WO1996016876A1

WO1996016876A1 - Cap for the closing of uncorked bottles

Info

Publication number: WO1996016876A1
Application number: PCT/IT1995/000203
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ruggero Ferrari
Original assignee: Ruggero Ferrari
Priority date: 1994-12-02
Filing date: 1995-11-29
Publication date: 1996-06-06
Also published as: IT235100Y1; ITPR940024U1

Abstract

The present invention is applied in the field of caps for closing uncorked sparkling wine bottles so as to preserve the remainder of the product left inside the bottle. The cap has a cylindrical body (1) made of plastic, inside which a rubber seal (6) is housed which can move according to a vertical axis counteracting a spring (4). In the cylindrical body two windows are obtained inside each of which can rotate a plastic reed (8), said reed being placed inclined in such a way that an upper part penetrates inside the body and a lower part is outside said body (1).

Description

Cap for the closing of uncorked bottles

Description

The present invention relates to a tap for the closing of uncorked bottles and in particular for sparkling wine bottles.

As known, once sparkling wine bottles, or others, are uncorked they are then closed by means of steel taps which are composed of a cast cylindrical body containing a spring which acts on a disk, bearing a seal capable of exerting a pressure on the opening of the bottle. Prior art taps foresee two lateral bands rotating about a pivot riveted to the cylindrical body, the two lateral bands being provided with tap hooking reeds which act under the rim of the bottle-neck. Prior art taps are very expensive and impractical when put into use, as the use of both hands is needed in both the closing and hooking phases of the lateral bands, and in the opening phase for the unhooking of the lateral bands from the rim of the bottle-neck. The aim of the present invention is to make the closing of the bottle both easier and more practical which can be performed with only one hand.

A further aim of the present invention is to make the tap more economical, both in terms of a reduced amount of labour needed for its assembling and also in terms of the manufacturing thereof.

In order to achieve the above mentioned aims, the tap object of the present invention is characterised by the features described in the appended claims.

Characteristics and advantages of the present invention will better emerge from the detailed description that follows of a preferred embodiment, here illustrated in the form a non- limiting example in which:

- figure 1 shows a perspective view of the tap;

- figure 2 shows the tap inserted onto the bottle in the closing position in a longitudinal section; - figure 3 shows a particular of the tap.

With reference to the figures, 1 denotes a hollow cylindrical body made of plastic.

In the upper part of the cylindrical body, two cylindrical slots 2 are obtained within which two projections 2a are found which are a part of a closing lid 3.

Under the closing lid 3, a spring 4 is housed which pushes a washer 5, to said washer being applied a seal 6 made of rubber or other material. The washer 5 is free to slide within the cylindrical body counteracting the action of the spring 4.

In the lower part of the cylindrical body 1, at least two opposed windows 7 are obtained, inside which are housed two plastic reeds 8 which are inclined and constrained to the cylindrical body by means of one or more connections 7a which act as a rotation pivot for said reeds. The upper part of each reed 8 has two arched ends 8a so as to better wrap and embrace the neck of the bottle.

As a consequence, also the windows 7 enlarge according to the disposition of the reeds. The cylindrical body, the reeds and the connections 7a are obtained in a single piece by hot molding plastics.

The upper part of each reed 8 is inclined towards the inside of the cylindrical body 1 thanks to the molding, while the lower part of each reed 8 projects towards the outside, and the inclination of the reeds is made in such a way so as to push and violently slide on the rim 9 of the bottle¬ neck 10, thus inserting itself under said rim of the bottle-neck as shown in figure 2. Therefore, the functioning of the tap results as follows: the cylindrical body 1 is inserted onto the neck of the bottle by exerting a suitable pressure with one's hand until the seal 6 is rested on the neck of the bottle and by squashing the spring 4 until the two reeds 8, sliding along the rim of the bottle-neck, come to a stop under the border of the rim of the bottle-neck itself. In this position the tap hooks onto the bottle, thus carrying out the closing of the bottle itself.

For removing the tap, it is sufficient to hold the bottle in correspondence with the projecting part of the reed 8, allowing the spring 4, previously compressed, to be released leaving the tap free, which can be easily removed from the bottle.

The present invention can be susceptible to numerous variations or changes, for example the closing of the lid 3 can be carried out in a different way, without falling outside the field of the following claims.

According to a possible variation shown in figure 3, in the upper part of each reed a housing is obtained in which a curved reed 11, made of steel, is inserted with pressure, so as to avoid the wear of the plastic and so as to guarantee a better grip to the neck of the bottle, under the rim of the bottle-neck.

According to a further variation not shown, three windows 7 can be provided and consequently three reeds 8 are placed at 120° around the cylindrical body.

Claims

1. A tap for uncorked bottles of a type comprising a hollow cylindrical body in which is housed a washer (5) with rubber seals (6), said washer being pressed by a spring (4), characterised in that the cylindrical body comprises two or more lateral reeds (8) inclined, with respect to an axis of rotation, towards the centre of the body, said reeds being made of the same plastics as the body and constrained to said body by means of one or more connections (7a) also made of the same material; said connections (7a) constituting the axis of rotation of said reeds.

2. A tap for uncorked bottles as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a lid (3) provided with two projections (2a) capable of being inserted into two slots (2) obtained in the cylindrical body (1).

3. A tap for uncorked bottles as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the cylindrical body (1), the reeds (8) and the connections (7a) are obtained in one single piece through plastics molding .

A tap for uncorked bottles as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that in each reed (8) is obtained a housing for retaining one curved reed (11) made of steel which is capable of gripping and sliding onto the neck of the bottle under the rim of the bottle-neck.

A tap for bottles as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that each reed (8) has two curved ends (8a) so as to wrap and embrace the neck of the bottle.