FR3029179A1 - CLOSURE CAP FOR BOTTLES OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, AND KIT FOR CLOSING AND OPENING - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a closure cap (1) for a bottle and the like, of the type having a mouth for the outlet of the contained product on which said cap (1) is intended to be introduced for closing said bottle, said stopper (1) comprising a body (2) made of unglazed ceramic material, and a seal (3) arranged to partially cover said body (2), so that when said plug (1) is introduced into said mouth of said bottle to close it, said seal (3) is interposed between said body (2) and said bottle, so as to leave, when said cap is coupled with said container or bottle, at least one portion or surface ( 23) of said outwardly facing body (2) and at least one portion or surface (24) of said body (2) facing inwardly of said bottle. The present invention also relates to a bottle closure and opening kit and the like.

Description

The present invention relates to a closure cap for bottles and the like, and a corresponding closure and opening kit. In more detail, the invention relates to a cap for closing a bottle, studied and made in particular to allow optimal transpiration of the contents, to retain the organoleptic properties. The invention also relates to a corkscrew device, specifically designed for opening the stopper according to the present invention. The following description will refer to the closing and storage of wine and liquor bottles, but it is obvious that it should not be considered as being limited to this specific use. Currently, as is known, cork and silicone corks are used mainly to close the bottles. The cork stoppers, because of their consistency and the fact that they are made of a natural fiber material, allow optimal transpiration of the product contained in the bottle they close, the latter aspect being particularly suitable for the preservation of wine, liqueurs, popular beers and the like, which, as we know, are very delicate products for their preservation and fermentation (often bottled) over time. At the same time, however, by the very fact of being a natural product, and therefore not completely inert, cork requires some precautions in its use. In general, it is necessary to prevent the wine from coming into contact with the cork, for example during periods of aging or fermentation, because this would not allow a complete transpiration of the product and the cork could interact with the product and alter the organoleptic properties.

Silicone caps, on the other hand, have the great advantage, especially if they are of good quality, to be inert in case of contact with sensitive products such as wine. Nevertheless, this type of stopper has the risk of not allowing adequate perspiration of the product. In view of the foregoing, the object of the present invention is therefore to provide a plug which is inert if brought into contact with the product, but which allows adequate perspiration of the product itself. Another object of the invention is to provide a kit for opening the cap according to the invention. The specific object of the present invention is therefore a closure cap for a bottle and the like, of the type having a mouth for the outlet of the contained product on which said cap is intended to be introduced for closing said bottle, said stopper comprising a body made of unglazed ceramic material 3029179 2 and a seal arranged to partially cover said body, so that when said plug is inserted into said mouth of said bottle to close, said seal is interposed between said body and said bottle, to leave, when said cap is coupled with said container or bottle, at least a portion or surface of said body facing outward and at least a portion or surface of said body facing the interior of said bottle. Still according to the invention, said body may be produced by means of a base composition comprising English-origin clay (BWS), French-origin clay (BS5), clay of British origin ( WS), quartz, potassium feldspar, preferably of the 40% type. According to the invention, again, said BWS (clay from British origin) may be between about 20% and about 40%, said BS5 (clay from French origin) may be between about 5% and about 10%, said WS ( clay of English origin) is from about 10% to about 25%, said P4 (Italian origin quartz) may be from about 15% to about 32%, said FS900 (40% type potassium feldspar) may be in an amount equal to about 15%. Advantageously according to the invention, said body may comprise sodium silicate (Na 2 SiO 3), sodium carbonate (Na 2 CO 3) and water. Subsequently according to the invention, in proportion to said base composition of said body, said sodium silicate (Na 2 SiO 3) may be in an amount equal to about 1%, said sodium carbonate (Na 2 CO 3) may be in an amount equal to about 1%, and said water may be in an amount of about 40 c4 / 0. Still according to the invention, said body may comprise a head and a rod, coupled to the base of said head, said rod being intended to be introduced into the neck 25 of said bottle to close it. According to the invention, again, said seal may be made of silicone. Subsequently according to the invention, said seal may comprise one or more circular fins, disposed on the lateral surface, at said rod of said body.

Advantageously according to the invention, said rod of said body may have a circular housing and said seal may have a toroidal shape and is disposed on said circular housing. Still according to the invention, said seal can cover almost completely said body and has an upper channel, to allow perspiration.

The other object of the present invention is a bottle closure and opening kit and the like, of the type having a mouth for the outlet of the contained product, comprising a stopper as defined above, and a pulling device. plug for said cap, said device having a first portion and a second portion, interconnected, said first portion has a notched profile, shaped "U" for insertion between the neck of the bottle and the base of said head of said body, and said second portion is intended to be disposed above said cap.

Still according to the invention, said corkscrew device can be obtained from a folded metal sheet. According to the invention, again, said second portion may have another notched "U" shaped profile. Advantageously according to the invention, said second portion may be coupled to said first portion, so that the latter portion forms a closed profile, into which the head of the plug can be inserted, and a portion of said profile of said first portion can to be inserted between the neck of the bottle and the base of said head of said body, to allow the exercise of a stress on the cap. The present invention will now be described by way of example, but not limitatively, in accordance with its preferred embodiments, with particular reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a plug according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows the ceramic part of the plug of Figure 1; Fig. 3 shows a graph having the average pore radius dimension of the ceramic on the abscissa and the density of material on the y-axis; Figures 4 and 5 show a second embodiment of a plug according to the present invention; Figure 6 shows a third embodiment of a plug according to the present invention; Figure 7 shows a view, along the sectional line A-A, of the seal of the plug according to Figure 6; Fig. 8 shows a plan view of the plug of Fig. 6; Figs. 9a and 9b show a first embodiment of a corkscrew device for extracting the plug according to the present invention; Figures 10a and 10b show a second embodiment of a corkscrew device for extracting the plug according to the present invention; and Figs. 11a and 11b show a third embodiment of a corkscrew apparatus for extracting the plug according to the present invention.

In the various figures, the like parts will be indicated with the same numerical references. Referring to Figure 1, there is a first embodiment of a cap 1 according to the present invention. The plug 1 mainly comprises a body 2 of ceramic material, partially indicated in the figure by a dashed line, and an outer seal 3.

The body 2, also better illustrated in FIG. 2, comprises a head 21 and a rod 22 coupled to the base of said head 21. Said rod 22 is intended to be introduced through the mouth of a bottle to be closed (no shown in the figures) and to insert along the neck thereof to close it. As has been said, the body 2 is made of unglazed ceramic material to allow proper perspiration of the product contained in the bottle which is closed. The use of unglazed ceramic material makes it possible precisely by suitably varying the clay and mineral components of the ceramic, to adjust the degree of porosity and, therefore, the ability of the plug to transpire. In particular, considering a mixture of clay and mineral materials, including English clay (BWS), French clay (BS5), English clay (WS), quartz , 40% potassium feldspar, sodium silicate, sodium carbonate and water, it is possible to obtain samples of different material. In particular, experimental assays were performed on three separate samples having the compositions shown in the table reported hereinafter. In particular, for each sample, the basic composition is indicated, including the clays in the various weight percentages, as well as the composition of the complementary components (sodium silicate, sodium carbonate and water), which are generally contained in ceramics and which, in the case studied, all have the same percentage. Type Description Sample Sample Sample 1 2 3 BWS English Origin Clay French Origin Clay English Origin Italian Quartz 40% Feldspar Potassium 40% 5% 25% 15% 15% 38% 7% 10% 30% 15% 2t10% 23% 32% 15% BS5 WS P4 FS900 total 100% 100% 160.% Complementary components (as a percentage of Basic Composition) Description .4? Sample Sample 1 2 3 Na2SiO3 Na2CO3 B20 Sodium silicate Sodium carbonate Water 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 30% 30 3 Figure 3 shows a graph with the average dimension (in μm) as abscissa ) of the pore radius of the ceramic and, ordinate, the density of material (in mm3g-1). The graph shows the evolution of three curves, each relating to a ceramic sample with which it is possible to make the plug to meet the specific requirements of perspiration of the product in the bottle to be closed, made according to the compositions of the indicated table. above. As can be seen, the three different compositions have different material density curves, depending on the average pore radius, which indicates different transpiration properties of the different materials.

The seal 3 is made of silicone, for food, and partially covers said body 2, so that when the cap 1 is introduced into said bottle to close the mouth or opening, it is interposed between said body 2 itself and said bottle, and so as to leave free at least a portion or surface 23 of said body 2 facing outwardly of the bottle and at least a portion or surface 24 of said body 2 facing inwards from the bottle. The seal 3 also comprises circular fins 31, arranged on the lateral surface, at the rod 22 of the body 2, to better adapt the cap 1 to different bottles and at the same time obtain a better useful seal, for example, for the preservation of sparkling wines.

The operation of the plug 1 described above takes place as follows. When the cap 1 is applied to a bottle to close it, the porosity of the body 2 allows the product contained in the bottle, such as wine, sparkling wine, champagne and the like, to transpire, that is to say, it allows over time, an air passage between the inside of the bottle and the outside, and vice versa, as indicated by the bidirectional arrow F which, as can be seen, passes through the portions or surfaces 23 and 24 of the body 2, oriented respectively outwardly and inwardly of the bottle, since these surfaces are not protected by the seal 3, which has its own insulating properties. Figures 4 and 5 show another embodiment of the plug 1. In particular, Figure 4 shows the body 2 which has on the rod 22, a circular housing 25. Figure 5 shows, meanwhile, a seal 3 to 8 show a third embodiment of the plug 1 according to the invention, particularly suitable for the preservation of sparkling, sparkling and similar wines. , for which a tight seal is required. As seen, in this case, the seal 3 almost completely covers the body 2, which is inserted into the volume V identified by the closure seal. The seal 3029179 also has an upper channel 32, to allow exposure of the surface 24 to the outside of the bottle (when the cap is applied to a bottle) and thus perspiration. Figures 9-11 show three embodiments of a corkscrew device 5 for extracting the plug 1 according to the present invention. In particular, if we consider FIGS. 9a and 9b, said device, indicated with the reference numeral 4, has a first portion 41 and a second portion 42, interconnected laterally. In particular, in the case considered, said corkscrew device 4 is obtained by means of a folded metal sheet, conveniently cut.

Said first portion 41 has a cut-shaped profile 41 ', in the shape of a "U", intended to fit between the neck of the bottle and the base of the head 21 of the body 2 (that is to say of the portion of the seal 3 located between the bottle and the head 21 of the body 2), to allow, once inserted in the manner mentioned, to perform a bias on the cap 1 to extract it from the bottle, 15 Said second portion 42 is intended to be disposed above the cap 1, so as to cover it during extraction or removal, both to retain it in the case of a strong thrust during removal, e.g. in the case of champagne or sparkling wine, only for aesthetic reasons. Figures 10a and 10b show a second embodiment of a corkscrew device 4, in which, unlike that of Figures 9a and 9b, the second portion 42 also has a notched profile 42 'in the form of "U", but with a curvature of the less ample profile, which always allows to retain the cap 1 when the bottle is open, but which allows, at the same time, facilitate the application of said corkscrew device 4 on the bottle, allowing to see better when it is applied. FIGS. 11a and 11b show a third embodiment of a corkscrew device 4, in which, unlike that of FIGS. 9a and 9b, the second portion 42 is coupled to said first portion 41, so that that the latter forms a closed profile 41 ', into which the head of the stopper 1 can be inserted, 30 and a portion of said profile 41' can be, as above, inserted between the neck of the bottle and the base of the head 21 of the body 2, to allow the exercise of a solicitation surie cap 1 and, therefore, its removal. An advantage of the invention is to allow the replacement of cork stoppers usually used for the preservation of bottled wine or liqueurs in general, by ensuring the correct exchange of oxygen and maintaining the high quality of the product. . Another advantage of the stopper according to the invention is that it does not deteriorate and allows the bottle to be kept both in a vertical position and in a horizontal position, thus allowing a significant saving of space while guaranteeing an exchange of water. adequate air without loss of fluid. Another advantage of the invention is that the plug according to the invention can be easily removed without any ecological impact. In addition, the cap according to the invention can be reused because it is not subject to deformation, guaranteeing anyway maximum hygiene. The present invention has been described by way of example, but not limitation, according to its preferred embodiments, but it should be understood that variations and / or modifications may be made by the experts of the sector without departing from the corresponding protection domain as defined by the appended claims.

Claims (14)

REVENDICATIONS1. Closure cap (1) for a bottle and the like, of the type having a mouth for the outlet of the contained product on which said cap (1) is intended to be introduced for closing said bottle, said cap (1) comprising a body (2) made of unglazed ceramic material and a seal (3) arranged to partially cover said body (2), so that when said plug (1) is introduced into said mouth of said bottle to close, said seal (3) is interposed between said body (2) and said bottle, to leave, when said cap is coupled with said container or bottle, at least a portion or surface (23) of said body (2 ) oriented outwardly and at least a portion or surface (24) of said body (2) facing inwardly of said bottle. 2. Stopper (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said body (2) is produced by means of a base composition comprising clay from British origin (BWS), clay from France ( BS5), English clay (WS), quartz, potassium feldspar, preferably of the 40% type. 3. Stopper (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that said BWS (clay from English) is between about 20% and about 40 ° to said B85 (clay from French) is between about 5% and About 10%, said WS (clay from British origin) is between about 10% and about 25%, said F) 4 (quartz of Italian origin) is between about 15% and about 32%, and said FS900 (potassium feldspar) the type at 40 °) / 0) is in an amount equal to about 15%. 4. Stopper (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said body (2) comprises sodium silicate (Na2SiO3), sodium carbonate (Na2003) and water. 5. Stopper (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that read, in proportion to said base composition of said body (2), said sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) is in an amount equal to about 1%, said sodium carbonate (Na2CO3 ) is in an amount equal to about 1%, and said water is in an amount equal to about 40%. 6. Stopper (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said body (2) comprises a head (21) and a rod (22), coupled to the base of said head (21), said rod (22) being intended to be introduced into the neck of 3029179 9 said bottle to close. 7. Stopper (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said seal (3) is made of silicone. 8. Stopper (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said seal (3) comprises one or more circular fins (31) disposed on the lateral surface at said rod ( 22) of said body (2). 9. Stopper (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said rod (22) of said body (2) has a circular housing (25) and that said one seal (3) has a toroidal shape and is disposed on said circular housing (25). 10. Stopper (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said seal (3) almost completely covers said body (2) and 15 has an upper channel (32) to allow perspiration_ 11. Bottle closure and opening kit and the like, of the type having a mouth for the outlet of the contained product, comprising a stopper as defined in any one of claims 1-10, and a corkscrew device ( 4) for said plug (1), said device having a first portion (41) and a second portion (42), interconnected, said first portion (41) has a notched profile (41 '), shaped like a " U ", intended to be inserted between the neck of the bottle and the base of said head (21) of said body (2), and said second portion (42) is intended to be disposed above said stopper (1). 25 12. Kit according to claim 11, characterized in that said corkscrew device (4) is obtained from a folded metal sheet. 13. Kit according to any one of claims 11 or 12, characterized in that said second portion (42) has another notched profile (42 ') shaped "U". 14. Kit according to any one of claims 11 - 13, characterized in that said second portion (42) is coupled to said first portion (41), so that the latter forms a closed profile (41 '). in which the cap head (1) can be inserted, and a portion of said profile (41 ') of said first portion (41) can be inserted between the neck of the bottle and the base of said head (21) of said body (2), to allow the exercise of a stress on the plug (1). 35