EP0798225A1

EP0798225A1 - Temporary sealing device for a bottle

Info

Publication number: EP0798225A1
Application number: EP97104165A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Massimo Vidale
Original assignee: Stelplast Di Vidale Stelvio & C Sas
Current assignee: Stelplast Di Vidale Stelvio & C Sas
Priority date: 1996-03-25
Filing date: 1997-03-12
Publication date: 1997-10-01
Also published as: ITPD960076A0; IT1287222B1; ITPD960076A1

Abstract

A closure for bottles comprising a "crown"-type metal cap (101) combined internally with a thimble-shaped stopper (103) provided with an enlarged upper flange (104) which is rigidly coupled to the metal cap (101); this configuration allowing to cork bottles during the first step of production of sparkling wines with the Champenois method or to cork sparkling or effervescent wines with a single operation and with the assurance of pressure-tightness.

Description

The present invention relates to a bottle closure adapted for use in the first step of production of sparkling wines with the Champenois method and for corking sparkling wines or effervescent wines.
Conventionally the Champenois method for producing sparkling wines entails filling the bottle with base wine and closing the bottle with a temporary cork, known as "tirage" cork, which after a preset time is removed to eliminate the lees that form inside the bottle.
After this first corking, the bottle is in fact placed upside down, i.e., with the cork downwards, so that all the lees formed settle towards said first cork, so that the lees can be eliminated with an uncorking operation.
Therefore, it must be substantially possible to close the bottle with a first temporary closure, whilst the second closure, i.e., the final one, is inserted when the wine is ready, i.e., when it has completed fermentation and the lees that have formed have been eliminated.
Accordingly, bottles used in the Champenois method allow to fit a crown cap as a temporary closure, whilst the final closure is usually a mushroom-shaped cork.
Crown caps used so far are illustrated in drawing 1 with figures 1 to 7.
Figure 1 illustrates the configuration of the end part of the bottle neck, showing the toroidal configuration 1 which allows the placement of a metal crown cap 2, clamped within an annular groove 4 of the neck 5 of the bottle.
These crown caps, in order to provide a seal, are provided with various gasket systems.
A first system is constituted by a cork disk 6, as shown in figure 2, which is compressed at its peripheral rim against the upper part of the bottle neck.
Obviously, if considerable pressure forms inside the bottle during fermentation, the crown cap is pushed outwards; channels can thus form in the cork disk which cause gas escape, drop of pressure, and irreversible damage of the wine contained in the bottle.
In order to solve this problem, closures have been provided wherein a bung is provided, designated by the reference numeral 7 in figure 6 and shown more clearly in figure 7, which is composed of an annular flange 8 adhering to the inner part of the cap 9 which constitutes the crown cap and has, in a median region, a substantially cylindrical body 10 fitting in the mouth of the bottle neck.
This closure, too, though improving the seal, may be unable to withstand internal pressure thrusts which tend to lift the closure, i.e., to move it away from the bottle neck.
Another solution is shown in figure 5, where a thimble-shaped stopper 11 is provided, usually made of polyethylene, which is inserted, through a first operation, in the mouth of the bottle and is then locked and kept in position by the metal cap 9.
In this case, the pressures forming inside the bottle tend to expand the hollow part of the thimble, which is pushed even more against the wall of the bottle mouth, in any case maintaining a reliable seal against the escape of the fermentation gases.
This closure solves the tightness problems but from the industrial point of view requires two operations, i.e., a first operation for inserting it in the bottle mouth and a second operation for locking it by means of the metal cap 9.
This closure is convenient since, by keeping the bottle upside down, as prescribed by the Champenois method, the lees concentrate inside the thimble-shaped stopper, so that when uncorking is performed the lees are completely removed without any problem.
A principal aim of the closure according to the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of conventional technologies, providing a closure capable both of withstanding the pressure of the fermentation gases and of facilitating the corking operations.
Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a closure which can be inserted in a bottle with a single operation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a closure which can be uncorked easily, taking away the lees that have collected thereon.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a particularly simple and therefore inexpensive closure.
This aim, these objects, and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by a closure for bottles, adapted for use in the first step of production of sparkling wines with the Champenois method and for corking sparkling or effervescent wines, characterized in that it comprises a "crown"-type metal cap combined internally with a thimble-shaped stopper the dimensions whereof are such as to to hermetically enter the mouth of a bottle, said stopper having a flange shaped complementarily to an inner part of the metal cap and rigidly coupled thereto.
Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, given only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

figures 1-7 show conventional crown caps;
figure 8 is a median sectional view of a metal cap combined with a thimble-shaped stopper according to the present invention;
figure 9 is a median sectional view of the flanged thimble-shaped stopper alone;
figure 10 is a median sectional view of the association of the closure with the bottle mouth.

With reference to the above figures, the closure according to the present invention is composed of a metal cap 101 provided with a pre-shaped perimetric rim 102 wherein a thimble-shaped stopper 103 is associated, the thimble-shaped stopper having, in an upward region, a flange 104 shaped complementarily to the internal shape of the cap 101.
The thimble-shaped stopper 103 has a tapered inlet region 105 to facilitate its insertion in a mouth 106 of the neck of a champagne bottle 107.
The thimble-shaped stopper 103, provided with a flange 104, is rigidly coupled to the metal cap 101, so that during corking it is not necessary to perform two operations but, with an automatic machine, it is possible to insert the thimble-shaped stopper 103 and fold the region 102 of the cap 101.
By placing the bottle upside down, as prescribed by the Champenois method, the lees collect in the hollow region of the thimble-shaped stopper 103.
Uncorking to eliminate the lees also occurs through a single operation, since the thimble-shaped stopper 103, rigidly coupled to the cap 101, follows the cap during the opening operation.
From the above description it is evident that the combination of a particular configuration of the thimble-shaped stopper 103 and of the cap 101 allows to obtain a plurality of considerable advantages.
Corking in fact occurs in a very simple manner and with a single operation.
Pressure forming inside the bottle due to the fermentation gases causes the expansion of the stopper 103 against the bottle mouth, so that there is no possibility of tightness loss.
The lees collect inside the stopper 103 and uncorking occurs in a very simple manner, so that, after removing the metal cap, the stopper 103 cannot remain inside the bottle.
Conveniently, the cap 101 is made of metal, whilst the thimble-shaped stopper 103 is made of polyethylene or in any case of a food-grade plastics.
The choice of the configurations and dimensions or thicknesses of the parts composing the closure may of course be any according to requirements.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

A closure for bottles, adapted for use in the first step of production of sparkling wines with the Champenois method and for corking sparkling or effervescent wines, characterized in that it comprises a "crown"-type metal cap combined internally with a thimble-shaped stopper the dimensions whereof are such as to hermetically enter a mouth of a bottle, said stopper having a flange shaped complementarily to an inner part of the metal cap and rigidly coupled thereto.
A closure according to claim 1, characterized in that said flange of an upper part of the thimble-shaped stopper is such as to rigidly couple to the metal cap, so as to allow corking in a single operation.
A closure according to claim 1, characterized in that said thimble-shaped stopper is rigidly coupled to the metal cap, so that it can be removed with a single operation when it is necessary to eliminate lees that collect inside said closure.
A closure according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower rim of said thimble-shaped stopper is tapered in order to allow easier entry into the bottle mouth.
A closure according to claim 1, characterized in that said thimble-shaped stopper is made of polyethylene or food-grade plastics.