Bottle air evacuation system with stopper and vacuum pump

Abstract

A bottle air evacuation apparatus includes a stopper for a bottle with the stopper having a valve component associated with a central aperture through the stopper, along with a device for an upper portion of the stopper for actuating a vacuum pump device when the stopper is placed in a fixed receptor in a housing associated with the vacuum pump. The stopper acts to trigger an electrical sensor in the receptor and the housing is located within a wine storage facility, which can be a storage cabinet. The device for actuating the vacuum pump may be an inductive or conductive device and the stopper can be a resiliently compressible material. The conductive device is a metallic strip located about the exterior periphery of the stopper above the shoulder. The vacuum pump and the wine storage cabinet or freezer or refrigerator preferably share a common power supply.

1 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A bottle air evacuation apparatus, comprising:
 a stopper for a bottle with said stopper having a central aperture therethrough;   a valve component for the central aperture of said stopper; and,   means for actuating a vacuum pump when said stopper is placed in a fixed receptor in a housing for the vacuum pump.   
     
     
         15 . The bottle air evacuation apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein said means for actuating a vacuum pump is an inductive device. 
     
     
         16 . The bottle air evacuation apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein said means for actuating a vacuum pump is a conductive device. 
     
     
         17 . The bottle air evacuation apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein said stopper is made of a substantially resiliently compressible material. 
     
     
         18 . The bottle air evacuation apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein said stopper has a peripheral shoulder that, when said stopper is located within an opening of a bottle, is located above a rim of the bottle. 
     
     
         19 . The bottle air evacuation apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein said means for actuating a vacuum pump is a conductive device that includes a metallic strip located about an exterior periphery of said stopper above said peripheral shoulder. 
     
     
         20 . The bottle air evacuation apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein said valve component is an elongate opening provided in an upper interior surface of said stopper, so that the elongate opening closes in an absence of actuating the vacuum pump and the elongate opening opens when the vacuum pump is actuated.