Oxygen absorbing cap

Abstract

An oxygen absorbing cap includes a hollow chamber, a removable top that is adapted to screw into or snap into the cap so as to close the hollow chamber and, when removed, to provide access to the hollow chamber, an oxygen absorber adapted to fit into the hollow chamber, and a waterproof breathable film (e.g., e-PTFE microporous film) located in the hollow chamber between the oxygen absorber and any liquid in the bottle and adapted to prevent the liquid in the bottle from contacting the oxygen absorber but allowing gases in the bottle to contact the oxygen absorber. The cap may also be used with a valve that limits the amount of air that contacts the liquid to the air that replaces the poured liquid or used with a pump that replaces the poured liquid with oxygen-free air so that air never contacts liquid in the bottle.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . An oxygen absorbing cap adapted for insertion into an open end of a bottle so as to form an air-tight seal between the cap and the bottle, said cap comprising a hollow chamber, a removable top that provides access to said hollow chamber, an oxygen absorber adapted to fit into said hollow chamber, and a waterproof breathable film located at a position of said hollow chamber between the oxygen absorber and any liquid in the bottle and adapted to prevent the liquid in the bottle from contacting the oxygen absorber but allowing gases in the bottle to contact the oxygen absorber. 
     
     
         2 . The oxygen absorbing cap of  claim 1 , wherein the cap includes a tapered portion that is adapted for insertion in the open end of the bottle to form said air-tight seal between an outside wall of the tapered portion and the open end of the bottle, said tapered portion including at least one sealing groove around said outside wall of the tapered portion that accepts an O-ring that, in turn, forms an air-tight seal with said open end of said bottle when the cap is pushed into the open end of the bottle. 
     
     
         3 . The oxygen absorbing cap of  claim 2  wherein a surface of the sealing groove has a conical shape or a stair-case shape. 
     
     
         4 . The oxygen absorbing cap of  claim 1 , wherein said waterproof breathable film is an e-PTFE microporous film. 
     
     
         5 . The oxygen absorbing cap of  claim 1 , wherein said removable top is adapted to screw into or snap into said cap so as to close said hollow chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The oxygen absorbing cap of  claim 5 , further comprising an O-ring installed in the removable top and adapted to provide an air-tight seal between the removable top and the hollow chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The oxygen absorbing cap of  claim 2 , wherein the hollow chamber and the tapered portion are molded into a one piece integral unit. 
     
     
         8 . The oxygen absorbing cap of  claim 1 , further comprising an oxygen indicator that shows, when said cap is inserted into the open end of said bottle, an indication of an oxygen level in said bottle. 
     
     
         9 . The oxygen absorbing cap of  claim 8 , wherein said indication of oxygen level comprises different colors for different amounts of oxygen present in the bottle. 
     
     
         10 . The oxygen absorbing cap of  claim 1 , further adapted to permit liquid to be poured from the bottle without removing the cap, said cap further including a valve that, when opened, permits liquid to be poured from the bottle and replaced by air that contacts said oxygen absorber for removal of oxygen. 
     
     
         11 . The oxygen absorbing cap of  claim 10 , further comprising an air passage that directs air entering the valve to said oxygen absorber. 
     
     
         12 . An oxygen absorbing cap adapted to allow pouring of a liquid from a bottle without oxygen from the air coming into contact with the liquid in the bottle, comprising:
 a threaded hollow tube adapted to be screwed in and through a cork to access the liquid in the bottle;   a battery-driven pump connected to said threaded hollow tube to pump liquid from said bottle;   a manual valve that turns on the pump when opened and provides an exit for the liquid pumped from the bottle; and   an oxygen-free air supply module including a tube by which gas exits and enters the bottle and at least one oxygen-free gas chamber that provides oxygen-free air to said bottle via said tube as liquid is pumped from the bottle.   
     
     
         13 . The oxygen absorbing cap of  claim 12 , wherein said oxygen-free air supply module further includes two oxygen-free gas chambers, a manual switch for switching gas between the chambers, two check valves, and a thin isolation membrane between the gas chambers. 
     
     
         14 . The oxygen absorbing cap of  claim 13 , wherein the battery-driven pump pumps oxygen-free gas from at least one of the oxygen-free gas chambers into the bottle via said tube to exert pressure to move the liquid through the threaded hollow tube to said manual valve for pouring. 
     
     
         15 . The oxygen absorbing cap of  claim 14 , wherein pressing the manual switch seals a check valve to a first oxygen-free gas chamber when the battery-driven pump pumps gas from the first oxygen-free gas chamber, wherein when a pressure in the first oxygen-free gas chamber becomes less than a pressure in a second oxygen-free gas chamber the isolation membrane is pushed towards the first oxygen-free gas chamber until pressure equilibrium is reached, and wherein once a pressure in the second oxygen-free gas chamber is less than that of outside air, a second check valve is opened to allow air into the second oxygen-free gas chamber.