Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02292029 2002-07-10
APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING A CORK FROM A BOTTLE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to devices for extracting corks from bottles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Corkscrew openers have been an invaluable tool for many years, and enable
content-preserving
elements such as corks to be removed from containers so that people may enjoy
their drinks.
A first prior art corkscrew is illustrated in Figure 1 and includes a handle
and a helical coil
secured to the handle to extract a cork from the bottle, a distal tip of the
coil must first be
centered in a top face of the cork, which in itself is not easy. If the
centering is not done correctly
it may lead to the coil penetrating a side of the cork whereby the cork may
disintegrate when
pulled by a user. Once centered, the coil must be screwed into the cork until
an appropriate depth
of the penetration is reached whereafter the corkscrew is pulled away the
bottle in the hope that
the cork accompanies it.
A second prior art corkscrew is illustrated in Figure 2 and includes a body, a
helical coil with a
handle at a top thereof, and two levers rotatably receiving the coil and
pivotally attached to the
body. The body has a circulax opening sized to abut a top of a neck of bottle,
yet through which a
cork can pass. In operation, the opening is mated with the top of the bottle
and the levers are
raised to an uppermost position. A distal tip of coil is placed on the center
of the cork and then
both downward and twisting forces are applied to the handle whereby the cork
is penetrated.
Once the required depth of penetration is reached, the handles are brought
downward whereby
distal tips thereof urge the top of the bottle and so the cork is usually
drawn out of the bottle.
Again inappropriate force on the cork may result in pushing it into the
bottle, and rotation or
disintegration of the cork.
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Furthermore, self pulling cork extractors are well-known in the art. For
example, the patent to
Allen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,673 (the "673 patent"), discloses an extractor
comprising a holder, an
elongated handle and a movable portion including a helical corkscrew. The
holder is provided to
engage the neck of a bottle (such as a wine bottle) and position and guide the
corkscrew into the
cork. The handle is designed to be attached to the top of the corkscrew and
extend radially
therefrom. The handle further includes an elongated arm having a formation on
the end distal the
corkscrew to engage a human finger and restrain such finger from outward
movement with
respect to the arm. The device is operated by driving the corkscrew, which has
a sharpened tip,
into the cork by rotating the corkscrew (by radially rotating the handle) and
simultaneously
applying downward pressure until the lip of the bottle abuts a "stop shoulder"
in the base of the
holder. Further rotation of the corkscrew, without further upward movement of
the bottle, will
draw the cork upwardly along the corkscrew, thereby extracting it from the
bottle.
Attempts have been made to provide a cork extractor which can be stored and
transported easily
and safely. For example, the handle of the '673 patent is removable and
contains a bore which is
adapted to be inserted through the lower end of the base and over the
corkscrew. While this
configuration provides for safe storage and transport, the elongated handle
exerts large angular
stress on the corkscrew during axial rotation, thereby causing excessive wear-
and-tear on the
aperture which guides the corkscrew and may result in difficulty in driving
the corkscrew
straight into the cork.
The Entwistle patent (U.S. Pat. No. Des. 364,324) also illustrates a cork
extractor of the self
pulling type which comprises a guide member having a separable handle from
which the worm
extends. An aperture is located in the upper portion of the guide member
through which the
worm is inserted. Cutting wheels are located on the inner surface of the lower
portion of the
guide member just below the reaction surface of the guide member, which assist
in removing the
foil from the bottle. The handle is stored in the guide member in the same
manner in which it is
positioned during use, leaving the sharp tip of the worm disadvantageously
exposed.
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The Delisle patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,663) discloses a corkscrew worm that
is encased during
transport and storage, thereby minimizing risk to the user. However, this
corkscrew is not of the
self pulling type but rather relies on fulcrum created with the neck of the
bottle for cork
extraction.
Thus, there is a long an unfulfilled need fox a corkscrew which is easy to
use, and prevents
damage to the cork when being removed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for extracting a
cork from a bottle.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention there is provided an
apparatus for
extracting a cork from a bottle, said apparatus comprising: a corkscrew unit
having a handle at a
first end, a cork engaging means at a second end and a helical shaped member
therebetween; and
an elongated tubular member having two open ends, at least one end adapted for
receiving a
bottle's neck, each of said open ends having a cross sectional area greater
than or equal to a
cork's cross sectional area, thereby enabling a cork to pass therethrough;
wherein during use of
the apparatus, rotation of the corkscrew unit, the cork translates along the
helical shaped member
towards the handle end of the corkscrew unit, wherein upon contact between the
elongated
tubular member and the handle, a bearing pressure is exerted upon the bottle
thereby enabling the
extraction of the cork from the bottle.
An object of the present invention is to provide a bottle opener which is easy
to use.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a bottle opener which
provides easy of
access to a cork once removed from a bottle.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a bottle opener which
is less prone to
damage after continued use.
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CA 02292029 2002-07-10
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
Figure 1 is a side view of a first prior art bottle opener.
Figure 2 is a side view of a second prior art bottle opener.
Figure 3 is a side view of a bottle opener according to one embodiment of the
present invention.
Figure 4 is a side view of the components of a bottle opener according to one
embodiment of the
present invention, during one phase of the cork removal process.
Figure 5 is a side view of the components of a bottle opener according to one
embodiment of the
present invention, during another phase of the cork removal process.
Figure 6 is a side view of the components of a bottle opener according to one
embodiment of the
present invention, upon removal of a cork from a bottle.
Figure 7 is a side view of another embodiment of the bottle opener according
to the present
invention.
Figure 8 is a side view of another embodiment of the bottle opener according
to the present
invention.
Figure 9 is a cross sectional view of the handle according to one embodiment
of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a cork extraction device comprising a
corkscrew unit and an
elongated tubular member. The cork extraction device enables the removal of a
cork from a
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bottle and additionally enables easy removal of the cork from the device upon
its removal from a
bottle. The corkscrew unit comprises a helical shaped member, wherein one end
of the helical
shaped member has a handle connected thereto and the opposite end of the
helical shaped
member is adapted for ease of penetration of a cork. The elongated tubular
member has two
open ends wherein one end is adapted such that the member can be placed over
the neck of a
bottle and rest on the shoulders thereof. The opposite end of the elongated
tubular member is
adapted for the insertion of the corkscrew unit. The internal cross sectional
area of the elongated
tubular member is sufficient to allow a cork to pass therethrough and exit at
either of the open
ends. This feature enables the separation of the corkscrew unit and the
elongated tubular
member when the corkscrew unit has a cork attached thereto. The user is then
able to easily
restrain the cork during its removal from the corkscrew unit.
Corkscrew Llnat
The corkscrew unit comprises a helical shaped member, wherein one end of the
helical shaped
member has a handle connected thereto and the opposite end of the helical
shaped member is
adapted for ease of penetration of a cork during use.
In one embodiment of the invention, the handle, which is rigidly connected to
one end of the
helical shaped member, is attached transverse to the longitudinal direction of
the helix. The
handle provides a means for a user to rotate the corkscrew unit during use of
the device of the
present invention, in addition to providing a mechanical advantage during
operation as would be
known to a worker skilled in the art.
The end of the helical shaped member opposite the handle is adapted for ease
of penetration of
the cork during use of the device. This end of the helical shaped member can
be manufactured
such that a point or a knife edge is formed, for example. Any other type of
shape which provides
for the ease of penetration of the cork by the helical shaped member during
use may be formed at
the end of the helical shaped member, as would be known to a worker skilled in
the art.
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The length of the helical shaped member is sufficient such that upon the use
of the device of the
present invention, the cork is sufficiently penetrated such that the
application of a force for
removal of the cork, generally speaking, will not fracture the cork during
extraction. For
example, if an insufficient portion of the cork has not been penetrated the
helical shaped member
may be pulled from the cork without extracting of the cork from the bottle.
The helical shaped member can be fabricated from a number of different
materials including
metal, alloys, stainless steel, plastic or any other material as would be
known to a worker skilled
in the art, however the helical shaped member must have sufficient strength to
transmit the
extraction force to the cork in order to withdraw the cork from a bottle. In
addition, the handle
of the corkscrew unit can be fabricated from one or a combination of a
plurality of materials
including metal, wood, alloys, plastic, carbon fibre, fibreglass, brass,
silver or any other material
as would be known to a worker skilled in the art. In choosing the material
from which each
component of the corkscrew unit is made the selection can be based on for
example, strength,
cost, durability or any other criteria as would be known to a worker skilled
in the art.
In one embodiment of the invention, the helical shaped member can be coated
with a material
having a low frictional coefficient in order to assist the passage o:f the
helical shaped member
through a cork. For example, the helical shaped member can be coated with
TeflonTM or any
other appropriate substance as would be known to a worker skilled in the art.
In one embodiment of the invention, the corkscrew unit may be fabricated with
ornamental
features, for example, an ornamental handle as illustrated in Figure 8. As an
example, the handle
of the corkscrew unit can be a cylindrical shape having indentations at the
ends for placement of
the fingers for example, during use. T'he handle may optionally be an oval,
rectangular or any
other shape, as would be known to a worker skilled in the art.
Elongated Tubular Member
The elongated tubular member has two open ends wherein one end is adapted such
that the
member can be placed over the neck of a bottle and rest on the shoulders
thereof. The opposite
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CA 02292029 2002-07-10
end of the elongated tubular member is adapted for the insertion of the
corkscrew unit. The
internal cross sectional area of the elongated tubular member is sufficient to
allow a cork to pass
therethrough and exit at either of the open ends. In this manner, the cork,
upon its extraction
from a bottle, can be easily removed from the corkscrew unit without having
the elongated
tubular member hindering the process.
In one embodiment, the elongated tubular member is fabricated such that either
of its open ends
may be placed over the neck of a bottle. Optionally, each end of the elongated
tubular member is
fabricated for a particular purpose, for example a first end is designed for
the insertion of a bottle
neck and the opposite end is designed for the insertion of the corkscrew unit.
However, in each
of these embodiments, the cross sectional area of both of the open ends is
sufficient for a cork to
pass therethrough.
In one embodiment of the invention, the external cross sectional shape of the
elongated tubular
member can have any of a plurality of shapes, for example, circular, square,
rectangular,
elliptical or any other shape as would be known to a worker skilled in the
art. The internal cross
sectional shape of the elongated tubular member can similarly be any of a
plurality of different
shapes. However, the internal cross sectional dimensions of the elongated
tubular member are
selected such that a neck of a bottle may inserted within the tubular member
and rest on the
shoulders thereof. Additionally, the internal cross section must be selected
such that a cork may
travel along the length of the member and exit at either end of the elongated
tubular member.
The length of the elongated tubular member must be of sufficient length such
that the handle of
the corkscrew unit can remain in contact with the elongated tubular member
upon the complete
extraction of a cork from a bottle. As would be known to a worker skilled in
the art, the length
of the elongated tubular member may be different depending on the dimensions
of a bottle and
the dimensions of a cork.
The elongated tubular member can be fabricated from one or a combination of a
plurality of
materials including metal, wood, alloys, plastic, carbon fibre, fibreglass,
brass, silver or any other
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material as would be known to a worker skilled in the art. The selection of an
appropriate
material or combination of materials can be based on for example, strength,
cost, durability or
any other criteria as would be known to a worker skilled in the art.
In one embodiment of the invention, the elongated tubular member can be a
cylindrical tube as
illustrated in Figure 3. In this embodiment, either of the open ends of the
cylindrical tube may be
inserted over the neck of the bottle.
In another embodiment of the invention, the elongated tubular member can have
a changing
cross section over its length as illustrated in Figure 7. In this example, the
elongated tubular
member must be oriented in a particular manner in order for the device to
operate.
In one embodiment of the invention, the elongated tubular member may be
fabricated with
ornamental features, as illustrated in Figure 8, for example.
Use of the Cork Extraction Device
During use of the cork extraction device, the following method can be applied
for the removal of
a cork from a bottle. Initially, the elongated tubular member is placed over
the neck of a bottle
such that one end rests on the shoulders of the bottle. The corkscrew unit is
subsequently
inserted into the open end of the elongated tubular member, such that the end
of the helical
shaped member which is adapted for cork penetration makes contact with the
cork within the
bottle. The handle of the corkscrew unit is subsequently rotated such that the
helical shaped
member commences penetration of the cork. During rotation of the corkscrew
unit the handle
translates towards the elongated tube. Upon contact between the handle and the
elongated
tubular member a bearing force is applied to the shoulders of the bottle and
translated through
the helical shaped member to the cork, thereby extracting the cork from the
bottle during
continued rotation of the handle. Upon the complete extraction of the cork
from the bottle, the
corkscrew unit, with the cork attached, is removed from the elongated tubular
member. The user
can subsequently restrain the cork and rotate the corkscrew unit such that the
cork is removed
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from the corkscrew member. In this manner, the user is able to restrain the
cork for removal
from the corkscrew unit, without the elongated tubular member hindering this
action.
EXAMPLES:
Example 1.
In one embodiment of the present invention and with reference to Figure 3, the
elongated tubular
member 10 comprises a first end 20 representing the bottle receiving end and a
second end 30
representing the corkscrew unit receiving end. The elongated tubular member
(ETM) 10 may
have a circular, rectangular, square or triangular shape that has an inner
diameter greater or equal
to the diameter of the neck of commonly used bottles. The ETM 10 may also have
an opening
60 in the central region, wherein this opening 60 may permit viewing of the
top of the bottle 50
or the cork, for example. The ETM 10 is positioned on the shoulders 40 of a
bottle 50 such that
the bottle receiving end 20 is in contact with the shoulders 40. The corkscrew
unit 70 comprises
a helical shaped member 80, having a cork engaging end (cork end) 90 adapted
for easy
penetration of a cork and an opposite end having a handle 100. The handle
further comprises a
recess 110 centered at the connection point between the helical shaped member
80 and the
handle 100.
In one embodiment of the invention and with reference to Figure 4, the
corkscrew unit 70 is
positioned over the ETM 10 and the cork end 90 is inserted into the corkscrew
receiving end 30
of the ETM 10. The corkscrew unit 70 is lowered into the ETM 10 until the cork
end 90 makes
contact with the cork 120. Once the cork end 90 has made contact with the cork
120, rotation of
the handle 100 engages the cork end 90 thereby penetrating the cork 120.
During continued
rotation of the handle 100, the cork end 90 travels through the cork 120 and
simultaneously the
handle 100 travels towards the corkscrew receiving end 30 of the ETM 10. The
translation of the
handle 100 will continue until the recess 110 within the handle 110 makes
contact with the
corkscrew receiving end 30 of the ETM 10.
In one embodiment and with reference to Figure 5, the recess 110 abuts the
corkscrew receiving
end 30 and stabilizes the movement of the helical shaped member 80 during
rotation. Upon
CA 02292029 2002-07-10
continuous rotation at this stage, the cork 120 will travels towards the
handle 100 of the
corkscrew unit 70 along the helical shaped member 80. Upon sufficient rotation
of the handle
100, the cork 120 will have traveled a distance along the length of the
helical shaped member 80
such that the cork 120 is extracted from the bottle 50.
In one embodiment and with reference to Figure 6, the cork 120 is
interconnected with the
helical shaped member 80 and is removed from the bottle S0. The corkscrew unit
70 may be
removed from the ETM 10 by pulling the handle 100 away from the ETM 10 until
the cork end
90 of the corkscrew unit 70 clears the corkscrew receiving end 30 of the ETM
10. Thus the user
is provided with easy access to the cork 120, thereby providing ease of
removal of the cork 120
from the helical shaped member 80 without the ETM 10 hindering this process.
Exarhple IL~
In one embodiment and with reference to Figure 7, the ETM 10 has a first end
20 and a second
end 30, wherein the first end 20 is the bottle receiving means and the second
end 30 is corkscrew
receiving means. The ETM 10 additionally has an opening 60 which may permit
viewing of the
top of the bottle 50 or the cork, for example. The ETM 10 has a circular
hollow body wherein
the cross sectional diameter at the ETM 10 changes over its length. In this
embodiment, the
bottle receiving end is larger than the diameter at the corkscrew receiving
end 30, however, the
inner diameter of the ETM 10 is at least equal to or greater than the diameter
of a cork thereby
allowing a cork to travel along the entire length of the ETM 10 anal exit at
either end thereof.
In one embodiment and with further reference to Figure 7, the helical shaped
member 80 has a
cork end 90 and a handle 100 wherein a cap 130 is positioned on the handle
100. The cap 130
meshes with the second end 30 of the ETM 10 and provides stability of the
corkscrew unit 70
during rotation of the handle 100. Guides 140 are also located within the
inner diameter of the
ETM 10, in order to guide the helical shaped member 80 towards the cork 120
prior to contact
with the cork.
Example IIL
11
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In one embodiment and with reference to Figure 8, the shape of the handle 100
and the ETM 10
may be modified to have a stylish appearance. As illustrated in Figure 8, the
handle has a
cylindrical shaped middle portion and the ends of the handle have recesses
therein. These
recesses may be concave shapes for example, which may provide for easy
gripping of the handle
by the user. Additionally, as illustrated in Figure 8, the elongated tubular
member may be
designed having a plurality of external cross sectional area changes thereby
creating a potentially
more attractive design.
Example IV~
In one embodiment and with reference to Figure 9, vaxious other embodiments of
the handle 100
may be utilized. The handle 100 may incorporate a cap 150 which rests on the
second end 20 of
the ETM 10. The cap 160 has a first extended member 160 which surrounds the
external
perimeter of the second end 20 of the ETM 10. In accordance with this
embodiment, during the
rotation of the corkscrew unit 70 the cap 150 typically remains stationary. In
another
embodiment of the invention, the cap 150 may further comprise a second
extended member
which can fit within the internal cross section of the second end 20 of the
ETM 10. This second
extended member can be envisioned as a plug type of member. Optionally, the
cap may
comprise either the first extended member or the second extended member.
All dimensions included in the drawings should only be considered as an
embodiment of the
present invention and slight variations from these dimensions do not fall
outside the scope of the
present invention. While the foregoing description has shown and described the
fundamental
features as applied to the preferred embodiment of the bottle opener of the
present invention, it
will be understood by those skilled in the art that modification embodied in
various forms may
be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
12
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