AU717893B2 - Wine bottle and closure - Google Patents

Description

WO 98/09879 PCT/AU97/00559 1 WINE BOTTLE AND CLOSURE Technical Field This invention relates to a bottle and a cap-type closure therefor. In particular, the invention relates to a wine bottle and closure and will be described in relation to this particular application, however it is to be understood that the invention is applicable to other types of bottles.

Background A traditional closure for wine bottles which enjoys high consumer acceptance involves placement of a cork in the neck of a bottle. Another known closure for wine bottles involves the use of a metallic screw type cap, however this type of closure is used almost exclusively for cheaper wines.

There is a marked difference between the neck or finish structures of the bottles for the two types of closure, that is, bottles for the cheaper wines using a screw cap type closure are readily distinguishable from the cork mouth bottles for the more expensive wines. This difference is well recognised by consumers with the consequence that wine in a cork mouth bottle tends to be thought of as a better product than that in a bottle having a screw finish. There is thus a consumer preference for bottled wine wherein the bottle has a conventional cork mouth finish.

Tainting of wine within bottles by a cork closure, however, remains a problem. For example it has been said that about 5% to 10% of bottled wine can be affected by cork tainting. Another problem with cork closure bottles is that during their manufacture, the size of the bore of the finish must be carefully controlled to ensure there will be an adequate seal over the length of a cork.

WO 98/09879 PCT/AU97/00559 2 Disclosure Of The Invention It would be desirable to provide a closure and bottle that eliminates the above mentioned tainting and manufacturing problems associated with cork closures and cork mouth finishes, but which retains the look of a conventional cork mouth wine bottle for consumer acceptance reasons.

Accordingly, the invention provides a bottle having a neck finish and a cap type closure therefor, wherein the finish of the bottle includes an incomplete annular groove, the groove being incomplete in that it does not extend completely around the finish whereby a short circumferential portion of the finish is not grooved, wherein the closure includes a depending skirt for extending over the incomplete groove, the closure being adapted to sealingly close the bottle by deforming the skirt into the groove, wherein the deformed portion of the skirt is re-formable by the nongrooved portion of the finish upon relative rotation of the closure on the finish to render the closure removable from the bottle.

The invention includes the bottle and the closure supplied as separate items and the closure when assembled on the bottle.

A cap-type closure according to the invention avoids the problems associated with the use of corks and furthermore does not involve the use of a screw-threaded finish as in the prior art cap type closures and which consumers associate with a cheaper product. The invention allows the finish (or neck) of the bottle to be structured such that it looks like a conventional bottle closed by a cork.

Preferably the annular groove is incomplete by virtue there are two short circumferential portions of the finish, which are substantially diametrically opposed, that are not grooved. Further ungrooved portions can be provided as necessary, for example three or more such portions, substantially equally spaced circumferentially, could be provided, so long as the remaining annular groove is sufficient for retaining the cap in its sealing position whilst allowing the WO 98/09879 PCT/AU97/00559 3 relative rotation for reforming the deformed portion of the skirt to render the cap removable.

The closure may be knurled to improve the grip of a person thereon to facilitate the relative rotation that is required to render the closure removable from the bottle.

Preferably the cap is made of aluminium and includes a wad of sealing material against which the rim of the bottle opening sealingly bears on pressure being applied to the top of the cap and deformation of the skirt into the groove.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of nonlimiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of Drawings Fig. 1 shows the neck finish of a wine bottle according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the neck finish of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross-section on line III-III of Fig. 1 of one side of a finish according to one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 3 showing another embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a sectioned view of a cap-type closure according to the invention assembled on a finish according to the invention.

Fig. 6 is a similar view to Fig. 5 from a side thereof.

Fig. 7 is a transverse cross section along line VII-VII on Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a finish according to the invention.

Description of Preferred Embodiments The invention is preferably applicable to a narrow neck glass bottle such as a wine bottle. The finish 10 of such a bottle as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 includes an annular bead 12 a short distance below the rim 14 of the bottle.

The bead 12 is a conventional transfer bead for facilitating transfer of the bottle between stations in processing machinery during bottle manufacture.

WO 98/09879 PCT/AU97/00559 4 According to the invention, an incomplete annular groove 16 is formed in the bottle finish 10 between the rim 14 and bead 12. The groove 16 is incomplete in the sense that a short circumferential portion 18 of the finish (hereinafter termed "cam section") is not grooved. The invention extends to the provision of two or more such ungrooved cam sections, however it is preferred that there be only two of the cam sections 18 which are diametrically opposite one another.

It is further preferred that these two cam sections 18 cross the ring seam of the bottle, which is represented by the line 20 on Fig. 1. That is, cam sections 18 should preferably bridge those parts of the finish which lie at the parting line of the mould halves for the bottle. This is to ensure that any protruding glass (as may occur between the mould halves) is not within the incomplete annular groove 16.

The rim 14 of the bottle is a standard design such as will ensure adequate penetration into a wad of sealing material in the closure to seal the bottle.

A finish 10 according to the invention is interchangeable on any bottle with a standard table wine cork mouth finish and may be formed as part of known bottle manufacturing processes, such as the "Narrow Neck Press and Blow" or "Blow and Blow" processes. The ready exchange of a finish according to the invention for a standard cork mouth finish allows low cost interchange between the two during production of wine bottles.

In a preferred finish 10 according to the invention the groove 16 has a flat bottom surface 22 (see Fig. 3 which shows in dashed outline the position of the groove 16 for a section not taken through a cam section 18) and upper and lower side walls 24 and 26 respectively. Side walls 24 and 26 generally slope towards each other towards bottom surface 22. The depth of groove 16 and slope of upper side wall 24 must be sufficient for maintaining a cap in a sealed position on the finish 10. The portion 27 of finish 10 above groove 16 is slightly reduced in diameter compared to the finish diameter below groove 16 (see reference 28) for a purpose to be described below. The cam sections 18 are preferably bulged outwardly relative to the diameter of the finish at 28by a small amount also for a purpose to be described below.

WO 98/09879 PCT/AU97/00559 An alternative finish 10' according to the invention is illustrated by Fig. 4 (in Fig. 4 the same reference numerals as in Fig. 3, but with a prime, have been applied to indicate corresponding features. Also in this figure, similarly to the Fig. 3 representation, the position where an incomplete groove 16' would occur and the shape of the groove is shown by a dashed line.). The major difference between the preferred finish 10 (Fig. 3) and the alternative finish 10' (Fig. 4) is that groove 16' has a curved bottom 22' rather than a flat bottom 22. Other differences can exist in the proportioning of some of the features, for example, bead 12' may be wider than bead 12 and the portion 27' of finish 10' above groove 16' is of less height. Finish 10 is preferred over finish 10' because the shape of its incomplete groove 16 allows for "closed mould take out" during production, which is a method that allows for an extended contact time for the bottle in the mould (and thereby more rapid cooling) without slowing the machine. "Closed mould take out", which is a known procedure, improves production efficiency. Corner transitions between surfaces on a finish 10 or are curved as is consistent with practice in the glass bottle manufacturing field.

A metal cap-type closure 30 for the finish (see Figs. 5 and which is preferably formed from aluminium, includes a top 32 and a depending skirt 34 which terminates in a rolled edge 36. The skirt 34 extends down such that rolled edge 36 seats on an upper surface of the transfer bead 12 of the finish when the cap 30 is sealed on the bottle. The cap includes a wad 38 which, prior to application of the cap 30 on a finish 10, is held in place by an inwardly formed bead 40. The wad 38 is of known materials and construction suitable for long term storage of table wine and is for providing a seal between the cap and the bottle. For example, it may be a laminate comprising a plastics surface coating on a soft metal (such as tin or aluminium) which in turn has a foamed plastics backing. One such known wadding is "Supervin" which is currently used for threaded closures on wine bottles. Wad 38 may be retained in a cap otherwise than by use of an inwardly formed bead 40, for example it could be frictionally or adhesively retained in the cap. However the method of retention of the wad 38 which is adopted must not be such as will increase the opening torque of a cap beyond an acceptable limit (this may occur if a cap WO 98/09879 PCT/AU97/00559 6 is prevented from rotating relative to a wad 38 when the cap is rotated for removal).

The skirt 34 of a cap 30, prior to application of the cap onto a finish 10, is undeformed (see reference 42 in Fig. 6 which figure illustrates portions of skirt 34 of the cap over a cam section 18).

A cap 30 can be applied to a finish 10 by any standard roll-on capping machine with the correct pressure head and rollers. In this capping step, the skirt 34 is deformed into engagement with the incomplete groove 16, the deformation forming an inwards bead 45 which seats in groove 16 (see Fig. The capping also reforms the original shape of the cap 30 over the rim 14 portion of the finish to provide it with a curved transition 45 between top 32 and skirt 34. This improves the sealing of the cap onto the bottle finish 10 and mimics a conventional cork mouth finish.

The profile of the groove 16 must be such that it retains the rolled (deformed) metal 44 of the cap 30 to maintain the cap in sealed relationship with the bottle. This is achieved by engagement of bead 44 under upper side wall 24 of groove 16. Also, the groove 16 may be positioned at any convenient distance from the rim 14. Preferably, however, it is near the transfer bead 12 to make it as inconspicuous as possible.

The rolled edge 36 around the lower end of the skirt 34 of cap 30 gives rigidity to the cap which facilitates its manipulation in a capping machine. It also provides an acceptable finish for the raw end of the skirt and gives an appearance on a bottle that is similar to conventional wine bottles having a cork mouth finish.

Once the cap 30 has been sealed onto a bottle finish 10, it may be removed by gripping it and twisting such that the cap 30 is caused to rotate relative to the finish 10. This action causes the deformed bead 44 of the skirt 34 to ride over the cam sections 18 and thus be re-formed, that is, the indentations 44 are removed. The ends of groove 16 where it meets a cam section 18 are formed with a smooth slope 17 to facilitate the camming of the deformed portions 44 by the cam sections 18 back to nearly their original WO 98/09879 PCT/AU97/00559 7 shape. After the cap 30 has been rotated sufficiently to re-form all of the deformed portions 44, it may be removed by lifting it off the bottle.

A factor that can affect the ease of removal of a cap 30 after portions 44 have been re-formed is the resilience of the metal from which the cap is formed.

This resilience can sometimes cause re-formed portions 44 to "spring-back" to a partially deformed position and thus prevent or render it very difficult to lift a cap 30 off a finish 10 and it is for this reason that the portion 27 of finish above groove 16 is slightly reduced in diameter. That is, the reduction in diameter reduces the size of the obstacle that a cap 30 must ride over when it is lifted off a finish 10 of a bottle when there is some spring-back of portions 44.

For example, for a bottle having a finish diameter immediately below incomplete groove 16 of 27.50 mm, the finish diameter above the groove may be 26.90 mm. The previously mentioned outward bulging of cam sections 18 is provided for the purpose of increasing the degree of re-formation of portions 44, also to avoid the spring-back factor and thereby allow more efficient stripping of the closure. For example, for a bottle having a finish diameter immediately below groove 16 of 27.50 mm, each cam section 18 may be raised by 0.08 mm.

A small amount of "spring-back" due to the resilience of the metal of a cap 30 is desirable as it allows a cap 30 to be softly clipped back onto a bottle finish 10 to thereby cover the opening (this does not re-seal the bottle) A cap 30 when sealed on a bottle finish 10 according to the invention is preferably encapsulated by a standard plastics shrink capsule (not shown), the same as is currently used for cork mouth bottles of wine. This gives a closure according to the invention an even closer appearance to that of a conventional cork mouth wine bottle and also provides for tamper evidence. This capsule may include a perforated circumferential line in alignment with the lower edge 36 of the cap which breaks when the cap is twisted thereby allowing the top of the capsule to be removed with the cap.

A cap 30 according to the invention may be provided with some knurling (not shown) to improve the grip of a person for rotating the cap relative to the finish 10. This option is not preferred, however, because it detracts from the similar appearance of the invention to a conventional cork mouth wine bottle.

WO 98/09879 PCT/AU97/00559 8 A closure and finish according to the invention must provide acceptable values for the torque required for turning the closure relative to the finish (hereinafter termed the stripping torque) and vent resistance, depending on a particular type of bottle and its contents. Generally the stripping torque needs to have a minimum value which provides security against inadvertent opening and a maximum value which is less than that which makes the closure difficult or uncomfortable to remove. Generally, for wine bottles, the minimum torque value (measured in in/Ib) should not be less than about 20% of the nominal diameter (in mm) of the closure and the maximum value not more than about 50% of the nominal diameter. For a closure 30 of about 28mm diameter, a recommended stripping torque range is about 0.6 Nm to 1.4 Nm (approximately 6 in/lb to 12 in/Ib).

Still wine is capable of producing internal pressures in the order of 140 kPa (20 psi), thus the vent resistance for a cap 30 for use on wine bottles should be above about 170 kPa (25 psi). A vent resistance within the range of about 200-350 kPa (30-50 psi) for a cap 30 for use on wine bottles is acceptable.

A particular advantage of tlie invention in terms of the manufacturing of glass bottles is that control of the bore diameter of the finish is not critical like it is in the manufacturing of a bottle having a conventional cork mouth finish.

The invention described herein is susceptible to variations, modifications and/or additions other than those specifically described and it is to be understood that the invention includes all such variations, modifications and/or additions which fall within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Claims (21)

1. A bottle having a neck finish and a cap type closure therefor, wherein the finish of the bottle includes an incomplete annular groove, the groove being incomplete in that it does not extend completely around the finish whereby a short circumferential portion of the finish is not grooved, wherein the closure includes a depending skirt for extending over the incomplete groove, the closure being adapted to sealingly close the bottle by deforming the skirt into the groove, wherein the deformed portion of the skirt is reformable by the non-grooved portion of the finish upon relative rotation of the closure on the finish to render the closure removable from the bottle.

2. A bottle and a closure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the incomplete groove comprises a flat bottom surface and upper and lower side walls wherein the deformed portion of the skirt of the closure engages the upper side wall for sealingly retaining the closure on the bottle, and wherein the shape of the groove allows closed mould take out of the bottle.

3. A bottle and a closure as claimed in claim 1 wherein the incomplete groove has a curved profile, wherein the deformed portion of the skirt of the closure engages an upper side wall portion of the curved profile for sealingly retaining the closure on the bottle.

4. A bottle and a closure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the groove is incomplete by virtue there are a plurality of short circumferential portions of the finish which are not grooved. A bottle and a closure as claimed in claim 4 wherein there are two of said short circumferential portions which are diametrically opposed.

6. A bottle and a closure as claimed in claim 5 wherein the two short circumferential portions cross a ring seam of the bottle.

7. A bottle and a closure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the or each short circumferential portion is bulged outwardly of the finish by a small amount to provide a camming surface for reforming the deformed portion of the skirt beyond its undeformed position by a small amount WO 98/09879 PCT/AU97/00559 for reducing spring-back of the deformed portion due to resilience of the closure material.

8. A bottle and a closure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein junctures between the annular groove and the short non-grooved portion(s) are formed with a smooth slope to facilitate reforming of the deformed portion of the skirt of the closure upon relative rotation of the closure on the finish.

9. A bottle and a closure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the bottle finish includes a transfer bead and the incomplete groove is located between the rim and the transfer bead. A bottle and a closure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the diameter of the finish above the incomplete groove is reduced by a small amount for facilitating removal of the closure in the presence of spring- back of the deformed portion due to resilience of the closure material.

11. A bottle and a closure as claimed in claim 9 wherein the skirt of the closure includes a rolled lower edge for seating on an upper surface of the transfer bead of the finish.

12. A cap type closure for a bottle having a necked finish wherein the finish of the bottle includes an incomplete annular groove, the groove being incomplete in that it does not extend completely around the finish whereby a short circumferential portion of the finish is not grooved, the closure including a depending skirt wherein, in use of the closure, the skirt extends over the incomplete groove and is deformable into the groove for the closure to sealingly close the bottle, the deformed portion of the skirt being reformable by the non- grooved portion of the finish upon relative rotation of the closure thereon.

13. A closure as claimed in claim 12 wherein the skirt includes a rolled lower edge for seating on an upper surface of a transfer bead on a finish of a bottle.

14. A closure as claimed in claim 12 or 13 wherein the closure is made of aluminium and includes a wad of sealing material for sealing a bottle opening. IAAu 97/ 0 0 5 5 9 RECEIVED 1 2 JUN 'i31 ~11 A bottle for use with a cap type closure as claimed in claim 12, wherein the bottle has a necked finish which includes an incomplete annular groove, the groove being incomplete in that it does not extend completely around the finish whereby a short circumferential portion of the finish is not grooved, and wherein the short circumferential portion is bulged outwardly of the finish by a small amount to provide a camming surface for reforming the deformed portion of the skirt beyond its undeformed position by a small amount for reducing spring-back of the deformed portion due to resilience of the closure material.

16. A bottle as claimed in claim 15 wherein the incomplete groove comprises a flat bottom surface and upper and lower side walls wherein the deformed portion of the skirt of the closure engages the upper side wall for sealingly retaining the closure on the bottle, and wherein the shape of the groove allows closed mould take out of the bottle.

17. A bottle as claimed in claim 15 wherein the incomplete groove has a curved profile, wherein the deformed portion of the skirt of the closure engages an upper side wall portion of the curved profile for sealingly retaining the closure on the bottle.

18. A bottle as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 17 wherein the groove is incomplete by virtue there are a plurality of short circumferential portions of the finish which are not grooved.

19. A bottle as claimed in claim 18 wherein there are two of said short circumferential portions which are diametrically opposed. A bottle as claimed in claim 19 wherein the two short circumferential portions cross a ring seam of the bottle.

21. A bottle as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 20 wherein junctures between the annular groove and the short non-grooved portion(s) are formed with a smooth slope to facilitate reforming of the deformed portion of the skirt of the closure upon relative rotation of the closure on the finish.

22. A bottle as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 21 wherein the finish includes a transfer bead and the incomplete groove is located between he rim of the bottle and the transfer bead. DG C:\WNWORD fELILAH\DCNODELE\PCT00559.DOC aME l3ED SHEET IPEAVAU PCT/ A 7 10 0 5 59 1 5 JUL 1998 12

23. A bottle as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 22 wherein the diameter of the finish above the incomplete groove is reduced by a small amount for facilitating removal of a closure in the presence of spring-back of the deformed portion of the closure due to resilience of the closure material.

24. A bottle and a closure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein the closure is removable from the bottle by applying a torque thereto within the range of 0.6 Nm to 1.4 Nm. A bottle and a closure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 or 24 wherein the closure has a vent resistance which lies within the range of

200-350 kPa. A '4 I. DG C:\W1NWORD\DELILAH\DCNOOELE\PCTOO559.DOC AMD 3X2T IPEA/AUi~i