Wine dispenser having a slidable pouring neck that protects unpoured wine from oxidation by preventing air from entering the dispenser when partially full

Abstract

A wine dispenser is disclosed that protects unpoured wine from oxidation due to exposure to air within the dispenser. The dispenser includes a dispenser body having a piston disposed within, the piston being of a weight so as to move toward the dispensing end of the dispenser body when the dispenser is tilted downward, causing wine to be dispensed via a dispensing assembly. The dispensing assembly includes a lid having a wine flow channel that provides a path for wine to flow out of the dispenser body, and a unidirectional flow valve that is biased in a closed air-tight state to prevent air from entering the dispenser body via the wine flow channel, unless the unidirectional flow valve is forced into an open state, thereby allowing wine to flow out from the dispenser body via the wine flow channel, and then out of the dispenser via a pouring neck.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wine dispenser that protects unpoured wine from oxidation, the wine dispenser comprising:
 a dispenser body configured to contain wine, the dispenser body having a piston-stop end and a wine dispensing end, the dispenser body having a portion of uniform cross section between the piston-stop end and the wine dispensing end;   a piston disposed within the dispenser body, the piston being configured to move along the portion of uniform cross section toward the wine dispensing end of the dispenser body when wine is dispensed; and   a dispensing assembly attached to the wine dispensing end of the dispenser body, the dispensing assembly including:
 a lid sealed to the wine dispensing end of the dispenser body, the lid having a wine flow channel that provides a path for wine to flow out from the dispenser body, and the lid having a cylinder that surrounds the wine flow channel and extends coaxially from the lid; 
 a unidirectional flow valve, the unidirectional flow valve being attached to the lid so as to be cooperative with the wine flow channel, the unidirectional flow valve being biased in a closed air-tight state so as to prevent flow of air into the dispenser body via the wine flow channel, the unidirectional flow valve also being configured to allow wine to flow out from the dispenser body via the wine flow channel; 
 a pouring neck, the pouring neck having a pouring end and a receiving end, the receiving end being configured to receive any wine that flows out from the dispenser body via the wine flow channel, and guide the wine so as to exit the pouring neck via the pouring end; and 
 a shoulder attached circumferentially to the lid, a portion of the pouring neck between the pouring end and the receiving end being in slidable relationship with the shoulder, 
 the receiving end including at least one sliding sealing ring, the receiving end being in slidable sealable relationship within the cylinder of the lid, 
 the shoulder and the cylinder of the lid configured so as to cooperatively guide the receiving end of the pouring neck towards the unidirectional flow valve so as to be pressed against the unidirectional flow valve, thereby sealing the wine dispenser. 
   
     
     
         2 . The wine dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein a bottom surface of the receiving end of the pouring neck is configured to substantially match a top surface of the unidirectional flow valve, thereby ensuring that the unidirectional flow valve is securely sealed when the receiving end of the pouring neck presses against the unidirectional flow valve. 
     
     
         3 . The wine dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the piston is of a weight sufficient to cause the piston to move towards the wine dispensing end of the dispenser body when the dispenser body is tilted downward, if the unidirectional flow valve is free to enter an open state. 
     
     
         4 . The wine dispenser of  claim 3 , wherein the weight of the piston is between 0.5 pounds to 2.0 pounds. 
     
     
         5 . The wine dispenser of  claim 3 , wherein the weight of the piston is at least 1.0 pound and no more than 1.5 pounds. 
     
     
         6 . The wine dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the piston includes at least one sliding sealing ring, the piston and the sliding sealing ring being sized so as to slidably seal the piston-stop end of the dispenser body. 
     
     
         7 . The wine dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the piston includes two sliding sealing rings, the piston and the sliding sealing rings being sized so as to slidably seal the piston-stop end of the dispenser body. 
     
     
         8 . The wine dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the lid sealed to the wine dispensing end of the dispenser body is sealed via a stationary sealing ring.