EP3247650A1 - A device for eliminating fermentation residues in an alcoholic beverage - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention concerns a device (1) configured to result applicable in a removable manner to the container (2) of a beverage, preferably a bottle (2). In particular, the device comprises a blind channel (5) arranged in such a way that at least a part of the liquid contained in the container can be directed inside said channel, the channel forming a path (5', 5'', 5''', 20) having at least a curvature.

Description

TITLE

A DEVICE FOR ELIMINATING FERMENTATION RESIDUES IN AN

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE

Technical field

The present invention refers to the technical field relative to the production of beverages, in particular alcoholic beverages.

The invention refers specifically to an innovative device for eliminating the residues that are formed during the fermentation/re-fermentation of an alcoholic beverage. Background art

The production processes of alcoholic beverages, referred to sparkling wines in general, for example champagne, foresee a productive process known as "methode champenoise" and that consists in inducing the re- fermentation in bottle of the wines through the introduction of selected sugars and yeasts (liqueur de tirage) . In this way, the wine acquires the traditional pressure (visible under the form of bubbles) guaranteed by the carbon dioxide produced by the second fermentation (froth) that takes place in the bottle. After a rest period the "remuage" phase takes place, which consists in putting the bottles on specific easels that keep the neck lower with respect to the bottom of the bottle. The continuous rotation of it makes the lees of the exhausted yeasts deposit (that have been produced by the fermentation in bottle) on the cap (or the sediments or residues) . The last phase consists in the elimination of such resides that have fallen on the cap.

To this aim a refrigerating system is foreseen that freezes locally the wine contained in the neck of the bottle, thus imprisoning said residues. The removal of the cap allows to the frozen part to be expelled under pressure, while the rest of the content, now free from the residues, is topped up.

It is clear that such a system is rather complex since it requires a particular type of device that allows to freeze "locally" the product, rendering such a cleaning process long and expensive.

Moreover, it is necessary to foresee a top up operation of the product.

Disclosure of invention

It is therefore the aim of the present invention to provide a device that is alternative to the preceding one that solves said technical inconveniences.

In particular, it is the aim of the present invention to provide a device that allows to re-clean the alcoholic beverage from heavy residues, which have been formed, in a simple and economical manner, without the need for complex refrigerating apparatus and without the need for top ups .

These and other aims are reached with the present device in accordance with claim 1.

In accordance with the invention, such a device (1) is configured to result applicable in a removable manner to the container (2) of a beverage, preferably a bottle (2) .

In particular, the device comprises a blind channel (5) arranged in such a way that at least a part of the liquid contained in the container can be directed inside said channel, for example during the partial or total overturn of the container and/or inducing rotation fluctuations. The channel forms a path (5', 5'', 5''', 20) having at least a portion of curvature. In such a manner, during the overturn and eventual fluctuations applied to the container, the liquid flows in the path and the sediments fall inside it by gravity, surpassing the portion of curvature and placing themselves on the blind bottom located downstream of the curvature.

In this simple manner, without the use of refrigerating systems, a separation of the sediments from the beverage takes place, whose sediments are then trapped downstream of the curvature and therefore impeded from having an inverse reflux, precisely thanks to the presence of such a curvature.

In such a manner, the beverage is clarified and free from sediments. The present sediments are eventually visible by the consumer to witness the occurred re- fermentation, in the case of a transparent device, and the product is organoleptically different since no local top up or freezing has taken place.

In fact, through such a device, it is possible to obtain even a different product since the cap is not removed following the freezing and the product itself is not subject to thermal breakdowns. The consumer is the only one to re-open the bottle after the re-fermentation and following the purchase of the product.

The presence of at least a curvature that directs the path towards a collection area impedes the inverse reflow.

In order to further reduce every risk of minimum accidental reflow, it is enough that the bottle is not completely overturned in a continuative manner. This can be impeded by introducing in the market, for example, the bottle inside a package, for example a cardboard box or a box in another material, which binds the bottles to the vertical position and with specific external wordings that warn not to overturn the box. Further advantages can be deduced from the dependent claims .

Brief description of drawings

Further features and advantages of the present device, according to the invention, will result clearer with the description that follows of some embodiments, made to illustrate but not to limit, with reference with the annexed drawings, wherein:

- Figure 1 shows a bottle to which the device 1 results applied, viewed in section, in accordance with the invention;

- Figure 2 shows a top and lateral view of the device 1 in accordance with the invention;

- Figures from 3 to 6 show a use sequence;

- Figure 7 shows, always in section, a second embodiment of the present invention;

- Figure 8 shows, always in section, a third possible embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 9 shows a lateral view of a further variant of the invention;

- The sequence of figures from 10 to 13 shows a further example of valid use for all the embodiments, with particular reference to the embodiment of figure 9;

- Figure 14 shows a further embodiment of the invention in which a terminal part of the conduit is foreseen, in which the sediments fall, which results folding on itself.

Description of some preferred embodiments

Figure 1 shows a section of the device 1 in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 shows a top and lateral view, for clarity purposes . In figure 1 a container for the alcoholic beverage, for example a bottle 2, is highlighted, which can naturally be of any shape, material and size, preferably of glass. The bottle (or container in general) can naturally be of any other material, for example also of plastic .

In all cases, the bottle 2 or the container 2 in general can present a shrinkage neck 4 provided with a traditional thread 4' . Through the thread 4' it is possible to screw the device 1 in accordance with the invention and described right below.

The bottle, as shown in figure 1, can contain inside it an alcoholic liquid, such as sparkling wines, for example champagne.

As in fact indicated in the preamble of the known art, the process that takes to the creation of the sparkling wines causes the formation of residues 3 (represented schematically in figure 1) and of which the removal is needed and deriving from the re-fermentation process .

Having said that, figure 1 represents the device 1 in accordance with the invention which is represented applied, in a removable manner, to the neck of the bottle and through which it is possible to remove, in a simple and functional manner, such residues.

The bottle is naturally open in correspondence of the neck to allow to pour the liquid contained inside it.

The device 1 is substantially in the shape of a cap which forms an internal channel 5 (see the section of figure 1) of a pre-determined length.

In particular, a thread complementary to the thread 4' of the bottle is foreseen, in such a way that such a device 1 can be normally screwed to the neck of the bottle. The body therefore forms inside it such a channel 5 so that the liquid contained in the bottle can enter in the channel 5, for example in the case in which the bottle is overturned upside down or inclined. The channel departs from the point of connection with the neck of the bottle, forms a first curvature 5' to terminate with a blind portion 5' ' that directs from the neck towards the base of the bottle (in an oblique or vertical manner) .

The device 1, externally, has therefore a shape similar to a proboscis and could naturally be of any shape and size.

Preferred realization materials, either for this and for all the other embodiments described below, can foresee plastic, metals, rubber, etc.

Preferably, as also shown in the top and lateral view of figure 2, the device 1 foresees an upper base 10 of circular shape from which the proboscis 11 inside of which the channel is obtained departs downwards.

The device 1, therefore, once grasped by the user can normally be screwed to the neck of the bottle in such a way as to result in the arrangement represented in figure 1, more or less like a cap.

For a better seal of the liquid during the use, gaskets 15 can also be foreseen, for example arranged in correspondence of the internal threads of the device itself .

The top view of figure 1 shows a circular shape but, naturally, other shapes could be implemented, among which a quadrangular shape which guarantees a better grip in the screwing/unscrewing.

In a variant of the invention, the same device represented in figure 1 and in figure 2 can be configured in such a way as to be inserted inside the neck of the bottle by mechanical interference or be applied externally always by mechanical interference, rather than using a thread that couples with the thread of the bottle.

Therefore, in such a manner, the device would be easily applicable to containers/bottles lacking thread.

Having said that, figures from 3 to 6 show a use sequence which is substantially identical also for the other embodiments of the invention described below.

Basically, once the sugars for the re-fermentation have been introduced, the bottle is closed with such a device and it is let to rest for the time necessary for the completion of the re-fermentation process, during which the formation of the heavy residues 3 to be eliminated takes place.

At the moment when it is necessary to re-clean the liquid from the residues, the bottle, to which the device 1 that is the object of the invention has been applied, is overturned upside down, generally through a specific machinery already known in the state of the art and used precisely in the case of a solution with refrigerating system.

Alternatively, a specific machinery can be foreseen, similar to the one known, which is different in the movements and in the vibrations with the aim of making the sediments precipitate in accordance with the particularity of the shape of the cap that is the object of the invention.

The bottles can, for example, be put to ferment in horizontal position in special pallets. Once the fermentation is finished, the pallets, and therefore the bottles, are turned in many retakes in such a way as to make the deposit precipitate gradually as per the following description.

Alternatively, the machinery can overturn singularly each single bottle.

The machinery in question can therefore foresee sort of grasping tongs that grasp the pallet (or the single bottle) and overturn it, therefore overturning the bottles fixed to it.

In this manner, once the bottle results overturned as per figure 3, the sediments 3 start to precipitate and to be collected in correspondence of the portion of curvature 5' of the device 1. Such a portion of curvature 5' can naturally foresee at least a part thereof of rectilinear shape to better collect the sediments or can be totally curve. In that sense, in a non-limiting manner, it is intended as portion of curvature in a general way the curve of the conduit that from the mouth of the bottle conducts to the vertical portion 5' ' (even if such a portion can comprise precisely a rectilinear part thereof) . The machinery, as for example shown also in figure 4 and 5, can be capable of providing also brief angle fluctuations that favour the fall of the residues/sediments to reach the mouth of the portion 5' ' of the channel downstream of the curvature (therefore the vertical portion or anyway directed towards the base of the bottle) .

The bottle is, finally, rotated in its standing position, as per figure 6, and by gravity the residues fall to the bottom of the portion 5' ' , which is blind and forms a sort of collection tank.

In this manner, in a simple and economical way all the residues can be collected which remain trapped in the vertical portion 5' ' and thus result separated from the liquid that remains contained in the bottle.

It has been surprisingly found out that a single portion of curvature 5' is enough to impede the sediments in an efficient manner to re-flow back, also in the case of subsequent accidental fluctuations or overturnings of the bottle (for example during the put on the market thereof) .

The only risk of a minimum re-flow, in the case of a single curvature, can eventually be given by a total overturning, which can be avoided with appropriate indications in the bottle or in the package thereof.

The efficiency of the device can freely be optimized, case per case, varying according to the needs the size of the device and the length both of the portion 5' ' and of the curvature 5' .

Unlike the known art, therefore, in which it is necessary to remove the classical cap to expel the part of frozen liquid containing the residues and top up the sparkling wine, in this case the cap that retains the residues in the vertical portion, downstream of the curvature, is not removed at the end of the process and the product is ready to be put on the market.

Not only does all this represent a significant simplification of the productive process but it also contributes to obtaining a product of original taste quality, precisely because a further contact with the air due to the subsequent top up, or localized blast chilling, is not foreseen. Naturally, in the productive process, nothing would exclude the possibility of being able to remove the cap at the end of the process to substitute it with a classical cap.

In such a manner, the risk that a minimum quantity of sediments can flow back due to accidental movements and/or overturnings , once that the product is put on the market, would be avoided.

It has been however verified that just a portion of curvature is enough to reduce to the minimum the risks of an inverse reflow, also minimum.

The other variants of the invention, described below, are identical in principle and, having said what has been said before, they are based on the use of serpentines with more than one curvature in such a way as to further reduce the risk of inverse reflow.

For example, a second variant of the invention, particularly advantageous and functional, is described in figure 7.

Having said all that has been said before, such an embodiment foresees a further portion of curvature that can converge precisely in a horizontal portion 5' ' ' , or basically horizontal, and that is linked to the vertical portion 5''. In that sense, such a horizontal portion 5''' forms a sort of containment tank for the residues and avoids in a very efficient manner, with respect to the embodiment previously described, that some residues can accidentally turn back in the liquid when the bottle is taken back in its normal standing position.

In that case, therefore, to a first curvature 5' there follows a further one for the formation of a tank 5' ' ' and with said two curvatures separated between them by the vertical portion 5' ' .

The presence of two curvatures creates a very efficient device that, at the same time, results simple, compact and avoids inverse reflows also following the pun on the market of the product.

The other embodiments described, from figure 8 to figure 13, are identical as regards the functioning principle with the only difference that the conduit presents more curvatures, therefore forming a real serpentine .

It is evident that the expert in the field will be able to appreciate that the serpentine can be of any length, according to the needs, and with any number of curvatures .

For example, figure 8 shows a further variant.

Having said all that has already been said, in this solution a further vertical portion 20 is added that connects to the horizontal portion 5' ' ' through a further curvature .

Also the embodiment of figure 9 is foreseen similarly to figure 8.

In this case, it is a serpentine-shaped conduit, having two horizontal portion (30, 35) and three vertical portions (40, 45, 50) .

In all the embodiments described the so-called horizontal and vertical portions can also be inclinations that vary slightly from the perfect horizontality and verticality, however resulting functional.

The conduit of figure 9 is represented for simplicity purposes in a lateral view but is naturally hollow since it forms the passage channel, as described in the other embodiments.

In correspondence of point 41 the attachment to the neck of the bottle is foreseen, which can take place in an indifferent manner by mechanical interference (with the inside or the outside of the neck of the bottle) or by screwing (with the inside or the outside of the neck of the bottle) as already described for the other embodiments .

The opposite end 42 is naturally blind, through eventually also a removable cap, like also for the other embodiments .

The horizontal portions (all or just one) can be arranged in a removable manner (valid for all the embodiments) .

In the preferred embodiment of such an embodiment, the conduit can be realized entirely of metal, plastic or other rigid or semi-rigid materials, therefore in a single piece.

In the example of figures from 9 to 13, instead, in an absolutely non-limiting manner, the vertical portions can be of metal and linked with horizontal pipes (30, 35) that connect to the vertical portions through bands and that result removable.

Also the final vertical portion, for example the terminal part next to the end 42, can be realized of a removable portion similar to the solution of the portion 30 and 35.

The removable horizontal/vertical portions can also be removed to facilitate the expulsion of the residues at the end of the use.

Without representing the bottle to which the device results applied (for obvious descriptive simplicity) the sequence of the figures from 10 to 13 show a further example of use of the embodiment of figure 9, but basically similar also to the other embodiments previously described. In particular, as per figure 10, when the bottle is overturned upside down the device is placed in the embodiment of figure 10 in which the liquid enters in the first vertical portion. In this manner, the residues initiate to fall by gravity and deposit in the first horizontal portion 30, eventually enhanced by brief fluctuations of the bottle, therefore surpassing the first curvature. Inclinations/fluctuations as those of figure 11 facilitate the deposit of the residues in correspondence of the portion 30 (see scheme of the residues inside the conduit) towards the second curvature.

After a certain lapse of time, which is variable, according to the needs, and when a good part of the residue has been presumably collected in the portion 30, a further rotation as per figure 12 can take place, so that the residues roll by gravity towards the portion 35 (surpassing the third curvature) to then go in the last vertical portion once the bottle is taken back in the upside down position as per figure 13 (therefore surpassing the last curvature) .

Once the process has been completed the bottle can be straightened as per figure 9, being certain that the residues will not be able to re-flow inversely, but at the most will be confined in the portion 35.

A thus-made serpentine, also following accidental fluctuations, impedes a re-flow of liquid and sediments inside the bottle.

A further embodiment of the invention is, last, described with reference to figure 14.

This is similar to the embodiment of figure 1, except for the fact that the conduit, at least for a terminal part 105 thereof, can be realized in a highly deformable material, for example rubber, and that exits from the rest of the channel.

Once the channel in the device has been obtained, it can be thought, for example, to apply a rubber pipe for the formation of the terminal path 105.

Such a terminal path therefore results folding on itself and, preferably, non-deformable up to 7 bar of pressure (pressures that can be generated during some fermentation processes) .

Once the collection of the sediments as described has been completed, it will be enough to fold the terminal part of the device on itself and encapsulate it in a removable cap 120 in such a way as to absolutely impede the inverse re-flow of the residues.

The figure shows the cap 120 that is applied in a removable manner in such a way as to keep such a terminal part folded. The band 130 can eventually be applied for better retaining in folded position such a terminal part. The figure shows for clarity purposes a residue 3 that is trapped once such a terminal part is folded.

In all the embodiments described, the present device can be realized in part or totally of a transparent material so as to render the path and the collection of the residues well visible.

Claims

1. A device (1) configured to result applicable to the container (2) of a beverage, preferably a bottle (2), and characterized in that the device comprises a blind channel (5) arranged in such a way that at least a part of the liquid containable in the container can be directed inside said channel, the channel forming a path (5', 5'', 5''', 20) having at least a curvature.

2. A device (1), as per claim 1, wherein said curvature deviates the path in such a way that, when the device is applied to the container and the container is standing, the path presents at least a portion directed downwards downstream of said curvature.

3. A device (1), as per claim 1 or 2, wherein said channel is blind in correspondence of its end downstream of said curvature.

4. A device (1), as per one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the path foresees a first portion of curvature (5' ) and a subsequent second portion (5'') that directs downwards.

5. A device (1), as per claim 4, wherein said second portion (5'') is substantially vertical.

6. A device (1), as per claim 4 or 5, wherein a second curvature downstream of the second portion (5' ' ) is further foreseen.

7. A device (1), as per claim 6, wherein the channel is blind at downstream of said second portion of curvature .

8. A device (1), as per claim 6 or 7, wherein a tank (5''') of containment of the sediments downstream of the second portion of curvature is foreseen.

9. A device (1), as per one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the channel forms a serpentine.

A device (1), as per claim 9, wherein said serpentine forms at least two, preferably three or more curvatures .

11. A device (1), as per one or more of the preceding claims, wherein at least the terminal part (105) of the path, inside of which the sediments are collected, is foldable on itself.

12. A device (1), as per claim 12, wherein a band (130) is foreseen to tie to itself the folding part.

13. A device (1), as per claim 11 or 12, wherein a cap (120) is foreseen that is applied in a removable manner to the end of the device to keep the terminal part (105) folded.

14. A device (1), as per one or more of the preceding claims from 1 to 13, wherein a thread is foreseen to be screwed with the container.

A device (1), as per one or more of the preceding claims from 1 to 13, wherein it is conformed to connect with the container by mechanical interference.

16. A device (1), as per one or more of the preceding claims, configured to result applicable to the container in a removable manner.

17. The combination of a container of a beverage, preferably a bottle, and of a device (1) applicable to said container (2) and characterized in that the device comprises a blind channel (5) arranged in such a way that at least a part of the liquid containable in the container can be directed inside said channel, the channel forming a path (5' , 5' ' , 5' ' ' , 20) having at least a curvature.

18. A method for eliminating the sediments that are formed in a fermentation/re-fermentation process of an alcoholic liquid contained inside a container (2), preferably a sparkling wine, the method foreseen the phases of:

Application to said container (2) of a device comprising a blind channel (5) arranged in such a way that at least a part of the liquid contained in the container can be directed inside said channel, the channel forming a path (5' , 5'', 5''', 20) having at least a curvature;

Partial and/or total overturn and/or relative fluctuations around said overturned position of the container in such a way that the liquid contained in the container (2) thus occupies the channel and the sediments precipitate inside said channel downstream of said curvature.