CN111344229A

CN111344229A - Wine bottle and method

Info

Publication number: CN111344229A
Application number: CN201880073665.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 格伦·利兹
Original assignee: Creative Cloud Co
Current assignee: Creative Cloud Co
Priority date: 2017-09-13
Filing date: 2018-09-13
Publication date: 2020-06-26
Also published as: US20200283185A1; CL2020000668A1; EP3681806B1; NL2019538B1; WO2019054866A1; AU2018332579A1; EP3681806A1; ZA202001648B

Abstract

An elongated wine bottle (10) having an interior space (11) for containing wine therein, the wine bottle comprising a hollow cylindrical body (12) having a closed bottom (13), and a cylindrical neck (15) remote from the bottom extending to an open outer end of the wine bottle, wherein the thickness of the material from which the wine bottle is made is the same over at least substantially the entire length of the wine bottle, and wherein the neck is provided along its outer surface with external threads (17) and only a single annular rim (18) located below the threads relative to the open outer end, wherein the diameter of the circular cross-section of the body is at least substantially equal to the diameter of the circular cross-section of the neck, such that the wine bottle has at least substantially one and the same bottle diameter along its entire length.

Description

Wine bottle and method

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an elongated wine bottle having an interior space for containing wine therein, the wine bottle comprising a hollow cylindrical body having a closed bottom, and a cylindrical neck remote from the bottom extending to an open outer end of the wine bottle, wherein the thickness of the material from which the wine bottle is made is the same over at least substantially the entire length of the wine bottle, and wherein the neck is provided along its outer surface with an external thread located below the thread relative to the open outer end with only a single annular edge.

The invention also relates to a method for providing wine on board an aircraft, the method comprising: wine is stored in a catering trolley configured for use on board the aircraft and is removed from the trolley for provision to personnel in the aircraft.

The invention also relates to an apparatus for filling an elongated wine bottle with wine.

The invention also relates to a vehicle comprising an apparatus for filling an elongated wine bottle with wine.

The invention also relates to a method of filling an elongated wine bottle with wine.

The present invention also relates to a package for dispensing elongated wine bottles.

Background

With the rapid growth of the world population, the effective use of space and means by today's business society becomes increasingly important in our society, on the one hand with minimal impact on the environment and on the other hand, being able to continue to participate in competitive markets. This is especially true for airlines, who must always look for more cost effective solutions. One important limitation here is the limited physical space available on the aircraft. In order to be able to carry more passengers per flight, solutions are constantly being sought to make more efficient use of this space. However, not only the transport of passengers is important. In long flights, it is also necessary to provide services to passengers, for which purpose aircraft are often equipped with galleys, toilets and other facilities, and are loaded with food, beverages and other necessities. Such facilities and necessities require space and this reduces the remaining space available on board the aircraft.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the invention is to utilize the space on the aircraft more efficiently. To this end, the invention provides a wine bottle of the type mentioned in the preamble, characterized in that the diameter of the circular cross-section of the body is at least substantially equal to the diameter of the circular cross-section of the neck, so that the wine bottle has at least one substantially identical bottle diameter over its entire length. A particular advantage of such wine bottles is that a plurality of these wine bottles can be stacked or bundled together in a compact manner for transport. In other words, with the wine bottle according to the present invention, the number of wine bottles per unit volume can be increased, and thus the limited space in an airplane can be effectively utilized. The bottle according to the invention is of great advantage over known beverage packages, which are generally relatively unsuitable for efficient storage and servicing. Thus, a conventional beverage is usually located on top of a catering trolley configured for an aircraft, since the upper part of the trolley is not enclosed by the walls of the trolley, and there is therefore more space and freedom to arrange the beverage in the upper part of the trolley. Conversely, bottles according to the present invention may be placed compactly stacked on top of each other, standing upright or stacked on top of each other in a cart and/or in a rack on a cart. Thereby making efficient use of the space available on board the aircraft. It should be noted that the wine bottle according to the invention may also be used for containing other beverages or food products therein, such as alcoholic beverages, oils, flavourings or tea, etc.

According to a preferred embodiment, the diameter of the circular cross-section of the body is at most 10% larger than the diameter of the circular cross-section of the neck. An advantage of a slightly narrower neck diameter is that it enhances the controlled ability to pour wine (or other beverage) from the bottle. It also provides space for arranging the cap on the neck of the bottle such that the outer surface of the cap is at least substantially coplanar with the outer surface of the body of the bottle. This ensures, according to the present preferred embodiment, in particular a simple and stable stacking of a plurality of wine bottles, since each wine bottle can rest in this way on the underlying wine bottle along its entire length.

According to a preferred embodiment, the elongated wine bottle further comprises a cap provided with an internal thread along an inner surface corresponding to the external thread of the neck, such that the cap can be attached to the neck by means of a screwing movement in order to close the open outer end of the wine bottle in a optionally airtight manner, wherein the outer surface of the cap is at least substantially coplanar with the outer surface of the body of the wine bottle. A particular advantage of such a cap, also referred to as a capsule, is that the whole of the wine bottle on which the cap is provided has an at least substantially perfect cylindrical shape, whereby the wine bottle can rest on another wine bottle below along its entire length and can thus, according to the preferred embodiment, be easily stacked on or together with other wine bottles in a stable manner. The cap is preferably a standard wine bottle screw cap, i.e. a wine bottle screw cap with an outer diameter of about 28 to 29 mm, wherein the wine bottle screw cap further comprises a perforated tear line along its periphery directly below the external thread and directly above the single annular rim, along which perforated tear line the upper part of the cap can be separated from the lower part of the cap by tearing due to the rotational movement of the cap relative to the neck, so that the opening of the wine bottle is unobstructed.

According to a preferred embodiment, the bottom is formed such that it forms a recess in the body, wherein the height of the recess is at most 10%, preferably at most 5%, of the diameter of the circular cross section of the body near the bottom. Such a depression, also called backflushing, has the advantage that the bottom can thus provide sufficient resistance to the liquid pressure of the wine (or other beverage) against the inside of the bottle bottom. Furthermore, the contact surface of the bottom with a supporting surface, such as a table, is thereby reduced, which improves the stability of the wine bottle when it is placed on the supporting surface of its bottom. A particular advantage of a relatively low pit height with respect to the bottom diameter is that there is substantially no space loss due to recoil, which increases the efficiency of space utilization in the aircraft.

The bottle diameter is preferably between 25 mm and 35 mm. More preferably between 27 mm and 31 mm. Such a bottle diameter allows for the length of the bottle, which is typically one unit of wine or other beverage consumed, and the volume of the bottle. The length of the wine bottle is preferably between 10 cm and 25 cm and the volume of the interior space of the wine bottle is between 20 ml and 200 ml. More preferably, the volume amounts to 20 ml, 50 ml, 100 ml or 187.5 ml. Each of these latter volumes corresponds to a standard volume for a particular beverage consumption unit. Thus, spirit is provided that consumes volumes of 20 ml and 50 ml, and different types of wine, 100 ml and 187.5 ml. The bottle diameter is preferably substantially equal to the diameter of a screw cap for a standard wine bottle, i.e. about 28 mm to 29 mm in diameter. Such a standard cap can thus be purchased in a simple and relatively advantageous manner and does not require a cap specifically designed for a wine bottle.

According to a preferred embodiment, the wine bottle is made of glass. A particular advantage of wine bottles made of glass is that the glass is non-porous and impermeable, so that there is no interaction between the wine (or other food) and the glass of the bottle.

According to a preferred embodiment, the wine bottle is made of plastic. An important advantage of plastics is that they have a lower specific gravity than glass. The plastic is also less likely to break compared to glass, and therefore the material of the bottle can be thinner, and the bottle is therefore lighter. Lighter bottles have the advantage that their transport saves energy. Bottles made of plastic are safer than glass bottles because they have a higher impact resistance. Thus, the plastic bottle does not rupture, or is less likely to rupture, and thus the bottle according to the preferred embodiment is safer for passengers on board the aircraft. The wine bottle is preferably made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). An inherent advantage associated with PET is that PET forms a strong barrier to the migration of gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, and has essentially no interaction with various beverages and solid foods. Therefore, the product in the wine bottle is well preserved and does not pose a hazard to the health of passengers. In addition, PET is very easily recycled, thereby reducing environmental impact. PET is also colourless, which helps to identify the contents of the wine bottles and thus saves time during the quick dispensing of such wine bottles to consumers (e.g. passengers on board an aircraft), for example when wine bottles with different contents are dispensed from the same rack, e.g. on an aircraft, with few or miss-customers providing red wine and white wine from the same trolley to a large number of passengers.

According to a preferred embodiment, the wine bottle is manufactured by injection moulding.

According to a preferred embodiment, the wine bottle is manufactured by blow moulding.

According to a preferred embodiment, the wine bottle is manufactured by injection stretch blow moulding, more preferably by single stage injection stretch blow moulding. A particular advantage of injection stretch blow molding is that the bottle is less porous and less permeable to liquids due to the tighter molecular bonds resulting from the biaxial stretching of the bottle wall during the process. Another particular advantage of injection stretch blow moulding is the increased strength of the material, so that the wine bottle is very suitable for filling carbonated beverages such as champagne or other sparkling wines and the like.

The invention also provides a method of the type described in the introduction, characterised by using an elongate wine bottle produced according to any of the preferred embodiments of the invention. A particular advantage of this method is that a plurality of these bottles can be stacked or bundled together for transport in a compact manner. In other words, with the method according to the invention, the number of bottles per unit volume can be increased, so that the limited space in the aircraft can be utilized more efficiently. These bottles have a great advantage over known beverage packages, which are generally relatively unsuitable for efficient storage and serving. Thus, a conventional beverage is usually located on top of a catering trolley configured for an aircraft, since the upper part of the trolley is not enclosed by the walls of the trolley, and there is therefore more space and freedom to arrange the beverage in the upper part of the trolley. With the method according to the invention, wine bottles can be placed compactly stacked on top of each other, standing upright or stacked on top of each other in a trolley and/or in a rack on a trolley. Thereby making efficient use of the space available on board the aircraft.

The present invention also provides an apparatus for filling an elongated wine bottle according to the present invention with wine, the apparatus comprising an elongated dosing device near the bottom of the wine bottle for introducing a predetermined amount of wine into the wine bottle, wherein at least a portion of the dosing device comprises an outer diameter smaller than the smallest inner diameter of the wine bottle and a length at least substantially equal to or greater than the length of the bottle, such that the dosing device can reach the bottom of the wine bottle; a gas supply for supplying gas into the wine bottle to displace oxygen from the wine bottle; and a closure device for closing the wine bottle by means of a closure element arranged on the wine bottle. Preferably, the wine is supplied from a tank having a volume greater than the volume of a standard wine bottle (e.g. 750 ml).

According to a preferred embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a gas tank and a gas conduit, wherein the gas conduit is configured to supply gas from the gas tank to the gas supply. The gas is preferably a rare gas, and the rare gas is more preferably argon.

In particular in the case of bottles of wine having a relatively small volume, as is the case with bottles of wine according to the invention, quality problems arise due to the presence of oxygen, which reacts with the wine, i.e. wine oxidation, or which stimulates microbial metabolism of e.g. acetic acid bacteria. This is because a wine bottle according to the invention has a relatively large residual volume relative to the wine volume, which is usually filled with air containing oxygen, compared to a normal wine bottle having, for example, 750 ml. Wine also comes into contact with oxygen during bottling. Thus, according to the present invention, air, in particular oxygen, in the residual volume is displaced by introducing a noble gas, such as argon, into the wine bottle by means of a gas supply to create a substantially inert atmosphere in the wine bottle. To avoid turbulence causing air to mix with the noble gas, the wine is preferably introduced substantially near the bottom of the wine bottle. A particular advantage of the noble gas is that it is inert and therefore has no effect on the wine, thereby retaining in particular the flavour and aroma of the wine. Under normal conditions, the rare gases are also colourless and odourless, so that they cannot be distinguished by the wine consumer and are therefore not perceived as being unsightly. Argon is preferred over helium because helium can escape through intermolecular pores of the wine bottle. Argon is also relatively inexpensive compared to other noble gases and has a higher density than air, so it is well suited for displacing air from wine bottles.

According to a preferred embodiment, the apparatus comprises a plurality of elongated dosing devices and/or a plurality of gas supply devices and/or a plurality of closing devices for providing wine and/or gas separately and/or for closing a plurality of wine bottles simultaneously. Filling and closing multiple bottles simultaneously can increase production speed. This therefore saves considerable time.

According to a preferred embodiment, the apparatus comprises a conveying means for continuously conveying a plurality of wine bottles to each dosing means, air supply means and closure means within the operating range. The conveying means preferably comprises a conveyor belt. The transport device preferably comprises a bottle holder with a hole, which is formed to substantially correspond to the lateral cross section of a wine bottle according to the invention, wherein the bottle holder engages the wine bottle at a height such that it cannot tip over, so that it can be transported upright at a certain speed and acceleration.

According to a preferred embodiment of the apparatus, at least two devices selected from the group of dosing devices, gas supply devices and closing devices are combined into one system, so that the functions of the individual devices of the system are performed at one location in the apparatus. Preferably, the dosing device and the gas supply device are combined into a system to fill the bottles with gas and wine without transporting the bottles, thereby minimizing the loss of gas and/or wine due to the movement of the bottles during transport. Preferably, the dosing means, the gas supply means and the closing means are all combined into one system in order to fill the wine bottle with wine and gas and then immediately close it by the closing means. Thus, there is minimal gas and/or wine loss due to movement of the wine bottle as it is transported from or to or within the apparatus.

The invention also provides a vehicle comprising an apparatus according to the invention for filling an elongated wine bottle according to the invention with wine. The vehicle preferably comprises a coupling device for connecting the wine supply conduit to its outside, and a wine through feed conduit which is connected to the coupling device on its inside and which supplies wine supplied by the wine supply conduit to the apparatus for filling elongated wine bottles with wine. A specific wine type must comply with strict regulations, such as a legal geographical location where grapes must be planted and/or processed or must be ripened and/or bottled. Providing a device for filling elongated wine bottles with wine according to the invention at each of these locations would be a very expensive investment. Therefore, mobile use of the device is required, even if the device is mobile. Since the distance between the separate wine areas may be large, the vehicle is preferably a truck or similar vehicle adapted to cover long distances on asphalt. It is also contemplated that the vehicle is a boat, airplane, train, or other type of vehicle.

The invention also provides a method of filling an elongate wine bottle according to the invention with wine, the method comprising the steps of displacing oxygen from the wine bottle by supplying gas, introducing wine into the wine bottle substantially adjacent the bottom of the wine bottle, and closing the wine bottle by means of a closure element disposed on the wine bottle. The gas is preferably a noble gas. The noble gas is preferably argon.

The step of displacing oxygen from the wine bottle is preferably performed prior to the step of introducing the wine into the wine bottle so as to create a substantially completely oxygen-free atmosphere in the wine bottle. The wine here is not or hardly exposed to oxygen during substantially the whole filling process. The gas is preferably a noble gas to create a substantially completely inert atmosphere in the wine bottle. The noble gas is preferably argon.

The method preferably further comprises, after introducing the wine, repeating the step of displacing oxygen from the wine bottle by supplying gas to displace a remaining volume of oxygen from the wine bottle. Thus, oxygen entering the wine bottle during filling of the wine bottle by mixing air and gas is displaced to form a substantially completely oxygen-free atmosphere in the wine bottle. The gas is preferably a noble gas to create a substantially completely inert atmosphere in the wine bottle. The noble gas is preferably argon.

The present invention also provides a package for dispensing at least one elongate wine bottle according to the present invention, the package comprising a base, four side walls extending substantially vertically upwardly from the base and a lid which rests in a closed position on the free outer ends of the side walls, wherein the base, side walls and lid define an interior space which provides a space for the at least one elongate wine bottle, wherein the height of the package is substantially 32 mm or less and wherein the width of the package is substantially 265 mm or less to allow the package to pass through the opening of a standard size letter box. The length of the package is preferably substantially 380 mm or less. The package comprising at least one wine bottle filled with wine weighs a maximum of 2 kg to fit the delivery of a standard letter box.

According to a preferred embodiment of the package, a holder is accommodated in the interior space, wherein the holder at least substantially fills the interior space, and wherein the holder comprises at least one recess, the contour of which, viewed in the vertical direction of the bottom, substantially corresponds to the contour of a side view of at least one wine bottle, wherein the depth of the recess is such that at least substantially all of the at least one wine bottle can be accommodated in the recess. The recess preferably includes a portion shaped such that a person's finger may be received therein to facilitate removal of the at least one wine bottle from the recess by the person. The holder preferably has 3, 6 or 9 of said recesses.

Drawings

The invention will be further elucidated with reference to the following drawings, which show a preferred embodiment of an elongated wine bottle according to the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way, wherein:

figure 1 shows different views of an embodiment of an elongated wine bottle according to the invention;

figure 2 shows different views of an embodiment of an elongated wine bottle with a screw cap;

figure 3 shows a cross section of the side view of figure 1;

figures 4A and 4B show a PET variant of an elongated wine bottle and an embodiment of a related standard wine bottle screw cap, respectively;

figure 5 shows an embodiment of the device for filling elongated wine bottles with wine according to the invention;

fig. 6 shows an embodiment of a closure device for closing an elongated wine bottle according to the present invention;

figure 7 is a top view of the apparatus for filling elongated wine bottles with wine; and

figure 8 shows a package for dispensing elongated wine bottles.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of an elongated wine bottle 10 having an interior space 11 for accommodating a beverage such as wine therein, for example, 11. The wine bottle 10 includes a hollow cylindrical body 12 having a closed bottom 13 and a cylindrical neck 15 remote from the bottom extending to an open outer end or opening 14 of the wine bottle 10. The thickness of the material 16 used to make the wine bottle 10 is the same, at least throughout the length of the wine bottle 10, and the neck 15 is provided with external threads 17 along its outer surface. The neck 15 is also provided with only a single annular rim 18 below the thread with respect to the open outer end. It is clearly visible that the wine bottle 10 has substantially the same bottle diameter along its entire length.

The elongated wine bottle 10 further comprises a cap 19 (see fig. 2), which cap 19 is provided along an inner surface with an internal thread corresponding to the external thread 17 of the neck 15. The internal thread of the cap 19 is arranged such that the cap 19 can be secured on the neck 15 by means of a screwing movement in order to hermetically close the opening 14 of the wine bottle 10. The wine in the bottle 10 is therefore not acidified and can therefore be drunk for a long period. The outer surface of the cap 19 coincides with the outer surface of the body 12 of the wine bottle 10, whereby the wine bottle 10 on which the cap 19 is disposed has an overall cylindrical shape. Thus, the wine bottles 10 can rest on another wine bottle 10 below along their entire length, and thus can be easily stacked on other wine bottles 10 or placed together with other wine bottles 10 in a stable manner. The cap 19 also has a perforated tear line 22 along its periphery directly below the external thread 17 and directly above the single annular rim 18, along which perforated tear line 22 an upper portion 23 of the cap 19 can be separated from a lower portion 24 of the cap 19 by tearing due to the rotational movement of the cap relative to the neck to clear the opening 14 of an empty wine bottle 10.

The base 13 is also shaped such that it forms a dimple or kick 21 in the body 12. The backflushing 12 has the advantage that the bottom 13 can thus provide sufficient resistance to the liquid pressure of the wine (or other beverage) against the inside of the bottom 13 of the bottle 10.

One particular advantage of the wine bottles 10 is that a plurality of these wine bottles 10 can be stacked or bundled together for delivery in a compact manner. In other words, with the wine bottles 10, the number of wine bottles 10 per unit volume can be increased, thereby making more efficient use of space that may be limited in an aircraft, for example. The wine bottle 10 is of great advantage over known beverage packages, which are generally relatively unsuitable for efficient storage and servicing. As stated, the wine bottles 10 may be placed in compact stacks on top of each other, standing upright or stacked on top of each other in a rack. Thus, space is effectively utilized. It should be noted that the wine bottle 10 may also be used to contain other beverages or food items therein, such as alcoholic beverages, oils, sauces, or tea, etc.

The wine bottle 10 shown in fig. 1-3 has a diameter of 29 mm, a length of 198 mm and a volume of 100 ml. However, wine bottles can be manufactured equally well in other sizes, depending on the intended application.

Fig. 4A and 4B illustrate a variation of an elongated wine bottle 10 made of PET and an associated standard wine bottle screw cap 190, respectively, wherein substantially the same features as fig. 1 are illustrated in fig. 4A.

Fig. 4B shows a standard wine bottle screw cap 190. The standard cap 190 also has a perforated tear line 220 along its periphery directly below the external threads 17 of the bottle 10 and directly above the single annular rim 18 of the bottle 10, along which tear line 220 the upper portion 230 of the standard cap 190 is separated from the lower portion 240 of the standard cap 190 by tearing due to the rotational movement of the cap 190 relative to the neck 15 of the bottle so as to clear the opening 14 of the wine bottle 10. Standard wine bottle screw caps 190 typically have a diameter of about 28 mm to 29 mm, particularly about 28.35 mm to 28.95 mm. The upper portion 230 of the standard cap 190 typically has a length in the longitudinal direction of the bottle 10 of about 13 mm to 14 mm, in particular about 13.2 mm to 13.6 mm. The total length of the standard cap in the longitudinal direction of the bottle 10 is typically about 43 mm to 45 mm, in particular 43.7 mm to 44.1 mm.

Fig. 5 shows an embodiment of an apparatus 30 for filling an elongated wine bottle 10 according to the present invention with wine. Such an apparatus includes a gas supply 40, the gas supply 40 being used to introduce an inert gas, such as argon, into the wine bottle 10 prior to filling the wine into the wine bottle 10. Gas is supplied from a gas tank 43 to various gas supply nozzles 42 via a gas conduit 41. Once the bottle 10 has been substantially filled with inert gas, it is moved to an elongated dosing device 50. The dosing device 50 has an elongated dosing nozzle 51, which elongated dosing nozzle 51 may extend substantially to the bottom of the bottle 10 for filling the bottle with wine from the bottom of the bottle 10. Wine is supplied from a wine tank 53 to the dosing nozzle 51 via a wine conduit 54. The dosing device 50 is arranged on an actuator 52 which can move the dosing device substantially in the vertical direction of the bottle 10, i.e. in the longitudinal direction of the bottle 10. During filling of the bottles 10, the bottles 10 are accommodated in a transport support 62 which, using a conveyor belt 61, can transport the bottles 10 to the dosing device 50, the gas supply device 40, the closing device 70 and the like. The conveyor 60, including the conveyor belt 61 and the conveyor stand 62, is further described below.

Fig. 6 shows an embodiment of a closing means 70 comprising a crimping element 71 and a lid feeding element 72 as well as a second gas supply 73. Before the cap 19 is placed on the wine bottle 10, a substantially inert gas, such as argon, is again supplied to the upper part of the bottle 10 by means of the second gas supply 73, in order to replace oxygen that may enter the bottle during its delivery to the closure 70. The cap feeding member 72 supplies wine bottle screw caps 19, such as standard wine bottle screw caps 190, and places them on the bottles 10 filled with wine. The cap 19 is then firmly crimped onto the bottle 10 by the crimping element 71. When the bottles 10 are located at the closing means 70, they are carried in their transport supports 62 by means of the transport carousel 63. After the cap 19 is crimped onto the bottles 10, the bottles are ready for dispensing.

Fig. 7 shows a top view of the apparatus 30 for filling an elongated wine bottle 10 with wine. The conveying device 60 ensures, by means of a conveyor belt 61, the transport of the bottles 10 to the gas supply 40, the dosing device 50 for introducing wine into the wine bottles 10, and the closure device 70 for arranging the caps 19 on the wine bottles 10. The conveyor belt 61 is preferably a driven conveyor belt 61 to transport the bottles in a semi-automatic or fully automatic manner. The apparatus 30 preferably comprises a plurality of gas supply means 40 and an equal number of dosing means 50, so as to fill a plurality of bottles 10 simultaneously with gas and wine in succession.

Fig. 8 shows a package 80 for dispensing elongated wine bottles 10. The package 80 is preferably a box made of cardboard and comprises a bottom 81 and four side walls 82 extending substantially perpendicularly from the bottom 81. Package 80 also includes a lid 83, lid 83 being connected to at least one of side walls 82 or bottom 81. The bottom 81, side walls 82 and lid 83 together form an interior space 85, and the wine bottle 10 may be received in the interior space 85.

The embodiment of the package 80 shown in fig. 8 comprises a lid 83, which lid 83 is connected to the side wall 82 extending in the length direction. The main portion 830 of the lid 83 has substantially the same length and width as the bottom 81, so that its free longitudinal edges substantially abut against the four side walls 82 in the closed state of the package. The lid 83 also comprises three sealing flanges 831 extending from its free longitudinal edges and hingedly mounted thereon. During closing of lid 83, two opposing flanges 831 are rotated in the inside direction of lid 83 to a position substantially perpendicular to main portion 830 of lid 83, such that when lid 83 is closed, two opposing flanges 831 are disposed substantially parallel to side walls 82 inside package 80. The third flange 831 is located opposite to the side wall 82 to which the cover 83 is attached, and further includes two sub-flanges 832 extending from both short sides thereof. When the cover is closed, the third flange 831 is rotated in the inside direction of the cover 83 to a position substantially perpendicular to the main portion 830 of the cover 83, and the sub-flanges 832 are rotated in the length direction of the two opposing flanges 831 to the substantially perpendicular position of the third flange 831. In the closed state of the lid 83, the two sub-flanges 832 are located substantially in the cavity 86 in the side wall 82 parallel to the two mutually opposite flanges 831 in order to close the package 80 securely.

Further contained within the package 80 is a shelf 84 that is located within the interior space 85 of the package 80. The rack 84 is configured to receive a wine bottle 10 therein to be dispensed. For this purpose, a plurality of recesses 840, in this case six recesses, are provided, the contour of the recesses 840, viewed perpendicularly to the base 81, substantially corresponding to the contour of the wine bottles 10, so that the wine bottles 10 can be partially accommodated therein. In this embodiment, the notch 840 is shaped such that its edge fits snugly over the bottle 10. However, the user can easily remove the bottle 10 by grasping the well or the kick 21 of the bottle 10. In another embodiment, the notch 84 may include a portion shaped such that a person's finger may be received therein to facilitate the person removing the wine bottle 10 from the notch 840. It should be noted that the package is of such a size that it can be delivered through a standard letter box, i.e. with a height substantially equal to or less than 32 mm, a width equal to or less than 265 mm and a length equal to or less than 380 mm. The package 80, comprising six filled wine bottles 10, weighs two kilograms or less to fit in letter box delivery.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown but extends also to other embodiments falling within the scope of the appended clauses.

Clause and subclause

1. An elongated wine bottle having an interior space for receiving wine therein, the wine bottle comprising

A hollow cylindrical body having a closed bottom, an

A cylindrical neck extending away from the bottom to an open outer end of the wine bottle

Wherein the thickness of the material from which the wine bottle is made is the same over at least substantially the entire length of the wine bottle, and

wherein the neck is provided with an external thread along its outer surface and has only a single annular edge below the thread with respect to the open outer end,

it is characterized in that

The diameter of the circular cross-section of the body is at least substantially equal to the diameter of the circular cross-section of the neck such that the wine bottle has at least one substantially uniform bottle diameter along its entire length.

2. The elongated wine bottle of clause 1, wherein the diameter of the circular cross-section of the body is at most 10% greater than the diameter of the circular cross-section of the neck.

3. The elongated wine bottle of clause 1 or 2, further comprising a cap provided along an inner surface with an internal thread corresponding to the external thread of the neck such that the cap can be attached to the neck by a screwing motion so as to close the open outer end of the wine bottle in a optionally airtight manner, wherein an outer surface of the cap is at least substantially coplanar with an outer surface of a body of the wine bottle.

4. The elongated wine bottle of clause 1, 2 or 3, wherein the bottom is formed such that it forms a pocket in the body, wherein the height of the pocket is at most 10% of the diameter of the circular cross-section of the body near the bottom, preferably at most 5% of the diameter of the circular cross-section of the body near the bottom.

5. The elongated wine bottle according to any of clauses 1-4, wherein the wine bottle diameter is between 25 mm and 35 mm, preferably between 27 mm and 31 mm.

6. The elongated wine bottle of any of clauses 1-5, wherein the wine bottle is between 10 and 25 centimeters in length and the volume of the interior space of the wine bottle amounts to between 20 and 200 milliliters.

7. The elongated wine bottle of any of clauses 1-6, wherein the wine bottle is made of glass.

8. The elongated wine bottle of any of clauses 1-6, wherein the wine bottle is made of plastic.

9. The elongated wine bottle of clause 8, wherein the wine bottle is made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

10. The elongated wine bottle of any of clauses 1-9, wherein the wine bottle is manufactured by injection molding.

11. The elongated wine bottle of any of clauses 1-9, wherein the wine bottle is manufactured by blow molding.

12. The elongated wine bottle of any of clauses 1-9, wherein the wine bottle is manufactured by injection stretch blow molding.

13. The elongated wine bottle of clause 12, wherein the injection stretch blow molding is a single stage process.

14. A method for providing wine onboard an aircraft, comprising storing the wine in a catering trolley configured for use onboard the aircraft, and removing the wine from the trolley for provision to personnel onboard the aircraft,

it is characterized in that

Use of an elongated wine bottle according to any of clauses 1 to 9.

15. The apparatus for filling an elongated wine bottle with wine according to any of clauses 1 to 13, comprising:

an elongated dosing device for introducing a predetermined volume of wine into the wine bottle proximate the bottom of the wine bottle, wherein at least a portion of the dosing device comprises an outer diameter less than the smallest inner diameter of the wine bottle and a length at least substantially equal to or greater than the length of the bottle such that the dosing device can reach the bottom of the wine bottle;

a gas supply for feeding gas into the wine bottle to displace oxygen from the wine bottle; and

a closure device for closing the wine bottle by means of a closure element arranged on the wine bottle.

16. The apparatus of clause 15, further comprising a gas tank and a gas conduit, wherein the gas conduit is configured to supply gas from the gas tank to the gas supply.

17. The apparatus of

clause

15 or 16, wherein the gas is a noble gas.

18. The apparatus of clause 17, wherein the noble gas is argon.

19. The apparatus according to any of clauses 15 to 18, wherein the apparatus comprises a plurality of elongated dosing devices and/or the plurality of gas supply devices and/or the plurality of closing devices for providing wine and/or gas respectively and/or closing a plurality of the wine bottles simultaneously.

20. The apparatus according to any of clauses 15-19, wherein the apparatus comprises a delivery device for delivering a plurality of said wine bottles sequentially into an operating range of each of said dosing device, said gas supply device and said closing device.

21. The apparatus according to any of clauses 15 to 20, wherein at least two devices selected from the group of the dosing device, the gas supply device and the closing device are combined into one system in order to fulfill the function of the respective devices of the system at one location in the apparatus.

22. A vehicle comprising an apparatus according to any of clauses 15 to 21 for filling an elongated wine bottle according to any of clauses 1 to 13 with wine.

23. The vehicle according to clause 22, wherein the vehicle comprises a coupling device for coupling the wine supply conduit to an outer side thereof, and a wine through feed conduit connected on an inner side thereof to the coupling device and supplying wine supplied by the wine supply conduit to the apparatus for filling the elongated wine bottle with wine.

24. The method for filling an elongated wine bottle with wine according to any of clauses 1 to 13, comprising the steps of:

displacing oxygen from the wine bottle by means of a supply of gas;

introducing wine into said wine bottle substantially near the bottom of said wine bottle; and

the wine bottle is closed by arranging a closure element on said wine bottle.

25. The method of clause 24, wherein the step of displacing oxygen from the wine bottle occurs before the step of introducing the wine into the wine bottle.

26. The method of clause 24 or 25, further comprising:

after introducing wine, the step of displacing oxygen from the wine bottle by means of the supply of gas is repeated to displace the remaining volume of oxygen from the wine bottle.

27. The method of any of clauses 24 to 26, wherein the gas is a noble gas.

28. The method of clause 27, wherein the noble gas is argon.

29. A package for dispensing at least one elongated wine bottle according to any of clauses 1 to 13, comprising a bottom, four side walls extending substantially vertically upwards from the bottom, and a lid placed in a closed position at the free outer ends of the side walls, wherein the bottom, the side walls and the lid define an interior space providing a space for at least one elongated wine bottle, wherein the height of the package is substantially 32 mm or less, and wherein the width of the package is substantially 265 mm or less to enable the package to pass through an opening of a standard size letter box.

30. The package of clause 29, wherein the length of the package is substantially 380 millimeters or less.

31. The package of clause 30, wherein the weight of the package including at least one wine bottle filled with wine totals a maximum of 2 kilograms to fit a standard letter box for delivery.

32. The package of any of clauses 29 to 31, wherein a shelf is received in the interior space, wherein the shelf at least substantially fills the interior space, and wherein the shelf comprises at least one notch having a profile that substantially corresponds to a profile of a side view of at least one of the wine bottles, as viewed in a vertical direction from the bottom, wherein the depth of the notch is such that at least one of the wine bottles can be received at least substantially all the way into the notch.

33. The package of clause 32, wherein the recess includes a portion shaped such that a person's finger can be received therein to facilitate removal of the at least one wine bottle from the recess by the person.

34. The package of clause 32 or 33, wherein the holder has 3, 6, or 9 of the notches.

Claims

1. An elongated wine bottle having an interior space for containing wine therein, the elongated wine bottle comprising:

a hollow cylindrical body having a closed bottom, an

A cylindrical neck extending away from the bottom to an open outer end of the wine bottle,

wherein the thickness of the material from which the wine bottle is made is the same over at least substantially the entire length of the wine bottle, an

Wherein the neck is provided along its outer surface with an external thread and only a single annular rim located below the thread with respect to the open outer end,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

2. The elongated wine bottle of claim 1, wherein the diameter of the circular cross-section of the body is at most 10% greater than the diameter of the circular cross-section of the neck.

3. An elongate wine bottle according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a cap provided along an inner surface with an internal thread corresponding to the external thread of the neck such that the cap can be attached to the neck by a screwing motion so as to close the open outer end of the wine bottle in a optionally airtight manner, wherein an outer surface of the cap is at least substantially coplanar with an outer surface of the body of the wine bottle.

4. The elongated wine bottle according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the bottom is formed such that it forms a depression in the body, wherein the height of the depression is at most 10%, preferably at most 5%, of the diameter of the circular cross-section of the body near the bottom.

5. The elongated wine bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the wine bottle diameter is between 25 mm and 35 mm, preferably between 27 mm and 31 mm.

6. The elongated wine bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the wine bottle has a length of between 10 and 25 centimeters and the volume of the interior space of the wine bottle amounts to between 20 and 200 milliliters.

7. The elongated wine bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the wine bottle is made of glass.

8. The elongated wine bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the wine bottle is made of plastic.

9. The elongated wine bottle of claim 8, wherein the wine bottle is made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

10. A method of providing wine onboard an aircraft, comprising storing the wine in a catering trolley configured for use onboard the aircraft and removing the wine from the trolley for provision to personnel onboard the aircraft,

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

use of an elongated wine bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 9.