EP1705127B1

EP1705127B1 - Synthetic stopper for glass bottles

Info

Publication number: EP1705127B1
Application number: EP06110341A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Angelo Zambelli
Original assignee: MILOVA PLAST Srl
Current assignee: MILOVA PLAST Srl
Priority date: 2005-03-23
Filing date: 2006-02-23
Publication date: 2010-06-23
Anticipated expiration: 2026-02-23
Also published as: DE602006015010D1; ITMI20050482A1; ATE471882T1; EP1705127A3; ES2347971T3; EP1705127A2; ES2347971T5

Abstract

A synthetic stopper for glass bottles can be obtained by coupling two portions of a semi-expanded foam synthetic material having differentiated deformation capacity, a first plastic portion (P) and a second elastic portion (E).

Description

The present invention relates to a synthetic stopper for glass bottles, according to the preamble of claim 1.
In particular, the invention relates to a synthetic stopper in a semi-expanded foam material for glass bottles of any shape whatsoever.
The problem of replacing cork with other materials for plugging glass bottles that has been under research for some time in an attempt to eliminate the "corked taste" that can plague even best quality wines, has become far more urgent recently due to the increasing depletion of natural raw material for cork stopper production and the large increase in bottled wine.
In order to minimize the consumption of natural cork, stoppers have been proposed with cork washers about 1 centimetre thick on the end in contact with the wine, and the rest of the stopper produced from a compound or agglomerate composed of cork shavings soaked in a resin matrix.
Such stoppers, used for both mushroom shaped corks for champagne and similar wines, or in flat-topped form for still and sparkling wines, are composed of an agglomerate portion which is suited to the pressure of the carbon dioxide that counters the torsion action during uncorking and the compression of the cage in the case of mushroom shaped corks, and the corkscrew action in the case of flat-topped corks.
On the other hand, the lower part of the stopper glued to the former part is generally composed of two superimposed natural cork washers, suited to the radial compression caused by the bottle neck and to easy uncorking action (being less rigid than the external portion).
Such washers are also conceived to prevent any transfer of adhesive smell, and to provide a different specific weight compared to the upper part to permit automatic orientation in bottling equipment.
However, this solution has not proved very efficient since, in any case, it mainly uses cork which has become quite rare, and because the resin matrix can be attacked and corroded by the presence of acid vapours (considering that in certain wines, the pH drops to values of 2.5) it tends to release organic derivates that modify the organoleptic characteristics of the wine.
To prevent the aforesaid drawbacks, other stoppers have been proposed in synthetic materials, mainly plastic, but which have involved different problems, either for their poor structural aptitude or for their excessive rigidity, and therefore problems with uncorking or imperfect sealing capacity.
US 2002/0180083 discloses a synthetic stopper according to the preamble of claim 1.
Therefore, the Applicant decided to consider producing stoppers in a synthetic material able to replace stoppers made from cork or cork agglomerate and washers, suitable for any type of glass bottle and for any bottle content.
Therefore the aim of the present invention is to produce a stopper in synthetic material that presents the structural characteristics that make it suitable for uncorking action, and at the same time, that presents the necessary sealing characteristics.
Another aim of the present invention is that of producing a synthetic stopper having dimensions suited to pre-existing bottling equipment.
Furthermore, the aims of the present invention also include the need for providing a synthetic stopper that can be used in the various corking configurations required by different types of wine and glass bottles.
Another aim of the present invention is to produce a stopper for glass bottles suitable for any other contents apart from wine.
This and the other aims according to the present invention are achieved by a synthetic stopper for glass bottles as set forth in claim 1.
Further characteristics according to the invention are described in the depending claims.
The synthetic stopper for glass bottles according to the present invention can be obtained by coupling two portions of semi-expanded foam synthetic material having differentiated deformation capacity, a first portion being plastic, and a second portion being elastic.
The characteristics and advantages of the synthetic stopper according to the present invention will be made clearer from the following description, provided as an example but by no means limiting, with reference to the appended schematic drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic elevation view of the cross section of a stopper according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a schematic elevation view of the cross section of an embodiment variant of the present invention;
Figure 3 is a schematic elevation view of the cross section of a different embodiment variant of the present invention;
Figure 4 is a schematic elevation view of a different stopper according to the invention;

In reference to the figures, a synthetic stopper 10 for glass bottles is obtained by coupling two portions of semi-expanded foam synthetic material having differentiated deformation capacity, a first plastic portion P and a second elastic portion E.
The stopper that can be realised according to the present invention can be a mushroom-shaped stopper destined for bottles of sparkling wine, champagne or similar types, or for bottles having a widely flared shape such as the "champagnotte", or flat-topped stoppers destined for sparkling or still wines in normal bottles such as the "bordelaise".
In a first embodiment illustrated in figure 1, the aforesaid difference in the deformation capacity of the synthetic stopper 10 is obtained as a bi-component stopper by means of co-injection or bi-injection or the double injection of two different materials, such as a polyolefin 11 such as polyethylene PE for the plastic portion P, and an elastomer material 12 such as styrene-butadiene copolymer or styrene-butadienestyrene (SBS) for the elastic portion E.
In this manner, the necessary sealing capacity for the carbon dioxide and the resistance to torsion during uncorking, plus the compression of the cage in the case of mushroom shaped stoppers, or the corkscrew action in the case of flat-topped stoppers, are obtained in the plastic portion P.
On the other hand, the elastic portion E that forms a single body with the previous plastic portion P, is suited to the radial compression caused by the neck of the bottle, and is easily uncorked since it is less rigid than the external portion.
It is noted that a free cork stopper having a diameter of approximately 28-29 mm is reduced to a diameter of 17.5 -18 mm once it is inserted in the bottleneck.
It is also implicit that the materials used to produce the synthetic stopper must not only be chemically and biologically suitable, but must also be suitable for contact with food products.
In reference to figure 2, the synthetic stopper 10, in a single component form, is just as easily produced with the methods described previously, using a same material 13, but having a different density in the semi-expanded foam. In any case the difference in the specific weight permits perfect orientation of the stopper with all types of orientation equipment.
The mixing of the two different components 11, 12 or the single component 13 with differentiated density in the transition zone (the central part of the stopper) provides an excellent barrier against the entry of oxygen and a perfect seal to maintain the carbon dioxide.
In an embodiment variant illustrated in figure 3, the stopper, which in the illustrated example can be obtained as a single component 13, presents at least one cavity 14 that can be hollow or realised by means of an insert in a material 15.
This cavity can be used to measure the deformable capacity of the portion under examination, in this case, the elastic portion.
In this manner it is possible to increase or reduce the rigidity of the portion, according to necessity.
Furthermore, the cavity and/or insert can be realised in any type of stopper of any form whatsoever, both in bi-component and single component materials.
In addition, the single component stopper can be realised in either a material that is mainly or completely elastic, or in a material that is mainly or completely plastic. In fact, in the latter case the presence of one or more cavities, either hollow or with a soft insert or inserts, will provide the stopper with the necessary deforming capacity and elasticity.
Figure 4 shows a mushroom shaped stopper, which in the example is realised using the two materials 11, 12, but which can be either single component or having a cavity and/or an insert, according to productive requirements.
Such mushroom shaped stopper realises as described the structural resistance necessary to withstand uncorking torsion and the presence of the cage, adapting itself with its elastic portion E to the deformation imposed by the reduced diameter of the bottle neck.
In this last case it is possible to optimise the synthetic spumante or champagne or similar stopper, maintaining the original size of the cork stopper, and therefore obtaining the perfect adaptability of the stopper to existing bottling equipment, as well as improving the sealing capacity of the elastic portion.
The cavity and any possible insert can be realised in any direction and position that is technologically useful for achieving the structural aim for which they are destined.
Therefore it is understood that as well as the embodiments illustrated and described, the present invention can also be realised in all combinations of said embodiments.

Claims

Synthetic stopper for glass bottles consisting of a single body comprising two coupled portions in synthetic material having differentiated deforming capacity, characterised in that said two portions having differentiated deforming capacity are arranged one above the other along said synthetic stopper and comprise a first upper plastic portion (P) and a second lower elastic portion (E) that forms a single body with said plastic portion (P).
Synthetic stopper according to claim 1, wherein said differentiated deforming capacity can be obtained by means of a single component (13) or more semi-expanded foam materials (11, 12, 15).
Synthetic stopper according to claims 1 or 2, wherein said differentiated deforming capacity is obtained by means of a polyolefin component (11), preferably polyethylene.
Synthetic stopper according to claims 1 or 2, wherein said differentiated deforming capacity is obtained by means of an elastomer component (12) preferably styrene-butadiene.
Synthetic stopper according to the previous claims, wherein said differentiated deforming capacity is obtained by realising a cavity (14) inside the stopper, and/or an insert (15) in semi-expanded foam material.
Synthetic stopper according to claim 2, wherein said differentiated deforming capacity is obtained by means of a single component (13) having differentiated density.
Synthetic stopper according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said stopper is mushroom shaped.
Synthetic stopper according to any one of the claims from 1 to 6, wherein said stopper is flat-topped.