Rotationally sealable wine dispenser that preserves wine quality when the dispenser is partially full

Abstract

A wine dispenser is disclosed that preserves wine by reducing oxidation when partially filled with wine. The dispenser includes: a bottle body having a uniform cross section; a piston disposed within the bottle body for pushing the wine therethrough; a drive member capable of pushing the piston along the bottle body; and a dispensing assembly attached to the dispensing end. The dispensing assembly includes: a shoulder having a wine flow channel, the wine being able to flow out only via the wine flow channel; a neck in sealable and rotatable relationship with the shoulder, the neck having a pouring end and a flow regulation end, the flow regulation end having at least one opening that can be rotated so as to permit or prevent wine flow in from the wine flow channel, through the at least one opening, and out through the pouring end, when pressure is applied to the piston.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wine dispenser that protects wine quality by reducing oxidation of wine when the dispenser is partially full, the dispenser comprising:
 a bottle body capable of containing wine, the bottle body having a piston-receiving end and a wine dispensing end, the bottle body having a uniform cross section between the piston-receiving end and the wine dispensing end;   a piston disposed within the piston-receiving end of the bottle body, the piston being capable of pushing the wine toward the wine dispensing end of the bottle body;   a drive member cooperative with the piston, the drive member being capable of pushing the piston along the bottle body; and   a dispensing assembly attached to the dispensing end of the bottle body, the dispensing assembly including:
 a shoulder sealed to the dispensing end of the bottle body, the shoulder having a wine flow channel therethrough, the wine being able to flow out from the bottle body only via the wine flow channel, the channel having a valve that is air-tight when pressure is the same on both sides, the valve also allowing wine to flow therethrough when under pressure from wine pushed towards it by the piston; and 
 a neck cooperative with the shoulder, the neck being in sealable and rotatable relationship with the shoulder, the neck having a pouring end and a flow regulation end,
 the flow regulation end having at least one opening that can be rotated into a position so as to permit wine to flow in from the wine flow channel through the at least one opening, and out through the pouring end of the neck, when pressure is applied to the piston via the drive member, and 
 the flow regulation end also being configured to be rotated into a position so as to prevent wine to flow in from the wine flow channel through the at least one opening, and out through the pouring end of the neck, when pressure is applied to the piston via the drive member. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The wine dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the valve is a diaphragm having at least one cut. 
     
     
         3 . The wine dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the valve is a diaphragm having a pair of perpendicular cuts. 
     
     
         4 . The wine dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the uniform cross section between the piston-receiving end and the wine dispensing end is one of:
 a circular shape, an oval shape, a rounded square shape.   
     
     
         5 . The wine dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the drive member is one of:
 a push rod, a telescoping rod, a pump.   
     
     
         6 . The wine dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the drive member includes a handle and a threaded shaft, the threaded shaft being attached to a threaded hole in the piston. 
     
     
         7 . The wine dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the piston includes first and second O-rings, the O-rings providing a seal between the bottle body and the piston. 
     
     
         8 . The wine dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the bottle body includes fill marks indicating volumes of wine stored therein. 
     
     
         9 . The wine dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the bottle body includes a temperature strip indicating surface temperature of the bottle body. 
     
     
         10 . The wine dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the drive member includes:
 at least one drive puck cooperative with the piston, the at least one drive puck providing a surface against which force may be applied so as to drive the piston along the bottle body.   
     
     
         11 . The wine dispenser of  claim 10 , further including:
 at least one additional drive puck that can cooperate with the at least one drive puck so as to form a plurality of interlocking drive pucks.