ES2352084T3 - PLUG TO CLOSE BOTTLES, PARTICULARLY TO CLOSE WINE BOTTLES FOR AGING. - Google Patents

Abstract

A stopper ( 1, 100, 200 ) for sealing bottles ( 3 ), particularly for sealing bottles of wine for ageing, comprises:-a main body ( 2 ) shaped in such a way as to be removably housed in engagement in an aperture ( 3 a) of the bottles,-a first surface ( 5 ) and a second surface ( 6 ) formed on the main body and facing, respectively, the outside and the inside of the bottles when en the main body is received in engagement in the aperture,-at least one passage ( 4 ) extending between the first and second surfaces and capable of making the inside of said bottles communicate with the environment outside the bottles,-a permeable element ( 16, 101, 201 ) which is impermeable to liquids and permeable to oxygen, the said permeable element being extended to seal the said passage in order to regulate the flow of oxygen between the inside and the outside of the bottle, and having an oxygen permeability, measured at 2O° C., in the range from 10<SUP>-5 </SUP>to 10<SUP>-11 </SUP>(Ncm<SUP>3</SUP>*cm/cm<SUP>2</SUP>*cm<SUB>Hg</SUB>*s).

Description

Bottle cap, particularly for Close wine bottles for aging.

Technical field

The present invention relates to a stopper for close bottles, particularly to close wine bottles for aging, the cap having the characteristics set forth in the main claim.

Technological background

In the technical field of beverage bottling, particularly wine, there is a known need to replace Conventional cork stoppers made of synthetic plugs of polymeric material. This need arises from economic factors specific, significant technical issues associated with conventional plugs, including the possibility that Cork stoppers will release substances that can alter the taste of wine, and the ease with which bacteria can develop and Molds in wine.

To provide a positive response to this need, plugs made of material have been developed polymeric, normally expanded, but these plugs do not allow the controlled oxygen exchange between inside and outside of the bottle, and therefore prevent a correct procedure of wine maturation, while causing problems well known oxidation or reduction of the wine in the bottle. This limitation is particularly serious for aging wines, normally aged red wines, which require periods of prolonged ripening to obtain the flavor properties that characterize.

In an attempt to solve this problem, it has developed a synthetic plug that includes a conduit to put in communication the inside of the bottle with the outside, closed by a membrane designed to selectively regulate the flow of oxygen through the duct, between the inside and outside of the bottle.

An example of this prior art is described. in international patent application WO02 / 055397, in which this membrane is inserted into a support sleeve inserted into the conduit formed in the cap, or also to from document EP0629559.

However, the results achieved with the plugs described in these documents are not completely satisfactory with respect to the maturation of wines and consequent phenomena of oxidation or reduction of wine in the bottle.

Description of the invention

The problem addressed by the present invention is to provide a cap to close bottles, which is structurally and functionally designed to overcome limitations described above with reference to the prior art cited

This problem is solved by the invention by means of a plug produced according to the claims of later.

Brief description of the drawings

The characteristics and advantages of the invention will be clarified further by the detailed description of some preferred embodiments thereof, illustrated, to guide effects and without restrictive intent, with reference to attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic view, in longitudinal section, of a first example of a plug made according to the present invention,

Figure 2 is a schematic sectional view longitudinal and on an enlarged scale a detail of the cap of the Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a schematic sectional view longitudinal of a second example of a plug made according to the present invention,

Figure 4 is a schematic sectional view. longitudinal of a third example of a plug made according to the present invention

Preferred embodiments of the invention

In Figures 1 and 2, the number 1 indicates the all of a first example of a plug, made according to the present invention, designed to close wine bottles, particularly wine for aging that requires a considerable period of maturation.

The cap 1 comprises a main body 2, of generally cylindrical shape with rounded edges and that has dimensions to allow it to be housed and embedded in a opening 3a of a bottle 3 indicated only partially by lines discontinuous in Figure 1.

The main body 2 is made of any polymeric material that has mechanical characteristics and sealing so that it is as impermeable as possible to liquids, gases and vapors such as expanded polyethylene, or copolymers with base of polyolefin and styrene, or elastomers in general.

A conduit 4 is formed in the body main 2 and extends along a longitudinal axis X of the body 2, opening at its opposite ends that form a first surface 5 and a second surface 6. When the plug 1 is inserted in bottle 3, the first and second surfaces 5 and 6 are designed to be oriented to the outside environment in a case, and the inside of the bottle in the other case, thus forming a outer surface and an inner surface of the plug 1. Clearly, the plug is of a bidirectional type; that is, it can insert into the neck of the bottle in either of the two possible directions, so that the outer surface can be formed by the first surface 5 or the second surface 6.

A permeable element is inserted into the conduit 4 to provide adequate regulation of the passage of oxygen between the inside and outside of the bottle. This item Permeable can be membrane type, as described in detail below with reference to Figures 1 and 2, or it can be of the insertion type, that is, a cylindrical body such as a rod, which extends predominantly along the axis of conduit 4, as described below.

In the first preferred example described here, the conduit 4 comprises a first cylindrical diameter portion reduced 7, which extends from the second surface 6 towards a middle portion 8 of conduit 4, and a second portion 9, also cylindrical but having a larger diameter, which extends from the middle portion 8 towards the first surface 5.

The middle portion 8 is delimited towards the second portion 9 by a circular flange 10 extending radially into the conduit 4, and is delimited towards the first portion 7 by a projection 11.

The middle portion 8 has slightly inclined surfaces with respect to the X axis from the flange 10 to the shoulder 11, and forms a seat to accommodate a support sleeve 12 whose shape is substantially conjugated with that of the middle portion 8. The sleeve 12, shown in greater detail in Figure 2, thus has a generally truncated conical shape with a conical profile along the X axis from its major base 13 to its minor base
14.

In the seat 8, the sleeve 12 is placed with its minor base resting on the projection 11 and with its major base 13 next to flange 10.

A through hole 15, intercepted in your area central by a membrane 16 that extends transversely with with respect to the X axis and is fixed to the support sleeve 12 by particular welding or molding procedures, is formed to along the longitudinal axis of the sleeve 12, coinciding with the X axis.

Therefore, the membrane 16 intercepts the hole 15 and, consequently, the entire conduit 4 for communication between the first and second surfaces 5 and 6 of the plug 1. The characteristics of the membrane 16, described in detail later, they are such that they effectively regulate the passage of gases and vapors, particularly oxygen, through conduit 4.

In the specific case detailed here, the hole diameter 15 is equal to that of the first portion 7, for form an extension of it, but it is clearly possible that have a different diameter. Hole 15 may also have different cross sections in the portions separated by the membrane 16.

A projection 19, which extends radially towards the walls of the seat 8 from the edge of the major base 13, it is also conveniently provided around the wrap sleeve outside 12.

The projection 19 preferably has an edge acute, so that it can be more easily inserted into the walls of the seat 8.

The production of the cap 1 comprises a first stage of producing the main body 2 of polymeric material adequate, with the provision of conduit 4. This stage can be carried carried out by injection molding, extrusion, or any other Procedure suitable for the purpose.

The support sleeve 12 is manufactured by separated, for example by injection molding of polypropylene, polyamide or ABS, and membrane 16 is fixed in the same.

The membrane 16 can be fixed to the sleeve 12 of the most appropriate way. For example, in the embodiment described herein, the membrane is placed on a shoulder 17 formed in the hole 15 and it is held in position by a tubular insert 18 that is supported on shoulder 17 and subsequently welded by heat. For improve membrane retention, it is possible to create formations pointed (not shown in the figures) in highlight 17 and / or in the tubular insert 18, protruding towards the membrane 16, with a Flange type pressure retention system.

Similarly, the membrane 16 can be fixed to the sleeve 12 overmolding the plastic material that forms the cuff over the membrane that has been previously placed in the mold, or by ultrasonic welding. In particular, the overmolding process is particularly preferred if the polymeric material that forms sleeve 12 and that which forms the membrane 16 are chemically compatible with each other.

Then the sleeve 12 is mechanically inserted inside the conduit 4 of the main body 2, until the base minor 14 rests on the projection 11, thus defining its position correct in seat 8.

It should be noted that the stage of inserting the sleeve 12 is facilitated by its truncated conical shape and that the provision of flange 10 prevents movement outside the body main 2.

When the plug 1 is inserted and fitted in the opening 3a of the bottle 3, the main body is subjected Normally radial compression which ensures that the cap is retained in the shutter position, and that there is enough resistance to the passage of gases and liquids between the cap and the bottle. After this compression, the projection 19 is pressed with energy against the walls of the seat 8, thus forming a means for prevent the passage of gases or liquids between sleeve 12 and the main body 2, and an efficient means of fixing the sleeve 12 inside the seat 8.

The membrane 16 is impervious to liquids, and in this way it does not allow the passage of any liquid through she.

The membrane 16 is also made of material polymeric that has features such that it allows a flow Enough oxygen for the wine maturation procedure contained in the bottle, measuring this flow in approximately 0.1-5 milligrams (mg) per month, depending on the type of wine. In particular, for most of the wines in question, the monthly flow of oxygen that must pass from outside to inside of the bottle so that the wine matures correctly is between 0.2 and 2 mg.

If appropriate, an amount is taken into account minimum oxygen constant that inevitably passes between the plug and the neck of the bottle, and if it is supposed to exist the same differential partial pressure of oxygen between the two sides of the membrane, this flow depends substantially on the area of the membrane exposed to the flow, its thickness and its permeability to oxygen.

The area of the membrane 16 exposed to the flow of oxygen is identical, in the case described here, to the area of the cross section of hole 15, whose diameter varies from approximately 0.1 to 10 mm, preferably 1 mm to 7 mm. For the therefore, the area in question is between 0.0078 and 78.5 mm 2, preferably between 0.7 and 38.5 mm 2.

On the other hand, the thickness of the membrane 16 is between 5 and 2000 micrometers. If the membrane has a thickness of less than about 100 micrometers, is placed preferably on a support material, for example a paper-based material properly treated, whose characteristics must be such that they do not affect the permeability of the membrane.

In addition, in the case of membranes of a certain thickness, the membrane 16 can be molded in one piece with the sleeve 12, thus forming a monolithic permeable element made of A single material.

It should be noted that, in the preferred case described herein, there is only one membrane. However, it is possible to control the flow of oxygen by providing more than one membrane. In this case, it should be possible to provide an equivalent total area and an equivalent total thickness, defined as the surface and thickness of a hypothetical membrane that by
itself would offer the same resistance to oxygen flow as the plurality of membranes provided in the plug.

The determination of this total area and thickness equivalents will clearly depend on the way the membranes are placed in the cap, for example if they are placed in series in the same conduit or in parallel in different ducts

The oxygen permeability of the membrane 16 a ambient temperature, set at 20 ° C, is between 10-7 and 10-11 (Ncm3 * cm / cm2 * cm_ * H).

The membrane 16 is of the compact type, in others words, which substantially has no porosity, in which case the flow of the gas in question through the membrane takes place by diffusion in the polymer matrix.

The membranes of the compact type that have levels of permeability within the limits above mentioned may be based, for example, on silicone rubber as vulcanized polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or poly (oxydimethylsilylene).

Silicone gums have little chemical compatibility with the polypropylene from which it is made preferably the sleeve 12, and therefore the membranes made of this material are typically embedded in the sleeve 12 by the procedure described above with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

In addition, if the membrane material is a Silicone rubber, membrane and sleeve can be formed of a piece by a single molding operation, forming a monolithic permeable element.

Other examples, provided for information and without intention to be exhaustive, of suitable materials to make Membranes of the compact type include:

- polydienes and their copolymers, such as polybutadiene, polyisoprene, polyisoprene hydrochloride, polymethyl-1-pentenylene, hydrogenated polybutadiene, poly (2-methyl-1,3-pentadiene-co-4-methyl-1,3-pentadiene), vulcanized trans polymerization rubber, polychloroprene and butadiene-acrylonitrile copolymer;

- cellulose derivatives, such as ethyl cellulose and cellulose acetobutyrate,

- styrene / olefin / diene based copolymers how styrene-ethylene-butene-styrene (SEBS) and styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene  (SEPS),

- polyoxides, such as poly (oxy-2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene),

- polyolefins and their derivatives, such as polyethylene low density or ethylene acetate copolymer of vinyl (EVA),

- fluorinated polymers and copolymers, such as polytetrafluoroethylene and copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene.

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Some examples of membranes made of these Materials are offered in the table attached to the description.

The materials listed above also they are more chemically compatible with polypropylene than rubber bands of silicone, and, therefore, can be overmolded for sleeve formation 12.

The membrane 16 can be of the composite type, formed by a single layer or a plurality of layers superimposed, each of which can be made of any polymer, homopolymer, or polymer or copolymer mixture, which It can be of a compound type and filled with inorganic filler. One of the layers can also consist of a material inorganic, ceramic or zeolite.

The materials that form the membranes above mentioned can be properly filled in, for example of organomodified nano-clays, silica, TiO2, magnesium oxide, titanium dioxide, etc., to achieve the desired oxygen permeability.

For microporous membranes (including nanoporous membranes), the membrane must have, according to another aspect of the invention, a cut of molecular weights of less than 50 Dalton.

The molecular weight cut is a measure correlated with the micropore size and indicates the weight maximum molecular molecules capable of passing through the membrane moving through its holes.

The measure of the micropore size is of considerable importance if the cap 1 is used in bottles that They contain wine designed for a prolonged procedure of maturation. This is because a molecular weight cut substantially low hinders the passage of heavy molecules complex from and into the bottle, including molecules of compounds important for conservation and / or production of the final flavor properties required in the wine contained in the bottle, and also including spores, molds and bacteria

In particular, the microporous membrane has preferably a molecular weight cut between 1 and 30 kDalton, or more preferably between 1 and 10 Dalton.

The microporous membranes that have the features specified above may be made, for example, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and have a thickness between 100 and 500 micrometers. Its chemical compatibility with polypropylene it is also enough to allow them to be fixed to sleeve 12 by a procedure of overmolding

According to another aspect of the invention, the membrane 16 also preferably has a vapor permeability of water, measured at 23 ° C, between 50 and 500 g / m2 d, a value in which the loss of water over time can be sufficiently controlled.

Examples

A set of caps was prepared according to the previous teachings, using membranes with compact materials, with different permeability, and having different areas and thicknesses

All examples of plugs made were tested under constant pressure and temperature, comparable to environmental conditions under which the Maturation procedure of a wine in the bottle.

The test results are shown in the Table 1, which lists the monthly oxygen flows through a stopper that has a membrane made of a material with a permeability indicated as Perm, a thickness indicated as S, in micrometers, and a specific diameter indicated as D, in mm.

The results that meet the requirements of flow for a correct wine aging procedure are those between 0.1 and 2 mg / month, which, allowing an oxygen exchange of approximately 0.1 mg / month through of the tested cap and bottleneck, conform to the optimal exchange conditions to ripen an aged wine.

All materials used, dimensions Superficial, thicknesses and oxygen flows measured are shown in Table 1 that is provided for the purposes of this description. The positive results, in other words, those related to a flow within the interval above mentioned, they are shown in bold.

The results in Table 1 demonstrate that the Silicone rubbers require greater thickness, around 500 micrometers, so that they are suitable for the required purpose, while other polymeric materials must have lower thicknesses of approximately 100 micrometers, or even only 10 micrometers

A plug 100 made according to a second example of the present invention is shown in Figure 3, in which the details similar to the details of the preceding example are Identify by the same reference numbers.

In the cap 100, the permeable element, in this case in the form of a membrane 101, is made of the same material that the main body 2, and occurs simultaneously with it, by a molding procedure.

Clearly, this solution allows costs of production are reduced considerably, since only require a material and an operation, without the need for work or rear mounting

This material must have, of course, not only the appropriate permeability but also all the features mechanical, chemical and physical, and ease of work necessary for use in the production of the main body 2.

A preferred example of this material is consisting of SEBS copolymer and SEPS copolymer. Using this material, it is possible to mold the main body 2, one piece in a single operation, the conduit 4, closed by a membrane 16 of suitable thickness, which is formed inside the main body. In particular, when the size of the conduit 4 is approximately 7 mm, the membrane 16 has a thickness of approximately 1000 micrometers, which is large enough to allow the molding procedure is used.

In a third embodiment of the present invention, shown in Figure 4, depicting a plug  200, the permeable element is of the insert type, in others words, which has a body like a rod 201 whose section transverse is conjugated with that of conduit 4.

In this case, the predominant dimension of permeable element is the axial dimension, which may be between 2 mm and 60 mm, while the sections transverse ducts 4 are similar to those in the example preceding.

In this case, as the thickness of the element permeable is greater by approximately two orders of magnitude than the thickness of the membranes of the preceding example, the permeability required in the material that forms the permeable element is, in consequence, greater by approximately two orders of magnitude, preferably between 10-5 and 10-9 (Ncm 3 * cm / cm 2 * cm_ * H). Preferably, the insert is of the compact type.

Thus, the present invention resolves the prior art problem identified above, in so much that also offering many other benefits.

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Claims (23)

1. Cap (1, 100, 200) to close bottles (3), particularly to close wine bottles for aging, which includes: - a main body (2) formed of such so that it can be accommodated in a detachable manner by means of a opening (3a) of said bottles, - a first surface (5) and a second surface (6) formed in said main body and which are oriented, respectively, to the exterior and interior of said bottles when said main body is received by fit into said opening, - at least one conduit (4) extending between said first and second surfaces and able to make the inside of said bottles communicates with the outside environment to the bottles, wherein the cap comprises a permeable element (16, 101, 201) that is liquid impermeable and oxygen permeable, said permeable element being extended to close said conduit to regulate the flow of oxygen between the interior and the exterior of the bottle, said permeable element having an oxygen permeability, measured at 20 ° C, between 10-7 and 10-11 (Ncm3 * cm / cm2 * cm_ { Hg} * s) characterized in that said permeable element is of the compact type, not having substantially porosity and in which the flow of oxygen takes place by diffusion.

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2. Cap according to claim 1, wherein said permeable element comprises at least one membrane (16) that it has an oxygen permeability, measured at 20 ° C, between 10-7 and 10-11 (Ncm3 * cm / cm2 * cm_ * H). 3. Cap according to Claim 2, wherein the said membrane is of the compact type and is made of a material selected from a group consisting of silicone rubber, polydiene and its copolymers, cellulose derivatives, copolymers based on styrene / olefin / diene, polyoxides, polyolefins and their derivatives, and fluorinated polymers and copolymers. 4. Cap according to Claim 3, wherein the said membrane is made of a material selected from a group polybutadiene compound, polyisoprene, hydrochloride polyisoprene, polymethyl-1-pentenylene, ethyl cellulose, copolymer of styrene-ethylene-butene-styrene (SEBS), copolymer of styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene (SEPS), poly (oxy-2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene)   hydrogenated polybutadiene, poly (2-methyl-1,3-pentadiene-co-4-methyl-1,3-pentadiene),  butadiene-acrylonitrile copolymer, rubber vulcanized trans polymerization, copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropene, acetobutyrate cellulose, fluorinated polymers such as polytetrafluoroethylene, polychloroprene, low density polyethylene, and copolymer of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). 5. Cap according to Claim 4, wherein the said membrane is based on silicone rubber, SEBS, SEPS or EVE. 6. Cap according to any one or more of the Claims 2 to 5, wherein said at least one membrane it has an equivalent total area for oxygen passage, being the said total equivalent area between 0.0078 and 78.5 mm2. 7. Cap according to Claim 6, wherein the said total equivalent area is between 0.78 and 38.5 mm2. 8. Cap according to any one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one membrane has an equivalent total thickness of the area across the which passes the oxygen, said total thickness being included equivalent between 5 and 2000 micrometers. 9. Cap according to Claim 8, wherein the said total equivalent thickness is between 10 and 1000 micrometers 10. Cap according to any one or more of the preceding claims, wherein said membrane has a water vapor permeability measured at 23ºC between 50 and 500 (g / m2 d). 11. Cap according to any one or more of the Claims 3 to 10, wherein said main body (2) and said membrane (101) are made of a piece thereof material. 12. Cap according to claim 11, wherein said main body and said membrane are made of SEBS or SEPS or EVA copolymer copolymer. 13. Cap according to any one or more of the Claims 2 to 12, wherein said membrane is fixed in a support sleeve (12) which in turn is fixed inside the said duct. 14. Cap according to Claim 13, wherein in said conduit a seat (8) is provided to accommodate the said support sleeve. 15. Cap according to Claim 14, wherein said seat is delimited longitudinally by a flange (10) extending radially from said main body towards said conduit, and by a shoulder (11) formed in said conduit. 16. Cap according to any one of the Claims 13 to 15 or more, wherein said sleeve (12) has a conical profile along a longitudinal axis (X) of the said duct. 17. Cap according to any one or more of the Claims 13 to 16, wherein said sleeve comprises a projection (19) extending radially around its shell exterior to increase the security of fixation between the said sleeve (12) and said main body (2). 18. Cap according to claim 17, wherein the said sleeve has a truncated conical profile and the said projection extends from the major base (13) of the said sleeve. 19. Cap according to Claim 18, wherein said projection has a sharp edge that is oriented to the walls of said duct. 20. Cap according to any one or more of the Claims 13 to 19, wherein said membrane is fixed in the said support sleeve overmolding said sleeve over the said membrane. 21. Cap according to any one or more of the Claims 13 to 19, wherein said membrane is made of a piece with said support sleeve. 22. Cap according to Claim 1, wherein said permeable element comprises an insert (201) with a predominant axial dimension, which has an oxygen permeability measured at 20 ° C between 10-5 and 10-9 (Ncm 3 * cm / cm 2 * cm_ * H). 23. Cap according to Claim 22, wherein said insert has an equivalent total area comprised between 0.7 and 78.5 mm2 and an equivalent total thickness between 2 and 60 mm.