DEVICE FOR CAPPING A BOTTLE

Abstract

The device for capping a bottle includes a component in the form of a dome, from which flat tabs extend radially and substantially tangentially, and a belt connecting free ends of the tabs with a view to crimping on the neck of the bottle. The free ends secure the belt while allowing it to slide thereon. The component is produced from plastics material. The free end of each of the tabs receives and holds the belt and has a bulge which protrudes from the inner side of the tab so as to create a shoulder that is able to come into abutment under the ring on the neck of the bottle. The free ends each have on their outer side a groove of transverse axis, the groove allowing the belt to pass and holding the belt.

Description

RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a device for capping a bottle.

Such a capping device is aimed at embellishing the bottle, which is provided with same, and can, in particular manufacturing conditions, also replace the wire cage of a bottle of sparkling wine or beer.

Usually, bottles, namely of wine, closed by means of a cork, are provided with a cap, made of plastic or metal, which covers the end portion of the neck, so as to conceal the end of the bottle and the cork that is completely inserted therein.

2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.

In the particular case of a bottle of sparkling wine, the latter is provided with a wire cage or a clamp for retaining the cork in the bottle, which is pushed back by the pressure exerted in the bottle. The wire cage essentially comprises a plate or capsule, a ring immobilized on the plate or capsule, and from which extend tabs the ends of which are connected by a wire forming a belt, which is placed under a ring that the neck of the bottle comprises. For esthetic purposes the bottle is then finished, the neck is thus covered with an aluminum cap permitting to conceal the cork and the wire cage.

Since they exist, the wire cages or clamps have been in different forms, resulting from the bending and twisting of metal wires together with a capsule, or from the shaping of metal plates, so as to form in one and the same part the capsule part and the tabs, as clearly results from DE 7610935U, FR 1 119 674, WO 2009 063526, FR 1 335 064 and FR 1 010 516.

Besides the problems raised by these wire cages or these clamps from the point of view of the resistance to pressure, their design results into their installation having to be different from the operation of the installation of the cork, i.e. the corking must be completed for the wire cage to be able to be placed, which increases the handling operations and represents a loss of time and, hence, of productivity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is aimed at providing a device for capping having a novel esthetic, which, when used on a bottle of sparkling wine instead of a wire cage, can permit to limit the number of handling operations, and namely permit the installation of the cork and the wire cage in one single operation.

The device for capping a bottle according to the invention includes, on the one hand, a part in the form of a dome, from which fiat tabs extend radially and substantially tangentially, so as to provide it with a generally frustoconical shape and, on the other hand, a belt that connects the free ends of said tabs for crimping onto the neck of the bottle, which ends are designed capable of making said belt integral, while permitting it to slide thereon, and it is essentially characterized in that said part is made of plastic material, the free ends of each of said tabs are designed capable of receiving and holding said belt, and includes a bulge that protrudes from the inner side of said tab, so as to create a shoulder capable of abutting under the ring that the neck of the bottle includes, and in that said free ends each include, on the outer side, a groove with a transverse axis aimed at permitting the passing through and the holding of said belt.

According to an additional feature of the device for capping according to the invention, the flat tabs are dimensioned so as to have a surface large enough to permit to include information, on the inner and/or the outer side.

According to another additional feature of the device for capping according to the invention, the edges of the flat tabs are cut so as to provide said tabs with particular shapes.

According to another additional feature of the device for capping according to the invention, the part made of plastic material has, on the upper side, an orifice designed capable of receiving and retaining a marking cap.

According to another additional feature of the device for capping according to the invention, the belt is in the form of a ring aimed at being inserted by force onto the part made of plastic material after its positioning on the cork, until it is placed in the groove.

According to an additional feature of the device for capping according to the invention, the groove is designed so that it can also retain the belt, the securing occurring by snapping-in.

According to a particular embodiment of the device for capping according to the invention, the belt consists of a wire having a round cross-section, while the groove has a retaining profile, i.e. it includes an inlet having a width smaller than the diameter of said wire.

According to another particular embodiment of the device for capping according to the invention, the belt consists of a plastic strip, from one face of which longitudinally protrudes a pin having a round cross-section, while the groove has a retaining profile, i.e. it includes an inlet having a width smaller than the diameter of said pin.

The advantages and features of the device for capping according to the invention will become clear from the following description, which refers to the attached drawing, which shows a non-restrictive embodiment of same.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 represents a schematic axial cross-sectional and exploded view of a device for capping according to the invention.

FIGS. 2 and 3 represent axial cross-sectional views of the same device for capping during two stages of its placement on the neck of a bottle.

FIGS. 4 a and 4b, 5a and 5b, 6a and 6b represent different embodiments of a portion of the device for capping, respectively in views from above and axial cross-sectional views.

FIGS. 7 and 8 represent schematic elevation and partly cross-sectional views of two different embodiments of another portion of the device for capping according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

When referring to FIG. 1, one can see that a device for capping 1 according to the invention essentially comprises a part 2 made of plastic aimed at capping a cork 3, and a belt 4, which can also be made of plastic.

The part 2 has two portions, a dome- or cup-shaped upper portion 5, and a lower portion 6 formed of flat tabs 60 that extend from the upper portion 5, radially and substantially tangentially thereto.

It should be noted that the tabs 60 are varying in dimensions and in number, as can be seen, non-restrictively, in FIGS. 4a and 4b, 5a and 5b, 6a and 6b.

The free ends of the tabs 60 include, on the inner side, a bulge 61 having a projecting edge 62 facing the upper portion 5 and, on the outer side, a groove 63 having a transverse axis.

When referring also to FIGS. 2 and 3, in which is represented the neck of a bottle 7, which comprises in a known way a peripheral ring 70 having a shoulder 71 on the lower side, it can be seen that the bulges 61 are aimed at being placed under the ring 70, while the belt 4 is placed in the grooves 63, in order to clamp the tags 60 and to press the bulges 61 under the shoulder 71 of the ring 70.

In the embodiment shown in these FIGS. 2 and 3, the belt 4 is in the form of a ring aimed at being inserted by force onto the part 2, until it is placed in the grooves 63. This embodiment has the advantage of permitting, in an automated plant, to place the cork 3, the part 2 and the belt 4 in one single operation, in the same vertical movement.

As seen above with reference to FIGS. 4a and 4b, 5a and 5b, 6a and 6b, the tags 60 may be designed in different ways, they can thus, without restriction, be in a larger or smaller number, more or less spaced apart, more or less long etc . . . .

Thus, in FIGS. 4a and 4b, the part 2 includes ten tabs 60 separated two by two by a slot 64 formed in the lower portion 6, whereas in FIGS. 5a and 5b as well as 6a and 6b, the part 2 includes four tags 60 widely spaced apart two by two by a slot 65 formed in the lower portion 6 for the embodiment of FIGS. 6a and 6b, and extending into the upper part 5 for the embodiment of FIGS. 5a and 5b.

In these figures, the tabs 60 have a rectilinear shape, but they may be of various shapes. So they can have peripheral and/or internal cuts conferring them particular shapes, in order to represent an emblem, for example. Similarly, it is possible to use plastics of various colors, which may advantageously be selected in correspondence with the color of the wine the bottle contains.

Advantageously, the large width of the tags 60, regardless of the embodiment being considered, provides a surface for including information such as, on the outer side, a brand name or a slogan and, on the inner side, traceability elements.

These traceability elements can for example consist of a code of which the buyer can check the existence in databases, thus permitting to reduce the problems of fraud.

It should also be noted that in these embodiments the upper portion 5 includes an axial orifice 50, having a round shape, aimed at receiving a marking cap 51, visible in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, and which can also permit the spreading of information, the identification of the content of the bottle, for example. It can be provided, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, that the cork 3 includes, at the top, a recess 30 aimed at partly receiving the cap 51.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, one can see variants of the device for capping according to the invention, in particular at the level of the fastening of the belt 4 to the part 2.

Thus, in FIG. 7 the belt 4 is in the form of a wire 40, which can be made of metal or plastic, for example, and which has preferably a round cross-section, while the groove 63 has a retaining profile, i.e. its inlet 66 has a width smaller than the diameter of the wire 40, permitting the latter to inserted by snap-fastening.

In FIG. 8, the groove 63 has the same characteristics, whereas the belt 4 consists of a strip 41 made of plastic, on one face of which longitudinally protrudes a pin 42 having a round cross-section aimed at cooperating through snapping-in with the groove 63. In this case, it can be provided to close to the belt 4 through welding.

Irrespective of the embodiment of the device for capping according to the invention, the belt 4 preferably includes a means permitting its opening, and releasing the tabs 60, and which can consist, non-restrictively, of a zone having a reduced resistance and/or that is shearable.

Claims

1. Device for capping a bottle, comprising: a dome part having tabs extend radially and substantially tangentially, forming a generally frustoconical shape; anda belt connecting free ends of said tabs for crimping onto a neck of the bottle, being made integral with said free ends and slideable on said free ends,wherein said dome part is comprised of plastic material, wherein said free ends of each of said tabs receive and hold said belt, wherein said dome part is comprised of a bulge protruding from an inner side of said tab, so as to create a shoulder abutting under a ring of the neck of the bottle, and wherein each free end comprises a groove on an outer side with a transverse axis, said belt passing through said groove and and being held by said groove.

2. Device for capping according to claim 1, wherein said tags have a surface with an inner side and an outer side, so as to include information on said surface.

3. Device for capping according to claim 1, wherein said tabs have edges cut so as to provide said tabs with particular shapes.

4. Device for capping according to claim 1, wherein said dome part is comprised of plastic material, said dome part having an orifice on an upper side receiving and retaining a marking cap.

5. Device for capping according to claim 1, wherein said belt is comprised of a ring inserted by force onto said dome part after positioning said dome part on a cork, until said cork is placed in said groove.

6. Device for capping according to claim 1, wherein said groove retains said belt in snap-fit engagement.

7. Device for capping according to claim 6, wherein said belt is comprised of a wire having a round cross-section, said groove having a retaining profile comprised of an inlet, said inlet having a width smaller than a diameter of said wire.

8. Device for capping according to claim 6, wherein said belt is comprised of a plastic strip, having a pin longitudinally protruding from one face, said pin having a round cross-section, said groove having a retaining profile comprised of an inlet, said inlet having a width smaller than a diameter of said pin.