AU2004200830A1

AU2004200830A1 - Screw Cork System

Info

Publication number: AU2004200830A1
Application number: AU2004200830A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Paul Adams
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-03-06
Filing date: 2004-03-03
Publication date: 2004-03-25
Also published as: AU2004200830A8

Description

SCREW CORK SYSTEM Background For many years wine bottles have been sealed using corks made of natural cork.

Recently, artificial corks made of various synthetic materials, as well as composite corks with a natural cork core and synthetic coatings have been used in order to reduce the incidence of cork taint.

Cork Taint Cork Taint is caused by the presence of a compound called 2,4,6- Trichloroanisole, or TCA for short. The use of a cork affected by TCA allows the transfer of TCA into the wine, producing a tainted or "corked" wine. Estimates of the prevalence of cork taint vary. While some sources believe up to one in twelve bottles (one per case) is affected, a figure of 5% of bottles is generally accepted.

A further problem with the use of natural corks which has recently been recognised is that of random bottle oxidation.

Other closures It has long been felt that the screw cap (ROTE, roll-on tamper evident or "Stelvin" cap) was the most effective closure for a bottle of wine in terms of reducing cork taint. However, the screw cap has long been associated with cheap wines and until very recently, manufacturers were reluctant to use screw caps on wines in the mid premium price ranges. Recent research (Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research Vol 7, No 2, 2001) has upheld this belief in the superiority of the screw cap in preventing cork taint. As a result, wine makers in Australia are now using screw cap closures more frequently, particularly on white wines and customers seem to be becoming more accepting of this.

Pulling a cork adds to the experience of wine drinking While natural corks are the least effective kind of closure in terms of reducing cork taint, there is still a great amount of prestige attached to the use of natural corks.

Research shows many people feel that pulling a real cork adds to the "experience" of wine drinking. Synthetic or composite corks are being designed in some cases to look very similar to natural corks in order to capture some of this good will. However, synthetic or composite corks also need to be pulled from the bottle using a corkscrew in the same way a natural cork does. As such, nonnatural corks will not achieve the same level of security against cork taint as a tight ROTE screw cap.

In summary, wine consumers prefer natural cork, but dislike the cork taint it brings. The problem facing wine makers is the need to balance the "experience" aspects of pulling wine corks while drinking wine, with the need to eliminate, or at least reduce cork taint to a minimum.

PAUL ADAMS March 3, 2004 The Screw Cork System solution This problem is solved by the invention as presented, being a screw cork comprising a cylindrical, non-tapered wine bottle closure of approximate dimensions 44mm x 20mm, with an external thread designed for use in threaded bottle necks and a slot, or holes, to enable a suitable corkscrew-like device 9) or other tool to unscrew it.

The screw cork is designed to seal a bottle of wine with a similar level of security against cork taint and oxidation as a screw cap, but in a cylindrical cork-shape that fits inside the bottle-neck.

The screw cork may be made of a variety of synthetic or composite materials.

Typical dimensions would be similar to that used in other corks, for example 44mm in length x 20mm in diameter. The outside of the screw cork is threaded to enable it to be screwed into the neck of a bottle that has an internal thread.

The screw cork will have a slot or two holes drilled into it to allow either a flat-bladed (screwdriver-like) or pronged (tuning fork-like) device to be used to screw it into the bottle neck. Removal of the screw cork will require a cork screw with either a flat metal blade (8 for the slotted screw-cork) or two tuning fork-like prongs (9 for the variety with two holes as well as the slotted cork). Removing the screw cork will therefore require a similar action to using a standard spiral corkscrew, except that the turning action will serve to remove the cork, rather than drive the cork screw into the cork as is the case with standard corks. Effectively, the experience of pulling a cork will be very similar to the removal of standard corks with a "Screwpull" or "Spinning Top" type cork.

The screw cork is designed to be fully inserted and removed only by a rotary screwing action using an appropriate tool such as those described above.

However, one version of the screw cork has an unthreaded end of the same diameter as the threaded part's narrowest diameter. This will serve two main purposes: 1. It will allow the cork to be partially re-inserted into the bottle if required 2. It will provide a secure sealing surface against bottles with an internal lip In the variety with a flange, this will provide a further secure sealing surface in addition to the flange and the thread. The variety without a flange will also benefit from an additional sealing surface in addition to that provided by the thread.

The screw-cork, manufactured in the appropriate dimensions, can also be used as a closure for a variety of bottles and jars, including, for example, coffee jars.

PAUL ADAMS March 3, 2004

Claims

1. A screw cork, comprising a cylindrical, non-tapered wine bottle closure of approximate dimensions 44mm x 20mm, with an external thread designed for use in threaded bottle necks and a slot, or holes, to enable a suitable corkscrew-like device or other tool to be inserted to unscrew it.

2. A screw cork as claimed in claim 1, where the top may have a flange or chamfer that fits flush with the top of the bottle to provide a greater seal.

3. A screw cork as claimed in claim 1, which is made of synthetic materials or a combination of synthetic and natural materials, such as a natural cork core with synthetic coating.

4. A screw-cork as claimed in claim 1, which may have a plain unthreaded end of the same diameter as the threaded part's narrowest diameter, to enable partial re- insertion into the bottle for short-term storage of any remaining wine.

A screw cork as claimed in claim 1, where the plain unthreaded end can provide an additional sealing surface against a lip inside the bottle, for greater security against cork taint and oxidation.

6. A screw cork as claimed in claim 1, but of various dimensions suitable for a variety of bottles and jars other than wine bottles.

7. A flat-bladed or two pronged cork-screw tool to enable the cork as claimed in claim 1 to be unscrewed from the bottle.

8. A screw cork system substantially herein as described, with reference to the accompanying drawings. PAULADAMS March 3, 2004