BEVERAGE CONTAINER STOPPER AND PRESSURIZATION SYSTEM

Abstract

A stopper for closing sparkling and other non-pressurized beverage containers. A stopper body may have a carrier member and lip engagement member arranged for sliding movement relative to each other and relative to the stopper body. The lip engagement member may be arranged to engage with a lip of a container neck, and be resiliently biased to move toward the carrier member to provide a seal-forming force on a sealing surface of the stopper body. The stopper may be arranged to introduce gas into the container, e.g., to re-pressurize the container to keep a carbonation level of beverage during storage.

Claims

1. A stopper for use with a beverage container having a neck, an opening at the neck to access an interior space of the container, and a lip on an outer surface of the neck, the stopper comprising: a stopper body having a sealing surface arranged to contact and form a seal with a portion of the neck around the opening; a carrier member mounted for sliding movement relative to the stopper body; and a lip engagement member including a pawl mounted for pivotal movement between a lip engaging position for engaging with the lip on the container neck and a release position, the lip engagement member being mounted for sliding movement relative to the stopper body and relative to the carrier member, the lip engagement member being resiliently biased for movement toward the carrier member by a first resilient element.

2. The stopper of claim 1, wherein the lip engagement member is arranged for sliding movement to move the pawl toward and away from the sealing surface.

3. The stopper of claim 1, wherein the carrier member and the lip engagement member are arranged for sliding movement in directions toward and away from the stopper body.

4. The stopper of claim 3, wherein movement of the carrier member toward the stopper body urges the pawl to move toward the sealing surface.

5. The stopper of claim 3, wherein the carrier member is resiliently biased to move away from the stopper body by a second resilient element.

6. The stopper of claim 5, further comprising a carrier drive arranged to move the carrier member relative to the stopper body.

7. The stopper of claim 6, wherein the carrier drive includes a cam and cam follower arranged to move the carrier member relative to the stopper body based on rotation of the cam.

8. The stopper of claim 7, wherein the cam is pivotally mounted to the stopper body for rotation, and the cam follower is arranged on the carrier member, the carrier drive including a handle attached to the cam and arranged for movement by a user to rotate the cam.

9. The stopper of claim 8, wherein the handle is movable between a closed position, an intermediate position and an open position, the intermediate position being between the open and closed positions, and wherein with the handle in the open position, the carrier member and the lip engagement member are positioned away from the stopper body and the pawl is in the release position to receive the container neck, and wherein movement of the handle from the open position to the closed position moves the pawl to the lip engaging position and moves the carrier member and the lip engagement member toward the stopper body, movement of the lip engagement member toward the stopper body continuing until the pawl engages with the lip and the sealing surface engages with the portion of the neck around the opening whereupon the carrier member continues movement toward the stopper body and away from the lip engagement member against urging of the first resilient element but the lip engagement member ceases movement toward the stopper body.

10. The stopper of claim 1, wherein sliding movement of the lip engagement member away from the stopper body moves the pawl from the lip engaging position to the release position, and movement of the lip engagement member toward the stopper body moves the pawl from the release position to the lip engaging position.

11. The stopper of claim 10, wherein the stopper body includes a sidewall that defines a cavity into which the neck of the container is received, the sidewall including an opening into which the pawl extends in the lip engaging position to engage with the lip of the container.

12. The stopper of claim 11, wherein the pawl is spring biased to move toward the lip engaging position and movement of the lip engagement member away from the stopper body causes a portion of the sidewall at the opening to contact the pawl and move the pawl to the release position against the spring bias.

13. The stopper of claim 1, wherein the stopper body includes a cup-shaped body having a sidewall that defines a cavity and an opening at a lower end to receive the neck of the container into the cavity, and wherein the sealing surface is located in the cavity at a side opposite the opening.

14. The stopper of claim 13, wherein the lip engagement member includes a sleeve positioned around the sidewall of the stopper body and slidably movable relative to the stopper body.

15. The stopper of claim 14, wherein the pawl is pivotally mounted to the sleeve.

16. The stopper of claim 15, wherein the carrier member includes a ring positioned around the sidewall of the stopper body and slidably movable relative to the stopper body.

17. The stopper of claim 16, wherein the carrier member includes a guide along which the sleeve of the lip engagement member is movable relative to the carrier member, the guide including the first resilient element in the form of a spring arranged to bias the sleeve to move toward the ring.

18. The stopper of claim 1, wherein the stopper body includes a gas pathway arranged to introduce pressurized gas into the container, the gas pathway extending from a top of the stopper body to a location adjacent the sealing surface.

19. The stopper of claim 1, further comprising a handle arranged for movement by a user to move the carrier member and the lip engagement member relative to the stopper body.

20. The stopper of claim 19, wherein the handle is movable between a closed position, an intermediate position and an open position, the intermediate position being between the open and closed positions, and wherein with the handle in the open position, the carrier member and the lip engagement member are positioned away from the stopper body and the pawl is in the release position to receive the container neck, and wherein movement of the handle from the open position to the closed position moves the pawl to the lip engaging position and moves the carrier member and the lip engagement member toward the stopper body, movement of the lip engagement member toward the stopper body continuing until the pawl engages with the lip and the sealing surface engages with the portion of the neck around the opening to form the seal whereupon the carrier member continues movement toward the stopper body and away from the lip engagement member against urging of the first resilient element but the lip engagement member ceases movement toward the stopper body.

21. The stopper of claim 20, wherein movement of the handle from the closed position to the intermediate position causes the carrier member and the lip engagement member to move away from the stopper body such that the seal is broken but the pawl remains in the lip engaging position.

22. A stopper for use with a beverage container having a neck, an opening at the neck to access an interior space of the container, and a lip on an outer surface of the neck, the stopper comprising: a stopper body having a sealing surface arranged to contact and form a seal with a portion of the neck around the opening; a lip engagement member including a pawl mounted for pivotal movement between a lip engaging position for engaging with the lip on the container neck and a release position, the lip engagement member being mounted for sliding movement relative to the stopper body; and a handle pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis to the stopper body and movable between a closed position, an intermediate position and an open position, the intermediate position being between the open and closed positions, movement of the handle relative to the stopper body causing movement of the lip engagement member toward and away from the stopper body, wherein with the handle in the open position, the lip engagement member is positioned away from the stopper body and the pawl is in the release position to receive the container neck, wherein with the handle in the closed position the pawl is in the lip engaging position and the lip engagement member is positioned toward the stopper body to urge the sealing surface to engage with the portion of the neck around the opening to form the seal, and wherein movement of the handle from the closed position to the intermediate position causes the lip engagement member to move away from the stopper body such that the seal is broken but the pawl remains in the lip engaging position to prevent removal of the stopper from the container.

23. The stopper of claim 22, further comprising a carrier member mounted for sliding movement relative to the stopper body, wherein the lip engagement member is slidably movable relative to the carrier member and is resiliently biased for movement toward the carrier member by a first resilient element.

24. The stopper of claim 23, wherein movement of the handle causes movement of the carrier member toward and away from the stopper body.

25. The stopper of claim 24, wherein movement of the carrier member toward the stopper body urges the pawl to move toward the sealing surface.

26. The stopper of claim 24, wherein the carrier member is resiliently biased to move away from the stopper body by a second resilient element.

27. The stopper of claim 26, further comprising a cam and cam follower arranged to move the carrier member relative to the stopper body based on rotation of the cam, wherein the cam is coupled to the handle.

28. The stopper of claim 27, wherein the cam is pivotally mounted to the stopper body for rotation, and the cam follower is arranged on the carrier member.

29. The stopper of claim 28, wherein with the handle in the open position, the carrier member and the lip engagement member are positioned away from the stopper body and the pawl is in the release position to receive the container neck, and wherein movement of the handle from the open position to the closed position moves the pawl to the lip engaging position and moves the carrier member and the lip engagement member toward the stopper body, movement of the lip engagement member toward the stopper body continuing until the pawl engages with the lip and the sealing surface engages with the portion of the neck around the opening whereupon the carrier member continues movement toward the stopper body and away from the lip engagement member against urging of the first resilient element but the lip engagement member ceases movement toward the stopper body.

30. The stopper of claim 22, wherein the stopper body includes a sidewall that defines a cavity into which the neck of the container is received, the sidewall including an opening into which the pawl extends in the lip engaging position to engage with the lip of the container.

31. The stopper of claim 31, wherein the pawl is spring biased to move toward the lip engaging position and movement of the lip engagement member away from the stopper body causes a portion of the sidewall at the opening to contact the pawl and move the pawl to the release position against the spring bias.

32. The stopper of claim 22, wherein the stopper body includes a cup-shaped body having a sidewall that defines a cavity and an opening at a lower end to receive the neck of the container into the cavity, and wherein the sealing surface is located in the cavity at a side opposite the opening.

33. The stopper of claim 32, wherein the lip engagement member includes a sleeve positioned around the sidewall of the stopper body and slidably movable relative to the stopper body.

34. The stopper of claim 33, wherein the pawl is pivotally mounted to the sleeve.

35. The stopper of claim 34, further comprising a guide along which the sleeve of the lip engagement member is movable relative to the stopper body, the guide including a spring arranged to bias the sleeve to move toward the stopper body.

36. The stopper of claim 22, wherein the stopper body includes a gas pathway arranged to introduce pressurized gas into the container, the gas pathway extending from a top of the stopper body to a location adjacent the sealing surface.

37. The stopper of claim 36, further comprising a gas supply adapted to fluidly couple to the gas pathway and provide pressurized gas to the gas pathway.

38. The stopper of claim 37, wherein the gas pathway includes a one-way valve that permits flow in the gas pathway into the container, and resists flow from the container.

39. A stopper for use with a beverage container having a neck, an opening at the neck to access an interior space of the container, and a lip on an outer surface of the neck, the stopper comprising: a stopper body having a sealing surface arranged to contact and form a seal with a portion of the neck around the opening; a lip engagement member including a pawl configured to engage with the lip on the container neck; and a first resilient element to cause the sealing surface to resiliently engage with the portion of the neck around the opening; wherein the stopper is configured to seal the interior space of the container closed when the stopper body is at a rest position and the first resilient element causes the sealing surface to resiliently engage with the portion of the neck around the opening, and is configured to at least partially disengage the sealing surface from the portion of the neck around the opening and vent the interior space in response to manipulation of the stopper body from the rest position relative to the container while the first resilient element causes the sealing surface to resiliently engage with the portion of the neck around the opening.

40. The stopper of claim 39, wherein the stopper body includes a cup-shaped body having a sidewall that defines a cavity and an opening at a lower end to receive the neck of the container into the cavity, and wherein the sealing surface is located in the cavity at a side opposite the opening.

41. The stopper of claim 40, wherein the lip engagement member includes a sleeve positioned around the sidewall of the stopper body and slidably movable relative to the stopper body.

42. The stopper of claim 41, wherein the pawl is pivotally mounted to the sleeve.

43. The stopper of claim 42, further comprising a guide along which the sleeve of the lip engagement member is movable relative to the stopper body, the guide including the first resilient element arranged to bias the sleeve to move toward the stopper body.

44. The stopper of claim 39, wherein the container has a longitudinal axis and manipulation of the stopper body includes rotating the stopper body about an axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

45. The stopper of claim 39, further comprising a handle mounted to the stopper body and arranged for movement by a user to move the lip engagement member relative to the stopper body.

46. The stopper of claim 45, wherein the handle is coupled to the lip engagement member via a carrier member mounted for sliding movement relative to the stopper body and the first resilient element.

47. The stopper of claim 46, wherein movement of the handle from an open position to a closed position moves the carrier member upwardly relative to the sealing surface, which upward movement of the carrier member causes the first resilient element to resiliently bias the lip engagement member to move upwardly relative to the sealing surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Aspects of the invention are described with reference to various embodiments, and to the figures, which include:

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a stopper in an illustrative embodiment;

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the FIG. 1 stopper with the handle in the open position;

[0025] FIG. 3 shows a bottom perspective view of the FIG. 1 stopper showing a container neck receiving cavity;

[0026] FIG. 4 shows a cross sectional view of the stopper along the line 4-4 in FIG. 1;

[0027] FIG. 5 shows a cross sectional view of the stopper along the line 5-5 in FIG. 1;

[0028] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the stopper with the outer housing and handle removed;

[0029] FIG. 7 shows the stopper of FIG. 6 with a sleeve portion of the lip engagement member removed;

[0030] FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the sleeve element of the lip engagement member;

[0031] FIG. 9 shows the stopper of FIG. 6 with a sleeve portion of the lip engagement member and the carrier member removed; and

[0032] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of the carrier member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Aspects of the invention are described below with reference to illustrative embodiments, but it should be understood that aspects of the invention are not to be construed narrowly in view of the specific embodiments described. Thus, aspects of the invention are not limited to the embodiments described herein. It should also be understood that various aspects of the invention may be used alone and/or in any suitable combination with each other, and thus various embodiments should not be interpreted as requiring any particular combination or combinations of features. Instead, one or more features of the embodiments described may be combined with any other suitable features of other embodiments.

[0034] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a stopper 1 for use with a container 5, such as a container 5 that holds a sparkling beverage and that initially has a cork or other closure that seals an opening 51 of the container 5. Thus, the cork or other closure may be removed from the opening 51 to allow pouring of beverage from the container and the stopper 1 may be used to re-seal or close the opening 51. As discussed more below, the stopper 1 may permit the interior space of the container 5 to be pressurized, e.g., so that a carbonated beverage may remain carbonated during storage with the stopper 1, but this is not required. As is the case with many sparkling and other wine bottles, the neck of the container includes a lip 52 below the opening 51 that is used to engage with a metal cap and wire retainer or other component that helps keep the cork or other closure in the opening 51. With the cork retainer and the cork or other closure removed as shown in FIG. 2, the opening 51 of the container 5 is open for dispensing beverage. Thereafter, the stopper 1 may be engaged with the container 5 to seal the opening 51 closed as shown in FIG. 1, and later removed as shown in FIG. 2 to permit further dispensing of beverage from the container 5.

[0035] In this embodiment, the stopper 1 includes a handle 41 that can be moved between a closed position shown in FIG. 1 and an open position shown in FIG. 2. With the handle 41 in the closed position, the stopper 1 may be secured to the container 5 so that the stopper 1 cannot be removed and so that the opening 51 is sealed closed, e.g., to hold a pressure in the container above ambient. With the stopper 1 secured to the container 5, pressurized gas may be introduced into the container 5 via a gas inlet port 14, e.g., pressurized CO2 or other gas may be introduced into the container to pressurize the interior space of the container 5. The stopper 1 may include a pressure indicator 19, such as a colored light, numerical display, or other indicator that provides an indication of pressure in the container 5. For example, the pressure indicator 19 may indicate a red light when pressure in the container 5 is below threshold, and a green light when the pressure is above the threshold. In some cases, the pressure indicator 19 may provide no light indication (neither red nor green) when the pressure in the container is at or around ambient, which is also the case when the stopper 1 is not engaged with a container 5. The stopper 1 may include a vent feature to release pressure in the interior space of the container 5 above a threshold, e.g., to prevent storage of the container 5 with a higher than desired pressure in case too much pressurized gas is introduced into the container. With the handle 41 in the open position, the stopper 1 can be removed from the container 5 to allow pouring from the container 5, and to allow the stopper 1 to be placed onto a container neck. In accordance with an aspect of the invention and as described more below, the handle 41 may be moved to an intermediate position between the closed and open positions whereby the seal between the stopper 1 and the container opening 51 is broken, but the stopper 1 remains secured to the container 5 so the stopper 1 cannot be removed. This may allow the interior space of the container 5 to be vented of any internal pressure (e.g., ambient pressure can be established in the interior space) while minimizing risk that the stopper 1 will be forcibly ejected from the container 5 by escaping gas. In some embodiments, the interior space of the container can be vented without moving the handle 41, e.g., while the handle 41 remains in the closed position. As described more below, some stopper configurations can allow the stopper to be manipulated relative to the container while the stopper is engaged with the container so that a sealing surface that establishes a seal with a portion of the container at the opening 51 momentarily or otherwise breaks sufficient contact with a portion of the container so that pressure in the interior space can be vented. In some cases, the stopper 1 can be manipulated by tilting or rotating the stopper 1 about an axis that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the container (e.g., the longitudinal axis can be along to a direction in which a cork or other closure is inserted/removed from the opening 51 of the container and/or along a direction in which the container neck is received by the stopper 1). Tilting or rotating of the stopper 1 can cause a sealing surface to lose contact or reduce a contact force with the container so that a seal with the container is at least partially broken to allow pressure to escape from the container. This can allow pressure release or other venting of the container without taking any action to disengage the stopper from the container, and thus may reduce risk that the stopper will disengage entirely from the container while pressure is held in the interior space.

[0036] FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of the stopper 1 and illustrates a stopper body 10 located within the outer housing 2 of the stopper 1 that includes an opening 11 to provide access to a cavity 12 defined by a sidewall 16 of the body 10. The neck of a container 5 can be received into the cavity 12 so that the stopper 1 can engage with the container 5 to seal the opening 51 closed. In some embodiments, one or more pawls 31 may engage with the lip 52 of the container 5 to secure the stopper 1 to the container 5 as well as urge a sealing surface 13 at a side of the cavity 12 opposite the opening 11 into contact with a portion of the neck around the opening 51 of the container 5 to form a seal with the container 5. An insert 18 of the stopper body 10 may be inserted into the opening 51 of the container 5, e.g., to help stabilize the stopper 1 relative to the container 5, help form a seal with the container 5 such as by sealingly engaging with an inner surface of the container neck, and/or to position components of the stopper 1 such as a pressure sensor inside the container 5. In some cases, the insert 18 may be sized and/or shaped to allow the stopper 1 to be tilted or otherwise moved relative to the container to allow venting of the interior space of the container while the stopper is engaged with the container. For example, the insert 18 may be suitably small in diameter and/or length to allow tilting of the stopper without contact or other interference by the insert 18 with the interior surface of the container. The insert 18 may include a gas outlet through which pressurized gas introduced at the gas inlet 14 is introduced into the container interior space, a vent to release high pressure from the interior space, or other components. For example, FIGS. 4 and 5 show a check valve 15 in the gas pathway near the gas outlet that permits flow from the gas inlet 14 into the container 5, but resists flow from the container 5 to the gas inlet 14. The insert 18 may also include a pressure sensor arranged as a movable plunger in the insert 18. The plunger may be spring loaded, i.e., biased to move in the insert 18 in a downward direction in FIGS. 4 and 5 and otherwise sealed in the gas pathway to prevent flow from the container past the plunger. Pressure in the container 5 will urge the plunger to move upwardly in the insert 18, against the spring bias. The extent of movement of the plunger will indicate pressure in the container 5, and the movement of the plunger can be detected by a suitable sensor or other arrangement, such as a Hall effect sensor, a magnet/reed sensor, one or more switches that are activated by plunger movement, etc. The sensor arrangement can provide an indication of pressure, such as by causing illumination of one or more LEDs, display of a numerical pressure indication, physical movement of a pressure dial or other indicator, etc.

[0037] FIGS. 4 and 5 respectively show cross sectional views along the lines 4-4 and 5-5 in FIG. 1, but with the handle 41 and outer housing 2 of the stopper 1 removed for clarity. When a container 5 neck is received into the cavity 12, e.g., by placing the opening 11 of the stopper 1 over the top of the container 5, the insert 18 is received into the opening 51 of the container 5 and the upper surface of the neck near the opening 51 is positioned in contact with or at least near the sealing surface 13, which may include a gasket including a suitably resilient or otherwise arranged material to form a seal with the container 5 at the opening 51. The sealing surface 13 may include a radially inner conical portion 13a and a radially outer flat portion 13b. The conical portion 13a may help form a seal with an opening 51 at an inner surface of the opening 51, and the flat portion 13b may help form a seal with an outer surface of the opening 51. To receive the neck into the cavity 12 (or disengage the stopper 1 from a container 5), the handle 41 is moved to the open position shown in FIG. 2 which causes the pawls 31 to move to a release position shown in dashed line in FIG. 5. This allows the lip 52 and other portions of the neck to be received into (or removed from) the cavity 12 without interference by the pawls 31. The pawls 31 are pivotally mounted about a pivot axis 33 to a lip engagement member 30 so the pawls 31 can move between the release position and a lip engaging position as shown in FIG. 5 in solid line. To move the pawls 31 to the release position, the lip engagement member 30 is moved away from the stopper body 10 and/or the sealing surface 13 (downwardly in FIGS. 4 and 5 as shown by the arrows and dashed line indication in FIG. 5) so that a part of the pawls 31 contacts a part of the stopper body 10 at the opening 17 through which the pawls 31 can extend to engage with a container neck. This contact between the pawls 31 and the stopper body 10 at the opening 17 pivots the pawls 31 to the release position against the bias of a spring 32 that urges the pawls 31 to move to the lip engaging position. In some embodiments, the lip engagement member 30 is mounted for movement with a carrier member 20, which is also slidably movable both toward and away from the stopper body 10 (up and down in FIGS. 4 and 5, respectively). Movement of the carrier member 20 away from the stopper body 10 and/or the sealing surface 13 causes the lip engagement member 30 to move away from the stopper body 10 and/or sealing surface 13 as well. (Movement of the carrier member 20 and the lip engagement member 30 can be caused by a carrier drive 4 (see FIG. 4), which is described in more detail below. However, in some embodiments the carrier member 20 and carrier drive 4 can be eliminated and the lip engagement member 30 moved by a handle or other actuator in a more direct way. For example, a handle mounted to the stopper 10 can be coupled to the lip engagement member 30, e.g., by a linkage, to move the lip engagement member 30 relative to the stopper body 10.)

[0038] With the carrier member 20 and lip engagement member 30 positioned away from the stopper body 10 and a container neck received in the cavity 12, the handle 41 may be moved toward the closed position shown in FIG. 1 to engage the stopper 1 with the container 5. Movement of the handle 41 from the open position toward the closed position moves the carrier member 20 and the lip engagement member 30 toward the stopper body 10 (e.g., upward in the figures). This movement of the lip engagement member 30 takes the pawls 31 out of contact with the stopper body 10 at the openings 17, allowing the springs 32 to bias the pawls 31 to the lip engaging position as shown in solid line in FIG. 5. Distal ends of the pawls 31 opposite the pivot axes 33 are positioned below the lip 52 of the container neck, and as the handle 41 continues to move toward the closed position, the carrier member 20 and lip engagement member 30 are moved toward the stopper body 10, thus moving the pawls 31 toward the sealing surface 13 and toward the lip 52 of the container. Once the pawls 31 contact the lip 52 of the container, the lip engagement member 30 will stop movement relative to the container 5, and instead move the container opening 51 toward the sealing surface 13 as the pawl 31 (and lip engagement member 30 as a whole) move toward the sealing surface 13. As described more below, the lip engagement member 30 is resiliently biased to move toward the carrier member 20 (e.g., upwardly relative to the carrier member 20). Thus, once the pawls 31 are engaged with the lip 52 of the container and the container opening 51 engages with the sealing surface 13, the lip engagement member 30 will no longer move toward or upwardly relative to the stopper body 10. However, the carrier member 20 will continue in movement toward the stopper body 10 against the resilient bias that urges the lip engagement member 30 to move toward the carrier member 20 until the handle 41 reaches the closed position. This results in the sealing surface 13 being resiliently biased against the portion of the container 5 at the opening 51, helping to maintain a proper seal at the opening 51. (In some embodiments, resilient bias on the sealing surface 13 to engage the sealing surface 13 with the container can be provided in other ways, such as by mounting the pawls 31 in a spring-biased fashion on the lip engagement member 30 (e.g., so a spring urges the pawls 31 to move upwardly relative to the lip engagement member 30 and is compressed when the pawls 31 engage the lip 51 and the sealing surface 13 is in contact with the container). In some embodiments, the sealing surface 13 can be mounted to the stopper body 10 so the sealing surface 13 is spring biased to move downwardly relative to the stopper body 10. Thus, once the sealing surface 13 contacts the container, the spring between the sealing surface 13 and the stopper body 10 can compress and maintain a resilient bias on the sealing surface 13 while allowing the sealing surface 13 to move relative to the stopper body 10. These arrangements can allow for the elimination of the carrier member 20, carrier drive 4, biasing element between the carrier member 20 and the lip engagement member 30, and so on.)

[0039] To remove the stopper 1 from the container 5, the handle 41 is moved from the closed position toward the open position, which causes the carrier member 20 and the lip engagement member 30 to move away from the stopper body 10. This moves the pawls 31 away from the sealing surface 13, allowing the sealing surface 13 to break the seal with the container 5 at the opening 51. This allows any gas pressure in the container 5 to be released. Although the seal with the container 5 is broken, the pawls 31 remain engaged with the lip 52 of the container 5 while the handle 41 is in an intermediate position between the open and closed positions, preventing removal of the stopper 1 from the container 5. This allows pressure to be vented or otherwise released without the pressure forcing the stopper 1 to be ejected from the container 5. Once the handle 41 is moved to the open position, the pawls 31 contact the stopper body 10 at the openings 17, moving the pawls 31 to the release position and allowing removal of the stopper 1 from the container.

[0040] FIGS. 6-9 show a perspective view of the stopper body 10, carrier member 20 and the lip engagement member 30 with various parts removed to illustrate how the parts move relative to each other and operate to engage and disengage from a container 5. In FIG. 6, the outer housing 2 and handle 41 are removed. FIG. 6 shows the carrier drive 4 which in this embodiment includes a cam 43 and cam follower 42 that serve to move the carrier member 20 and the lip engagement member 30 with movement of the handle 41. That is, the cam 43 is coupled to the handle 41, e.g., fixed to the handle 41, so that movement of the handle 41 between the open and closed positions rotates the cam 43 relative to the cam follower 42 and the carrier member 20. In FIG. 6, the cam 43 is in a position corresponding to the closed position of the handle 41, and thus the carrier member 20 is located toward the stopper body 10 (an uppermost position of the carrier member 20). Since the carrier member 20 is biased to move away from the stopper body 10 (downwardly) by the springs 25 (see FIG. 5), the cam 43 drives movement of the carrier member 20 toward the stopper body 10 against the bias of the springs 25 when the handle 41 is moved to the closed position. Likewise, when the cam 43 is rotated clockwise in FIG. 6 as the handle 41 is moved toward the open position, the lobe of the cam 43 allows the cam follower 42 and the carrier member 20 to move away from the stopper body 10 (downwardly in FIG. 6) under the bias of the springs 25. Note that in some embodiments, the handle 41 may be coupled to the carrier member 20 in other ways, such that rotation of the handle 41 drives movement of the carrier member 20 both toward and away from the stopper body 10, rather than just toward the stopper body 10 as in this embodiment. For example, other linkage arrangements than a cam and cam follower may be provided, or a cam and cam follower may be arranged to provide such movement (e.g., the cam may include a closed slot and the cam follower may include a pin that rides in the slot and drives movement of the carrier member 20 both toward and away from the stopper body 10).

[0041] Guides 21 extend downwardly from the carrier member 20 to guide movement of the lip engagement member 30 relative to the carrier member 20. In this embodiment, the guides 21 includes four pins that extend downwardly from the carrier member 20, but other guide arrangements are possible, such as one or more rails, slots, etc. and corresponding features on the lip engagement member 30. The guides 21 extend through holes in an upper portion of the lip engagement member 30, and a spring 22 is mounted on each guide 21 below the holes of the lip engagement member 30. The springs 22 are captured at a lower end of the guides 21 so the springs 22 cannot move below a bottom of the guide 21, and the springs 22 are arranged to bias the lip engagement member 30 to move toward the carrier member 20 (upwardly in FIG. 6). FIG. 6 shows the lip engagement member 30 in a position that corresponds to that in which a container neck is received in the cavity 12 and the pawls 31 are engaged with the lip 52 of the container 5 to urge the container 5 into contact with the sealing surface 13. Thus, the lip engagement member 30 is positioned away from the carrier member 20 and the springs 22 are compressed in FIG. 6, urging the pawls 31 (and the container neck) to move toward the sealing surface 13. Therefore, it is the springs 22 in some embodiments that provide the resilient bias to help establish and maintain a seal between the sealing surface 13 and the container opening 51. If no container neck was received in the cavity 12 and the handle 41 was in a closed position as in FIG. 6, the lip engagement member 30 would be positioned toward the carrier member 20 and the springs 22 would not be compressed (or compressed to a lesser degree). As discussed above, a resilient bias to help establish and maintain a seal between the sealing surface and the container opening can be provided in other ways, e.g., where the carrier member 20, guides 21 and springs 22 are eliminated and a spring coupling is provided between the lip engagement member 30 and/or the pawls 31 and the sealing surface 13.

[0042] In some embodiments, manipulation of the stopper 1 from a rest position relative to an engaged container can at least partially break a seal between the sealing surface 13 and the container opening 51. For example, tilting of the stopper 1 about a horizontal axis (where the stopper and container are oriented vertically) can cause the sealing surface 13 to be tilted or otherwise oriented to lose contact with or reduce a contact force on the container opening 51. This can allow pressure in the container to be vented even while the stopper 1 is fully engaged on the container, e.g., with the handle 41 in the closed position. Tilting or other manipulation of the stopper 1 relative to the container can be permitted in some embodiments by the springs 22 which provide a resilient bias between the lip engagement member 30 (and pawls 31) and the sealing surface 13. That is, movement of the stopper body 1 can cause one or more of the springs 22 to compress more than others and so allow the sealing surface 13 to be moved relative to the container opening 51. This can cause the seal between the sealing surface 13 and the container opening 51 to broken, at least momentarily, so pressure in the container can be vented. Release of the stopper 1 can allow the stopper 1 to move back to a rest position where the springs 22 equally bias the sealing surface 13 into engagement with the container opening 51. Other biasing arrangements that provide a resilient force to engage the sealing surface 13 with the container opening 51 can permit manipulation of the stopper 1 and consequent venting. For example, a spring bias between the pawls 31 and the lip engagement member 30 and/or a spring bias between the sealing surface 13 and the stopper body 10 can permit manipulation of the stopper and venting while the stopper 1 remains engaged with the container 5.

[0043] FIG. 7 shows a view of the FIG. 6 arrangement with a sleeve part of the lip engagement member 30 removed from view. The pawls 31 can be seen in the lip engaging position, extending through a corresponding opening 17 in the stopper body 10 to engage a container neck. Torsion springs 32 that bias the pawls 31 to move toward the lip engaging position can be seen as well. Because the pawl pivot 33 is located suitably relative to the opening 17, the pawls 31 are out of contact with the stopper body 10 at the opening 17, allowing the pawls 31 to move under the spring 32 bias to the lip engaging position. However, if the lip engagement member 30 is moved away from the stopper body 10 (downwardly) from the position of FIG. 7, the pivot 33 and pawl 31 are moved such that the pawl 31 contacts the stopper body 10 at the opening 17 and moves the pawl 31 to the release position. This movement occurs when the handle 41 is moved to the open position, and is driven by the springs 25 urging the carrier member 20 and the lip engagement member 30 to move away from the stopper body 10 as the cam 43 rotates to permit the cam follower 42 to move away from the stopper body 10 (downwardly in FIG. 7). FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the sleeve portion of the lip engagement member 30 without the pawls 31 and springs 32. The sleeve portion of the lip engagement member 30 in this embodiment extends around the sidewall 16 of the stopper body 10. Holes 34 that receive the guides 21 can be seen, as well as slots 35 that receive rails 24 of the carrier member 20 to help guide movement of the lip engagement member 30 relative to the carrier member 20.

[0044] FIG. 9 shows a view of the FIG. 6 arrangement with the lip engagement member 30 and carrier member 20 removed from view. This reveals the springs 25 which bias the carrier member 20 to move away from the stopper body 10, and that the cam 43 is pivotally mounted to a bushing in the sidewall 16 of the stopper body 10. FIG. 10 shows the carrier member 20 isolated from other parts of the stopper 1, and illustrates pockets 23 to receive the springs 25, as well as the rails 24 which engage with the slots 35 of the lip engagement member 30. In this embodiment, the carrier member 20 is arranged generally as a ring to support the guides 21 and the rails 24, as well as the cam follower 42. Since the carrier member 20 supports the guides 21, the lip engagement member 30 is mounted to the carrier member 20, although movable relative to the carrier member 20.

[0045] Any suitably arranged gas source can be used to provide pressurized gas to the inlet port 14. For example, a gas source including a cylinder of pressurized CO2 may be fluidly coupled to the gas inlet port 14 by a quick-connect type fitting, threaded fitting, press fit or other suitable engagement such as simply having a user hold the gas source against the inlet port 14. The gas source may include a pressurized gas container, such as a gas cylinder that holds a suitable gas (carbon dioxide, nitrogen, argon, etc.) under relatively high pressure such as 100-3000 psi. The gas source may include a pressure regulator, which may include a regulating valve or valves, a flow restrictor such as a restriction orifice, and/or other arrangement to control a gas flow rate and/or pressure provided to the gas inlet port 14. Alternately or in addition, such features may be provided with the stopper 1. The gas source may also include a valve that can be operated by a user to control the flow of gas. For example, a user can press a button of the valve to cause gas to flow into the container 5, and release the button to stop gas flow. The gas source may provide gas at two or more selectable pressures and/or flow rates, if desired. For example, gas may be provided at a first pressure and/or first flow rate, e.g., to displace any air in the container 5 with a suitably inert or non-reactive gas from the gas source. Displaced air may be vented through the stopper 1 via a vent as mentioned above. In some cases, a vent may be manually operated by a user, e.g., by pressing a button. A second pressure and/or second flow rate may be higher than the first pressure and may be suitable to establish a storage pressure in the container 5, e.g., to help maintain a desired carbonation level in the container 5. Since the stopper 1 may seal the opening 51 of the container closed, an above-ambient pressure may be maintained in the container 5 interior space for an extended period, such as 1 day, 1 week, 1 month or more. The gas inlet port 14 or other portion of the gas inlet pathway may include a check valve or other one-way valve that allows gas flow into the container 5 but resists gas flow out of the container 5. In addition or alternately, the gas inlet port 14 may be capped or otherwise closed to prevent pressure leakage.

[0046] While aspects of the invention have been shown and described with reference to illustrative embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims.