Beverage bladder system and apparatus

Abstract

A preservation device allows for the safe storage of wine and other liquids subject to change over time. When wine is stored in a partially filled container, the wine degrades due to the presence of oxygen. The preservation device has an integral inelastic low mass barrier bag that fits within the wine bottle, in an unexpanded or collapsed form. The barrier can be expanded into the headspace of the container by introducing air into the bag from a pump, excluding ambient gasses and reducing the amount of air in contact with the stored fluid. Because of its low mass, the inelastic barrier bag remains substantially expanded in the container due to the surface attraction with the container walls as well as the rigidity imparted to the barrier bag by its material characteristics. No stopper is required to maintain the barrier in an expanded state.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A preservation device comprising:
 an inert, inelastic, and conformable, barrier that collapses and expands with the introduction and removal of air;   a rigid, hollow collar comprising an inner sealing surface and an outer sealing surface;   a substantially cylindrical body comprising (1) a retaining ring, (2) an inner sealing surface that hermetically seals to the inner sealing surface of the rigid, hollow collar, and (3) an outer sealing surface that hermetically seals to the outer sealing surface of the collar;   a rigid or semi-rigid inserter that facilitates introduction of the barrier into a fluidic container.   
     
     
         2 . The preservation device of  claim 1  wherein the inert, inelastic barrier is a bag comprising a synthetic polymer. 
     
     
         3 . The preservation device of  claim 2  wherein the bag comprises retention features at distal corners. 
     
     
         4 . The preservation device of  claim 1  wherein the inserter and the rigid, hollow collar are integrally formed into a single component. 
     
     
         5 . The preservation device of  claim 1  wherein the inserter comprises a nesting strain relief that provides centering and support for the inserter as the inserter is inserted into the barrier. 
     
     
         6 . The preservation device of  claim 1  wherein the inserter comprises bifurcated arms flexibly attached at their proximal ends, said bifurcated arms further comprising an outward bias. 
     
     
         7 . The preservation device of  claim 1  wherein the collar comprises flexible tapered, terraced, or variable length retaining features that flexibly and reversibly engage the bottle. 
     
     
         8 . The preservation device of  claim 7  wherein the collar further comprises opposing vents located at an upper annular surface of the collar. 
     
     
         9 . The preservation device of  claim 1  wherein a length of the inserter from a distal end of the inserter to a top feature of the inserter is marginally less than a length of an overall distance from a proximal end of the collar to a sealed, distal end of the barrier. 
     
     
         10 . The preservation device of  claim 1  wherein the collar further comprises a series of opposing features that non-sealingly engage bottle necks of varying diameters. 
     
     
         11 . The preservation device of  claim 1  further comprising a pour cap comprising:
 a dispensing aperture that allows fluids to pass through the pour cap; 
 an air inlet and an exhaust that allow the air to pass through the pour cap into and out of the barrier; and 
 an air tight seal that allows the pour cap to be reversibly attached to the fluidic container. 
 
     
     
         12 . The preservation device of  claim 1  wherein the preservation device is free from a valve and is free from an air canister. 
     
     
         13 . A bladder system comprising:
 a container containing an air-sensitive fluid;   a preservation device comprising:
 an inert, inelastic, and conformable barrier that collapses and expands with the introduction and removal of air; 
 a rigid, hollow collar to which the barrier is hermetically sealed; and 
 an inserter to facilitate the introduction of the barrier into the container; and 
   an air path that begins at an inlet near the collar and terminates at an entrance to the barrier;   a fluid path that begins at an outlet of the container and terminates at a dispense aperture externally located with respect to the container;   wherein when a volume of the air-sensitive fluid exits the bottle through the fluid path, the volume of the air-sensitive fluid is replaced with an equal volume of the air entering the barrier through an air inlet without the use of a valve.   
     
     
         14 . The bladder system of  claim 13  wherein the barrier comprises a bag located within another bag. 
     
     
         15 . The bladder system of  claim 14  further comprising a bulb pump that permits flow of the air one-way, said bulb pump having a pressure side that exhausts the air and a suction side that receives the air. 
     
     
         16 . The bladder system of  claim 15  wherein the bulb pump comprises tapered surfaces at the pressure side and the suction side that match tapered surfaces located at a proximal end of the collar. 
     
     
         17 . The bladder system of  claim 13  further comprising a sensor that:
 i. measures temperature; 
 ii. measures pressure integrated into the collar; or 
 iii. reports an oxidation state of a fluid within the container. 
 
     
     
         18 . The bladder system of  claim 13  further comprising an integrated pour cap that allows fluid to pass therethrough to the dispense aperture without having to remove the barrier from the container. 
     
     
         19 . The bladder system of  claim 13  wherein the air-sensitive fluid is wine. 
     
     
         20 . A bottle comprising an air-sensitive fluid comprising:
 an annular aperture comprising an inner circumference and an outer circumference formed between a reversibly retained collar and a bottle neck;   wherein when the bottle is tilted to pour, wine starts exiting the bottle under the influence of gravity, a dynamic fluid seal forms in the annular aperture between the collar and the bottle neck;   wherein the seal in conjunction with a loss of liquid in the container, caused by pouring, forms an increasing negative pressure in the bottle which in turn draws air into a barrier, thereby expanding the barrier into a newly created headspace;   wherein the bottle is free from a valve.