EP4067254B1

EP4067254B1 - Pourer for a bottle and bottle including said pourer

Info

Publication number: EP4067254B1
Application number: EP21382257.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Andoni Arranz Barcena; Iñigo Iturriza Izeta; Ioritz HONTECILLAS ASCASIBAR; Javier Iturriza Iceta; Manex Bilbao Mugica; Mikel Iturriza Iceta
Original assignee: Mendizabal Iraola Sl
Current assignee: Mendizabal Iraola Sl
Priority date: 2021-03-29
Filing date: 2021-03-29
Publication date: 2024-03-27
Anticipated expiration: 2041-03-29
Also published as: EP4067254A1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD.

The present invention relates to a bottle assembly and a method of manufacturing said bottle assembly which comprises a bottle for a liquid, a sealing cap and a pourer allocated in the bottle neck of the bottle, wherein the pourer regulates the flow of liquid out of a bottle.

STATE OF THE ART

The use of pourers to improve the smoothness with which a liquid is spilled, is known in the art. To use a pourer, a bottle is first opened, the cork is then removed and replaced by a pourer. Placing a pourer inside a bottle neck is an extra operation which is made to improve the smoothness with which the liquid is spilled. Different pourers are known in the art to be used with liquids having different properties such as spirits, wine of water.
Although the regularity and smoothness with which the liquid comes out of the bottle is of help in the operation of serving liquid, most of the liquids can be served from the bottle into a recipient without further preparation.
Cider has the special property that to be ready to drink, the cider needs to gain carbon dioxide. This is made by pouring the liquid from the bottle from a distance to an inner side of a recipient such as a glass. To gain the proper amount of carbon dioxide so that its properties are enhanced before it is drunk, the liquid must hit the inner side of the recipient with a certain force. This force is gained because gravity accelerates the liquid when it is poured from a distance to the recipient. Pouring a liquid from a distance to a recipient requires a certain degree of ability and experience such the liquid is directed to the inner side of the recipient and do not fall outside it. A pourer which allows the smoothness with which a liquid, in particular cider is spilled is desired.
US2010/0230447 discloses a one-piece aftermarket elastomeric pour spout adapted to couple within the neck of a bottle by means of several sealing fins. The pour spout comprises a ventilation tube and a circular aperture through which the liquid is dispensed when the bottle is tipped. A cap provided with threads is coupled to the neck of the bottle containing the pour spout to close it when the bottle is not in use so that the liquid is not exposed to the environment. Nevertheless, the aftermarket pour spout of US2010/0230447 is coupled with the neck of the bottle only after the cork has been first removed from the bottle which requires an additional operation before the bottle is ready for use.
ES1038474 discloses a pourer to be placed into the bottle neck of cider bottle. The pourer can be shifted from a closed position in which the content of the liquid is sealed by means of an upper fin to an opened position in which the liquid goes through one of two lateral openings and is guided into pouring channels comprised in lateral wings so that the cider is properly directed into a receiving recipient. Although the lateral wings of the pourer make possible the proper serving of cider, they can unintentionally bump into another object opening the bottle so that the cider is exposed to the environment which can lead to the cider being spoiled. ES1034218 discloses a similar pourer to that of ES1038474 . The pourer of ES1034218 comprises also upper lateral wings having therefore the same problem as in ES1038474 . Nevertheless, in all cases the pour spout is coupled with the neck of the bottle only after the cork has been first removed from the bottle which requires an additional operation before the bottle is ready for use.
US2017/021981A discloses an assembly according to the preamble of claim 1, and shows a pourer for a bottle neck comprising a cylindrical cap having a first surface, a second surface and a rounded cylindrical outside wall between the first and second surfaces, the pourer further comprising a body with at least a first lateral wall at least partially rounded and at least one first longitudinal channel which extends into the second surface of the cylindrical cap wherein the cylindrical outside wall of the cap presents at least an opening at one end of at least one longitudinal channel and wherein the maximum diameter of the body of the pourer is smaller than the diameter of the cap.
It is the object of the invention to solve the problems of the prior art pourers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

These problems are solved by the invention as set out in the appended set of claims.. More in particular, the present invention refers to a bottle assembly as defined in claim 1 and to a method for manufacturing such a bottle assembly which, according to the present invention, is defined in claim 12.. Further embodiments of the invention are according to the dependent claims.
According to the invention the pourer comprises a cylindrical cap having a first surface and a second surface and a rounded outside wall between the first and second surfaces comprising at least one opening. It is known to the man skilled in the art that cylindrical does not necessarily mean the projection of a circumference along a direction perpendicular to a plane containing said circumference. Other shapes such as different polygonal shapes can be projected along an axis to form shapes which fall under the term cylindrical part.
The opening lies at the end of a fluid channel defined by a body which comprises a lateral wall and whose maximum diameter is smaller than the diameter of the cylindrical cap. When the pourer is attached to the neck of a bottle, the fluid inside the bottle is guided along the fluid channel and comes out of the bottle through the opening of the cap. The second surface may have attached sealing means such as elastomeric sealing means to prevent the fluid housed in the bottle from coming out of the bottle through a part different than the at least one opening. If desired, adhesive means could be used to assure that the second surface is securely attached to an upper rim of the bottle neck .
In a further development of this first aspect the body comprises a central elongated wall having at its lateral ends a first) and second wall located at right angles to the central elongated wall. The central elongated wall and the first and second walls located at right angles define two channels. Having two channels is advantageous because irrespective of the side to which the bottle is tilted one passages serves to guide the fluid towards and out of the bottle while the other allows air to enter and exit the bottle making possible a regular flow of the liquid out of the bottle. In this further development of the first aspect the lateral walls are at least partially rounded. Due to the round shape of the first and second walls pressure is exerted in a symmetric way towards a virtual central axis of the pourer which contributes to protect both the pourer and the bottle neck from being damaged.
The cross section of this further development of the first aspect of the invention defined by a plane parallel to the central elongated wall but not containing it and the pourer is H-shaped. As previously mentioned in one embodiment of the invention the central elongated wall can be placed not diametrically and only one main fluid channel is defined. In this embodiment where the pourer contains only one opening and a fluid channel ends up in said opening the cross section of the pourer is C-shaped. In this embodiment the pourer may contain a hole big enough for air to enter the bottle to enhance the regularity with which fluid comes out of said one opening.
In another embodiment of the invention with one or the two openings, taking as reference the point of the central virtual axis of the pourer at the level of the center each of the one or the two openings preferably subtend an angle between 80 and 120 degrees which makes possible the desired flow rate of the liquid to be poured outside the bottle. The dimension of the opening can be suited to characteristics of the fluid such as the density or the potential content of solid elements inside the fluid.
According to different embodiments of the invention the material of which the pourer is made can be any sort of plastic, metal, cork or a composite comprising one or more of these materials. In this way the pourer is best suited to the characteristics of the bottle, including its material, and to the characteristics of the fluid inside the bottle such as density and pressure. Another object of the invention relates to a bottle containing the previously mentioned pourer. The second surface of the pourer is in contact with the upper rim of the bottle neck so that liquid can only come out of the bottle through the openings. As previously mentioned in the case that the pourer comprises two openings one of the openings serves as venting opening making possible the regular flow of fluid through the other opening out of the bottle. One way of easily and reliably sealing the bottle is by means of a bottle cap comprising an inner thread which cooperates with an exterior thread located on the outside part of the bottle neck to close the bottle.
The embodiments of the pourer and the bottle containing the pourer previously disclosed make possible for the bottle to contain different kind of liquids such as cider, wine or water.
As stated before, the pourer of the invention is particularly adapted to cider because it allows and accurate and regular flow of liquid out of the bottle.
In another embodiment of the invention the cap comprises a foldable metallic sealing member that may seal the bottle neck containing the pourer. Additional sealing means may be placed between one or the two openings and the foldable metallic sealing member. The foldable metallic sealing member may be removed together, or independently, with the additional sealing means preventing fluid from coming out through the openings.
Another object of the invention relates to a method of manufacturing a bottle assembly, said method defined in claim 12. More in particular, the method comprises placing a pourer into the neck of the bottle after the bottle is filled with fluid and before a sealing cap is placed around the neck to seal the bottle. The bottle is therefore provided with the pourer from the factory and there is no need of the cumbersome operation of taking out the cork and replacing it with a pourer to properly spill the fluid out of the bottle.
Although the pourer is first intended for a bottle containing cider as a liquid the pourer may well be intended to a bottle containing other liquids such as wine or water.
In some of these cases a sealing cap made of a foldable metallic member may seal the bottle neck containing the pourer. Additional sealing means may be placed between the at least one opening and the foldable metallic member so that fluid can first come out of the bottle when the foldable metallic sealing member is removed together, or independently, with the additional sealing means preventing fluid from coming out through the opening/s.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complete the description and to provide for a better understanding of the invention, a set of drawings is provided. Said drawings form an integral part of the description and illustrate embodiments of the invention, which should not be interpreted as restricting the scope of the invention, but just as examples of how the invention can be carried out. The drawings comprise the following figures:

Figure 1 discloses an upside-down perspective view of the pourer of the bottle assembly of the invention.
Figure 2 discloses an upright perspective side view of the pourer of the bottle assembly of the the invention.
Figure 3 discloses a bottom view of the pourer of the bottle assembly of the invention.
Figure 4 discloses a perspective bottom view of the pourer of the bottle assembly of the invention.
Figure 5 disclose an upright side view of the pourer of the bottle assembly of the invention.
Figure 6 a perspective side view of the pourer the bottle assembly of the invention.
Figure 7 is a crossed side view of an embodiment of the invention where the pourer is placed in the neck of the bottle.
Figure 8 is a side view of an embodiment of the invention illustrating the pourer within the bottle including an exterior thread.
Figure 9 is a crossed side view of the pourer within the bottle taken at a different angle to that of figure 7.

DESCRIPTION OF WAYS OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The pourer (1) for a bottle neck of figure 1 comprises a cylindrical cap (5) (bottom part of figure 1, upper part of figure 2) having a first surface (6) a second surface (7) and a rounded cylindrical outside wall (8) between the first and second surfaces. As can be seen in figures 1 and 2 the rounded cylindrical outside wall is provided with at least one opening (10). The pourer further comprises a body (18). The body (18) has at least one lateral wall (3) having a rounded part and a first longitudinal channel (13) which extends into the second surface (7) of the cylindrical cap. When fluid is poured outside the bottle the fluid is first guided along the first channel (13) before it reaches the at least one opening (10) so that it can come out of the bottle. The fact that the fluid is being guided along the channel towards the opening facilitates smooth and even pouring of the liquid though the opening.
It is clear from figures 1 and 2 that the maximum diameter of the body (18) is smaller than the diameter of the cylindrical cap. This construction is advantageous because it makes possible for the second surface (7) of the cylindrical cap to lie on the upper rim (23) of the neck (31) of the bottle, as can be seen in figures 7, 8 and 9. The body (18) comprises a central elongated wall (2) which may have a rectangular form at both ends of which are located a first lateral (3) and a second lateral (4) wall. In the embodiment depicted in figures 1 and 2 the central elongated wall (2) contains a virtual axis perpendicular to the surface of the cylindrical cap (5) passing through its center. Both lateral walls (3,4) are located at right angles to the central elongated wall (2). The exterior part of the first and second lateral walls (3,4) is at least partially rounded so that when the pourer (1) is inserted into a bottle neck (31) the round surfaces of the pourer fit the interior surfaces of the bottle neck (31) securing the pourer (1) to the bottle. As can be seen in figure 7 the part of the lateral walls (3,4) to be placed closer to the rim of a bottle neck (31) may be broader in a direction perpendicular to the virtual axis defined above than the free ends of the lateral walls (3,4). The free ends of the lateral walls (3,4) are therefore easily introduced into a bottle neck (31) and afterwards, when the second surface (7) comes into contact with the top of a bottle neck (31), the part of the lateral walls (3,4) which are closer to the cylindrical part (5) make pressure on the interior part of the bottle neck (31) in order to enhance the mechanical connection between the pourer (1) and the bottle neck (31).
As can be seen in figures 2 and 3 the central elongated wall (2) together with the first and second lateral walls (3,4) define the shape of the body which has a cross section which is H shaped when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the central elongated wall (2).
Due to the round shape of the first (3) and second (4) lateral walls (3,4) pressure is exerted in a symmetric way towards the virtual central axis of the pourer (1) which contributes to protect both the pourer (1) and the bottle neck (31) from being damaged. The embodiments depicted in figures 1 and 2 disclose fluid channels (13,14) at both sides of the central elongated wall (2) which serve as a path for the fluid to flow towards the upper part of the pourer (1). It is clear from figure 2 that every fluid passage (13,14) ends in an opening (1012) so that the fluid contained in the bottle can be guided from the inside to the outside of the bottle free without hindrance.
The pourer (1) comprised in the bottle assembly of the invention can be advantageously made of plastic but it could well be that depending on the composition of the bottle or on the fluid contained in the bottle the pourer is made of metal, cork or any composite comprising one or more of these materials.
Figures 3 and 4 disclose the symmetrical configuration of the pourer (1). Due to this configuration irrespective of the side to which the bottle is tilted to pour the fluid, the fluid comes out of the bottle through one opening (10,12) whereas the opposite opening (10,12) serves as a venting opening allowing air to circulate inside and outside of the bottle contributing to the regular flow of the liquid outside the bottle.
Having as reference a point in the above defined virtual central longitudinal axis of the pourer at the level of the center of at least one of the two openings, the at least one opening or the first and second openings subtend an angle between 80 and 120 degrees, preferably between 90 and 100 degrees which makes possible the desired flow rate of liquid to be poured outside the bottle. The dimension of the openings (10, 12) can be suited to characteristics of the fluid such as the density or the potential content of solid elements inside the fluid. Figures 5 and 6 are lateral perspective views illustrating the structure of the pourer.
Figure 7 is a sectional side view of the pourer placed in a bottle neck.
Figure 8 depicts that the exterior of the bottle neck containing the pourer is provided with a thread so that a bottle cap can be properly threaded to the bottle to seal it preventing the fluid from coming out of the bottle.
Figure 9 is a sectional side view of the pourer (1) within the bottle taken at a different angle to that of figure 7.
In this text, the terms first, second, third, etc. have been used herein to describe several devices, elements or parameters. It will be understood that the devices, elements or parameters should not be limited by these terms since the terms are only used to distinguish one device, element or parameter from another. For example, the first device could as well be named second device, and the second device could be named first device without departing from the scope of this disclosure.
In this text, the term "comprises" and its derivations (such as "comprising", etc.) should not be understood in an excluding sense, that is, these terms should not be interpreted as excluding the possibility that what is described and defined may include further elements, steps, etc.
On the other hand, the invention is obviously not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, but also encompasses any variations that may be considered by any person skilled in the art (for example, as regards the choice of materials, fig dimensions, components, configuration, etc.), within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims

Claims

Bottle assembly comprising a bottle (29) for a liquid, and further comprising a pourer (1) allocated in the bottle neck (31) of the bottle (29), the pourer (1) comprising a cylindrical cap (5) having a first surface (6), a second surface (7) and a rounded cylindrical outside wall (8) between the first and second surfaces (6,7), the pourer (1) further comprising a body (18) with at least a first lateral wall (3,4) at least partially rounded and one or more longitudinal channels (13,14) which extends into the second surface (7) of the cylindrical cap (5) wherein the cylindrical outside wall (8) of the cap (5) presents at least an opening (10,12) at one end of at least one of the one or more longitudinal channel (13,14) and wherein the maximum diameter of the body (18) is smaller than the diameter of the cap (5), wherein a longitudinal channel (13,14) of the one or more longitudinal channels (13,14) defines a passage configured for allowing air to enter into the bottle (29) to enhance the regularity with which fluid comes out of the opening (10,12), said bottle assembly being characterized in that the bottle neck (31) comprises a thread (32) located at the outside of said bottle neck (31) and the bottle assembly comprises a bottle sealing cap for threading onto the thread (32) to seal the bottle (29).
Bottle assembly according to claim 1, wherein the pourer (1) has a C shaped crossed sections and contains only one opening (10,12) and only one longitudinal channel (13,14) which ends up in said opening (10) from which fluid is intended to come out of the bottle (29).
Bottle assembly according to claim 1 characterized in that the body (18) comprises a central elongated wall (2) having at its lateral ends a first lateral wall (3) and a second lateral wall (4) located at right angles to the central elongated wall (2), the outside part of the first (3) and second lateral walls (4) being rounded.
Bottle assembly according to claim 3 characterized in that the body (18) has an H shaped crossed section.
Bottle assembly according to claim 4 characterized in that the central elongated wall (2) and the first and second lateral walls (3,4) define two longitudinal channels (13,14) and the rounded cylindrical outside wall (8) comprises two openings (10,12).
Bottle assembly according to claim 5 characterized in that the each of the two openings (10,12) subtends an angle (alpha 1, alpha 2) between 90 and 120 degrees.
Bottle assembly according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that the pourer (1) is made of any of the following materials, plastic, metal, cork or any composite material, preferably plastic.
Bottle assembly according to claim 6 characterized in that the second surface (7) of the pourer (1) is configured for contacting with an upper rim (23) of the bottle neck (17).
Bottle assembly according to claim 5 characterized in that the pourer (1) have two longitudinal channels (13,14), a first longitudinal channel (13,14) which defines a first passage allowing fluid housed inside the bottle to exit through the opening (10,12) and a second longitudinal channel (13,14) which defines the passage configured for allowing air to enter in the bottle (29) or viceversa.
Bottle assembly according to any of the preceding claims 2-9, characterized in that the liquid is cider.
Bottle assembly according to any of the preceding claims 2-9 characterized in the liquid is wine or water.
Method of manufacturing the bottle assembly according to any of claims 1-11 characterized in that the pourer (1) is placed into the bottle neck (31) of the bottle (29) after the bottle (29) is filled with fluid and before a sealing cap is threaded onto the bottle neck (31) to seal the bottle (29).