Patent ID: 7395942

Claim:
A wine bottle closure apparatus that evacuates air from a wine bottle having a neck and bottle top with a bottle opening that communicates with a bottle interior, comprising: a) a hollow bulb structure that has a bulb interior, an enlarged diameter center section, opposed upper and lower smaller diameter sections, and tapered sections that extend from each of the upper and lower smaller diameter sections to the larger diameter section, the bulb structure having an inflated position with an overall maximum bulb height and two different collapsed bulb positions including a first collapsed bulb position that does not substantially alter the bulb height and a second collapsed bulb position that shortens the bulb height to a minimum bulb height, and wherein in the second collapsed position a part of the bulb enlarged diameter center section is folded downwardly and wherein there is no fold in between the center section and the upper smaller diameter section; b) a bottle closure plug that is sized and shaped to form a seal with the plug attaching to the lower section of the bulb, the closure plug having a bottom surface, an open ended air flow channel that communicates with the bulb interior, an upper opening and a lower opening at respective end portions of the channel; c) a first check valve mounted to an assembly of bulb structure and closure plug at a position that is next to the bulb structure lower section, the first check valve enabling air flow in an upward direction from the plug air passage to the bulb interior and disallowing substantial air flow in a downward direction from the bulb interior to the plug lower opening; d) a second check valve mounted to the bulb structure at a position next to the upper smaller diameter section; e) a bulb flow outlet carried by upper smaller diameter section; f) wherein the second check valve enables flow between the bulb interior and the bulb flow outlet; g) the bulb structure being a resilient structure having a memory so that when the bulb is squeezed, air is evacuated from the bulb interior via the bulb flow outlet and the bulb assumes the first collapsed positions that maintains maximum bulb height, subjecting the bulb interior to subatmospheric pressure; and h) wherein in the second collapsed bulb position, part of the larger diameter section of the bulb extends below the bottle top and to the level of the bottom surface of the closure plug.