Patent Application
20060043054
The invention relates to a beverage bottle according to the pre-characterizing clause of Claim 1.
Usually, wine bottles are closed with natural-cork stoppers that can be inserted in the opening of the bottle. To both wine producers and consumers, this poses the not inconsiderable risk that the natural-cork stopper fails to seal the bottle completely, so that either wine can leak out or air can enter. Usually, this causes the wine to get spoiled inside the bottle (typical taste of cork!), resulting in considerable financial losses, in particular to the producer.
A known solution to this problem is the use of closing elements that are made of plastic or plastic-coated cork. This, however, is to disadvantage in that the plastic materials used usually release matter which might migrate into the wine. Moreover, the alcohol contained in the wine is capable of dissolving constituents out of the plastic material. It is to further decisive disadvantage that plastic closures are not accepted by customers who wish to take delight in a high-quality natural product, such as wine.
Glass carafes that can be closed by means of a glass plug after having been filled with wine from a customary wine bottle are known for the consumption of wine.
The invention aims at specifying a beverage bottle that provides the possibility of keeping the beverages contained therein, in particular sensitive beverages such as wine, safely and reliably as well as protected from detrimental environmental influences over a long period of time.
This problem is solved by the invention by a closable beverage bottle according to Claim 1. Advantageous further developments of the invention can be found in the dependent claims.
The beverage bottle according to the invention comprises a closing element that can be inserted in the opening of the bottle and is completely made of glass. Glass is also the material used for producing the actual bottle body in known manner. For that reason, it is accepted even by sensitive consumers, whereas closing elements made of plastic are refused. Over and above this, a closing element that is made of glass can be produced according to quality standards that are much more stricter than this is possible with a natural product such as cork. Furthermore, the sealing effect that can be achieved for closing the bottle opening with a closing element of glass is considerably more reliable than that of natural cork which might become dry or may comprise inclusions permitting air to reach the beverage to be protected.
The fixing element ensures that the closing element is retained in axial or radial direction. Depending on the formation of a sealing surface between the closing element and the bottle opening, it is sufficient to fix the closing element in order to retain it reliably in its sealing position. As a result, the beverage bottle can be transported as desired and stored for years.
Advantageously, a positive or frictional connection preventing the closing element from turning unintentionally in the bottle opening is established between the fixing element and the closing element. In addition to fixing the closing element in axial direction, this prevents the closing element from moving in radial direction so that the closing element is fixed in the bottle opening. The tight connection between the closing element and the bottle opening is maintained even if the beverage bottle is subject to vibrations during transport.
In a preferred further development of the invention, the fixing element can be attached, at least in axial direction and in a positive manner, to an edge of the bottle arranged adjacent to the bottle opening. As a result, the axial force required for fixing the closing element in axial direction and to be absorbed by the fixing element can be transferred into the bottle body carrying the bottle edge. The corresponding effect will appear if the fixing element is fixed against the bottle edge in radial direction and in a frictional manner.
It is to particular advantage if the fixing element comprises a securing element that can be deformed or destroyed in such a manner that the positive or the frictional attachment of the fixing element to the bottle edge can be removed. The securing element can, for example, be a strip made of plastic or tin that can be bent open or torn off by the consumer in order to detach the fixing element from the bottle edge and finally remove the closing element from the bottle opening.
In a particular embodiment of the invention, a locking element, in particular a thread, that engages a holding device, e.g. a mating thread, provided at the opening of the bottle is formed at the perimeter of the closing element, e.g. on a circumferential surface of the closing element.
The arrangement of locking element and holding device—in particular if it is a thread—ensures that the closing element is fixed in the bottle opening in axial direction in a particularly stable manner. The fixing element must then only retain the closing element in radial direction to prevent the closing element from turning out of the bottle opening.
In a different embodiment of the invention, the closing element comprises a conical, preferrably cut circumferential surface to which a conical mating surface in the bottle opening is allocated, said mating surface being cut as well. As is known, cut conical glass surfaces can achieve a high-degree sealing effect in relation to each other. Moreover, the circumferential surfaces can be produced easily.
Advantageously, the upper side of the closing element is provided with a gripping device enabling the consumer to pull or turn the closing element out of the bottle opening.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, a seal that is pressed against the bottle edge by a flange formed at the closing element is inserted between the closing element and the bottle edge. After the beverage bottle has been filled, the closing element is pressed against the bottle edge together with the seal and the flange of the closing element as well as the bottle edge are surrounded by a cap to be torn off as a whole (e.g. “Snap Cap” from Messrs. Pohl GmbH).
A ring serving as securing element is attached to the snap cap that serves as fixing element, wherein said ring can be torn off the snap cap to remove the latter from the bottle.
If the snap cap is made of aluminum and reaches around both the flange of the closing element and the edge of the bottle, its axial holding force is sufficient to maintain the sealing effect.
In a further particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the fixing element is formed in the shape of a ring or sleeve and reaches around the flange of the closing element as well as the undercut at the bottle edge. An integral part of the fixing element is a securing element that can be detached therefrom such that at least that part of the fixing element that reaches around the flange of the closing element can be removed from the closing element.
This solution is of particular interest if the securing element forms a lower part of the fixing element and is, in a detachable manner, connected to an upper part of the fixing element via a connecting region. The connecting region can then be cut open with a tool, for example a knife, so that the lower part of the fixing element, that is the securing element, in particular the part reaching around the undercut at the bottle edge, drops off in a downward direction, whereas the upper part of the fixing element that reaches around the closing element can be lifted off in an upward direction. This facilitates opening of the bottle closure easily with the help of a knife or other cutting device.
Preferrably, the connecting region between the upper and the lower parts of the fixing element is formed by a perforation, a ring-shaped notch or any other type of material diminution, in order to facilitate opening of the bottle.
Advantageously, the securing element is formed as a split ring or as a closed ring with a perforation where the ring can be opened. In this manner, the securing element that forms, for example, the lower part of the fixing element and, as ring, initially remains on the neck of the bottle, can be removed easily. This enhances the esthetic impression of the beverage bottle and prevents injuries which might, for example, be caused by the sharp edges of the fixing element that is preferrably made of aluminum or, alternatively, of plastic.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, a spring apparatus is arranged between the fixing element and the upper side of the closing element. The spring apparatus may, for example, consist of a stainless-steel spring or a plastic spring; it permits stabilization of the prestress that acts on the seal and is to be borne by the fixing element. That is to say, even if thermal variations cause the fixing element to slacken, the resultant elongation is, in part, absorbed by the spring apparatus, so that the seal is still compressed with the sealing force required. This can compensate not only any temperature-related or age-related extension of the fixing element that, in the most cases, has the shape of a ring or a sleeve, but also any inaccuracies in the production process during closing of the beverage bottle. The risk that the sealing effect might wear off or the bottle might even become leaky can be avoided effectively.
Appropriate springs are various types of stainless-steel springs or plastic springs that may be formed as spiral spring or as leaf or diaphragm spring. For example, an air cushion embedded in a plastic bubble can also be used.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the fixing element is formed as a cap that can be pushed over the closing element in axial direction and is provided with engagements that reach behind the undercut at the edge of the bottle. As a result, the fixing element can be pushed over the closing element and the bottle edge until the engagements reach behind the undercut at the edge of the bottle and engage there and can be attached without the help of additional tools. This type of bottle closure is, above all, suitable for low-priced closures or closures that do not require any particularly long durability.
Particularly advantageous use can be made of the beverage bottle according to the invention for the commercial bottling of wine. The special combination of single elements that are known as such with a wine bottle permits, for the first time in memory, solution of the “cork problem”.
These and further elements of the invention are illustrated in more detail below by means of executive examples and the enclosed figures.
A closing element 3 that is completely made of glass is inserted in the bottle opening 2. Said closing element 3 comprises a conically cut circumferential surface that, via a sealing surface 4, cooperates with a correspondingly formed internal surface of the bottle opening 2, said internal surface also being conical and cut. The corresponding sealing method is already known from wine carafes with cut glass plugs. It requires only low effort and expenditure to cut the conical surfaces of the closing element 3 and the bottle opening 2 that are cooperating with each other at the sealing surface 4 so precisely that a complete tightness to fluid and gas can be achieved even over a long period of time. Moreover, the flat taper angle of the cone determining the sealing surface 4 causes a certain self-retention that holds the closing element 3 in the bottle opening 2. The self-retention effect is further intensified in that a small fluid amount of the beverage stored in the internal region of the bottle body 1 can enter into the sealing surface 4 and, owing to an adhesion effect, retains the closing element 3.
In order to ensure that the closing element 3 is completely fixed in the bottle opening 2, the closing element 3 is held by a fixing element 6 at its upper side 5. In the first embodiment shown in
To additionally avoid a movement of the closing element 3 in relation to the bottle opening 2 that might impair the sealing effect in the sealing surface 4, the closing element 3 is also held in radial direction by the fixing element 6 in order to thus prevent the closing element 3 from turning unintentionally. To achieve this, a projection 7 is formed in one piece with the closing element 3 at the upper side 5 of the closing element 3, said projection 7 engaging a corresponding recess 8 of the fixing element 6. The projection 7 may be made of glass, but also of a different material.
As a matter of course, it is also possible to form a recess in the upper side 5 of the closing element 3, said recess being engaged by a projection of the fixing element 6. The only thing that matters at this point is to ensure that a reliable positive or frictional connection is established between the closing element 3 and the fixing element 6.
In the stead of the gripping surfaces 10, it is also possible to provide recesses at the upper side of the closing element 3, into which the consumer can reach with his fingers.
The fixing element absorbing the axial and radial forces that are caused by holding the closing element 3 is attached to a bottle edge 9 that is formed at the bottle body 1 for support purposes. In
Positive or frictional connections, such as they are, for example, realized in the case of crown corks on beer bottles in known manner, are also suitable for attaching the fixing element 6 to the bottle edge 9. For example, the fixing element 6 can consist of an elastically/plastically deformable sheet-metal material that can be bent open in order to remove the fixing element 6 and provide free access to the closing element 3, so that the beverage bottle can be opened. As an alternative, it is also possible to provide a securing element, such as a sheet-metal ring or a sheet-metal strip that can be torn off, at the fixing element 6, said securing element, after having been removed, permitting detachment of the fixing element 6 from the bottle edge 9.
The fact that the fixing element is made of metal or plastic is not of any relevance to the quality of the beverage stored in the beverage bottle, because the fixing element 6 does not come into direct contact with the beverage. To the contrary, the beverage comes only in contact with the bottle body 1 and the closing element 3, either of which consists of glass. This not only objectively results in a clearly improved storage quality and less losses than is, in particular, the case with natural cork. At the same time, consumers place their confidence in glass, when it is used as material for containers intended for the storage of food, to a considerably higher degree than is the case with other natural or even plastic materials.
It is not necessary to seal the fixing element 6 against the bottle edge 9 or the bottle opening 2.
Here, the closing element 3 is not completely inserted in the bottle opening 2, but projects beyond the bottle opening 2 with its edge 11. The fixing element 6 is circular in shape and reaches around both the upper side 5 of the closing element and the bottle edge 9 to hold the closing element 3 in a positive manner and in axial direction.
Owing to a frictional effect between the upper side 5, the edge 11, the fixing element 6 and the bottle edge 9, a frictional connection is additionally established, that holds the closing element 3 in radial direction, thus preventing it from turning in the bottle opening 2 unintentionally. This anti-turn effect can, for example, be intensified by recesses in the edge 11 of the closing element 3, into which the fixing element 6 enters partially, thus causing an additional positive fixing effect.
As an alternative to the conically cut sealing surface 4 described above, it is also possible to provide a locking or threaded connection of sorts between the closing element 3 and the bottle opening 2. To achieve this, corresponding locking elements or holding elements, whether in the form of threads or of projections that are engaging each other, would have to be provided as early as in the glass forming process, said locking or holding elements cooperating on insertion of the closing element 3 and subsequent turning of the latter in the bottle opening 2 such that the closing element 3 is retained both in axial and radial direction. The radial fixing effect should, however, be achieved or at least be ensured by the fixing element 6 in the manner described above.
If it is difficult to provide the separating surface between the closing element 3 and the bottle opening 2 with locking/holding elements or a thread on the one hand and to additionally form a sealing surface 4 required on the other hand, it is also possible to insert an additional seal, for example in the form of a silicone or rubber ring. For example, the intermediate space that is formed by the fact that the bottle edge 9 and the edge 11 of the closing element 3 are spaced apart from each other is suitable to achieve this. At this point, it would be possible to mount a sealing ring onto the closing element 3, said sealing ring ensuring the necessary sealing effect when the closing element 3 is screwed into the bottle opening 2.
The closing element 3 comprises a flange 12 the outside diameter of which essentially corresponds to the outside diameter of the bottle edge 9 at the bottle opening 2. The flange 12 changes into a shank 13 that, according to
The seal 14 is arranged in the sealing surface between the flange 12 of the closing element 3 and the bottle edge 9.
The closing element 3 is securely held in the bottle opening 2 by the fixing element 6. In the third embodiment shown in
The snap cap (fixing element 6) consists of a ring-shaped aluminum element that is already preformed (flanged) in its upper part, therewith reaching beyond the flange 12 of the closing element 3. It is slipped over the closing element 3 and the bottle edge 9 and can, by means of an appropriate bordering device, then be deformed such that it abuts against an undercut 15 that is formed between the bottle edge 9 and the bottle body 1. This ensures that the closing element 3 is securely retained in its position even if it was pressed against the bottle edge 9 together with the seal 14, in order to generate an appropriate sealing force.
A finger ring (not shown) that is connected to the aluminum element in one piece and is bent upwards for opening the snap cap is provided in the snap cap. Subsequently, it can be torn down laterally so that the aluminum ring is ripped and can easily be removed from the closing element 3.
The finger ring serving as securing element is arranged at the upper side of the snap cap and can be additionally protected by a clamped-on covering hood 16.
As already shown in
The fixing element 6 is formed in the shape of a ring or a sleeve. The sleeve can be open across a part of the upper side of the closing element 3. The fixing element 6 is also called “flanged cap”. When being mounted, i.e. when the bottle is closed, the fixing element 6 is pushed over the flange 12 of the closing element 3 and is, thereafter, flanged such that a lower part 17 of the fixing element 6 reaches beyond the undercut 15 at least in part, as shown in
The lower part 17 represents the securing element that retains the fixing element 6 in axial direction.
The lower part 17 is connected to an upper part 19 in one piece and via a connecting region 18. The connecting region 18 can be formed as a ring-shaped notch, but also, for example, as a horizontal circumferential perforation. Preferrably, the connecting region 18 is arranged at the same level as the bottle edge 9 so that an adequate counteracting force can be put up to a knife used to cut open the connecting region 18. It is, however, also possible to arrange the connecting region 18 in the joint between the flange 12 of the closing element 3 and the bottle edge 9, in particular at the same level as the seal 14. There the user is enabled to cut deeply into the connecting region 18.
After the fixing element 6 has been opened at the connecting region 18, the upper part 19 can be easily lifted off, so that the closing element 3 is well accessible. The lower part 17 that forms the securing element either remains adhered to the bottle edge 9 or drops down over the neck of the bottle. Herein, it is advantageous if the lower part 17 is formed as a split ring that comprises, for example, a notch up to the level of the connecting region 18. This enables the lower part 17 to be easily expanded and removed from the neck of the bottle. As an alternative thereto, the ring that forms the lower part 17 can also be closed and comprise a vertical perforation that can be used to open the ring with an appropriate tool when it is intended to remove the ring.
In the embodiment shown in
A further embodiment that is not shown in the figures provides a spring apparatus that is inserted between the upper side of the closing element 3 and the fixing element 6. When the bottle 1 is closed, the spring is compressed with the fixing element 6, thus permitting that settlement signs—whether in the seal 14 or caused by an extension of the fixing element 6 developing over time—do not immediately result in generation of a sealing force that is not adequate any longer. On the contrary, the spring apparatus compensates a part of these settlement signs, thus desensitizing the closure as a whole. Depending on the free space required, various types of springs of metal or plastic are suitable as spring apparatus, wherein air springs, e.g. by means of air cushions embedded in plastic, are also possible for manufacturing reasons. Diaphragm springs, leaf springs, gel springs, and other springs are also conceivable as further variants.
The beverage bottle according to the invention can be used in the industrial and/or commercial bottling of wine in a particularly advantageous manner. Since, as has been described above, a conically cut sealing seat (sealing surface 4) can be very easily produced, the cost of production can be reduced as compared to a conventional wine bottle with a natural-cork stopper. The considerable economical advantage is intensified by the fact that the closing element 3 that is made of glass improves the storage quality and, thus, minimizes the risk of losses caused by leaking cork stoppers.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201 19 909.6 | Dec 2001 | DE | national |
| 102 02 902.4 | Jan 2002 | DE | national |
| 102 12 877.4 | Mar 2002 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP02/11583 | 10/10/2002 | WO | 6/10/2004 |
