US 11,718,440 B2
Wine bottle with cork retainer and re-use features
Michel M. Fournier, Granite Bay, CA (US); and Evan Mackenzie, Auburn, CA (US)
Assigned to Lecavalier Cellars LLC, Penryn, CA (US)
Filed by Lecavalier Cellars LLC, Penryn, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 23, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/409,030.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/069,328, filed on Aug. 24, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0055786 A1, Feb. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. B65D 1/02 (2006.01); B65D 41/62 (2006.01); B65D 81/127 (2006.01); B65D 39/00 (2006.01); B65D 23/08 (2006.01)
CPC B65D 1/0276 (2013.01) [B65D 23/0842 (2013.01); B65D 39/00 (2013.01); B65D 41/62 (2013.01); B65D 81/127 (2013.01); B65D 2203/02 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A wine container, comprising in combination:
a bottle;
a cork;
said bottle including a neck above a body, with a shoulder between said neck and said body;
an opening at an upper end of said neck, said opening leading into an interior of said bottle;
said opening sized to receive said cork therein, in a manner closing off said opening;
said bottle including a heel at a lower end of said body;
said bottle including a punt extending up from said heel and defining a lower portion of said bottle inboard of said heel;
said punt having an apex at a highest portion of said punt, and with sides extending down from said apex to said heel;
said cork having ends spaced apart by a side wall, said cork side wall sized to fit within said opening of said neck in a removable fashion;
a cork retainer at least partially within said punt and configured to hold said cork within said punt after said cork is removed from said opening;
wherein said cork retainer includes at least two opposing surfaces spaced from each other by a distance similar to said ends of said cork;
wherein said at least two opposing surfaces are spaced from each other by a cork length between said ends of said cork; and
wherein said cork retainer includes a lower edge at a lower portion of each of said at least two opposing surfaces, each of said at least two opposing surfaces including a vault above said lower edge, said vault having a curvature matching a curvature of said ends of said cork.