EP1527003A1

EP1527003A1 - Drops collector for oil bottleneck

Info

Publication number: EP1527003A1
Application number: EP03756528A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Martine Marouani
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-08-06
Filing date: 2003-08-06
Publication date: 2005-05-04
Also published as: FR2843369A1; FR2843369B1; WO2004018310A1

Abstract

The inventive drops collector (1) for the neck (2) of an oil bottle (21) is arranged preferably near the top aperture of a bottle or where relevant, below the reinforcement ring or the bottleneck flange (22) and comprises an element made of elastic absorbing and/ or porous material (4) which is arranged around the bottleneck against the periphery thereof. Said drops collector is characterised in that it comprises a rigid body (3) made of a wood exhibiting an oleophilic property, preferably for fatty oil, in the form of a collar which is adapted around said bottleneck and comprises a band made of an elastic absorbing and/ or porous material selected in such a way that it is oil-absorbing.

Description

DRIP COLLECTOR DEVICE SUITABLE TO BE ADAPTED AROUND THE NUT OF A BOTTLE OF OIL

The present invention relates to a device absorbing the drops of liquid flowing on the outer wall of the neck of a bottle when the said bottle is straightened after having poured all or part of the liquid content, through the upper opening of said inclined bottle.

Such devices are referred to as "drip collectors".

More particularly, the present invention relates to a drip collecting device able to be adapted around the neck of an oil bottle.

Are known, in particular in FR 2 606 372 and FR 1 427 978, drip collecting devices constituted by a ring or a ring of absorbent material and / or porous absorbent material, which is arranged around the neck or neck of a bottle. Such devices are used to be adapted on the neck of wine bottles mainly.

In the aforementioned patents, the absorbent ring is placed either just above the reinforcement or the collar which is usually found in the upper part of the neck and therefore resting on said reinforcement or said collar, is placed around said reinforcement or said collar, that is to say against its periphery and by marrying the periphery.

In the case of oil bottles, this type of drip collecting device has not been used until now because it requires a larger absorbent strip size and said absorbent strip cannot be maintained by a sheet covering the cap and the neck to which it is pre-secured as in FR 2 506 372, or under the capsule crimped around the neck as in FR 1 427 978. This type of packaging of the neck is not usual in the case oil bottles. In addition, in the case of oil, the absorbent material after use has an unpleasant greasy and sticky feel and a dirty and unpleasant appearance.

In FR 2 738549, mention was also made of the existence of a device comprising a rigid metallic reusable ring, filled inside with a consumable absorbent textile product. This device is criticized in particular regard to the oxidisable nature of the metal, which confirms that its use is reserved for wine bottles. Indeed, for a bottle of oil, the oil would not be absorbed by the rigid ring and would flow on its surface. The touch of the ring would then be firstly slippery then, after drying, sticky and, finally, difficult to clean.

The object of the present invention is to provide a drip collecting device comprising an absorbent material used in an appropriate manner to absorb the oil dripping along the neck of an oil bottle during its use, which is effective in terms of absorption, while having pleasant aesthetic and touch characteristics, and which can be used over a relatively long period of time, in particular at least one month, preferably two months.

To do this, the present invention provides a drip collecting device capable of being adapted around the neck of an oil bottle, preferably near the upper opening, and if necessary, below the reinforcement or the upper flange. neck, of the type comprising a flexible absorbent and / or porous element, capable of being positioned around the neck and against its periphery; said device comprises a rigid wooden shell of oleophilic character, preferably of fatty essence, in the form of a collar capable of being adapted around said neck, said rigid shell ensuring the maintenance of an element of absorbent and / or porous flexible material capable absorb oil.

Advantageously, a so-called olive wood shell is used in particular to adapt the device to a bottle of olive oil.

In the device according to the invention, the wooden shell keeps the absorbent element in place, which can thus be relatively large. And the wooden shell can also serve as a support for decorative elements applied to its external surface. It also makes it possible to successively adapt several absorbent elements after use by reusing the same shell, taking account of the characteristics of the latter, in particular of washability, which will be explained below.

But, above all, the wooden shell with an oleophilic character, that is to say capable of absorbing or impregnating with oil, in particular a shell of wood of fatty essence, such as olive wood, has technical effects. specifically advantageous in the case of the use envisaged for absorbing oil, as explained below.

First of all, oily essence wood, in particular olive wood, after drying, itself has significant oil absorption properties without leaving an unsightly mark or stain as may be the case for other wood species. The oil nourishes this type of wood and it skates and embellishes by applying oil, and therefore by oil absorption. It is known, in fact, that wooden objects of fatty essence such as olive wood are maintained by applying oils. Olive wood and other fatty essences, notably those of the oleaceae family, are relatively durable woods which contain oleoresins forming dark veins. It therefore results from the absorption of oil by the wood a decorative effect on the wood by bringing out the veins of the wood with in addition, a pleasant non-greasy feel after oil absorption, but also an additional hardening effect on the wood which increases its resistance and therefore the longevity of the device.

One can also use a wood having undergone a treatment to increase its oleophilic character, ie its capacity to absorb or to impregnate oil. In a preferred embodiment, said shell comprises a tubular wall with at its upper and lower ends, an upper annular rim and respectively a lower annular rim, thus forming a groove in which said strip of absorbent material can be detachably held. It is understood that the internal diameter of said upper and lower annular flanges must be equal, preferably slightly greater, to the maximum external diameter of the neck and in particular to the diameter of its reinforcement or possible upper flange.

In an advantageous embodiment, said absorbent element has a thickness such that when it is inserted into said groove between said upper and lower annular flanges, it exceeds said flanges, the depth of said groove being less than the thickness of said absorbent element and preferably greater than half the thickness of said absorbent element. Due to the fact that said absorbent element protrudes from its support shell by its thickness and that said element is flexible, it is possible to slide the device according to the invention around the neck, passing, if necessary, at the level of the extra thickness in the upper part corresponding to a flange or a reinforcement, because the absorbent element can be temporarily compressed before resuming its initial shape and its expanded size and thus coming to marry the periphery of the current part of the neck of lower external diameter to that of the external diameter of said flange or reinforcement of the upper part of the neck.

It is understood that by "depth of the groove" is meant the internal width of said annular flanges created by the difference between the internal radius of said annular flanges and the internal radius of said tubular wall.

The groove defined as mentioned above, ensures good maintenance of said absorbent element on the one hand and, on the other hand, promotes the absorption of oil in the first place by said element of absorbent material, the absorption in the wood of the hull itself intervening in the second place or in the event of sudden or excessive pouring causing a flow on the external wall of said hull.

The absorbent element may consist of a ring or a band of initially rectangular absorbent material which is put in place by forming a ring or ring following the internal surface of the tubular wall.

Advantageously, said absorbent strip has, before its insertion into said shell, a length slightly less than the internal perimeter of the tubular wall, (that is to say the perimeter defined by the internal surface of said tubular wall of the running part of said shell), and a thickness such that said absorbent strip when it is inserted in the form of a ring in said groove, is compressed and thus occupies the entire inner perimeter of said tubular wall 33 and forms folds against said neck around which it is adapted.

In an advantageous embodiment, the absorbent element is made of an oleophilic absorbent material.

More particularly, said absorbent material is a felt having preferably undergone a treatment to increase its oleophilic character. More particularly still, said felt made from wool and viscose, namely in particular a tangle of fibers of wool and viscose, and / or cotton.

In a particular and advantageous embodiment, said absorbent element comprises felt preferably having a density of 150 to 200 g / m ² / mm. The units "m ² " relate here to the surface of the largest face of said strip and the "mm" refer to the thickness of the strip. The inventors have carried out tests with different materials and felts of different densities, and the optimal absorption properties also having regard to the necessary durability of said absorbent strip, are obtained by felts and, more preferably, felts of 150 at 200 g / m ² / mm density, to absorb olive oil.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear in the light of the detailed description of embodiments which follows, given with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8 in which:

- Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a device of the invention adapted around the neck of an oil bottle;

- Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a rigid shell; - Figure 3 shows a horizontal sectional view just above a rigid wooden shell of the device according to the invention in which is inserted a strip of absorbent material 4, thus viewed from above when the device is inserted around a bottle neck;

- Figure 4 shows an axial sectional view (XX ¹ ) of the device according to the invention, equipped with an absorbent strip and arranged around a neck;

- Figure 5 shows a schematic view of an absorbent strip before insertion into the shell;

- Figure 6 shows an absorbent felt ring, seen from above; - Figure 7 shows a sectional view along arrows F1 of the ring of Figure 6;

- And Figure 8 shows an axial sectional view (XX ¹ ) of the device according to the invention, equipped with an absorbent ring and arranged around a neck. In Figure 1 there is shown a drip collection device 1 adapted to be adapted around the neck 2 of a bottle of oil 2, near the upper opening, below a reinforcement 2 ₂ at the upper end of the neck comprising a thread intended to cooperate with a closure cap for the bottle (not shown).

In FIG. 1, the device 1 is placed around a neck of an oil bottle, the main part 2 _{1 of which has} a diameter varying from 3. to 3 ₃ mm and the reinforcement comprising said thread 2 ₂ has a diameter external, maximum 35 mm. In Figure 4 there is shown an axial sectional view XX 'of a device according to the invention comprising a rigid shell 3 of olive wood in which a rectangular absorbent strip 4 has been inserted and pressed along the internal surface of a tubular wall of said groove 3 ₄ .

FIG. 8 shows a view in axial section XX ′ of a device according to the invention comprising a rigid shell 3 in which an absorbent ring 5 of toric shape has been inserted in said groove 3 ₄ .

In Figures 4 and 8, the device is shown, placed around a neck of cylindrical external diameter of the main part of 32 mm.

The shell 3 comprises a tubular wall 3 ₃ , that is to say a wall made up of a section of tube with a cylindrical surface. Said tubular wall 3 ₃ ends at each end of the upper 3 ₁ and lower 3 ₂ annular flanges of internal diameter (D ₃ ) reduced relative to the internal diameter (D ₂ ) of said tubular wall 3 ₃ , said annular flanges 3 ₁ and 3 ₂ respectively forming the upper and lower openings of the device 1.

Indeed, the tubular wall 3 ₃ and the annular flanges 3. ,, 3 ₂ have the following dimensions:

- tubular wall 3 ₃ :

^• external diameter D ₁ = 45 mm ^• internal diameter D ₂ = 41 mm

^• wall thickness e ₁ = 2 mm - Height h = 11 mm

- annular edges 3 3 ₂ :

^• external diameter D ₁ = 45 mm ^• internal diameter D ₃ = 35 mm

^• thickness e ₁ = 2 mm

^• external width l ₂ = 5 mm

^• internal width L, = 3 mm In fact, taking into account the thickness of the tubular wall 3 ₃ , the internal width (l ₂ ) of the annular flanges corresponds to: l ₂ = L, + e ^

The upper 3 and lower 3 ₂ annular flanges at each end of said tubular wall 3 ₃ form a groove 3 ₄ with a width corresponding to the height h = 11 mm between the internal faces of the two said annular flanges 3., , 3 ₂ and of a depth (L,) corresponding to the internal width of said edges I., = 3mm.

The height H = 15 mm of the shell 3 corresponds to the distance between the external faces of said annular flanges 3 ₁ and 3 ₂ . The dimensions given above are an illustrative but not limiting example. It is also possible to adapt around a neck 2 ₁ of usual size having an external diameter of 28 to 35 mm, a shell 3 having the following dimensions:

- external diameter (D ^: from 40 to 50 mm, preferably 45 mm, - height (H): from 15 to 25 mm,

- thickness e ₁ : from 2 to 4mm,

- external width l _{2 of} said upper (3.,) and lower (3 ₂ ) annular flanges on their external faces: from 3 to 7 mm.

The absorbent strip 4 inserted in the groove 3 ₄ which advantageously has the following characteristics and dimensions:

- composition = 40% wool / 60% viscose

- density = 180 g / m2 / mm

- initial dimension of the strip in expanded rectangular form before insertion by clamping in the groove 3 ₄ :

- length L = 11 cm

^• width l ₃ = 15 mm

^• thickness e ₂ = 5 mm. This absorbent strip 4 of felt must be somewhat compressed and tightened to be housed in the groove 3 _{4, that} is to say against the internal face of the tubular wall 33 between the two annular edges 3, and 3 ² .

On the other hand, taking into account the necessary thickness (e2) of the strip 4 and the fact that it must be tightened around the narrow part of the neck 2 ₁ while being able to pass around the reinforcement 2 ₂ , the strip must have an initial length slightly less than the inside perimeter of said tubular wall 3 ₃ , but greater than the perimeter of the neck 2 ₁ between which it must be adapted. After insertion into the groove 3 ₄ and once compressed against the neck, the strip 4 occupies the entire inside perimeter of the groove 34 and forms folds 4 ₁ on its face against the neck, which make it possible to keep it tight against said neck around from which it is adapted.

In Figure 3 there is shown a top view in section of a device 1 according to the invention with an absorbent strip forming folds 4., tightened around the neck 2 _V The folds 4 ₁ are shown schematically beyond 1 'upper circular opening of the device 1 corresponding to the circumference 35 of internal diameter D ₃ of the upper annular rim 3.,. These folds are pressed against the wall of the neck 21 which contributes to tightening the device around the neck 2, the device 1 thus remaining firmly in place. On the other hand, when the device is moved vertically along the neck, the annular flanges 3 ₁ and 3 ₂ also hold the absorbent strip 4 inside the groove 3 ₄ well in place.

Advantageously, the absorbent ring 5 which can be used in place of the absorbent strip 4 will be made of the same material as said absorbent strip and will have the same thickness e ₂ . Its dimensions will be such that when said ring is inserted into the groove 3 ₄ of the shell 3, it is compressed and occupies the entire inner perimeter of said groove.

Insofar as the thickness e ₂ of the absorbent element 4, 5 is greater than the internal width I., of the annular edges 3. ,, and 3 ₂ and therefore exceeds these, the first drops flowing the along the neck 2 are directly absorbed by said absorbent element. Only the excess drops flowing first on the upper face of the upper annular rim 3 _{1 (} then along the -y- cylindrical external surface 3 ₆ of the tubular wall 3 ₃ are absorbed by the bowl constituting said annular flanges and tubular wall constituting the shell 3.

A device as described above can absorb enough oil to require replacement of the felt element only after two months with household use, namely an absorption of at least 5 ml, more particularly of 5 to 7 ml.

The external shape of the shell 3 has been described above as being a surface of revolution of circular section, but it is understood that other forms of the surface of the external envelope are possible such as surfaces of triangular, square section, or hexagonal, or others.

Likewise, the size of the shell 3 and of the device 1 in general can be adapted to the bottle or the bottle and to the quantity of liquid contained. In this regard, it should be noted that the liquid contained in said bottle or flask can be oil or any other liquid fatty substance.

Claims

1°. Drip catcher device (1) capable of being adapted around the neck (2) of an oil bottle (2.,), preferably near the upper opening, and where appropriate, under the reinforcement or the upper collar (2 ₂ ) of the neck, of the type comprising an element of flexible absorbent material, capable of being positioned around the neck and against the periphery and held in place by means of a rigid shell (3) in the form of a collar adapting around said neck, characterized in that said rigid shell (3) is made of olive wood capable of absorbing or impregnating oil, and in that said element of absorbent material is made of felt able to absorb oil.

2°. Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the rigid shell (3) comprises a tubular wall (3 ₃ ) with at its upper and lower ends, an upper annular rim (3.,) and respectively a lower annular rim

(3 ₂ ), thus forming a groove (3 ₄ ) in which the element of absorbent and/or porous material can be held in a removable manner.

3°. Device according to claim 2 characterized in that the rigid shell

(3) has the following dimensions:

- external diameter (D1) of the tubular wall (3 ₃ ): 40 to 50 mm, preferably 45 mm

- height (H): from 15 to 25 mm - thickness (e.,): from 2 to 4 mm,

- external width (I ₂ ) of said upper (3.,) and lower (32) annular edges on their external faces: from 3 to 7 mm.

4°. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the element of absorbent material consists of an absorbent ring (5) of toric shape having, before its insertion into the rigid shell (3), a thickness (e ₂ ) and dimensions such that when said ring is inserted into the groove (3 ₄ ) of said shell, it is compressed and thus occupies the entire interior perimeter of the tubular wall. -1.1-

5°. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the element of absorbent material consists of an absorbent strip (4) having, before its insertion into the rigid shell (3), a length (L) slightly less at the interior perimeter of the tubular wall (3 ₃ ), and a thickness (e ₂ ) such that when said strip is inserted in the form of a ring in said groove (34), it is compressed and thus occupies all of said interior perimeter of said tubular wall (3 ₃ ) and forms folds (4.,) against said neck (2.,) around which it is adapted.

6°. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the absorbent element (4, 5) is made of an oleophilic absorbent material.

7°. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that said absorbent element (4, 5) is a felt having undergone a treatment to increase its oleophilic character.

8°. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the absorbent element (4, 5) is made of felt having a density of 150 to 200 g/m ² /mm.

9°. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the absorbent element (4, 5) consists of felt made from wool, viscose and/or cotton fibers.