FR2814443A1 - DEVICE FOR CAPPING A BOTTLE CONTAINING A CARBONATED DRINK - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a closure device for a bottle containing a carbonated beverage, consisting of a first element (2) designed to co-operate with an outer base (3) of the neck (4) of the bottle (5) and a second removable element (6), designed to co-operate with the first (2) by a ring-type insertion thereof to ensure its maintenance or its release. The invention is characterised in that the first element (2) consists of a central tubular part (7) mounted on the end (4b) of the neck (4) and co-operating with the outer ring (3) thereof via an elastically deformable inner ring-shaped rim (10), and the second element (6) consists likewise of tubular part (11), capable of sliding in the tubular part (7) of the first (2) and of maintaining clamped the inner rim (10) under the ring (3) of the neck (4), said first and second elements (2 and 6) being secured to each other by linking and sliding locking means.

Description

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Device for capping a bottle containing a carbonated drink
The present invention relates to a device for capping a bottle containing a carbonated drink such as cider, beer, sparkling wine, champagne, etc.

 In fact, the invention relates to any type of bottle containing this type of drink and the closure of which generally consists of a cork stopper traditionally held in place by a wire cap with or without a plate.

 This is the case of champagne, the shipping stopper of which is currently composed of a cork stopper held by a muselet plate as mentioned above.

 This type of closure presents a certain number of drawbacks which can harm the short or medium term in the trade of this type of product.

 Indeed, there is a risk for the food safety of the consumer by means of molecules which can migrate from the cork or from the products used for the manufacture of the stopper such as for example adhesives and surface treatments.

 Another well-known drawback linked to the use of cork stoppers concerns the sensory deviations commonly called cork tastes. This last point is currently the most important risk factor for sparkling wines, at least in frequency.

 Indeed, recent tastings carried out on a sample of two thousand five hundred bottles of champagne show that the average rate of this type of deviation is of the order of five percent, up to ten percent for certain lots.

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Cork manufacturers have tried to solve this type of drawback, but to date no radical solution has made it possible to completely overcome the problem of sensory deviations, the origin of which is due to the very heterogeneity of the cork material, its supply and manufacturing.

 Various solutions have been proposed to solve the aforementioned problems, in particular alternative synthetic or composite caps (cork plus synthetic adjuvants).

 Also have been proposed closure devices of the type constituted by a first element intended to cooperate with an external ring of the neck of the bottle and a second removable element intended to cooperate with the first, by enclosing it annularly to ensure its retention or its release.

 These solutions are generally unsatisfactory for the moment and do not meet all the functionalities required for a cork intended in particular for champagne wine: food safety, the European directive nu89. 109 of 12/21/98 stipulates that the materials in contact with the wine must not yield to it constituents in a quantity likely to present a danger to human health or to cause an unacceptable modification of its composition or a deterioration of its characters organoleptics, - barrier to ambient odors, - ease of opening and limitation of the dangerousness of handling, - inviolability.

 Of course these technical, functional and economic constraints must remain in

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 conformity with the image of the product enclosed by the bottle.

 Another parameter is also to be taken into consideration in the solution to the above problems.

 This is the gas permeability of the plug.

 This gas permeability must be fixed so that the product can have a controlled organoleptic evolution over time.

 These gaseous transfers take place through the plug which lets carbon dioxide (C02) escape while it lets oxygen (02) penetrate the bottle, despite the internal pressure.

 This phenomenon is linked to a balancing of the partial pressures of these two gases between the inside and the outside of the bottle.

 Oxygen strongly present in atmospheric air (around 20%) tends to enter the bottle to compensate for the very low oxygen concentration in the wine. Conversely, the carbon dioxide under high pressure inside the bottle tends to escape in order to equilibrate with a lower partial pressure of this gas in the atmosphere.

 Various studies on the subject have made it possible to demonstrate that in fact, despite the natural and traditional side of cork, it does in fact have a very random permeability resulting in a very irregular gas exchange from one bottle to another.

 In fact, the aim of the present invention is not only to remedy all of the aforementioned drawbacks linked to cork stopping or to the solutions already devised to replace it, but also to design a product whose permeability to oxygen and to gas. carbon dioxide could be controlled by

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 depending on the type of product to be capped, its characteristics and its shelf life.

 To this end, the invention relates to a device for capping a bottle containing a carbonated drink, of the type constituted by a first element intended to cooperate with an external ring of the neck of the bottle and a second removable element, intended to cooperate with the first by annularly enclosing it to ensure its retention or its release, characterized in that the first element is constituted by a central tubular part open at its two ends intended to cooperate with the internal wall of the neck and extending to its part upper by a peripheral skirt to define a crown housing covering the mouth of the neck and cooperating with the outer ring thereof by means of an internal annular bead of the elastically deformable skirt, and in that the second element is constituted by a part also tubular, capable of sliding in the tubular part of the first and whose upper end is closed and is also extended by a peripheral skirt defining a crown covering the skirt of the first, so as to keep the internal bead of its skirt tight under the neck of the neck, said first and second elements being made integral with each other by sliding connection and locking means able to allow axial displacement of the tubular part of the second element relative to the tubular part of the first element, along a stroke g, the lower and upper limits of which correspond respectively to a tightening position of the bead under the ring or on the contrary its

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 release, for a unblocking operation carried out successively by driving the first element by the second, under the pressure of the gas G contained in the bottle.

liquide sous pression de huit bars à 200C dans une gamme de température de moins 10 C à plus 400C. Such a device not only overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks but also provides a liquid and gas tightness for a

liquid under pressure from eight bars to 200C in a temperature range from minus 10 C to plus 400C.

 In addition, it offers resistance to aging under storage conditions (cellar atmosphere, prolonged contact with an alcoholic medium).

 Another advantage of the invention is that of not requiring modification of the current rings and as little as possible of the traditional shape of the bottle, if at all.

 Of course, the closure device according to the invention complies with the rules of industrial feasibility of its manufacture and its implementation on the bottle, without modification of the other operations of the sector (as for example in the case of champagne: the draw , disgorging, dosing, dressing of the bottle, etc.).

 In addition to the main characteristic set out above, the present invention also relates to the characteristics which will emerge during the following description and which should be considered in isolation or in all their possible technical combinations.

 This description given by way of nonlimiting example will make it easier to understand how the invention

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may be made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 shows a longitudinal sectional plan view of a closure device according to the invention in the closed position and therefore before uncorking.

 FIG. 2 is a view in axial section in perspective of the device according to FIG. 1.

 Figure 3 is an axial sectional plan view of the device during plugging or unblocking.

 FIG. 4 is a view in axial section in perspective according to FIG. 3.

 Figure 5 is a perspective view of a first device element before mounting the second element.

 FIG. 6 is a perspective view from below of said first element of FIG. 5.

 Figure 7 is a perspective view of the second element of the device before mounting on the first element.

 FIG. 8 is a perspective view from below of the second element according to FIG. 7.

 The closure device 1 generally designated in the figures consists of a first element 2 intended to cooperate with an external ring 3 of the neck 4 of a bottle 5.

 It is also constituted by a second removable element 6 intended to cooperate with the first element 2 by enclosing it annularly to ensure its retention or its release.

 The first element 2 is constituted by a central tubular part 7 open at its two ends 7a, 7b, intended to cooperate with the internal wall 4a of the neck 4 and extending at its upper part by

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 a peripheral skirt 8 to define a ring housing 9 covering the end 4b of the neck 4 and cooperating with the outer ring 3 of the latter via an internal annular bead 10 of the skirt 8 elastically deformable.

 The second element 6 is constituted by a also tubular part 11 capable of sliding in the tubular part 7 of the first element 2 and the upper end of which is closed and also extends by a peripheral skirt 12 defining a crown 13 covering the skirt 8 from the first 2.

 In this way, the internal bead 10 of the skirt 8 is held in tightness under the ring 3 of the neck 4.

 The first element 2 is the second element 6 thus defined are made integral with one another by sliding connection and locking means able to allow axial movement of the tubular part llb of the second element 6 relative to the tubular part 7c of the first element 2 and this according to a stroke g, the lower limits A and upper B respectively correspond to a tightening position of the bead 10 under the ring 3 or on the contrary its release.

 This for a unblocking operation carried out successively by driving the first element 2 through the second 6 under the pressure of the gas G contained in the bottle 5.

 The sliding connection and locking means 14 of the tubular part 11b of the second element 6 with respect to the tubular part 7c of the first 2 are constituted by at least one tooth 15 produced projecting inside the tubular part 7c of the first element 2 and by at least one

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dent 16 complémentaire réalisée en saillie à l'extérieur de la partie tubulaire llb du second élément 6, à proximité de leurs extrémités inférieures respectives, la dent 16 dudit second élément 6 étant susceptible de coopérer en verrouillage avec la dent 15 du premier 2 par encliquetage élastique ou par rotation, ou d'en être libéré par une nouvelle rotation

équivalente et être entraîné lors d'une opération de débouchage, par action de la pression G sur le second élément 6, jusqu'à venir en butée sur au moins une dent 17 réalisée également à l'intérieur de la partie tubulaire 7c du premier élément 2 pour constituer un organe de fin de course au deuxième élément 6 et conséquemment l'entraînement du premier élément 2 hors du goulot 4.

complementary tooth 16 produced projecting outside the tubular part llb of the second element 6, near their respective lower ends, the tooth 16 of said second element 6 being capable of cooperating in locking with the tooth 15 of the first 2 by snap-fastening elastic or by rotation, or to be released by a new rotation

equivalent and be driven during a unblocking operation, by action of pressure G on the second element 6, until it comes into abutment on at least one tooth 17 also produced inside the tubular part 7c of the first element 2 to constitute an end-of-travel member for the second element 6 and consequently the driving of the first element 2 out of the neck 4.

 More precisely, according to the present embodiment, the tubular part 7c of the first element 2 comprises three sectoral teeth 15 projecting in a lower region of its internal surface 7d by forming angles between them radially at 1200. Furthermore, the tubular part llb of the second element 6 comprises three corresponding sectoral teeth 16, also projecting in a lower region of its external surface llc, also forming angles between them at 1200. This so as to cooperate with each other by rotation or elastic snap-fastening, when the capping operation or to be dissociated by rotation of 60 in one direction or the other for unclogging. This is done by raising the teeth 16 of the second element 6, according to a predetermined stroke g until abutment with three sectoral teeth 17 distributed in

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 an upper zone of the internal surface 7d of the first 2, but offset by 60 relative to the three lower teeth 15 of the same internal surface 7d of said first element 2, this so as to cause the latter 2 to be entrained by the second element 6 under the effect of the gas pressure G.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, the three teeth 16 of the second element 6 are produced at the ends of three elastically deformable arms 18 constituted by portions of its tubular part 11, subdivided longitudinally by six grooves 19.

 In fact, the three lower end teeth 16 of the second element 6 are inscribed in a circle whose radius is substantially equal to that of the bore 7d of the tubular part 7 of the first element 2.

 Similarly, the three lower end teeth of the first element 2 are inscribed in a circle whose radius is substantially equal to the external radius of the surface llc of the tubular part llb of the second element 6.

 Finally, the three internal upper teeth 17 of the tubular part 7 of the first element 2 are inscribed in a circle whose radius is substantially equal to the radius of the external surface llc of the tubular part llb of the second element 6 on which are also formed. projecting the three lower end teeth 15.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, the external surface of the tubular part 11 of the second element 6 comprises in its upper end region axial stop elements 20 capable of cooperating during the plugging operation with an annular shoulder.

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 internal 21 also produced in an upper zone of the first element 2.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, the tubular part 11 of the second element 6 comprises on its external surface located above the connection and locking means 14, an annular bead 22 of progressive section, so as to cause a controlled tightening of the elements together, when plugging and obtaining the desired seal.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, the device, once in place on the bottle, makes it possible to control the gas permeability of the stopper.

This permeability is imparted by the nature of the materials of the plugging elements but also by the contact plane forming a seal, of the plug with the neck, which ensures the liquid and partially or totally gas tightness.

 This permeability is measurable; it is expressed in cubic centimeters of gas per twenty-four hours for carbon dioxide and for oxygen.

marque, la régie, le code, la traçabilité etc.. Les matériaux utilisés seront des matériaux recyclables. In addition, the materials used will make it possible to inscribe on the corking device compulsory and unassailable information such as the vintage, the

brand, management, code, traceability etc. The materials used will be recyclable materials.

 For aesthetic questions of the corking device, we can imitate the current cork corking with other materials or by associating a luxury aesthetic as already known in perfumery which will strengthen the exclusivity for certain prestigious products.

 Also, the device according to the invention will have the possibility of being able to be filled in after opening and

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 also retain an appeal to the symbolism of openness (noise, expulsion, etc.).

Claims (10)

1. Device for capping a bottle containing a carbonated drink, of the type constituted by a first element (2) intended to cooperate with an external ring (3) of the neck (4) of the bottle (5) and a second element ( 6) removable, intended to cooperate with the first (2) by annularly enclosing the latter to ensure its retention or its release, characterized in that the first element (2) is constituted by a central tubular part (7) open to its two ends (7a, 7b) intended to cooperate with the internal wall (4a) of the neck (4) and extending at its upper part by a peripheral skirt (8) to define a housing in a crown (9) covering the end ( 4b) of the neck (4) and cooperating with the outer ring (3) thereof via an internal annular bead (10) of the elastically deformable skirt (8), and in that the second element ( 6) is constituted by a also tubular part (11), capable of sliding in the tubular part (7) of the first (2) and the upper end (liga) of which is closed and also extends by a peripheral skirt (12) defining a crown (13) covering the skirt (8) of the first (2) , so as to keep the internal bead (10) of its skirt (8) in tightness under the ring (3) of the neck (4), said first and second elements (2 and 6) being made integral with one another by means of sliding connection and locking device capable of allowing axial displacement of the tubular part (llb) of the second element (6) relative to the tubular part (7c) of the first element (2), according to a stroke g <Desc / Clms Page number 13>  the lower (A) and upper (B) limits of which correspond respectively to a tightening position of the bead (10) under the ring (3) or, on the contrary, its release, with a view to a unclogging operation carried out successively by driving of the first element (2) by the second (6), under the pressure of the gas G contained in the bottle (5).  2. Corking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the sliding connection and locking means (14) tubular part (llb) of the second element (6), close to their respective lower ends, the tooth (16) said second element (6) being capable of the tubular part (llb) of the second element (6) relative to the tubular part (7c) of the first (2) consist of at least one tooth (15) projecting from the inside the tubular part (7c) of the first element (2) and by at least one complementary tooth (16) produced projecting outside the tubular part (llb) of the second element (6), close to their respective lower ends, the tooth (16) of said second element (6) being capable of cooperating in locking with the tooth (15) of the first (2) by elastic snap-fastening or by rotation, or of being released by a new equivalent rotation and be trained in '' a unclogging operation, by action of pressure G on the second element (6), until it comes into abutment on at least one tooth (17) also produced inside the tubular part (7c) of the first element (2) to constitute a limit switch on the second <Desc / Clms Page number 14>  element (6) and consequently the drive of the first element (2) out of the neck (4).  3. Clogging device according to claim (2) characterized in that the tubular part (7c) of the first element (2) comprises three sectoral teeth (15) distributed in projection in a lower region of its internal surface (7d) forming radially between them angles at 1200 and in that the tubular part (llb) of the second element (6) comprises three corresponding sectoral teeth (16), also distributed projecting in a lower region of its external surface (llc) also forming between them angles at 1200, so as to cooperate with one another by rotation or elastic snap-fastening, during the capping operation or to be dissociated by rotation of 600 in one direction or the other with a view to uncorking, the latter effected by raising the teeth (16) of the second element (6), according to a predetermined stroke g until abutment with three sectoral teeth (17) distributed in an upper zone of the internal surface (7d) d u first (2), but offset by 600 relative to the three lower teeth (15) of the same internal surface (7d) of said first element (2), this so as to cause the latter (2) to be driven by the second element (6) under the effect of the gas pressure G.  4. Clogging device according to claim 3 characterized in that the three teeth (16) of the second element (6) are produced at the ends of three elastically deformable arms (18) constituted by portions of its tubular part (11), subdivided longitudinally by six grooves (19). <Desc / Clms Page number 15> 5. Clogging device according to one of claims 3 or 4 characterized in that the three lower end teeth (16) of the second element (6) are part of a circle whose radius is substantially equal to that of l 'bore (7d) of the tubular part (7) of the first element (2).  6. Clogging device according to one of claims 3 or 4 characterized in that the three lower end teeth of the first element (2) are part of a circle whose radius is substantially equal to the external radius of the surface ( llc) of the tubular part (llb) of the second element (6).  7. Clogging device according to one of claims 2 to 6 characterized in that the three internal upper teeth (17) of the tubular part (7) of the first element (2) are inscribed in a circle whose radius is substantially equal to the radius of the external surface (llc) of the tubular part (llb) of the second element (6) on which the three lower end teeth (15) are also projecting.  8. Clogging device according to one of claims 1 to 7 characterized in that the external surface of the tubular part (11) of the second element (6) comprises in its upper end region axial stop elements 20 capable of cooperate during the capping operation with an internal annular shoulder (21) also produced in an upper zone of the first element (2).  9. Clogging device according to one of claims 1 to 8 characterized in that the tubular part (11) of the second element (6) has on its <Desc / Clms Page number 16>  external surface located above the connecting and locking means (14), an annular bead (22) of progressive section, so as to cause a controlled tightening of the elements together, during capping and obtaining the desired seal.  10. Corking device according to one of claims 1 to 9 characterized in that it comprises means for controlling the permeability once in place on the bottle.