each other, but prevents movement of the arms  41  away from each other unless the pawl is first cleared from the ratchet. This arrangement may allow a user to securely clamp the arms  41  onto a bottle neck with the ratchet and pawl ensuring that the arms  41  will not move away from each other to release the neck until the user releases the pawl. In other embodiments, the arms  41  may be secured against movement away from each other in alternate ways, such as by a buckle and strap (with the strap secured to one arm  41  and the buckle secured to the other arm  41 ), a screw and nut (in which the screw engages one arm  41 , the nut engages the other arm  41 , and the screw and nut threadedly engage each other to secure the arms  41  together), a hook-and-loop closure element that spans across the arms  41  at their distal end, or other arrangement suited to engage the arms  41  with the bottle  700 . 
       FIG. 3  shows the cap  35  of the dispensing device  1  of  FIGS. 1-4 , and  FIG. 4  shows the device  1  with the cap  35  removed from the body  3 . With the cap  35  removed, the opening  32  of the body  3  that receives the needle  200  is exposed. This allows a user to move the needle  200  upwardly relative to the body  3  to remove the needle  200  from the device  1 . With a used needle  200  removed, another replacement needle  200  may be inserted into the opening  32  by inserting the distal end of the needle  200  into the opening  32  and continuing to insert the needle  200  until the hub  206  is received in the opening  32 . Thereafter, a replacement cap  35  (or the previously used cap  35 ) may be engaged with the body  3  to secure both the cap  35  and the needle  200  in place.  FIG. 3  shows a bayonet connection  351  of the cap  35  in this embodiment that is used to secure the cap  35  to the body  3 , e.g., by engaging the bayonet features with corresponding engagement features at the opening  32 . In this embodiment, the cap  35  includes a handle  352  that is pivotable on the cap  35  to flip the handle  352  upwardly from the position in  FIG. 3 . This allows the handle  352  to be gripped by a user to twist the cap  35  to engage the bayonet features  351  with the opening  32 . After engagement of the cap  35  with the body  3 , the handle  352  may be folded downwardly again to the position shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . Engagement of the cap  35  with the body  3  may not only secure the needle  200  to the body  3 , but also fluidly couple the dispensing outlet  38  with the beverage-carrying lumen of the needle  200 . For example, a portion of the dispensing outlet  38  may be inserted into an opening of the hub  206  so as to sealingly engage the dispensing outlet  38  with the hub  206  so beverage can be conducted from the needle  200  to the dispensing outlet  38 . 
       FIGS. 5-8  show a needle  200  that may be used with the  FIGS. 1-4  embodiment. As described above, the needle  200  includes the first lumen  201  and the second lumen  203  which extend from a proximal end to a distal end, and respectively have first and second openings  204 ,  205  at a distal end. In this embodiment, the first lumen  201  is arranged to carry a flow of beverage liquid received at the first opening  204 , through the first lumen  201  and to the dispensing outlet  38  of the extraction device  1 . The second lumen  203  is arranged to carry a flow of pressurized gas from the gas source  100  to the second opening  205 , e.g., to deliver gas and pressurize the interior of the container  700 . Because the first lumen  201  is arranged carry a flow of liquid, the first lumen  201  may have a larger cross sectional area (where the cross section is taken in a plane perpendicular to the length of the needle  200 ) than the second lumen  203 , which carries a flow of gas. The larger cross sectional area of the first lumen  201  may help reduce a resistance to flow of liquid, and thus help support a higher flow rate as compared to a lumen having a smaller cross sectional area. However, it is not necessary for the first and second lumens  201 ,  203  to have a different cross sectional area or other size. 
     As also mentioned above, the hub  206  is attached at the proximal ends of the first and second lumens  201 ,  203 . The hub  206  may be arranged to facilitate connection or other coupling of the first and second lumens  201 ,  203  to corresponding flow channels or conduits of the device  1 . For example, the hub  206  in this case includes a body  61  with a gas port  62  that extends through the body  61  and fluidly communicates with the second lumen  203 . The gas port  62  may be arranged to couple with a corresponding port or other structure of the device  1  to fluidly connect the gas source with the second lumen  203 . In this embodiment, the hub  206  includes a first gasket  63  positioned proximally of the gas port  62  and a second gasket  64  positioned distally of the gas port  62 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , this allows the hub  206  to be received into the opening  32  of the body  3  so that the first and second gaskets  63 ,  64  sealingly engage with the opening  32 . As a result, the gas port  62  is fluidly coupled with a space in the opening  32  that is fluidly coupled to the gas source. Of course, other arrangements are possible for fluidly coupling a gas port  62  to a gas source, such as an o-ring or other gasket positioned around the opening of the gas port  62  that sealingly engages with a corresponding port or other opening when the hub  206  is received by the extraction device  1 , a threaded connection of the hub  206  to the device  1 , and so on. 
     In this embodiment, the hub  206  also includes first and second tabs  65 ,  66  that extend away from each other in a direction perpendicular or otherwise transverse to a length of the first and second lumens  201 ,  203 . These tabs  65 ,  66  may engage with corresponding slots in the opening  32  of the body  3  when the hub  206  is engaged with the device  1 , e.g., to help resist rotation of the needle  200  relative to the device  1  about axes that are parallel to the length of the needle  200 , or other movement of the needle  200 , such as in a direction along the length of the needle. Thus, the tabs  65 ,  66  may provide bayonet-type engagement features that help serve to lock the hub  206 , and therefore the needle  200 , to the device  1  in at least one range of motion. In this illustrative embodiment, the first tab  65  is longer than the second tab  66 . This feature may help ensure that the hub  206  is positioned in a particular way with respect to the device  1  when the needle  200  is engaged with the device  1 . For example, the opening  32  of the device  1  may include a first and second slots that respectively receive and engage with the first and second tabs  65 ,  66 . The first slot may be longer than the second slot so that the hub  206  can only be received with the first tab  65  in the first slot. Engagement of the tabs  65 ,  66  with the slots may help resist rotation of the hub  206  relative to the device  1 . The second tab  66  is wider than the first tab  65  in this embodiment, and this feature may be exploited as well to help ensure proper orientation of the hub  206  with the device  1 . 
     The hub  206  in this illustrative embodiment also includes an opening  67  at a proximal end of the body  61  that is in fluid communication with the first lumen  201 . The body  61  and opening  67  may be arranged to facilitate fluid coupling of the first lumen  201  with the dispensing outlet  38  of the device  1 . For example, engagement of the cap  35  with the body  3  may fluidly couple the dispensing outlet  38  of the cap with the opening  67  of the hub  206 . In one embodiment, the end of a tube in the cap  35  may fit within the opening  67  to sealingly engage with the hub  206  so beverage exiting the first lumen  201  passes to the dispensing outlet  38  of the cap. In this embodiment, the body  61  includes a notch  68  that permits a portion of the dispensing outlet conduit that engages with the opening  67  (e.g., a tube) to extend away from the hub  206  in a direction transverse to the length of the needle  200 . This may help reduce the overall height of the cap, but is not a required feature. 
     Another feature of the needle  200  is that the hub  206  is constructed and arranged to support the first and second lumens  201 ,  203  to penetrate through a cork of a wine bottle (or other closure of a beverage container) by inserting the distal ends of the first and second lumens  201 ,  203  through the cork while the needle  200  is supported only by the hub  206 . Thus, the hub  206  may be engaged with the device  1 , and the first and second lumens  201 ,  203  may extend away from the device  1  and be suitably supported to allow the first and second lumens  201 ,  203  to be inserted through a cork or other closure to access the container interior. As discussed above, passing the distal end of the needle  200  through a cork or other closure will put the first and second lumens  201 ,  203  in fluid communication with container interior via the first and second openings  204 ,  205 . As shown in  FIGS. 5-7 , a single pointed end may be provided at the distal ends of the first and second lumens  201 ,  203  to aid in penetrating a cork or other closure. 
     A needle  200  having a smooth walled exterior and a pencil point or Huber point may be effective to penetrate through a wine bottle cork or other closure, while sealing effectively with the cork to prevent the ingress or egress of gases or fluids during beverage extraction. Moreover, such needles allow the cork to reseal after withdrawal of the needle, allowing the container and any remaining beverage to be stored for months or years without abnormal alteration of the beverage flavor (such as when an inert or otherwise suitably non-reactive or low-reactive gas is injected into the container during dispensing). While multiple needle gauges can work, preferred needle gauges (e.g., corresponding to a dimension along a needle cross sectional major axis) range from 16 to 22 gauge (i.e., outer dimension of 1.65 mm to 0.91 mm), with an optimal needle gauge in some embodiments being between 17 and 20 gauge (i.e., outer dimension of 1.47 mm to 1.07 mm). These needle gauges may offer optimal fluid flow with minimal pressures inside the container while doing an acceptably low level of damage to the cork even after repeated insertions and extractions. Further, such needles may be used to penetrate a foil cover or other wrapping commonly found on wine bottles and other containers. Thus, the needle may penetrate the foil cover or other element as well as the closure, eliminating any need to remove the foil or other wrapping prior to beverage extraction. Other needle profiles and gauges are also usable with the system. In some arrangements, a needle need not be arranged to allow for cork resealing after removal. Instead, a needle may form an opening in a cork that is too large to allow the cork to reseal. 
     Multiple needle lengths can be adapted to work properly in various embodiments, but it has been found that a minimum needle length of about 1.5 inches is generally required to pass through standard wine bottle corks. Needles as long as 9 inches could be employed, but the optimal range of length for some embodiments has been found to be between 2 and 2.6 inches. (Needle length is the length of a needle that is operable to penetrate a closure and/or contact a needle guide for guidance in moving through the closure.) When two or more needles are used, the needle lengths may be the same or different and vary from 0.25 inches to 10 inches. 
     In some embodiments, a suitable gas pressure is introduced into a container to extract beverage from the container. For example, with some wine bottles, it has been found that a maximum pressure of between around 40 and 50 psi may be introduced into the bottle without risking leakage at, or ejection of, the cork, although pressures of between around 15 and 30 psi have been found to work well. These pressures are well tolerated by even the weakest of cork-to-bottle seals at the bottle opening without causing cork dislodging or passage of liquid or gas by the cork, and provide for relatively fast beverage extraction. The lower pressure limit in the container during wine extraction for some embodiments has been found to be between about 0 and 20 psi. That is, a pressure between about 0 and 20 psi has been found needed in a bottle to provide a suitably fast extraction of beverage from the bottle. In one example, a pressure of 30 psi was used to establish an initial pressure in a wine bottle, and rapid wine extraction was experienced even as the internal pressure dropped to about 15-20 psi. 
     The source of pressurized gas can be any of a variety of regulated or unregulated pressurized gas containers filled with any of a variety of non-reactive gasses. In a preferred embodiment, the gas cylinder contains gas at an initial pressure of about 2000-3000 psi. This pressure has been found to allow the use of a single relatively small compressed gas cylinder (e.g., about 3 inches in length and 0.75 inches in diameter) for the complete extraction of the contents of several bottles of wine. Multiple gasses have been tested successfully over extended storage periods, and preferably the gas used is non-reactive with the beverage within the container, such as wine, and can serve to protect the beverage oxidation or other damage. Suitable gases include nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon, helium, neon and others. Mixtures of gas are also possible. For example, a mixture of argon and another lighter gas could blanket wine or other beverage in argon while the lighter gas could occupy volume within the bottle and perhaps reduce the overall cost of the gas. 
     The embodiments above, a single needle with two lumens is used to introduce gas into the bottle and extract beverage from the bottle. However, in other embodiments two or more needles may be used, e.g., one needle for gas delivery and one needle for beverage extraction. In such an embodiment, one or both of the needles may be made replaceable. The needles may have the same or different diameters or the same or different length varying from 0.25 to 10 inches. For example, one needle or conduit delivering gas could be longer than another that extracts wine from the bottle. Alternately, a two lumen needle may be employed where gas travels in one lumen and beverage travels in the other. Each lumen could have a separate entrance and exit, and the exits could be spaced from each other within the bottle to prevent circulation of gas. 
     Control of the system may be performed by any suitable control circuitry of the controller  34 , which may include a programmed general purpose computer and/or other data processing device along with suitable software or other operating instructions, one or more memories (including non-transient storage media that may store software and/or other operating instructions), a power supply for the control circuitry and/or other system components, temperature and liquid level sensors, pressure sensors, RFID interrogation devices or other machine readable indicia readers (such as those used to read and recognize alphanumeric text, barcodes, security inks, etc.), input/output interfaces (e.g., such as the user interface to display information to a user and/or receive input from a user), communication buses or other links, a display, switches, relays, triacs, motors, mechanical linkages and/or actuators, or other components necessary to perform desired input/output or other functions. 
     While aspects of the invention have been shown and described with reference to illustrative embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims.