A WINE OXYGENATION DEVICE AND METHOD

Abstract

A wine aerating device for adding oxygen containing gas into wine, the device comprising a gas cylinder containing pressurised gas which contains more than 21% oxygen by volume when measured at atmospheric conditions, a tube with a first end in fluid communication with the gas cylinder to a membrane which is in fluid communication with a second end of the tube, wherein the membrane is insertable through the neck of a wine bottle so that, in use, oxygen gas diffuses via the membrane into the wine, wherein the said membrane has a pore size of 0.1 m to 10 m, preferably 1 m to 10 m.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A wine aerating device for adding oxygen containing gas into wine, comprising: a gas cylinder containing pressurised gas including more than 21% oxygen by volume when measured at atmospheric conditions; and a tube having a first end in fluid communication with the gas cylinder, and a second end in fluid communication with a membrane, the membrane being insertable through a neck of a wine bottle for oxygen gas to diffuse via the membrane into the wine, the membrane comprising pores having sizes selected from the group consisting of from 0.1 m to 10 m, and 1 m to 5 m.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the membrane is cylindrical and comprises a diameter having a length shorter than a length of the membrane, and an axis in a direction similar to an axis of the tube.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the membrane is made from a material selected from the group consisting of a polymeric material, a hydrophobic material, and hydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the oxygen gas flows through the membrane and generates microbubbles into the wine, the microbubbles comprising an average diameter selected from the group consisting of from 0.3 to 300 m, and from 0.5 to 100 m.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the membrane is sleek and comprises a roughness selected from the group consisting of from R.sub.z 1 to 50, and from R.sub.z 3 to 20.

21. The device of claim 16, wherein the gas cylinder contains a percentage of oxygen selected from the group consisting of more than 80 vol.-% oxygen, and more than 99 vol.-% oxygen.

22. The device of claim 16, wherein the membrane comprises a hydrophilic surface.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the hydrophilic surface is formed by a plasma treatment.

24. The device of claim 16, wherein the membrane is cylindrical comprising a length selected from the group consisting of from 35 mm to 150 mm, and from 50 mm to 100 mm; and a diameter selected from the group consisting of from 8 mm to 16 mm, and from 10 mm to 14 mm; and a wall thickness selected from the group consisting of from 2 mm to 5 mm, and from 3 mm to 4 mm.

25. The device of claim 16, wherein the device is portable.

26. A method of adding oxygen containing gas to a volume of wine, comprising: passing oxygen from a gas cylinder through a membrane into the wine, wherein a flow of the oxygen through the membrane is at a rate selected from the group consisting of from 20 ml/min to 80 ml/min, from 30 ml/min to 60 ml/min, and from 30 ml/min to 50 ml/min; and a period of time for the flow rate is selected from the group consisting of from 80 seconds to 360 seconds, and from 120 seconds to 300 seconds.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein a pressure inside the gas cylinder when full is a pressure selected from the group consisting of from 20 bar to 300 bar, and from 100 bar to 200 bar.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein a pressure inside the gas cylinder when full is a pressure selected from the group consisting of from 20 bar to 300 bar, and from 100 bar to 200 bar.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the device can supply 20 to 40 mg/l wine of solved oxygen measured at atmospheric conditions to 0.75 l of wine in a period of time selected from the group consisting of from 60 seconds to 360 seconds, and from 120 seconds to 300 seconds.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising treating the membrane with a plasma treatment.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising containing the wine in a wine bottle, and inserting the membrane through a neck of the wine bottle.

Description

[0031] The present invention will now be described with reference to the following Figures in which:

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the aerator assembly;

[0033] FIG. 2 shows a more detailed section view of the portion of the aerator assembly between the gas cylinder and the membrane.

[0034] FIG. 3 shows a section view of the membrane

[0035] FIG. 4 shows a plan view of a Xmas-tree membrane

[0036] FIG. 5 shows an enlarged view of X of FIG. 4

[0037] FIG. 6 shows a plan view of an alternative membrane.

[0038] Henceforth, the word downstream means towards the membrane end of the gas path and the word upstream means towards the cylinder end of the gas path.

[0039] The aerator assembly shown in the FIG. 1 is formed of three main parts: a body 10 for holding a gas cylinder, a single body membrane 34, and a central tube 16 which connects the body and the membrane together. The membrane 34 is cylindrical in shape and is elongate in the direction of insertion and also the elongate axis of the surrounding wine bottle. In use, the aerator assembly is arranged to engage with the neck of a wine bottle which has a fluid content of 0.75 l (not shown). The aerator assembly may be compatible however with larger bottles if desired, for instance a Magnum or a Jereboam.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 2, an interface 12 connects the body 10 to the tube 16. The interface 12 is formed of a first section 12A which forms part of the body 10 and a second section 12B which connects to and surrounds a portion of the tube 16. The second section 12B connects to the first section 12A via a push in fitting. In their connected state, the two sections 12A; 12B of the interface 12 form a conical shape which is dimensioned to fit inside the neck of the wine bottle.

[0041] To ensure a fluid seal between the two sections when they are connected, the first section 12A comprises a sealing O-ring 12C which engages with the second section 12B.

[0042] Although not shown, a number of optional resilient legs may be present which emanate from the interface and which are shaped to conform to the sloping surface defining the neck of the wine bottle, and which help ensure that the aerator assembly is correctly located over the wine bottle outlet.

[0043] A pressurised gas cylinder 22 connects to the top of the body 10 by a screw thread (not shown) located on the body 10. The gas cylinder 22 can contain pressurised air, though preferably it contains pressurised gas containing more than 21% oxygen by volume, most preferably 100% oxygen, (when measured at atmospheric conditions) at a pressure between 20 bar and 300 bar. As shown best in FIG. 1D, the cylinder 22 comprises a welded film 23, which is perforated by a piercing tube 25 on the device when the cylinder is connected thereto. A cover portion 10A of the body 10 surrounds the cylinder 22 in use.

[0044] Downstream from the gas cylinder 22 is a fluid channel 24 which extends completely through the body 10.

[0045] The fluid channel 24 initially extends from the piercing tube 25 and passes through a filter block 27 in the body 10 for removing any impurities or particulates in the gas coming from the cylinder 22.

[0046] Downstream from the filter block 27 and inside the channel 24 of the body 10 is a valve 29 formed of an upstream valve seat 29A and a downstream valve head 29B which is engageable with the valve seat. The valve 29 is responsible for throttling the pressure of the gas in the cylinder, which is around 20 bar and 300 bar, down to a pressure of approximately 2 bar 4 bar which is suitable for use in the membrane as will be described.

[0047] Opening and closing of the valve 29 is controlled by a pressure regulation system 36 located inside a cavity 30 inside the body 10 downstream from the valve 29.

[0048] The pressure regulation system 36 comprises, at its downstream end, an actuation surface 38 which seals against the body 10 by an O-ring 42. The regulation system also comprises an elongate central piston 40 located inside the fluid channel 24 and which engages with the actuation plate 38. The upstream end of the elongate piston 40 is engageable with the valve head 29B and contains a fluid channel (not shown) extending through its elongate length to allow gas flow through the piston as will be described.

[0049] At the upstream end of the regulation system, i.e. the end closest the cylinder 22; an abutting plate 44 inside the cavity 30 abuts the body 10 via a separating O-ring 46. A compression spring 48 is located between the actuation plate 38 and the abutting plate 44 to bias the actuation plate in a downstream direction.

[0050] In use, the actuation plate 38 is acted upon by pressurised gas. If the pressure of this gas is too high, the pressure of the gas will overcome the biasing force from the compression spring 48, thus moving the actuation plate 38 and the piston 40 in an upstream direction. In so doing, the piston 40 moves the valve head 29B towards the valve seat 29A, which causes the valve 29 to reduce the pressure of subsequent gas passing through the valve.

[0051] Downstream of the pressure regulation system 36, an offset fluid channel 50 forms the continuation of the fluid channel 24. The offset fluid channel 50 is selectively closable by a valve member 26, which is operated by a slidable switch 28 located on the outside surface of the body 10. In the position shown in FIG. 1D, the offset fluid channel 50 is blocked by the valve member 26.

[0052] Downstream of the valve member 26 is a tube 16 which extends downwardly inside the wine bottle.

[0053] At the bottom of the tube 16 is a membrane 34 which is connected with the tube 16. In use, the membrane immersed in the wine to be aerated as will be described. The membrane 34 is around 100 mm long and a diameter of 10-14 mm. The material used in membrane is preferentially hydrophobic so the wine can be easily rinsed off from the component after it has been immersed in the wine.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 3, the membrane 34 comprises a top, central and bottom portion 34a; 34b; 34c. The tube 16 enters the membrane sealed at its top portion 34a to lead the gas to central portion 34a for aerating the wine. The bottom portion 34c of the membrane is a dense surface where the oxygen cannot pass through. The central portion 34b is the effective part for the oxygen aerating which uses a porous material with pore size of 1 to 10 m, especially of 1 to 5 m. The oxygen flows into the space which is defined by the membrane 34 through the tube and releases into the wine through the fine holes of the central portion 34b by forming fine bubbles. As a result, the oxygen has larger contact surface area with the wine to increase the oxygen content in the wine with less gas lost which only passes through the wine and escapes into the atmosphere.

[0055] The membrane is selected or designed in a way that during the aeration the content of oxygen in the wine can be increased in a short time and after the aeration the membrane is easy to rinse. An optimal results is achieved e.g. by a membrane made of porouse PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) which is hydrophobic and without PFOA (Perflurorooctanoic) and heavy metal and silicone with a hole size of 1 to 5 m and which is designed cylindrical with a length of 50 mm and a diameter of 11 mm and a wall thickness of about 3.25 mm. This membrane is also particularly effective at producing bubbles with a small size which can aerate a wine 0.75 l with a flow rate of 30 to 50 ml/min in a period of 120 seconds to 360 seconds.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 4, a variation of the membrane is formed with a Xmas-tree shape which has an increasing cross-section downstream of the central portion 35b which is graded by sloping walls as shown in area X. This sloping walls built sloping angles of e.g. 45 as shown enlarged in FIG. 5 which perform effective for breaking the bubbles in smaller size as they came from the membrane, so the formed bubblies will be further reduced to causing the oxygen react with the wine more effectively.

[0057] The FIG. 6 shows a plan view of an alternative membrane 34 which can be configurated in the device shown in FIG. 1. Unlike the membrane in FIG. 3, the membrane here has a round shaped bottom 34c which has the same material as the other parts of the membrane. The gas from the gas cylinder can therefore pass through allover the membrane 34. The membrane 34 is connected with the tube 16 by pressing the top portion of the membrane 34a to the tube which is preferably made of stainless steel so as to ensure that the gas from the gas cylinder flow into the wine only through the membrane. Preferably, at the second end of the tube 16 where is to be connected with the membrane 34, several rolled barbs are provided to hook the membrane gas-tightly.

[0058] When the gas cylinder 22 is initially connected with the body 10, the pierceable tube 25 pierces the welded film 23 on the gas cylinder 22 to allow high pressure gas to pass from the cylinder into the body 10. This high pressure gas then passes along the fluid channel, past the filter block 27, and past the valve 29. In passing between the cylinder and the valve 29, the gas is throttled from the pressure inside the gas cylinder down to a lower pressure of between 2 bar 4 bar. The lower pressure gas then passes through the fluid channel inside the piston 40 and out from its downstream end. Before passing though the offset fluid channel 50, a portion of the gas acts on the actuation plate 38. As mentioned previously, if the pressure of this downstream gas is too high, the pressure of the gas will overcome the biasing force from the compression spring 48, thus moving the actuation plate 38 and the piston 40 in an upstream direction. In so doing, the piston 40 moves the valve head 29B towards the valve seat 29A, which causes the valve 29 to reduce the pressure of subsequent gas passing through the valve.

[0059] Downstream of the actuation plate 38, the lower pressure gas then enters the offset fluid channel 50. When the valve 26 is toggled open, the pressurised gas from the offset channel 50 then passes past the valve 26 and into the tube 16 as will be described. When enough gas has passed through the assembly, the valve 26 is then toggled closed (as shown in FIG. 3), which thus blocks the offset channel 50, preventing further gas from reaching the tube 16.

[0060] When gas enters the tube 16, it subsequently passes into the membrane 34. When entering membrane 34; the oxygen containing gas is above atmospheric pressure. The wine itself is at atmospheric pressure. As a result, a pressure gradient is formed between the interior and exterior surfaces of the membrane 34 which causes the pressurised gas to diffuse through the membrane 34 and react with the wine. The membrane has a relatively high surface area which means that it can achieve a fast diffusion rate of gas therethrough. Due to the material used in the membrane, the gas which diffuses therethrough forms bubbles with a small mean bubble size. As a result of these small bubbles, the gas thus quickly diffuses and reacts with the wine.