EP1451081A1

EP1451081A1 - Sealable beverage bottle

Info

Publication number: EP1451081A1
Application number: EP02782932A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Karl Matheis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-12-10
Filing date: 2002-10-16
Publication date: 2004-09-01
Anticipated expiration: 2022-10-16
Also published as: ES2256562T3; AU2002346930A1; WO2003053810A1; NZ533178A; HUP0402243A2; DE10212877A1; AR037769A1; EP1451081B1; HUP0402243A3; HU228292B1; AU2002346930B2; US20060043054A1; ATE315529T1; DE50205606D1

Abstract

The invention relates to a beverage bottle that can be sealed by a glass closure body (3) placed inside a bottle opening (2) of a bottle body (1). A fixing element (6) can be detachably fixed to the bottle body (1) and holds the closure body (3) inside the bottle opening (2). A bottle closure of this type solves the problems existing, in particular, in the case of wine bottles which arise from the otherwise common use of bottle corks.

Description

Lockable beverage bottle

The invention relates to a beverage bottle according to the preamble of claim 1.

Wine bottles are usually closed with natural corks that can be inserted into the bottle opening. For wine producers, as well as for consumers, there is a not inconsiderable risk that the natural cork does not seal the bottle completely, so that wine can escape or air can enter. This usually means that the wine spoils inside the bottle (typical cork taste!), Which leads to considerable financial losses, especially for the producer.

To solve this problem, it is known to use closure bodies made of plastic or plastic-coated cork. However, there is the disadvantage that the plastics used are not free of evaporation that can get into the wine. The alcohol in the wine can also remove components from the plastic material. It is also a decisive disadvantage that plastic closures do not exist for customers who want to enjoy a high-quality natural product such as wine

Find acceptance.

Glass carafes are known for the consumption of wine, which can be closed with a glass stopper after filling wine from a conventional wine bottle.

The invention is based on the object of specifying a beverage bottle in which the beverage content, in particular sensitive beverages such as wine, can be stored safely and reliably over a long period of time and in a manner protected from harmful environmental influences.

The object is achieved by a closable beverage bottle according to claim 1. Advantageous further developments of the invention can be found in the dependent claims.

The beverage bottle according to the invention has a closure body which can be inserted into the bottle opening and is made entirely of glass. Glass is already the material from which the actual bottle body is made in a known manner. It is therefore accepted even by sensitive consumers, while plastic closures are rejected. In addition, the closure body can be made of glass with much stricter quality standards than is possible with a natural product such as cork. With a closure body made of glass, a considerably more reliable sealing effect for closing the bottle opening can also be achieved than with natural cork, which can dry out or possibly have inclusions through which air reaches the beverage to be protected.

The fixing element ensures that the closure body is held in the axial or radial direction. Depending on the design of a sealing surface between the closure body and the bottle opening, it is sufficient to fix the closure body in order to hold it reliably in its sealing position. This makes the beverage bottle portable and can be stored for years.

Advantageously, there is a positive or frictional connection between the fixing element and the closure body, which blocks rotation of the closure body in the bottle opening. In addition to the axial fixation already described, this prevents radial movement of the closure body, so that the closure body is fixed in the bottle opening. Even if the beverage bottle is exposed to vibrations during transport, there remains a tight connection between the closure body and the bottle opening.

In a preferred further development of the invention, the fixing element can be fastened in a form-fitting manner at least in the axial direction to a bottle edge adjoining the bottle opening. As a result, the axial force required for axially fixing the closure body and to be absorbed by the fixing element can be introduced into the bottle body carrying the rim of the bottle. A corresponding effect occurs when the fixing element is frictionally fixed to the edge of the bottle in the radial direction.

It when the fixing element is a securing element is particularly advantageous has, which is deformable or destructible in such a way that the form-fitting or the frictional fastening of the fixing element on the bottle rim can be released. The securing element can, for. B. be a plastic or tinplate tape that the consumer can bend or tear off to detach the fixing element from the bottle rim and finally remove the closure body from the bottle opening.

In a special embodiment of the invention is on the circumference of the closure body, for. B. on a lateral surface of the closure body, a locking element, in particular a thread formed, which in a provided at the bottle opening holding device, for. B. engages a counter thread.

The arrangement of the locking element and holding device - especially if it is a thread - ensures a particularly stable axial fixation of the closure body in the bottle opening. The fixing element then only has to hold the closure body in the radial direction in order to avoid unscrewing the closure body from the bottle opening.

In another embodiment of the invention, the closure body has a conical, preferably ground jacket surface, which is assigned a conical, also ground counter surface in the bottle opening. It is known that ground conical glass surfaces can achieve a highly sealing effect with respect to one another. The outer surfaces are also easy to manufacture.

The top side of the closure body is advantageously provided with a grip device which makes it easier for the consumer to pull or turn the closure body out of the bottle opening.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, a seal is inserted between the closure body and the edge of the bottle, which is pressed against the edge of the bottle by a flange formed on the closure body. In order to obtain the necessary pretension for the seal, after filling the beverage bottle, the closure body with the seal is pressed against the edge of the bottle and the flange of the The closure body and the bottle rim are surrounded by a so-called full tear-off cap (eg "Snap-Cap") from Pohl GmbH).

A ring serving as a securing element is attached to the entire tear-off cap, which serves as a fixing element, and can be torn off the whole tear-off cap in order to detach it from the bottle.

If the full tear-off cap is made of aluminum and encompasses both the flange of the closure body and the bottle rim, its axial holding force is sufficient to maintain the sealing effect.

In another, particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the fixing element is ring-shaped or sleeve-shaped and encompasses the flange of the closure body and the undercut on the edge of the bottle. A securing element is a component of the fixing element and can be detached from it in such a way that at least the part of the fixing element encompassing the flange of the closure body can be removed from the closure body.

In this solution, it is particularly interesting if the securing element forms a lower part of the fixing element and is detachably connected to an upper part of the fixing element via a connection area. The connection area can then be used with a tool, e.g. B. a knife, are cut open so that the lower part of the fixing element, that is, the securing element, in particular the part encompassing the undercut on the bottle edge, drops downward, while the upper part of the fixing element encompassing the flange of the closure body can be lifted off. This makes it easy to open the bottle cap with a knife or other cutting device.

The connection area between the upper and the lower part of the fixing element is preferably formed by a perforation, an annular notch or another type of material weakening in order to facilitate opening of the bottle.

The securing element is advantageously designed as a divided ring or as a closed ring with a perforation on which the ring is evident is. Then namely the fuse element, the z. B. forms the lower part of the fixing element and initially remains as a ring on the bottle neck, remove easily. This improves the aesthetic effect of the beverage bottle and prevents injuries such. B. could be caused by the sharp edges of the fixing element, which is preferably made of aluminum or plastic.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, a spring device is arranged between the fixing element and the top of the closure body. The spring device can, for. B. consist of a stainless steel or plastic spring and makes it possible to stabilize the acting on the seal and to be held by the fixing element bias. Even if the fixing element yields somewhat as a result of thermal fluctuations, the elongation which arises as a result is partially taken over by the spring device, so that the seal is still held together with the required sealing force. A temperature or age-related stretching of the mostly ring-shaped or sleeve-shaped fixing element, as well as manufacturing inaccuracies when closing the beverage bottle, can be compensated. The risk of a deteriorating sealing effect up to a leak in the bottle can be effectively avoided.

Various types of stainless steel or plastic springs are suitable as springs, which can be designed both as a spiral spring and as a leaf or plate spring. So a z. B. air cushion embedded in a plastic bubble.

In another embodiment of the invention, the fixing element is designed as a cap which can be slid axially over the closure body and on which latches are provided which engage behind the undercut on the bottle edge. This allows the fixing element to be pushed over the closure body and the edge of the bottle until the catches engage behind and engage the undercut on the edge of the bottle, and then fastened without the aid of additional tools. This type of bottle stopper is particularly suitable for cheaper closures or closures that do not require a particularly long shelf life. The beverage bottle according to the invention can be used particularly advantageously for commercial bottling of wine. Due to the special combination of known individual elements together with a wine bottle, it is possible to solve the "cork problem" that has existed since time immemorial.

These and further features and advantages of the invention are explained in more detail below on the basis of examples with the aid of the accompanying figures. Show it:

1 shows a partial section through a beverage bottle according to a first embodiment of the invention.

2 shows a plan view of a closure body;

3 shows a partial section through a beverage bottle according to a second embodiment of the invention;

4 shows a partial section through a beverage bottle according to a third embodiment of the invention;

5 shows a full tear-off cap as a fixing element in partial section and bottom view; and

Fig. 6 is a partial section through a beverage bottle according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.

1 shows a first embodiment of the invention with a bottle body 1, which is shown in section and essentially has a customary shape and has a bottle opening 2 at its upper end. The bottle body 1 is made of glass. In a particularly advantageous manner, the bottle body is a wine bottle.

A closure body 3 consisting entirely of glass is inserted into the bottle opening 2. It has a conical, ground outer surface, which is connected via a sealing surface 4 to a correspondingly shaped, also conical, ground inner surface of the bottle opening 2. menwirkt. The corresponding sealing principle is already known from wine carafes with cut glass stoppers. With little effort, it is possible to grind the conical surfaces of the closure body 3 and the bottle opening 2 interacting on the sealing surface 4 so precisely that complete liquid and gas tightness can also be achieved over a long period of time. The flat cone angle of the cone defining the sealing surface 4 also results in a certain self-locking which holds the closure body 3 in the bottle opening 2. The self-locking effect is further enhanced by the fact that a small amount of liquid of the beverage stored inside the bottle body 1 can get into the sealing surface 4 and hold the closure body 3 in place due to an adhesive effect.

In order to achieve a complete fixation of the closure body 3 in the bottle opening 2, the closure body 3 is held on its upper side 5 by a fixing element 6. In the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the fixing element 6 primarily causes the closure body 3 to be supported in an axial direction (from above in FIG. 1) in order to prevent the closure body 3 from being axially released from the bottle opening 2.

In addition, in order to avoid a possible relative movement of the closure body 3 with respect to the bottle opening 2, which may impair the sealing effect in the sealing surface 4, the closure body 3 is also held in the radial direction by the fixing element 6, in order to prevent the closure body 3 from rotating. For this purpose, an extension 7 is formed in one piece with the closure body 3 on the top 5 of the closure body 3, which engages in a corresponding recess 8 of the fixing element 6. The extension 7 can also consist of glass, but also of a different material.

Of course, it is also possible to form a recess in the upper side 5 of the closure body 3, into which an extension of the fixing element 6 engages. The only thing that matters at this point is that there is a reliable positive or frictional connection between the closure body 3 and the fixing element 6.

Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the closure body 3 with the lengthways extending extension 7. On the side surfaces of the extension 7 gripping surfaces 10 are provided, on which the consumer can grip the closure body 3 with his fingers and unscrew or pull it out of the bottle opening 2.

Instead of the gripping surfaces 10, depressions can also be provided on the upper side of the closure body 3, into which the consumer can engage with his fingers.

The fixing element 6, which absorbs the axial and radial forces acting by holding the closure body 3, is fastened to a bottle rim 9 formed on the bottle body 1 for support. The bottle rim 9 is shown in FIG. 1 in the form of a narrow flange. But he can also z. B. in beer bottles for holding a bottle cap have the usual round cross-sectional shape.

Also for the attachment of the fixing element 6 on the bottle rim 9 are positive or frictional connections, such as z. B. in bottle caps in beer bottles in a known manner. The fixing element 6 can thus consist of an elastically / plastically deformable sheet material which can be bent open in order to remove the fixing element 6 for opening the beverage bottle and to have free access to the closure body 3. As an alternative, it is also possible to attach a securing element, such as, for example, to the fixing element 6. B. provide a sheet metal ring or a tear-off sheet metal strip, after its removal the fixing element 6 from the bottle rim 9 is detachable.

Alternatively, the fixing element 6 can also be made of a flexible plastic material, e.g. as in a so-called shrink capsule, which is either stretchable in such a way that it is put over the bottle rim 9 for detachment from the bottle body 1, or which is preferably destructible by tearing in such a way that it can be easily removed.

The fact that the fixing element consists of metal or plastic is irrelevant to the quality of the beverage stored in the beverage bottle, because the fixing element 6 does not come into direct contact with the beverage. The drink rather only touches the bottle body 1 and the closure body 3, both made of glass. This not only leads to an objectively improved storage quality and lower losses than is the case with natural cork in particular. At the same time, glass as a material for food storage containers is much more trusted by consumers than is the case with other natural or even plastic materials.

It is not necessary to seal the fixing element 6 with respect to the bottle rim 9 or the bottle opening 2.

Fig. 3 shows a second embodiment of the invention.

Here, the closure body 3 is not completely inserted into the bottle opening 2, but projects beyond the bottle opening 2 with an edge 11. The fixing element 6 is designed in a ring shape and engages around the top 5 of the closure body and the bottle edge 9 in order to hold the closure body 3 axially in a form-fitting manner.

Due to a frictional effect between the top 5, the edge 11, the fixing element 6 and the bottle edge 9, a frictional connection is also formed which holds the closure body 3 in the radial direction and thus prevents twisting in the bottle opening 2.

The obstacle to rotation can, for. B. by recesses in the edge 11 of

Closure body 3 are reinforced, in which the fixing element 6 partially runs, which would bring about an additional positive fixing.

As an alternative to the described conical, ground sealing surface 4, it is also possible to provide a type of locking or threaded connection between the closure body 3 and the bottle opening 2. For this purpose, corresponding locking elements or holding elements, be it in the form of threads or interlocking extensions, should already be provided during the original shaping of the glass. is held. The radial fixation should, however, be achieved or at least secured by the fixing element 6 in the manner described above. As far as it is difficult to provide the separating surface between the closure body 3 and the bottle opening 2 on the one hand with locking / holding elements or a thread and on the other hand also to form a required sealing surface 4, an additional seal, for. B. in the form of a silicone or rubber ring. For this, z. B. the space shown in Fig. 3, which is formed by a distance between the bottle edge 9 and the edge 11 of the closure body 3. At this point, a sealing ring could be fitted onto the closure body 3, which achieves the required sealing effect when the closure body 3 is screwed into the bottle opening 2.

4 shows, as a third embodiment of the invention, a further development of the second embodiment according to FIG. 3.

The closure body 3 has a flange 12, the outer diameter of which essentially corresponds to the outer diameter of the bottle rim 9 at the bottle opening 2. The flange 12 merges into a shaft 13, which in FIG. 4 is conical in shape after a cylindrical part, but can also be completely cylindrical. An annular seal 14 is pushed onto the cylindrical part of the shaft 13. Silicone or rubber is suitable as the sealing material, and the hardness must be selected such that an adequate sealing force is also guaranteed over long periods (years).

The seal 14 is arranged in the sealing surface between the flange 12 of the closure body 3 and the bottle rim 9.

The closure body 3 is held firmly in the bottle opening 2 by the fixing element 6. In the third embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the fixing element 6 is held by a so-called “full tear-off cap” or “snap-cap” shown in partial section and in a bottom view in FIG. 5. Such a full tear-off cap is already used to secure closures on infusion bottles.

The complete tear-off cap (fixing element 6) consists of an annular aluminum element which is already pre-shaped (flanged) in its upper part and thus overlaps the flange 12 of the closure body 3. He's about the closure body 3 and placed over the bottle rim 9 and can then be deformed by means of a suitable flanging device in such a way that it lies in an undercut 15 formed between the bottle rim 9 and the bottle body 1. As a result, the closure body 3 is also held firmly in its position when it has been pressed against the bottle rim 9 with the seal 14 to generate a suitable sealing force.

A finger ring (not shown) is provided in the full tear-off cap, which is connected in one piece to the aluminum element and is bent open to open the full tear-off cap. It can then be torn off to the side, so that the aluminum ring is separated and can be easily removed from the closure body 3.

The finger ring, which serves as a securing element, is arranged on the top of the full-length tear-off cap and can be additionally protected by a cover 16 which is clamped on.

6 shows a fourth embodiment of the invention.

As already shown in FIG. 4, the closure body 3 made of glass sits together with the seal 14 in the bottle opening 2 of the bottle body 1.

The fixing element 6 is designed in the form of a ring or a sleeve. The sleeve can be open on part of the top of the closure body 3. The fixing element 6 is also referred to as a "crimp cap". During assembly, d. H. when the bottle is closed, the fixing element 6 is pushed over the flange 12 of the closure body 3 and then crimped in such a way that a lower part 17 of the fixing element 6 at least partially engages behind the undercut 15, as shown in FIG. 6.

The lower part 17 represents a securing element which holds the fixing element 6 axially.

The lower part 17 is connected in one piece to an upper part 19 via a connecting region 18. The connecting area 18 can be notch, but also z. B. as a horizontal circumferential perforation. The connection area 18 is preferably arranged at the level of the bottle rim 9 in order to be able to counter a sufficient counterforce with a knife with which the connection area 18 is to be cut open. However, it is also possible to arrange the connection area 18 in the parting line between the flange 12 of the closure body 3 and the bottle rim 9, in particular at the level of the seal 14. There the operator has the option of deeply cutting the connection area 18.

After opening the fixing element 6 at the connection area 18, the upper part 19 can be easily lifted off, so that the closure body 3 is easily accessible. The lower part 17 forming the securing element either remains adhering to the bottle rim 9 or falls down over the bottle neck. It is advantageous if the lower part 17 is designed as a split ring and z. B. has a notch up to the height of the connecting region 18. Then the lower part 17 can be easily sprung open and removed from the bottle neck. Alternatively, the ring forming the lower part 17 can also be closed and have a vertical perforation at which it can be opened with a corresponding tool if it is to be removed.

The fixing element 6 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 is made as a crimp cap made of aluminum. This ensures sufficient strength to ensure the required sealing force for the seal 14 even over a longer period of time. Nevertheless, it is also possible to use the fixing element 6 made of plastic, e.g. B. in the form of a shrink cap, when the plastic reaches sufficient strength and durability.

A further embodiment is not shown in the figures, in which a spring device is inserted between the upper side of the closure body 3 and the fixing element 6. When the bottle 1 is closed, the spring is compressed with the fixing element 6 and does not allow settling phenomena - be it in the seal 14 or due to the stretching of the fixing element 6 over time - not leading directly to the fact that no sufficient sealing force is generated becomes. Rather, it compensates Spring device a part of these settlement phenomena and makes the closure less sensitive overall. As a spring device are - depending on the space requirements - different types of springs made of metal or plastic, with air springs, e.g. B. by air pockets enclosed in plastic, are possible. Disc springs, leaf springs, gel springs etc. are conceivable as further variants.

The beverage bottle according to the invention can be used in a particularly advantageous manner in the industrial or commercial bottling of wine. Due to the very simple manufacturability described above, for. B. a ground conical sealing seat (sealing surface 4), the manufacturing costs can be reduced compared to a conventional wine bottle with a natural cork closure. The considerable economic advantage is enhanced by the fact that the closure body 3 made of glass increases the storage quality and thus minimizes the risk of losses due to leaky cork closures.

Claims

1 claims

1. A closable beverage bottle, with a bottle opening (2), consisting of 5 glass bottle bodies (1), and with an at least partially insertable into the bottle opening (2), glass closure body (3), characterized in that a fixing element (6) is provided, which is detachably attached to the bottle body (1) and which holds the closure body (3) inserted into the bottle opening (2) at least in an axial and / or radial direction.

2. Beverage bottle according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixing element (6) and the closure body (3) are designed such

15 that there is a positive or frictional connection between them, which blocks rotation of the closure body (3) in the bottle opening (2).

3. Beverage bottle according to claim 2, characterized in that 20 the fixing element (6) has a recess (8) or an extension and a

Top side (5) of the closure body (3) is reversed an extension (7) or - - ^{~ "have} a recess, wherein the projection and the recess form the positive connection between the fixing element (3) and the closure body (6).

25

4. Beverage bottle according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the fixing element (6) on a bottle edge (2) adjoining the bottle rim (9) can be fastened positively at least in the axial direction.

30

5. beverage bottle according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the fixing element (6) in the radial direction can be frictionally attached to the bottle rim (9).

35 6. Beverage bottle according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the fixing element (6) has a securing element which is deformable or destructible such that the positive and / or the friction conclusive fastening of the fixing element (6) on the bottle rim (9) is releasable.

7. Beverage bottle according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the closure body (3) is rotationally symmetrical.

8. Beverage bottle according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that at least one locking element is provided on the circumference of the closure body (3), which interacts with a holding device provided on the bottle opening (2) in such a way that upon rotation of the closure body (3) at least two positions can be assumed in the bottle opening (2), namely an open position in which the closure body (3) can be removed in the axial direction of the bottle opening (2) and a closed position in which the closure body (3) is held firmly.

9. A beverage bottle according to claim 8, characterized in that the locking element is a thread formed on a lateral surface of the closure body (3).

10. Beverage bottle according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the closure body (3) has a conical outer surface.

11. Beverage bottle according to claim 10, characterized in that the conical outer surface of the closure body (3) and an associated conical counter surface in the bottle opening (2) are ground.

12. Beverage bottle according to one of claims 1 to 1 1, characterized in that on the top (5) of the closure body (3)

Handle device (7, 10) is provided.

13. Beverage bottle according to claim 12, characterized in that the handle device has an extension (7) with two lateral, to the top (5) of the closure body (3) substantially perpendicular gripping surfaces (10).

14. Beverage bottle according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the closure body (3) has a flange (12) whose outer diameter substantially corresponds to the outer diameter of the bottle rim (9) between the closure body (3) and the bottle rim ( 9) a seal (14) is inserted, the bottle rim (9) forms an undercut (15) with the bottle body (1), - the fixing element (6), the flange (12) of the closure body (3) and the undercut (15 ) around the bottle edge (9) is a ring that the securing element is a component of the fixing element (6) and can be torn off from the fixing element (6) in such a way that the ring is evident in order to close the fixing element (6) from the closure body (3) to solve.

15. Beverage bottle according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the closure body (3) has a flange (12) whose outer diameter substantially corresponds to the outer diameter of the bottle rim (9) between the closure body (3) and the bottle rim ( 9) a seal (14) is used, the bottle rim (9) with the bottle body (1) forms an undercut (15), - the fixing element (6) is ring or sleeve-shaped and the

The flange (12) of the closure body (3) and the undercut (15) on the bottle rim (9) encompasses the fixing element (6) with a securing element which can be detached from the rest of the fixing element (6) such that at least the flange ( 12) of the closure body (3) encompassing part of the fixing element (6) can be removed from the closure body (3).

16. Beverage bottle according to claim 15, characterized in that the securing element forms a lower part (17) of the fixing element (6) and is detachably connected to an upper part (19) of the fixing element (6) via a connecting area (18).

17. Beverage bottle according to claim 16, characterized in that the connecting region (18) is formed by a weakening in the fixing element (6).

18. Beverage bottle according to claim 17, characterized in that the weakening is formed by an annular notch or perforation in the fixing element (6).

19. Beverage bottle according to claim 18, characterized in that the weakening extends horizontally at the level of the bottle edge (9) or at the level of a joint between the bottle edge (9) and the flange (12).

20. Beverage bottle according to one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that the securing element is designed as a closed ring with a perforation on which the ring is evident.

21. Beverage bottle according to one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that the securing element is designed as a split ring.

22. Beverage bottle according to one of claims 1 to 21, characterized in that a spring device is arranged between the fixing element (6) and the closure body (3).

23. Beverage bottle according to one of claims 1 to 22, characterized in that the fixing element (6) is at least partially covered by a releasable cover (16).

24. Beverage bottle according to one of claims 1 to 23, characterized in that the closure body (3) has a conical shaft, the outer contour of which corresponds essentially to a conical outlet of the bottle opening (2).

25. Beverage bottle according to one of claims 1 to 24, characterized in that the fixing element (6) is a crimp cap or a shrink capsule.

26. Beverage bottle according to one of claims 1 to 25, characterized in that the fixing element (6) is designed as a cap, which can be pushed axially over the closure body (3) and is provided on the catches, which are the undercut (15) on the edge of the bottle (9) reach behind.

27. Beverage bottle according to one of claims 1 to 26, characterized in that the beverage bottle is designed for commercial bottling of wine.