EP1209093A1 - Fermeture avec moyens d' évent - Google Patents

Fermeture avec moyens d' évent Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1209093A1
EP1209093A1 EP00830847A EP00830847A EP1209093A1 EP 1209093 A1 EP1209093 A1 EP 1209093A1 EP 00830847 A EP00830847 A EP 00830847A EP 00830847 A EP00830847 A EP 00830847A EP 1209093 A1 EP1209093 A1 EP 1209093A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
wine
shutter element
main body
making container
orifice
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP00830847A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Vittorio Piloni
Luigi Piloni
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Stampaggio Gomma SNC Di Piloni Celestino & Bossi Enrico
Original Assignee
Stampaggio Gomma SNC Di Piloni Celestino & Bossi Enrico
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Stampaggio Gomma SNC Di Piloni Celestino & Bossi Enrico filed Critical Stampaggio Gomma SNC Di Piloni Celestino & Bossi Enrico
Publication of EP1209093A1 publication Critical patent/EP1209093A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D51/00—Closures not otherwise provided for
    • B65D51/16—Closures not otherwise provided for with means for venting air or gas
    • B65D51/1633—Closures not otherwise provided for with means for venting air or gas whereby venting occurs by automatic opening of the closure, container or other element
    • B65D51/1644—Closures not otherwise provided for with means for venting air or gas whereby venting occurs by automatic opening of the closure, container or other element the element being a valve
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D39/00—Closures arranged within necks or pouring openings or in discharge apertures, e.g. stoppers

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a closing device, in particular for wine containers such as casks and the like.
  • Such containers commonly known with the general name of casks, can be sized and built in very different shapes; in fact, the main characteristics of wines are identified not only by the quality of the pressed grapes, but also by the "storage" typology to which musts are submitted and therefore ultimately they also depend on the features of the casks in which musts are allowed to stand during the necessary period so that they may reach the required maturement for bottling and/or consumption.
  • casks are called in jargon “barriques” or “kegs” (in the Italian language also “carati” or “caratelli”) and are distinguishable from the other wine-making containers because they have rather compact sizes and are made of types of wood expressly studied for the purpose of giving the wine particularly intense characteristics (due to gradual release into the wine being matured of the tannins contained in such particular types of wood).
  • a typical phenomenon that takes place during the wine residence time in such containers is given by accumulation within the barriques themselves of a non negligible volume of gases resulting from wine fermentation.
  • the barriques are generally stowed in cellars in a rather high number (due to their reduced sizes) and are disposed in such a manner that they have their tapping/charging hole oriented vertically and upwardly.
  • Another non negligible drawback consists in that the fermentation gases tend to saturate the environment where barriques are kept which obviously results in worsening of the operator's work conditions, which is particularly felt when a very high number of containers to be submitted to venting is present.
  • the present invention aims at providing a closing device, particularly for wine containers such as casks and the like, capable of substantially obviating the above described drawbacks.
  • the present invention aims at providing a closing device capable of maintaining a high quality of the must being fermented, by preventing any plausible cause of infiltration of foreign materials even during the time that venting of the fermentation gases occurs.
  • a closing device in accordance with the present invention has been generally identified by reference numeral 1.
  • main body 2 which is generally such shaped that it can be sealingly inserted into a corresponding through hole formed in a wine-making container (which obviously can be a barrique or also any other container commonly used for production of wines, spirits or drinks resulting from must fermentation).
  • a wine-making container which obviously can be a barrique or also any other container commonly used for production of wines, spirits or drinks resulting from must fermentation.
  • the main body 2 has a frusto-conical conformation, so that it can adapt itself to the round holes formed in the casks.
  • main body 2 it is obviously possible to give the main body 2 different shapes (it may be in the form of a truncated pyramid, for example), so that it can adapt itself to holes of shapes different from the circular one.
  • device 1 comprises an active member 3 which is operatively connected to the main body 2 to allow the gases accumulating within the barrique (or the cask, or in general the wine-making container as employed in the different cases) to expand to the outside of the container itself.
  • such an active member 3 performs the important function of venting outwardly the excess pressure resulting from production of the fermentation gases by the must under "maturement" (said gases mainly consisting of carbon dioxide); conveniently, the structure (and consequently operation) of the active member 3 is adapted to enable automatic venting of said gases when a predetermined gas pressure is reached within the wine-making container.
  • the active member 3 can be reversibly moved between a closed position in which it prevents fluid communication between the inner volume of the wine-making container and the surrounding atmosphere (thereby ensuring a perfect air-tightness between these two spaces) and an open position in which, on the contrary, it enables occurrence of fluid communication between the inner volume and the surrounding atmosphere (thereby, in other words, allowing venting of fermentation gases).
  • the active member comprises a shutter element 4 which can be operatively moved between the above mentioned open and/or closed positions; such a shutter element 4 is housed within a venting duct 5, which in turn is integrally formed in the main body 2.
  • the venting duct 5 has a first orifice 2a (such shaped that it can be brought into fluid communication with the inner volume of the wine-making container) and a second orifice 2b, obviously opposite to the first orifice 2a (which is such shaped that it can be put into fluid communication with the external environment).
  • venting duct 5 puts the inner volume of the wine-making container in communication with the external environment, except for the appropriate arrangement of the shutter element 4 inside it.
  • the shutter element 4 is operatively active close to the second orifice 2b but, if required, it is possible to have a venting duct 5 such shaped that the shutter element 4 will be operatively active close to the first orifice 2a.
  • the shutter element 4 is moved to the open position when the fermentation gases contained in the inner volume of the wine-making container reach a predetermined opening pressure; in this way, the fermentation gases themselves push the shutter element (which obviously has suitably calculated shape and mass to cause reaching of the open position only if pushed by a predetermined pressure value, which can be referred to as "opening pressure") and thus they can freely expand into the surrounding atmosphere.
  • venting duct axially crosses the main body 2 and is designed, under engagement conditions of device 1 with the wine-making container, to take a substantially vertical orientation (in this manner, the shutter element 4 is brought back to the closed position by fall, following reduction of the pressure value of the fermentation gases until a predetermined pressure, referred to as "closure pressure").
  • the venting duct 5 is essentially made up of at least one connecting portion 5a and one housing portion 5b which is in fluid communication with the connecting portion 5a.
  • the connecting portion 5a which practically has a constant outflow section (for the sake of the greatest manufacturing simplicity) extends from the first orifice 2a; in accordance with the present invention, such a connecting section 5a has a maximum section smaller than the cross section of the shutter element 4, so that the shutter element placed in the closed position, completely stops said section up.
  • the housing portion 5b (practically prolonging in the extension of the connecting portion 5a itself) has a geometric conformation adapted to house the shutter element 4 at least partly; in particular, in the accompanying figures such a housing portion 5b, as seen, has a concave shape (in the form of a paraboloid for example, or of a hollow cylinder with a rounded end) on the bottom of which the shutter element 4 comes to rest in its closed position.
  • the shape of the shutter element 4 partly matches that of the housing portion 5b, so that adhesion between its surface and that of the housing portion 5b in the closed position is maximized.
  • the shutter element 4 is a spheroidal body (clearly for an easy construction and practical availability of same), whereas the housing portion 5b has an abutment bottom substantially conforming in shape to the spheroidal body itself.
  • the present invention can be provided with a protection element 6; such a protection element 6 is operatively active close to the second orifice 2b (the one facing the external environment).
  • the protection element 6 is shaped in a manner suitable to enable the fermentation gases to expand in the surrounding atmosphere when the shutter element 4 is moved to the open position, i.e. it is made in such a manner that it constitutes a barrier against passage of solid bodies but does not stop gas flows.
  • this operational feature is at all events accomplished, within the spirit of the present invention, in a manner adapted to keep a great manufacturing simplicity and without resorting to particular materials and/or working operations; for instance, free passage of the gases is allowed through the interfacing region between the protection element 6 and the main body 2 by utilising the natural gibbosity of the two components themselves (this gibbosity can result from a working that does not involve a particular surface finishing or a very high precision), or the protection element 6 can be linked to the main body 2 in such a manner that free spaces are in any case created between these two components (this particular construction mode will be explained in the following).
  • the protection element 6 comprises a closing body 6a, of a substantially flat shape (a disc-shaped body, for example), with which at least one engagement body 6b is fixedly and integrally associated (in the accompanying figures there are two engagement bodies 6b positioned at the opposite ends of a diameter of the lower face of the disc-shaped element). Obviously, the engagement body 6b is operatively active between the protection element and the main body 2 to mutually engage them.
  • the engagement bodies 6b are substantially in the form of a prism (in particular, a cylindrical prism), and they are designed to be fitted into corresponding housing seats 7 (substantially having a shape conforming to said bodies).
  • each of the housing seats 7 is suitable to receive one of the engagement bodies 6a under operating conditions.
  • the engagement bodies 6a in a particularly appreciated embodiment of the present invention are shaped in a cylindrical conformation (that obviously will match the shape of the housing seats 7), so as to enable easy rotation of the closing body 6a around one of its engagement bodies under given operating conditions (if the shutter element 4 is wished to be inspected, for example).
  • the device 1 in accordance with the present invention can be provided with a return element 8 operatively associated with the shutter element 4 to move it to the closed position.
  • a return element can be useful to cause return of the shutter element 4 to the closed position when the mere force of gravity acting thereon is not sufficient to close the device itself (for instance, when engagement of a particularly lightweight shutter element 4 is involved, which element could be jammed into the housing portion 5b in such a position that the connecting portion 5a, and therefore the inside of the cask, would be still maintained in communication with the surrounding atmosphere).
  • the return element 8 is made up of a spring; such a spring has a first end linked to the main body 2 (or, alternatively, to the protection element 6) and a second opposite end operatively active on the shutter element 4 itself.
  • the first spring end can be secured following different configurations (for example close to the abutment bottom or in a suitably shaped cavity formed in the main body 2 or it may adhere to the lower face of the closing body 6a and extend within the housing portion 5a), but always in such a manner that it can act on the shutter element 4 to bring it back to the closed position.
  • both the main body 2 and the protection element 6 are (at least partly) made of elastomer material; in accordance with the present invention silicone rubber is used, so as to offer an excellent closure of the hole formed in the wine-making container due to softness of the material itself.
  • the main body 2 may also be made of more than one material, provided the outer portion thereof is made of a silicone elastomer material: in this way this outer portion is adapted to come into engagement against the through hole formed in the wine-making container, whereas the inside of the main body 2 can be advantageously made of any material which for instance could be more adapted to be worked by a material removal process (so that the venting duct 5 can be efficiently dug therein).
  • the protection element 6 too can be fully or partly made of silicone rubber, thus enabling an easy and quick manufacture of same and in addition an excellent handling.
  • the shutter element can be advantageously made up of a glass marble, in order to ensure low production costs, easy availability, compactness of the shutter element together with an appropriate weight and finally also in order that the device 1 would maintain a high tightness in the closed position.
  • the shutter element can be made of silicone rubber as well, or more generally it may consist of any material; still within the scope of the present invention the shutter element may have a core made of a given material (an iron or wood ball, for example), externally surrounded by a silicone rubber or glass portion.
  • a given material an iron or wood ball, for example
  • the invention achieves important advantages.
  • an immediate advantage of the present invention resides in that, due to the appropriate sizes of its components, the concerned closing device is capable of venting the overpressures resulting from fermentation gases in a quick and efficient manner so that an operator is no longer required for control and manual execution of these operations.
  • closing device expedites drawing up and organization of the work calendar; in addition such a closing device lends itself to be easily replaced, at the end of the wine fermentation period, with traditional silicone plugs in a quick and efficient manner.
  • the intrinsic structural simplicity of the present device is able to ensure an optimal operation and at the same time an unlimited liability in time; furthermore, the characteristics of the materials employed in the construction of the present device make it adapted to be used several times, so that duration of the device exceeds the typical operating life of a barrique.
  • the wine under maturement is perfectly isolated from any possible intrusion of macroscopic objects and/or infiltration of moisture and particulate from the outside, even if the barriques are stowed in cellars that are particularly damp or infested by insects and other animals.
  • the present invention can be put into practice with few and simple construction operations, so that production costs are very low and particularly skilled manpower and/or specialized machinery is not required; still in terms of costs, it will be recognized that automation of the fermentation gas venting enables wine producers to greatly lower their production costs, because a great amount of manual work is no longer required from them and consequently manpower costs are reduced.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Closures For Containers (AREA)
  • Apparatus Associated With Microorganisms And Enzymes (AREA)
EP00830847A 2000-11-16 2000-12-22 Fermeture avec moyens d' évent Withdrawn EP1209093A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IT000037A ITVA20000037A1 (it) 2000-11-16 2000-11-16 Tappo valvola in silicone alimentare per evacuazione dei gas di fermen tazione del vino.
ITVA000037 2000-11-16

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1209093A1 true EP1209093A1 (fr) 2002-05-29

Family

ID=11460828

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP00830847A Withdrawn EP1209093A1 (fr) 2000-11-16 2000-12-22 Fermeture avec moyens d' évent

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1209093A1 (fr)
IT (1) ITVA20000037A1 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2005000702A1 (fr) * 2003-06-30 2005-01-06 Scott Brown Systeme de fermeture pour recipient compressible
CN104284760A (zh) * 2012-05-10 2015-01-14 Idea有限公司 用于切分食品的设备

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN108795707B (zh) * 2018-09-10 2024-01-30 浙江九田环保科技有限公司 一种微生物发酵装置

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE275817C (fr) *
FR921013A (fr) * 1946-02-01 1947-04-24 Couvercle à vide pour la conserve des fruits et légumes sans ébullition
US2489787A (en) * 1948-06-01 1949-11-29 Eugene W Knowlton Safety cap for gas tanks
FR988259A (fr) * 1948-06-14 1951-08-24 Bonde de tonneau
EP0131928A2 (fr) * 1983-07-15 1985-01-23 Peroxid-Chemie GmbH Fermeture avec clapet d'aération
DE8914521U1 (fr) * 1989-12-06 1990-04-05 Jeschke, Dieter, 1000 Berlin, De

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE275817C (fr) *
FR921013A (fr) * 1946-02-01 1947-04-24 Couvercle à vide pour la conserve des fruits et légumes sans ébullition
US2489787A (en) * 1948-06-01 1949-11-29 Eugene W Knowlton Safety cap for gas tanks
FR988259A (fr) * 1948-06-14 1951-08-24 Bonde de tonneau
EP0131928A2 (fr) * 1983-07-15 1985-01-23 Peroxid-Chemie GmbH Fermeture avec clapet d'aération
DE8914521U1 (fr) * 1989-12-06 1990-04-05 Jeschke, Dieter, 1000 Berlin, De

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2005000702A1 (fr) * 2003-06-30 2005-01-06 Scott Brown Systeme de fermeture pour recipient compressible
CN104284760A (zh) * 2012-05-10 2015-01-14 Idea有限公司 用于切分食品的设备

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ITVA20000037A1 (it) 2002-05-16

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