EP1614637A1

EP1614637A1 - Closure for containers of liquids such as bottles and the like

Info

Publication number: EP1614637A1
Application number: EP05106232A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Alberto Baban
Original assignee: Tapi' Srl
Current assignee: Tapi' Srl
Priority date: 2004-07-09
Filing date: 2005-07-07
Publication date: 2006-01-11
Also published as: ITPD20040184A1

Abstract

A closure for containers of liquids such as bottles and the like, comprising a tubular pouring stem (11), which is adapted to engage by interference inside the mouth portion (12) of the neck (13) of a bottle (14) and is provided with an abutment flange (15) that is adapted to abut against the rim (16) of the mouth (12), and by a stopper (17) for the pouring stem (11). The tubular pouring stem (11) is substantially cylindrical and its thickness decreases continuously from the inside outward at at least part of its pouring mouth (18) so as to form a drip-stop rim (19).

Description

The present invention relates to a closure for containers of liquids such as bottles and the like.
In the field of the bottling of wines, liqueurs and the like, the market trend is evolving continuously toward stoppers made of plastics as a replacement of stoppers made of cork, which is an increasingly scarce raw material worldwide and does not always provide excellent quality, and toward screw caps, which are often dangerous for a user due to their sharp edges.
These known types of plastic stopper do not crumble and do not generate dust that can fall into the liquid, cannot be attacked by molds or bacteria, and offer an excellent and durable barrier to oxygen, preserving over time the organoleptic particularities of the liquid that is present inside the container (which can be for example a bottle but also a jug, an oil cruet, and the like).
One currently known type of plastic stopper for bottles is constituted by a plugging stem that is suitable to be forced into the neck of the bottle.
Such stem is provided with a head that is suitable to abut against the rim of the mouth of the neck of the bottle.
Said plugs can be reused, since they can in any case be removed easily and can be forced manually so as to close the bottle.
One problem linked to the consumption of liquids in bottles, wine and alcoholic beverages in general in the example considered, is the spilling of drops at the end of the pouring action.
In order to obviate this drawback, specific accessories have been devised, such as for example a drip-stop ring, the so-called "drop stop" (a very thin metallic lamina that can be rolled up and inserted in the neck of the bottle so as to form a spout) or a drip-stop stopper.
Such drip-stop closure is generally constituted by a tubular stem, which is frustum-shaped and made of cork or substantially cylindrical and made of plastics, with annular ridges that interfere for insertion in the neck of the bottle.
A drip-stop spout protrudes from the tubular stem, which is provided or not with a head that is suitable to abut against the mouth of the bottle; such spout is generally made of metallic material and in turn can be closed by means of an additional complementarily shaped stopper made of cork or other material.
A drip-stop stopper as described above is in any case an accessory to be purchased separately and to be applied to the bottle only after it has been uncorked.
The aim of the present invention is to provide a closure for containers of liquids such as bottles and the like that combines the stopper function with the drip-stop pourer function.
Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a closure that is made of plastics.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a closure that cannot be attacked by molds or bacteria and offers a barrier to oxygen whose quality is not lower than that of known types of stopper.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a closure that can be applied easily to the neck of a bottle with known types of stopper fitting apparatus.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a closure that can be closed again and reused even on other identical containers of liquids.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a closure that can be customized both in terms of colors and in terms of ornamental, decorative and distinctive markings.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a closure for containers of liquids such as bottles and the like that can be manufactured cheaply with known systems and technologies.
This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a closure for containers of liquids such as bottles and the like, of the type constituted by a tubular pouring stem, which is suitable to engage by interference inside the mouth portion of the neck of a bottle and is provided with an abutment flange that is suitable to abut against the rim of said mouth, and by a stopper for said pouring stem, said closure being characterized in that said tubular pouring stem is substantially cylindrical and its thickness decreases continuously from the inside outward at at least part of its pouring mouth so as to form a drip-stop spout.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment thereof, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view of a closure according to the invention, applied to a bottle of the Bordolese type;
Figure 2 is an exploded view of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a sectional side view of a closure according to the invention in the assembled condition.

With reference to the figures, a closure for containers of liquids such as bottles and the like, according to the invention, is generally designated by the reference numeral 10.
The closure 10 is constituted by a tubular pouring stem 11, which is suitable to engage by interference inside the mouth portion 12 of the neck 13 of a bottle 14.
The stem 11 is provided with an abutment flange 15, which is suitable to abut against the rim 16 of the mouth 12.
The closure 10 is further constituted by a stopper 17 for the pouring stem 11.
The closure 10 is characterized in that the tubular pouring stem 11 is substantially cylindrical.
The thickness of the tubular stem 11 tapers continuously from the inside outward at its pouring mouth 18.
This tapering forms a drip-stop rim 19 on the pouring mouth 18.
The stopper 17 is of the mushroom-shaped type and is formed by a plugging insert 20, which is suitable to be inserted with interference in the tubular pouring stem 11 in order to close it hermetically.
The insert 20 is rigidly coupled to a head 21 that is suitable to abut against the pouring mouth 18.
A seat 23 for a complementarily shaped insert, not shown for the sake of simplicity and provided with ornamental, decorative or distinctive markings, is provided on the exposed face 22 of the head 21.
The head 21 is provided with a side wall 24, whose height is such as to affect the stem 11, in the configuration in which the stopper 17 is closed on the stem 11 (as shown in Figure 1), so as to reach below the flange 15.
The side wall 24 is substantially cylindrical and its diameter is such that it is suitable to rest, with its free edge 25, on the collar 26 that surrounds the end of the neck 13 of the bottle 14, which in the example described here is of the Bordolese type.
The stem 11 is obtained by molding plastics, such as for example thermoplastic mixtures composed of SEBS (styrene ethylene butylene styrene) or SEPS (styrene ethylene propylene styrene), with the addition of polyethylene, and with the addition of expanding agents.
The stopper 17 also is obtained by molding styrene or polyolefin plastic material, which is generally more rigid than the plastic material of which the stem 11 is made.
The closure 10 according to the invention can be applied with a standard applicator for mushroom-shaped stoppers.
The closure 10 is applied to the bottle 14 in the assembled condition of its two components, the stem 11 and the stopper 17.
When a user wishes to pour the beverage contained in the bottle 14, he grips the head 21 of the stopper 17 and pulls it, extracting the insert 20 from the stem 11, which instead remains by interference inside the mouth portion 12 of the neck 13.
The user is able to close manually the stopper 17 in the stem 11, simply by pushing the stopper 17 in the stem 11, which by virtue of the flange 15 is not drawn completely into the neck 13.
If the beverage in the bottle 14 is finished, the user can easily extract the stem 11 from the neck 13 and optionally apply it to another identical bottle.
Once the stopper 17 has been removed, the stem 11 provides the drip-stop rim with which it is provided, without having to add to the bottle additional drip-stop accessories, such as said ring, pouring stopper with spout, or "drop stop".
The fact that the head 21 is made of plastics allows to vary its color during production entirely at the buyer's choice, while the seat 23 allows extensive personalization in terms of ornamental, decorative or distinctive markings.
In practice it has been found that the invention thus described solves the drawbacks noted in known types of plastic stopper.
In particular, the present invention provides a closure for containers of liquids such as bottles and the like that combines the stopper function with the drip-stop pourer function.
Moreover, the present invention provides a closure made of plastics.
Further, the present invention provides a closure that cannot be attacked by molds or bacteria and offers a barrier to oxygen whose quality is not lower than that of known types of stopper.
Moreover, the present invention provides a closure that can be applied easily to the neck of a bottle with known types of stopper-fitting equipment.
Moreover, the present invention provides a closure that can be reclosed and reused even on other identical containers of liquids.
Further, the present invention provides a closure that can be customized in terms of colors and in terms of ornamental, decorative and distinctive markings.
Further, the present invention provides a closure for containers of liquids such as bottles and the like that can be manufactured cheaply with known systems and technologies.
The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims; all the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.
In practice, the materials employed, so long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to the requirements and the state of the art.
The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. PD2004A000184 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
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 containers of liquids such as bottles and the like, of the type constituted by a tubular pouring stem (11), which is adapted to engage by interference inside the mouth portion (12) of the neck (13) of a bottle (14) and is provided with an abutment flange (15) that is adapted to abut against the rim (16) of said mouth (12), and by a stopper (17) for said pouring stem (11), said closure (10) being characterized in that said tubular pouring stem (11) is substantially cylindrical and its thickness decreases continuously from the inside outward at at least part of its pouring mouth (18) so as to form a drip-stop rim (19).
The closure according to claim 1, characterized in that said stopper (17) is of the mushroom-shaped type and is formed by a plugging insert (20) that is adapted to be inserted with interference inside said tubular pouring stem (11) in order to close it hermetically, said insert (20) being rigidly coupled to a head (21) that is adapted to abut against said pouring mouth (18).
The closure according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that on the exposed face (22) of said head (21) there is a seat (23) for a complementarily shaped insert provided with ornamental, decorative or distinctive markings.
The closure according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said head (21) is provided with a side wall (24) whose height is such as to affect said stem (11), in the closed condition of said stopper (17) on said stem (11), at least up to said flange (15).
The closure according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said side wall (24) is substantially cylindrical and has such as diameter that it is suitable to rest, with its free edge (25), on the collar (26) that surrounds the end of the neck (13) of a bottle of the Bordolese type (14).
The closure according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said stem (11) is obtained by molding plastics.
The closure according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said stopper (17) is obtained by molding plastics.