AU762234B2

AU762234B2 - A closure means for sealing a container containing a carbonated liquid

Info

Publication number: AU762234B2
Application number: AU43915/01A
Authority: AU
Inventors: L.R. Agnew
Original assignee: L R AGNEW DEVELOPMENTS Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Lr Agnew Developments Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2001-05-16
Filing date: 2001-05-16
Publication date: 2003-06-19
Anticipated expiration: 2021-05-16
Also published as: AU4391501A

Description

I

P/00/01Il Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Invention Title: A CLOSURE MEANS FOR SEALING A CONTAINER CONTAINING A CARBONATED LIQUID The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: A CLOSURE MEANS FOR SEALING A CONTAINER CONTAINING A CARBONATED LIQUID FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a closure means for sealing containers containing carbonated liquid or beverages. The invention has particular but not exclusive application to sealing bottles of sparkling wine and other carbonated beverages.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A bottle of sparkling wine is usually sealed with a cork that has a conical-like portion that forms a plug in the neck of the bottle. The base of the conical-like portion is located furthermost within the neck of the bottle. The pressure in the headspace within the bottle is usually higher than the outside atmospheric pressure.

The shape and the position of the conical-like portion prevents the comparatively higher pressure within the bottle from prematurely releasing the cork. The comparatively higher pressure in the headspace serves to keep carbon dioxide in solution and hence the wine carbonated.

After the cork has been removed, the headspace pressure is released and carbon dioxide comes out of solution causing the liquid to foam and often flows out of the bottle. If the contents of the bottle are not completely consumed, the bottle is often resealed with some other type of stopper as the original stopper is usually too difficult to replace in the bottle.

Over a period of time, the loss of carbon dioxide from solution reduces the effervescence in the liquid and eventually the liquid is no longer carbonated, and becomes what is commonly termed "flat". Resealing the bottle slows the process of carbon dioxide coming out of solution. When the bottle is resealed the headspace pressure is the same as the atmospheric pressure, and carbon dioxide comes out of 3 solution until the pressure within the headspace of the container becomes sufficiently high to prevent further carbon dioxide from coming out ofsolution.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative closure means for containers containing a carbonated beverage.

STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect, the invention broadly resides in a sealable closure means for a container containing a carbonated beverage or liquid including a top member sealably mountable to the container and having a bore and an engagement means adjacent to the bore; a base member engageable with the top member, said base member has a bore and an engagement means, said engagement means is complementary to the top member engagement means and is adjacent said base member bore; S:.0 a valve member locatable between the top and base members, wherein air can be introduced through said bores and into the container, and the valve member is adapted to form a seal against the top or base member when the pressure within the container is higher than the pressure outside the container.

Preferably the valve member forms a seal against the top member.

The top member is preferably a lid or cap that can be sealed around the neck or opening of the container. The top member preferably has a top wall with a substantially flush top surface. A bore opening is located in the top surface. A pump may be positioned about the bore on the top surface and adapted to pump air into the container. The flush top surface of the top member about the bore provides a seat for the pump to pump air into the container via the top bore.

4 The engagement means of the top member preferably piojects inwardly from the top wall of the top member. The top member engagement means is preferably integral with the top member. The top member engagement means preferably has an engagement portion that substantially surrounds the bore. In one preferred embodiment the engagement portion is an annular channel surrounding the bore. In the preferred embodiment a bore peripheral region preferably acts as a seat for the valve member.

The base member is preferably a cover that controls the direction of flow of air through the top member and into the container. In a preferred embodiment, the base member is a cylindrical cover that has an annular side wall engageable with the annular channel of the top member. The sealable engagement of the two members is preferably press-fitted or friction-fitted so that a seal is formed between the two members. When the base member engages the top member, a cavity is formed in which the valve member can be operatively positioned.

Other types of engagement means may be employed providing a seal is formed when there is engagement of complementary engagement means. For example in an alternative embodiment a top member may have engagement projections that are capable of engaging a channel in a base member. In a further alternative embodiment a top member may have a series of recesses positioned about the top member bore and be sealably engageable with projections on a base member.

The valve seat in the preferred embodiment is the top member bore peripheral region opposing the valve member. The valve seat may be located on either the top or base member providing the valve member can form a seal with the valve seat and prevent air and carbon dioxide within the container escaping through the top member bore.

The valve member preferably does not protrude through the top member bore. The valve member is preferably retained between the valve seat of the top member and the base member. The valve member is preferably a diaphragm of flexible material such as rubber or the like. In a preferred form the diaphragm has a substantially planar disc shape and can fit in the cavity formed by the engagement of the top and base members.

The seal can be broken when the diaphragm is separated from the valve seat.

10 Separation can be achieved by inserting a projection through the top member bore and pushing the valve member away from the valve seat. The seal can also be broken by separating the top member from the container. For example where the top member is a threaded cap the seal can be broken by unscrewing the cap from the neck of the container.

15 The sealable closure means may be a single integral unit with a captured *o valve.

In another aspect the invention broadly resides in a method of fitting the above mentioned closure means to a container including placing a pump over the top member bore; using the pump to force air into the container through the bores; and forming a seal to prevent air and carbon dioxide from escaping out of the container when the pressure inside the container is relatively higher than the outside atmospheric pressure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 6 In order that the invention be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective cut away view of the cap forming the closure means; and Figure 2 is a cut away view of the cap of figure 1 attached to the neck of a bottle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS With reference to Figure 1 there is shown a cap 10 and a bottle 11. Cap includes an internal valve assembly 12, a top wall 13 having a bore 14, and a cylindrical side wall 15. The cylindrical side wall 15 has a screw thread 16 on an inside surface of the wall 15. The screw thread 16 is complementary to the bottle screw thread 17. An O-ring 18 within the cap 10 helps form a seal between cap and bottle 11 when the cap 10 is screwed tightly onto the bottle 11.

The internal valve assembly 12 projects inwardly from the top wall 13. The internal valve assembly 12 includes an annular groove 19 and a valve seat 20 which is bordered by the bore 14 and annular groove 19. The valve seat 20 is the peripheral region of bore 14.

The internal valve assembly 12 also includes a cylindrical base cap 21 which has side walls 22 that engage in a friction fit manner with the annular groove 19.

The cylindrical base cap 21 has a bore 22 in the base wall 23 which provides a passage from the internal valve assembly 12 to inside the bottle 11.

The internal valve assembly 12 also includes a valve 24 which is a flexible disc shaped diaphragm that is retained between the base wall 23 and the valve seat 7 When the cap 10 is screwed on to bottle 11 as shown in Fig.2, the internal valve assembly 12 is located within the neck of the bottle 11. No part of the valve 24 protrudes from the top surface of the top wall 13. As a consequence accidental release of the seal is substantially prevented by the position of the valve 24.

In use air is pumped into the container through bore 14 around valve 24 and out through bore 22 into the head space 25 within the bottle 11. With the continued introduction of air into the bottle 11, pressure within the head space 25 gradually builds up. When the internal pressure within the head space 25 becomes greater than the pressure outside the bottle, valve 24 seals against valve seat 20 preventing escape of the air and carbon dioxide within the bottle to the outside. Nevertheless air can continue to be introduced after the valve 24 seals against valve seat providing the pressure of the air being pumped is high enough to displace the valve 24 from the valve seat 20. However as the pressure continues to build within the head space 25 the seal formed by the valve 24 against valve seat 20 becomes stronger.

To release the seal, the cap 11 can be unscrewed to the point where the seal formed with the O-ring 18 is released. Alternatively the seal can be released by displacing valve 24 from valve seat 20. This may be achieved by passing a projection through the top bore 14 and pushing the valve 24 downward and away from valve seat

ADVANTAGES

The advantages of the present invention include the ability to introduce air into the bottle or container and create a comparatively higher pressure within the head space of the container than the outside pressure. The comparatively higher 8 pressure restricts the amount of carbon dioxide coming out of solution and therefore helps to keep the liquid carbonated and thus effervescent or bubbly.

VARIATIONS

It will of course be realised that while the foregoing has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention, all such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is herein set forth.

Throughout the description and claims this specification the word "comprise" and variations of that word such as "comprises" and "comprising", are not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps.

oo**o* .IT .*o

Claims

1. The invention broadly resides in a sealable closure means for a container containing a carbonated beverage or liquid including a top member sealably mountable to the container and having a bore and an engagement means adjacent to the bore; a base member engageable with the top member, said base member has a bore and an engagement means, said engagement means is complementary to the top member engagement means and is adjacent said base member bore; a valve member locatable between the top and base members, wherein air can be introduced through said bores and into the container, and the valve member is adapted to form a seal against the top or base member when the pressure within the container is higher than the pressure outside the container.

2. A sealable closure means as claimed claim 1, wherein the valve member is adapted to form a seal against the top member.

3. A sealable closure means as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the top member has a valve seat formed at the peripheral region about the top member C bore.

4. A sealable closure means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the engagement means is an annular groove in one member and a complementary annular projection in the other member.

A sealable closure means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the valve member is a flexible disc shaped diaphragm.

6. A sealable closure means as claimed one of the preceding claims wherein the valve member is entirely retained between the top member and the base member.

7. A sealable closure means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the top member is a cap that may be screwed on to a bottle.

8. A sealable closure means as substantially described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. DATED THIS SIXTEENTH DAY OF MAY 2001 L.R. AGNEW DEVELOPMENTS PTY LTD By its patent attorneys Pipers patent Trade Mark Attorneys