초록 ▼

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to extracting the liquid from a container (such as a bottle of wine) in varying amounts at a desired serving temperature while preserving the liquid for later consumption. Various embodiments may be built within an appliance so the consumer experien

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to extracting the liquid from a container (such as a bottle of wine) in varying amounts at a desired serving temperature while preserving the liquid for later consumption. Various embodiments may be built within an appliance so the consumer experience is fully automated. Embodiments may include a variety of wine preservation techniques including the use of inert gases that prevent the oxidation of wine.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A system comprising: a sealable enclosure adapted to receive and retain a container of liquid;a temperature control system in communication with the enclosure for adjusting and maintaining a temperature of the liquid in the container;a gas source comprising an inert gas; anda gas delivery system

1. A system comprising: a sealable enclosure adapted to receive and retain a container of liquid;a temperature control system in communication with the enclosure for adjusting and maintaining a temperature of the liquid in the container;a gas source comprising an inert gas; anda gas delivery system in communication with the enclosure and the gas source for supplying the inert gas into the container in conjunction with dispensing the liquid from the container, wherein the gas delivery system comprises a connector, wherein the connector comprises: a needle for piercing a closure in the container to dispense the liquid and supply the inert gas, wherein the needle is coupled to the gas source for supplying the inert gas, and wherein the needle comprises at least one passage, anda spout for dispensing the liquid from the container via the needle, and a motor coupled to the needle and adapted to push the needle through the closure. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature control system comprises a thermoelectric module coupled to the enclosure for heating and cooling the liquid in the container. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature control system comprises a vapor compression refrigeration system coupled to the enclosure. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature control system is adapted to use ambient air to warm the liquid in the container. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature control system comprises a heating element for warming the liquid in the container. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature control system comprises an infrared temperature sensor adapted to measure a temperature of the container. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature control system comprises a temperature sensor adapted to measure a temperature of air within the enclosure. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the gas delivery system includes a pressure regulator for maintaining a pressure of the inert gas within the container. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the needle comprises at least two passages a gas passage through the needle for supplying the inert gas to the container of liquid; anda liquid passage through the needle for dispensing the liquid from the container. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the connector is detachable from the system. 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the needle is coupled to a cleaning mechanism comprising: a reservoir for holding a cleaning liquid; anda pump coupled to the reservoir and the needle for pumping the cleaning liquid through the at least one passage. 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the closure is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of: cork, engineered cork, plastic, rubber, wood, metal, and combinations thereof. 13. The system of claim 1, wherein the connector further comprises a seal adapted to engage with the container to prevent the liquid from the container from leaking from the closure. 14. The system of claim 1, wherein the connector comprises a seal adapted to engage with the container to prevent the liquid from leaking from the container. 15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor coupled to the needle and in communication with the temperature control system for monitoring the temperature of the liquid in the container. 16. A system comprising: a sealable enclosure adapted to receive and retain a container of liquid;a temperature control system in communication with the enclosure for adjusting and maintaining a temperature of the liquid in the container;a gas source comprising an inert gas; anda gas delivery system in communication with the enclosure and the gas source for supplying the inert gas into the container in conjunction with dispensing the liquid from the container;a camera disposed within the enclosure; anda computer system in communication with the camera, the temperature control system, and the gas delivery system, wherein the computer system comprises: a processor; andmemory coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computer system to: receive an image of a label on the container from the camera;analyze the image of the label to identify the liquid in the container;determine a serving temperature for the identified liquid;control the temperature control system to adjust and maintain the temperature of the identified liquid at the determined serving temperature; andcontrol the gas delivery system to supply the inert gas into the container in conjunction with dispensing the liquid from the container. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein analyzing the image of the label includes performing optical character recognition. 18. The system of claim 16, wherein analyzing the image of the label includes performing image recognition. 19. The system of claim 16, further comprising a user interface in communication with the computer system, wherein the memory further stores instructions for causing the computer system to display the image of the label on the container on a display screen of the user interface. 20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a proximity sensor in communication with the user interface for activating the display screen of the user interface in response to a detected presence of a user. 21. The system of claim 19, wherein the display screen comprises a touchscreen, and the display screen is activated in response to detecting a user touching the touchscreen. 22. The system of claim 16, wherein the memory further stores instructions for causing the computer system to transmit information regarding the identified liquid to a computing device in communication with the computer system. 23. The system of claim 16, wherein controlling the temperature control system by the computer system includes: measuring an initial temperature of the liquid via a temperature sensor;comparing the initial temperature of the liquid to a desired serving temperature;determining a viscosity of the liquid; andestimating an amount of time it will take to adjust the temperature of the liquid to the desired serving temperature based on the initial temperature of the liquid and the viscosity of the liquid. 24. The system of claim 16, wherein the memory further includes instructions for causing the computer system to communicate information regarding the dispensing of the liquid to a point of sale system to generate an invoice for the dispensed liquid, wherein the information includes one or more of: an amount of liquid dispensed and the identification of the liquid. 25. The system of claim 16, further comprising a lighting source disposed within the enclosure for illuminating the container for the camera, wherein the lighting source is fixed and disperses light evenly over the label of the container. 26. The system of claim 16, further comprising a second camera, opposite the camera, for capturing an image of a rear label of the container. 27. The system of claim 16, wherein access to the enclosure is protected by a lock controlled via the computer system. 28. The system of claim 16, wherein dispensation of the liquid is initiated by a user via the user interface. 29. The system of claim 28, wherein dispensing the liquid by a user is predicated upon the user successfully being authenticated to operate the system via an electronic access code. 30. A system comprising: a sealable enclosure adapted to receive and retain a container of liquid;a temperature control system in communication with the enclosure for adjusting and maintaining a temperature of the liquid in the container;a gas source comprising an inert gas; anda gas delivery system in communication with the enclosure and the gas source for supplying the inert gas into the container in conjunction with dispensing the liquid from the container, wherein the container has a body portion and a neck portion, the neck portion retaining a closure, and wherein the enclosure is adapted to retain the container with the neck portion below the body portion to reduce a pressure from the gas delivery system to dispense the liquid from the container through the closure. 31. The system of claim 30, wherein the gas delivery system includes a pressure regulator for maintaining a pressure of the inert gas within the container. 32. The system of claim 30, wherein the gas delivery system comprises a needle, wherein the needle comprises at least a gas passage through the needle for supplying the inert gas to the container of liquid. 33. The system of claim 32, further comprising a temperature sensor coupled to the needle and in communication with the temperature control system for monitoring the temperature of the liquid in the container.